I have and always will recommend Dragon shields. They last forever, and the inner sleeves protect all 4 sides of your cards. You talked about how you don't like the space above the cards but I think that's the trade off for pretty much the best protection on the market. While both the matte and regular versions fall under the same Cortex umbrella, there are significant differences between the two in durability and ease of double-sleeving. That being said, both versions are fit for use and the deciding factor should always be the matte vs shiny finish of the display. Just as with the stretch test, the Cortex Matte sleeves out shone the non-matte version. Even after 1000 rough shuffles these sleeves looked near untouched - slight bending on the corners and some minor scuffs but nothing beyond basic wear and tear.

Best sleeves to use? (Double Sleeving) — MTG Forum Best sleeves to use? (Double Sleeving) — MTG Forum

The Katana Sleeves will protect your cards like a Samurai would! Honouring the tradition of pristine Japanese craftsmanship, these precision-made and extremely durable sleeves are ideal for tournament gameplay. They are fully opaque, great for shuffling and meet the highest standards of players and collectors. Difficult to double sleeve – double sleeving seems to be a challenge with top-down perfect fit sleeves. I would advise to either single sleeve with these or use sideloading perfect fit sleeves when double sleeving. Null Signal Games is not associated with, produced by, or endorsed by Fantasy Flight Games, R. Talsorian Games, or Wizards of the Coast. V i m o z a h r do regular KMC sleeves have that extra space on the top? Because the way that I shuffle it gives me issues as well. I've heard a lot of people recommend the KMC inner sleeves but what are the regular outer sleeves they offer like? It sounds like with the extra space at the top on the dragon shields they may not be for me. Also does Katana make inner sleeves? I'm not familiar with that brand actually!

A new Dynasty of card protection

The Cortex sleeves are super clear (left & middle), whereas the Cortex Mattes (right) dull the shine and reflections.

Katana Sleeves Standard Size - Black (100) | Magic Madhouse

We have carefully considered our ecological responsibilities. Our commitment to protecting the environment includes the use of new materials and the creation of new products with an additional focus on sustainability. The Return to Earth Series is our first step towards this goal. Outer sleeves: I started with KMC and was happy until about 2 years ago there quality dropped off and I switched to the Ultra Pro Eclipse Sleeves and have loved the change over. The Regular Cortex sleeves will be exactly what you are looking for if shiny foils and crisp colours are essential to you. Great appearance and as clear as any other glossy outer sleeve. 10/10. In this review, we’ll go over the features of Ultimate Guard’s Katana sleeve lineup and analyze how they compare to other card sleeves. However, you are getting what you pay for. Katanas are well worth the price given their quality and durability. If you have a few extra dollars to spend, these sleeves are the way to go.

Customer reviews

Serenity is the VP of Engagement for Null Signal Games, and wishes it was her full time job. Known by some as "Netrunner's Cool Goth Mom", she's a DJ in her spare-spare time and streams under the psuedonym SwearyPrincess! To evaluate seam strength, we grab each side of the sleeve and pull until either the plastic warps or the seams split. We can then determine the amount of force required to split the sleeve and compare it to other sleeves as reference.

Sleeves Review - Are They A No Brainer? Ultimate Guard Cortex Sleeves Review - Are They A No Brainer?

The Cortex sleeves are only available in several colours at the time of writing. Not as much variety as other outer sleeves. Worry not my fellow runners of the nets, there are indeed sleeves that are fully opaque and I will present some of those to you. Not as tall as a Dragon Shield (the cut is similar to Ultra Pro Eclipse), so there's no issue of "baconing" on the top edge over time. KMC may not be as durable/bombproof however I have the absolute confidence that my cards are properly sleeved and will definitely handle my kitchen table/FNM gameplay.A diverse community of players devoted to Magic: the Gathering, a trading card game ("TCG") produced by Wizards of the Coast and originally designed by Richard Garfield. For sleeves with images , the images will begin to pull away from the sleeve, causing many sleeves to be unusable after that. Feel free to learn more about the other sleeve types and brands we carry in this Overview blog post !