diff --git a/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/util/MessageUtil.java b/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/util/MessageUtil.java
index 99e08a89dfb..d09707aa26b 100644
--- a/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/util/MessageUtil.java
+++ b/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/util/MessageUtil.java
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ public class MessageUtil {
     }
 
     public static String formatMessage(String message, PlayerView player, Object related) {
-        if (related instanceof Player && message.indexOf("{player") >= 0) {
+        if (related instanceof PlayerView && message.indexOf("{player") >= 0) {
             String noun = mayBeYou(player, related);
             message = message.replace("{player}", noun).replace("{player's}", Lang.getPossesive(noun));
         }
diff --git a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/GameLobby.java b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/GameLobby.java
index 8e03380d610..8a4f816803f 100644
--- a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/GameLobby.java
+++ b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/GameLobby.java
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ public abstract class GameLobby {
                     setNameNow = true;
                     hasNameBeenSet = true;
                 }
-                lobbyPlayer = GamePlayerUtil.getGuiPlayer(name, setNameNow);
+                lobbyPlayer = GamePlayerUtil.getGuiPlayer(name, avatar, setNameNow);
             }
 
             Deck deck = slot.getDeck();
diff --git a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/HostedMatch.java b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/HostedMatch.java
index 5c390bd7cc7..4911297c4ba 100644
--- a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/HostedMatch.java
+++ b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/HostedMatch.java
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ import forge.sound.MusicPlaylist;
 import forge.sound.SoundSystem;
 import forge.trackable.TrackableCollection;
 import forge.util.CollectionSuppliers;
+import forge.util.FCollectionView;
 import forge.util.GuiDisplayUtil;
 import forge.util.NameGenerator;
 import forge.util.maps.HashMapOfLists;
@@ -99,12 +100,21 @@ public class HostedMatch {
             gameRules.setAppliedVariants(appliedVariants);
         }
 
-        if (players.size() == 2) {
-            title = String.format("%s vs %s", players.get(0).getPlayer().getName(), players.get(1).getPlayer().getName());
+        final List<RegisteredPlayer> sortedPlayers = Lists.newArrayList(players);
+        Collections.sort(sortedPlayers, new Comparator<RegisteredPlayer>() {
+            @Override public final int compare(final RegisteredPlayer p1, final RegisteredPlayer p2) {
+                final int v1 = p1.getPlayer() instanceof LobbyPlayerHuman ? 0 : 1;
+                final int v2 = p2.getPlayer() instanceof LobbyPlayerHuman ? 0 : 1;
+                return Integer.compare(v1, v2);
+            }
+        });
+
+        if (sortedPlayers.size() == 2) {
+            title = String.format("%s vs %s", sortedPlayers.get(0).getPlayer().getName(), sortedPlayers.get(1).getPlayer().getName());
         } else {
-            title = String.format("Multiplayer Game (%d players)", players.size()); 
+            title = String.format("Multiplayer Game (%d players)", sortedPlayers.size()); 
         }
-        this.match = new Match(gameRules, players, title);
+        this.match = new Match(gameRules, sortedPlayers, title);
         startGame();
     }
 
@@ -137,25 +147,15 @@ public class HostedMatch {
         game.subscribeToEvents(SoundSystem.instance);
         game.subscribeToEvents(visitor);
 
-        // Instantiate all required field slots (user at 0)
-        final List<Player> sortedPlayers = Lists.newArrayList(game.getRegisteredPlayers());
-        Collections.sort(sortedPlayers, new Comparator<Player>() {
-            @Override
-            public int compare(final Player p1, final Player p2) {
-                final int v1 = p1.getController() instanceof PlayerControllerHuman ? 0 : 1;
-                final int v2 = p2.getController() instanceof PlayerControllerHuman ? 0 : 1;
-                return Integer.compare(v1, v2);
-            }
-        });
-
+        final FCollectionView<Player> players = game.getPlayers();
         final String[] avatarIndices = FModel.getPreferences().getPref(FPref.UI_AVATARS).split(",");
         final GameView gameView = getGameView();
 
         humanCount = 0;
         final MapOfLists<IGuiGame, PlayerView> playersPerGui = new HashMapOfLists<IGuiGame, PlayerView>(CollectionSuppliers.<PlayerView>arrayLists()); 
-        for (int iPlayer = 0; iPlayer < sortedPlayers.size(); iPlayer++) {
+        for (int iPlayer = 0; iPlayer < players.size(); iPlayer++) {
             final RegisteredPlayer rp = match.getPlayers().get(iPlayer);
-            final Player p = sortedPlayers.get(iPlayer);
+            final Player p = players.get(iPlayer);
 
             p.getLobbyPlayer().setAvatarIndex(rp.getPlayer().getAvatarIndex());
             if (p.getLobbyPlayer().getAvatarIndex() == -1) {
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ public class HostedMatch {
             gui.setGameController(null, humanController);
 
             gui.openView(null);
-        } else if (humanCount == sortedPlayers.size()) {
+        } else if (humanCount == players.size()) {
             //if there are no AI's, allow all players to see all cards (hotseat mode).
             for (final PlayerControllerHuman humanController : humanControllers) {
                 humanController.setMayLookAtAllCards(true);
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ public class HostedMatch {
         }
 
         //ensure opponents set properly
-        for (final Player p : sortedPlayers) {
+        for (final Player p : players) {
             p.updateOpponentsForView();
         }
 
diff --git a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/player/GamePlayerUtil.java b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/player/GamePlayerUtil.java
index 3f6935c1d7c..0b0c8468738 100644
--- a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/player/GamePlayerUtil.java
+++ b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/player/GamePlayerUtil.java
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ public final class GamePlayerUtil {
     public static final LobbyPlayer getGuiPlayer() {
         return guiPlayer;
     }
-    public static final LobbyPlayer getGuiPlayer(final String name, final boolean writePref) {
+    public static final LobbyPlayer getGuiPlayer(final String name, final int avatarIndex, final boolean writePref) {
         if (writePref) {
             if (!name.equals(guiPlayer.getName())) {
                 guiPlayer.setName(name);
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ public final class GamePlayerUtil {
             return guiPlayer;
         }
         //use separate LobbyPlayerHuman instance for human players beyond first
-        return new LobbyPlayerHuman(name);
+        return new LobbyPlayerHuman(name, avatarIndex);
     }
 
     public static final LobbyPlayer getQuestPlayer() {
diff --git a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/player/LobbyPlayerHuman.java b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/player/LobbyPlayerHuman.java
index deb7ae0405f..0738d344dcc 100644
--- a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/player/LobbyPlayerHuman.java
+++ b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/player/LobbyPlayerHuman.java
@@ -9,7 +9,11 @@ import forge.util.GuiDisplayUtil;
 
 public class LobbyPlayerHuman extends LobbyPlayer implements IGameEntitiesFactory {
     public LobbyPlayerHuman(final String name) {
+        this(name, -1);
+    }
+    public LobbyPlayerHuman(final String name, final int avatarIndex) {
         super(name);
+        setAvatarIndex(avatarIndex);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/player/PlayerControllerHuman.java b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/player/PlayerControllerHuman.java
index 7f3d4048d3b..955d6e44fdb 100644
--- a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/player/PlayerControllerHuman.java
+++ b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/player/PlayerControllerHuman.java
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ public class PlayerControllerHuman
         } else {
             message += "{player's} " + zone.name().toLowerCase();
         }
-        String fm = MessageUtil.formatMessage(message, player, owner);
+        String fm = MessageUtil.formatMessage(message, getLocalPlayerView(), owner);
         if (!cards.isEmpty()) {
             tempShowCards(game.getCardList(cards));
             getGui().reveal(fm, cards);