Alpha cards, legal or not?

[boasnapes]

My question is as simple as whether or not Alpha cards are legal in tournaments(both sanctioned and non-sanctioned). I have an Alpha Berserk and am planning on playing at the dual-lotus tourny. I just wanted to make sure I can use it there. I have heard that they are legal as long as you use sleeves(opaque), but have also heard that they are illegal no matter what.

So what is the offical ruling on Alpha cards?

thanks,
boas-n-apes

[Dr. Sylvan]

They are legal with opaque sleeves.

[boasnapes]

Wow Dr. Sylvan, it took you a whole minute to answer my question. Thanks a lot !! Now I don't feel bad beating down with my double rancored, Alpha berserked kird ape (12 damage WOO-HOO). Thanks again for clarifying.

boas-n-apes

p.s.  your library is great.

[Dr. Sylvan]

I am actually just a highly sophisticated 'bot that formulates all posts from a predetermined library of information gathered from the old Extreme Vintage Forum and Rakso articles, while taking a set of odd jobs under the name Mr. Pilkington.

But perhaps I've said too much. *puffs pipe intellectually*

[Jaapmans]

Dr. Sylvan answered mostly correctly, but I'd like to add that just the fact that you play opaque sleeves is not sufficient to make a alpha card legal in sanctioned tournament play.

Any card should not be distinguishable from any other card in a deck. If you play alpha cards you need to play opaque sleeves. But after a few rounds, chances are that the sleeve with the alpha card is marked differently at the corners than all the other non-alpha cards.

At all time (yes indeed) a player is responsible for playing a non-marked deck. Please be aware of that. A marked cards - major offense grants you a minimum of a game loss (REL 1, REL 2) and a match loss at higher REL's.

Jaap

[mouth]

There's two seperate penalties for marked cards, a minor and a major.

If you have an Alpha Demonic Tutor, an Alpha Time Walk and two Alpha Underground Sea's all in the same deck, the judge would be in the wrong and possibly not sane if he gave you a game loss. However, if all of your lands are Alpha, then there is an observable pattern, and that's cause for a Marked Cards - Major. It's left to the judge's discretion ultimately.

In all fairness, if you're using good sleeves, there just shouldn't be any noticeable difference.

[ctthespian]

This is right from the DCI fllor rules.   (Copy and Paste is such tech)

102.   Authorized Cards
Alpha cards (cards from the first print run of the core set) may be used in decks containing non-Alpha cards only if all cards are placed in completely opaque sleeves and only if the sleeves could not be considered marked.

If sleeves are not used, Alpha cards may be used only in decks that consist exclusively of Alpha cards.

Participants may not use cards from any special-edition sets or supplements, such as Collector’s Edition, International Collector’s Edition, Pro Tour Collector Set, World Championship decks, or Unglued cards.

Note: Unglued basic land cards are allowed in sanctioned Magic tournaments.

[DEA]

listening to a level 4 judge is so much more superior tech, yes?

[TracerBullet]

I swear to god, at some point in my life, I will play an all-Alpha deck in Type II (even if it means playing Alpha-Island.dec).

[Dr. Sylvan]

I swear to god, at some point in my life, I will play an all-Alpha deck in Type II (even if it means playing Alpha-Island.dec).

Get pictures of that. Post them everywhere. Gloat FOREVER. Gloat harder if you win.