I know the event is a few months away but I got into talking with some friends about alters and legality for worlds. While I know its all the head judges call, I am wondering if people here have any tips on what they try to stay away from on altered cards and if anyone has ever had a problem at Vintage worlds for the alters they played in particular and what the issue with them were. Thanks in advance!
I'm head judging the Vintage Championships this year.
First of all, allow me to direct your attention to the some of the wording in policy that covers this:
"Artistic modifications are acceptable in sanctioned tournaments, provided that the modifications do not make the card art unrecognizable, contain substantial strategic advice, or contain offensive images. Artistic modifications also may not obstruct or change the mana cost or name of the card."
Not that I want to encourage modifications, but I am planning on being pretty lenient. I need to be able to identify the card by its modified artwork, I need to be able to easily verify that the card is real, and I'll need to see that the card isn't marked in its sleeve, but that's pretty much it. Please check with me before the event to avoid any problems later.
Modifications that extend to the top of a card have a tendency to bleed over onto the adjacent edge, which marks the card when viewing the deck from the side. I'll be checking for this and plan to disallow those cards. If you have cards like this, the best way to avoid this problem is by double-sleeving with oppositely-oriented sleeves.
Thanks.
Katzby
