[ANSTHRLD] Conflict Check - Purpure Dragon

Crandall crandalltwo-scalists at yahoo.com
Wed Jun 29 14:11:19 PDT 2011


The SCA has always had difficulty dealing with the situation when both the number and the type of a single charge group change. For a classic example, consider the hypothetical arms Azure, a lion Or and a unicorn argent combattant versus Azure, a unicorn argent. In both cases, you have a blue field with a white rampant unicorn. In the first, the unicorn is also accompanied by a gold lion rampant to sinister. The traditional SCA view is to give only one CD for removing the lion so that the two arms are in conflict. However, occasionally, someone tries to argue from a different perspective, namely, that we should give one CD for changing the number of the group (from two to one charge), another CD for changing the type of the group (from half unicorn, half lion to all unicorn), a third CD for changing the tincture of the group (from half Or, half argent, to all argent), and a fourth for changing the posture of the group (from half facing dexter and half
 facing sinister, to all facing dexter). This, of course, would make the arms well clear of conflict. This interpretation has been disallowed fairly consistently in precedent, although the issue continues to be raised occasionally.

The second step in determining CDs is comparing the actual armory rather than using hypothetical intermediate armory. In the original precedent (Siridean MacLachlan, cited in Dyan du Lac des Calandres, above) with a lion and a castle (submitted) versus six lions (registered), conflict was discussed considering intermediate armory of a castle and five lions and rejecting the alternate intermediate armory of three castles and three lions. Under that precedent, comparing the current submitted armory Sable, in bend a compass star and a drakkar prow Or with the registered armory Sable, semée of suns in splendour Or, there is a CD for the number of charges but nothing for type due to the assumption that the intermediate armory is Sable, a drakkar prow and six (or more) compass stars (or suns). However, this is not a valid assumption as any intermediate armory is hypothetical. Therefore, the determination of difference must be based on a comparison of the
 actual armory, submitted versus registered, rather than against hypothetical intermediary armory. In the case of the current submission, we are comparing a compass star and a drakkar prow versus semée of suns. There is no difference granted between a compass star and a sun; however, there is a CD for the number of charges and there is a second CD for changing from all suns (compass stars) to only half suns (compass stars).

This two-step process still provides reasonable protection to registered armory, while being both easier to explain and to apply. The December 2003 and March 2004 precedents are thus overturned. In summary, when counting differences:

Use the minimum number of steps or changes between the armory to determine the number of CDs.

Compare the registered and submitted armory without assuming any hypothetical intermediate armory.



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