The Standards for Evaluation of Names and Armory - SCA Heraldry

The Standards for Evaluation of Names and Armory:The Rules for SubmissionsFor example, Sable, a cross flory argent mullety gules and a chief Or has two DCs from Sable, a cross floryargent and a chief Or mullety gules, because the tertiary charge group on the secondary charge has beenremoved and a tertiary charge group on the primary charge group added. These tertiary charge groups arenot comparable. However, both of those designs have only one DC from Sable, a cross flory argent and achief Or, as in each case only one tertiary charge group has been added.3. Change of Tincture Within a Charge Group: Distinctly changing the tinctures, direction of partitionlines, style of partition lines, or number of pieces into which a charge group is divided is a distinct change(DC). At most one distinct change may be derived from changes to tincture of a single charge group.However, no distinct change for tincture may be given under any section of this rule when comparing atinctureless badge to another design, as described in A.5.G.1.e above.a. Tinctures: If the tincture of at least half the charge group is changed, the charge group will be considereddifferent. There is a distinct change (DC) for swapping or rotating the tinctures of a charge group evenlydivided into two, three, or four parts. There is not a distinct change for reversing the tinctures of a chargegroup divided into more than four parts. Furs and field treatments are considered different from theirunderlying tincture.For example, Azure, a cross crosslet argent has one DC from Azure, a cross crosslet per pale argent andgules. Per fess gules and argent, an annulet counterchanged has one DC from Per fess gules and argent,an annulet counterchanged argent and sable; the first example is a shorthand for Per fess gules andargent, an annulet per fess argent and gules. Each of the following is a DC from the other two: Vert, atree argent; Vert, a tree ermine; Vert, a tree argent masoned sable.For example, Gules, a fess argent between three lions quarterly argent and azure has one DC from Gules,a fess argent between three lions quarterly azure and argent, because the tinctures have been swapped.However, Gules, a fess argent between three lions checky argent and azure does not have a DC fromGules, a fess argent between three lions checky azure and argent, because the lions are divided into morethan four parts.Certain tincture changes are considered part of the type of the charge and do not contribute to difference.Charges such as towers and castles that are made of masonry are not considered to be different whendrawn with or without masoning, though fields and charges that are not made of masonry are. Somecreatures, such as panthers and yales, are often but not always spotted; the absence or presence of thesespots does not contribute to difference, though the addition of roundels to another type of charge isconsidered to be adding a tertiary charge group.b. Direction of Partition Lines: A change of direction of partition creates a distinct change (DC). Themajor single partition lines include: per bend, per bend sinister, per pale, per fess, per chevron, and perchevron inverted. A change from one to another (whether as single lines or multiple forms) is a distinctchange . In addition, a change from any of these to per saltire, quarterly, gyronny (of any number ofpieces), per pall, per pall inverted, checky, and lozengy or a change between any of these is considered adistinct change. A change in direction of half the lines of a design gives a distinct change. In general, theaddition, removal, or change of a partition line or group of partition lines that changes organization oftinctures in ways that affect half the tincture will be considered a distinct change.For example, the following all have one DC from each other: per bend argent and sable, per pale argentand sable, and lozengy argent and sable. The change from barry bendy to paly barry is a DC. There is aDC between barry wavy azure and argent and per pale and barry wavy azure and argent.Standards for Evaluation of Names and Armory – April 29, 2012 - Page 62 of 73