#damaged cards

[magicjudge]

If I have a card that's very badly damaged is it still a legal magic card? if it's so damaged even sleeves wouldn't disguise it, could I use something like a checklist card to represent it in my deck? thanks

Yes, it’s still a real Magic card.

However, if it’s badly damaged to the point where it’s impossible to not have it be marked while in your deck, then you’re out of luck and won’t be able to play the card in tournaments. (Unless the card is a double-faced card, of course, in which case you can use the appropriate checklist card in your deck.)

Checklist cards are only usable for the specific double-faced cards they list. They’re not universal stand-ins for any card you want to represent in a deck.

The only situation where you’ll be allowed to play a stand-in for a damaged card in a tournament is if that card became damaged through play at that tournament. In this case, the Head Judge is allowed to issue you a proxy to stand in for the card in your deck for that tournament only. You can’t play the proxy in other events.

[magicjudge]

Are heavy damages on a double-sleeved card (i.e. torn but with fully legible text) tournament-legal, or would they be a case-by-case thing?

To be legal for tournament play, a card must be indistinguishable from the other cards in your deck in both look and feel. A torn card is likely to have a different feel to it or size profile in the sleeve, so its unlikely that anything more than a very small tear or fold is going to be allowed in a tournament.

Whether or not a card is allowed in a given event is always at the discretion of that event’s head judge.