NOTE: This section was originally taken from the SCA Rules for Submissions, and is used by kind permission of Dame Elsbeth Anne Roth, Laurel Queen of Arms. Some lines have since been altered from the original, due to subsequent rulings of the Adrian Imperial Sovereign of Arms.

11. Conflicting Armory.
1. Addition of Primary Charges. Armory does not conflict with any protected armory that adds or removes the primary charge group.

Most cadency systems did not involve addition or deletion of the primary charge group, so this automatically creates an independent design.

2. Difference of Primary Charges. simple armory does not conflict with other simple armory if the type of every primary charge is substantially changed.

This type of change was normally seen between complete strangers in blood, and was not usually used to indicate any form of cadency. For the purposes of this Rule, simple armory is defined by the following clauses.

1. Armory that has only a primary group of identical charges is simple armory.
2. Armory that has only a group of uncharged primary charges is simple armory.
3. Armory that has only a primary group of identical charges, accompanied only by a secondary group of identical charges, is simple armory.
3. Significant Armorial Differences. Two pieces of armory will not be considered to conflict if two clear visual differences exist between them.
1. Field Difference. If charges are present, changing the tinctures, division, line of partition, or treatment of the field is one clear difference. If at least half of the field is changed, the fields will be considered different.
1. Fieldless Difference. A piece of fieldless armory automatically has one clear difference from any other armory, fielded or fieldless. Tinctureless armory is considered to be fieldless for this purpose.
2. Field Only Difference. If neither of two pieces being compared has charges, changes to the tincture, division, line of partition, and treatment of the field may be counted separately.
2. Addition of Charges on the Field. Adding or removing any group of charges placed directly on the field, including strewn charges, is one clear difference.
3. Addition of Charges Overall. Adding or removing a group of charges placed overall is one clear difference.
4. Tincture Changes. Changing the tinctures or division of any group of charges placed directly on the field, including strewn charges or charges overall, is one clear difference. Changing the tincture of at least half of the charges in a group is one clear difference.
5. Type Changes. Significantly changing the type of any group of charges placed directly on the field, including strewn charges or charges overall, is one clear difference. Changing the type of at least half of the charges in a group is one clear difference. Types of charges considered to be separate in period, for example a lion and an heraldic tyger, will be considered different. A charge not used in period armory will be considered different in type if its shape in normal depiction is significantly different.
6. Number Changes. Significantly changing the number of charges in any group placed directly on the field or overall is one clear difference. One, two, and three are significantly different from any number, four is significantly different from six or more, and five is significantly different from eight or more. Six and higher numbers, including semy of charges, are not significantly different from each other.
7. Arrangement Changes. Changing the relative positions of charges in any group placed directly on the field or overall is one clear difference, provided that change is not caused by other changes to the design.
8. Posture Changes. Significantly changing the posture or overall orientation of charges in any group placed on the field, including strewn charges or charges overall, is one clear difference. Changing the posture of at least half of the charges in a group is one clear difference. Multiple changes to the posture or orientation of the same charges may not be counted separately. Changes of posture or orientation of separate charge groups may be counted. A change of posture must affect the orientation of the charge, or significantly change its appearance.
9. Addition of Charges on Charges. Adding or removing any group of charges placed entirely on other charges is one clear difference.
10. Changes to Charges on Charges. Changes to a group of charges placed entirely on other charges may create one difference. No more than one clear difference can be obtained from changes to the same group of charges on other charges.
1. Making two or more visually significant changes to the same group of charges placed entirely on other charges is one clear difference.
2. In simple cases, substantially changing the type of all of a group of identical charges placed entirely on other charges is one clear difference. Only the new presentation is required to be a simple case in order to benefit from the following clauses.

Simple cases are defined by the following clauses. The word charge refers both to charged and to uncharged charges unless it is specifically qualified; a group of charges may contain one or more charges. A charge is suitable for the purposes of this rule if (a) it is simple enough in outline to be voided, and (b) it is correctly drawn with an interior substantial enough to display easily recognizable charges.

1. Armory that has a group of identical charges on an ordinary or other suitable charge alone on the field is a simple case.
2. Armory that has a group of identical charges on an ordinary or other suitable charge that is accompanied only by a single uncharged group of identical charges lying entirely on the field is a simple case.
3. Armory that has an uncharged primary charge group and a peripheral ordinary charged with a group of identical charges is a simple case.
4. Armory that has a group of identical charges on a peripheral ordinary alone on the field is a simple case.
4. Visual Test.
1. If the tinctures, shapes, or arrangement of the charges in a presentation create an overwhelming visual resemblance to a piece of protected armory, the presentation will be held to conflict even if sufficient theoretical difference can be counted between them.
2. This Rule may also be used in its converse: that even if sufficient theoretical difference cannot be counted between two pieces of armory, the overall effect of the tinctures, shapes, or arrangement of the charges may be sufficient to clear a conflict.
3. A piece of armory is registered and protected, not the verbal description used to record that armory. The use of different terminology to describe two designs that are visually similar does not affect any potential for conflict that may exist. Unusual cases may occur where contrast is weak and unusual arrangements of charges are employed, and in such circumstances the cumulative similarities between two pieces of armory may outweigh any specific differences.