TLDR
Sorcery TCG proxies work best as clearly labeled, unofficial placeholders for private testing. Prepare the Avatar, Atlas, and Spellbook as separate inventory groups, include any required tokens or reference aids, and proof every name, quantity, front, back, and orientation before printing. Acceptance is not universal: ask your playgroup, store, or event organizer before bringing proxies, and do not assume casual acceptance makes them legal at an organized event.
The important difference between Sorcery TCG proxies and a generic stack of card images is deck structure. Sorcery: Contested Realm separates an Avatar, an Atlas of sites, and a Spellbook of spells. Treating those components as one undifferentiated list makes category errors, omitted cards, and incorrect quantities much harder to spot.
Can You Use Sorcery TCG Proxies?
There is no single answer for every table. A private playgroup can decide what it accepts, while a local store or tournament organizer may apply different rules. The supplied official sources do not establish a universal tournament proxy policy, so do not describe unofficial cards as automatically permitted or prohibited at official events.
Ask before arriving. Tell the organizer that the cards are clearly marked playtest placeholders, explain whether the whole deck or only selected cards are represented, and ask whether there are requirements for sleeves, printed text, card backs, or reference copies. For an event, consult the rules issued for that specific event rather than relying on a ruling from another store or an older event.
At the table, transparency matters. A playtest card should not be presented as an authentic collectible or used in a deceptive sale or trade. The site's responsible proxy-use policy provides a useful baseline for honest disclosure even when a playgroup sets its own practical rules.
Official Images, Branding, and Community Use
Erik’s Curiosa states that Sorcery card images, game text, logos, and related intellectual property belong to Erik’s Curiosa and/or its licensors. Its Community Use & Copyright Policy allows non-commercial fan works only under stated conditions, prohibits commercial use or exploitation of Sorcery assets, and reserves official branding for officially produced or licensed merchandise.
That policy should be read directly before distributing a fan project or submitting files to any third party. It is not a blanket statement that every reproduction is acceptable. For a private testing aid, use obvious “UNOFFICIAL PLAYTEST CARD” labeling, avoid implying publisher approval, and keep the project focused on gameplay information rather than imitating an authentic retail product. This is practical risk-reduction guidance, not legal advice.
What a Sorcery Test Deck Needs
Organize the project around Sorcery’s actual game components. The Sorcery Companion rulebook presentation describes one Avatar, an Atlas containing at least 30 site cards, and a Spellbook containing at least 60 spell cards. A later official rulebook update dated December 19, 2025 states that the Spellbook is 60 cards, so use the current official rulebook and event documentation when finalizing a list. Review the official rulebook update
- Avatar: record it as its own component rather than burying it in the Spellbook list.
- Atlas: maintain a site-only list and verify that every entry is actually an Atlas card.
- Spellbook: maintain a separate spell list and check its count against the current rules.
- Tokens and markers: inventory anything the deck regularly creates or tracks, even if it is not part of the deck count.
- Reference aids: include only what helps the test, and label these separately so they are not mistaken for playable cards.
Sorcery Companion also presents rarity-based deckbuilding limits of up to four Ordinary copies, three Exceptional copies, two Elite copies, and one Unique copy. Apply those limits during list cleanup, but check the current official rules if a format, card, or event document creates a more specific restriction.
Tokens deserve their own line in the project even though the rulebook presentation says they may be represented by anything. A few deliberately generic markers may be more practical than printing art-heavy token cards. Their job is to communicate the game state, not to resemble collectible products.
Build a Sorcery Proxy Inventory Before Printing
Do not begin with a folder full of unnamed images. Start with an inventory that can be checked independently of the artwork. This catches deckbuilding and quantity errors before crop, color, and layout decisions make the project more complicated.
| Component | What to record | Main proof question |
|---|---|---|
| Avatar | Card name, version, front/back note, quantity | Is the correct Avatar clearly separated from both decks? |
| Atlas | Site name, rarity, quantity, version | Does every entry belong in the Atlas, and is the total valid? |
| Spellbook | Spell name, rarity, quantity, version | Are copy limits and the current deck count satisfied? |
| Tokens and markers | Purpose, label, quantity, one- or two-sided format | Can players identify each marker immediately? |
| Reference aids | Title, purpose, quantity | Is it visibly different from a playable card? |
| Production status | Source file, proof status, revision date | Is the latest approved file the one being printed? |
Add a stable identifier to every row, such as AV-01 for the Avatar, AT-01 through AT-30 for Atlas entries, and SP-01 onward for Spellbook entries. The identifiers do not need to appear prominently on the finished placeholders, but they make it much easier to match an inventory row to a file and a proof.
Keep the Spellbook and Atlas in Separate Lists
A single combined export may look convenient, but it removes a useful error check. Separate lists let you total the Spellbook and Atlas independently, sort each section by name or rarity, and confirm that a site has not slipped into the spell package.
A practical folder structure mirrors the inventory: Avatar, Atlas, Spellbook, Tokens, References, and Proofs. If filenames are under your control, begin each one with its inventory identifier and quantity. Avoid relying only on artwork thumbnails; visually similar variants are easy to confuse.
This also helps when choosing an input method. A clean text decklist is suitable only when the recipient or tool can reliably identify every requested card and version. Final image files are better when you have already selected the exact face. A custom component package is appropriate when the project includes original markers, reference cards, unusual backs, or other non-catalog items. The cross-TCG printing workflow guide explains how those input types differ.
Prepare Clearly Unofficial, Readable Placeholders
A good playtest placeholder communicates the game state quickly. Prioritize the exact card name, rules text, thresholds or values used during play, element or type information, and any other data needed to make decisions. Decorative similarity to an official card is less important than legibility and unmistakable status.
- Place “UNOFFICIAL PLAYTEST CARD” where it remains visible in a sleeve.
- Use a distinct, non-official back or add a clear playtest label to the back.
- Avoid official logos or packaging-style branding on unofficial output.
- Keep text large enough to read under normal table lighting.
- Make component type obvious, especially for Atlas sites versus Spellbook cards.
- Use opaque sleeves if mixed backs or underlying cards could reveal information.
If any component has a unique reverse face, record the front-to-back pair explicitly. Never trust matching filenames by memory after dozens of files have been exported. The double-sided card preparation workflow covers pairing, shared backs, unique backs, and orientation.
Verify Size and Output Requirements
Do not assume that an MTG template, a generic poker-card preset, or another TCG’s layout is automatically correct for Sorcery. No official Sorcery card-dimension specification was supplied for this guide. Measure a legitimate reference card carefully or obtain the current finished-size requirement from an authoritative source, then compare it with the printer or layout tool’s template.
Keep finished card size separate from production settings. Bleed, safe areas, crop marks, page margins, and image resolution are output requirements, not game rules. Confirm them with the actual production method you plan to use. That distinction matters whether you are printing at home, using a specialist card workflow, or consulting general printing resources for a broader custom project.
Proof a Small Test Before the Complete Deck
A small proof can expose a systemic mistake before it reaches the entire deck. Include at least the Avatar, one Atlas site, one text-heavy Spellbook card, one card with small symbols or values, and one token or reference aid. Check the physical or on-screen proof at intended output size rather than judging only a zoomed-in source file.
- Recount the Avatar, Atlas, and Spellbook separately.
- Check rarity-based copy limits against the current rules.
- Compare every filename and quantity with the inventory.
- Read names, rules text, numbers, and symbols at intended size.
- Confirm that important content is safely inside the crop area.
- Check front/back pairing and orientation where applicable.
- Verify that playtest labeling is visible and consistent.
- Confirm that the latest revision, not an obsolete export, is approved.
- Ask the playgroup, store, or organizer whether the placeholders are acceptable.
Do not treat proof approval as a purely visual step. A beautifully aligned sheet with the wrong Spellbook count is still a failed test deck. Rules inventory, file integrity, and print setup should each receive a separate check.
Sorcery Test-Deck Preflight
Before printing Sorcery TCG proxies, verify six things: the current deck rules, separate Avatar/Atlas/Spellbook inventories, legal quantities, readable gameplay information, obvious unofficial labeling, and permission for the table or event where you intend to use them. Then confirm finished size and production specifications with the method actually handling the files.
The best next step is to create the inventory before collecting images. Once every component has a category, quantity, version note, front/back instruction, and proof status, the printing stage becomes a controlled production task instead of a last-minute search through card files.