Can You Copy a Legendary Planeswalker? A Deep Dive into Magic: The Gathering Rules
Yes, you can copy a legendary planeswalker in Magic: The Gathering, but with some crucial caveats due to the legend rule and its specific interactions with planeswalkers. The ability to create copies of these powerful permanents opens up exciting strategic possibilities, but it’s essential to understand the nuances to avoid unexpected rule conflicts. This article breaks down the mechanics of copying planeswalkers, addresses common questions, and clarifies how these interactions play out on the battlefield.
Understanding the Legend Rule and Planeswalkers
The legend rule in Magic: The Gathering prevents a player from controlling two or more legendary permanents with the same name. This rule applies to all legendary permanents, including creatures, artifacts, enchantments, and importantly, planeswalkers. However, planeswalkers have a unique twist on this rule. While you cannot control two planeswalkers that share the same exact name (e.g., two copies of “Jace, the Mind Sculptor”), you can control multiple planeswalkers with the same subtype as long as their names are different (e.g., you can have “Jace, the Living Guildpact” and “Jace, Unraveler of Secrets” on the battlefield simultaneously, both having the subtype “Jace”). All planeswalkers have the supertype “legendary”, meaning they are always subject to the “legend rule” which means that two permanents with the same name cannot exist under your control at the same time.
Copying Permanents
In Magic: The Gathering, effects that copy permanent spells typically create tokens when the copy of the spell resolves. These tokens then enter the battlefield as copies of the original permanent. Blue is considered primary at this sort of copying effect, while white is secondary but not nearly as common. Blue is also a color that can copy planeswalkers.
When copying legendary permanents, including planeswalkers, the resulting copy will also be legendary, and thus subject to the legend rule if you already control a permanent of the same name. If you copy an opponent’s planeswalker, you will not be affected by the legend rule.
Copying Planeswalkers: How It Works
When you copy a planeswalker, the copy generally replicates all aspects of the original, including its loyalty, abilities, subtypes, and card text, except for anything specifically stated as different on the copy effect. However, a crucial interaction exists with planeswalkers and names. If a card with the copy effect comes onto the battlefield as a copy of a planeswalker card, it will enter the battlefield with a number of loyalty counters on it equal to the loyalty printed in the lower right corner of the planeswalker card.
Special Cases: Copying Effects that Ignore the Legend Rule
Some cards specifically state that they ignore the legend rule. These cards offer the opportunity to have multiple copies of the same legendary permanent on the battlefield simultaneously. Notable cards that work in this way include:
- Spark Double: This card can enter the battlefield as a copy of a legendary creature or planeswalker, and it is not legendary if it copies a legendary permanent.
- Osgood, Operation Double: This card copies a planeswalker but also removes the legend rule, enabling you to have multiple copies of the same legendary planeswalker.
- Auton Soldier: Allows you to have a copy of a creature that doesn’t have the legend rule applied to it.
- Sakashima of a Thousand Faces: This card enters the battlefield as a copy of a creature and removes the legend rule for the copied card.
- Cadric, Soul Kindler: Cadric makes it so the legend rule doesn’t apply to your tokens.
- The Master, Multiplied: The Master also creates tokens that aren’t bound by the legend rule.
Cards like Mirror Gallery and Mirror Box also remove the legend rule, allowing you to control multiple legendary permanents with the same name, allowing for a unique synergy with copy cards.
Clever Impersonator and Planeswalkers
Clever Impersonator is a classic example of a card that can copy a planeswalker. When it enters the battlefield as a copy of a planeswalker, it enters with the specified loyalty counters printed on the original card. This can be a powerful way to deploy an additional powerful planeswalker ability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify the intricacies of copying legendary planeswalkers:
1. Can I Have Two Identical Planeswalkers on the Battlefield?
No, you cannot have two planeswalkers with the exact same name on the battlefield under your control. The legend rule forces you to choose one and send the other to the graveyard as soon as the second permanent enters play.
2. Can I Have Two Planeswalkers with the Same Subtype?
Yes, you can have multiple planeswalkers with the same subtype as long as their names are different. For example, you can control a “Liliana of the Veil” and a “Liliana, the Last Hope” simultaneously.
3. What Happens if I Copy My Own Legendary Planeswalker?
If you copy your own legendary planeswalker with another card, the legend rule immediately applies. You will need to choose one of the planeswalkers and send the rest to the graveyard.
4. Can I Copy My Opponent’s Planeswalker?
Yes, you can copy your opponent’s planeswalker. Because it doesn’t share the same name with any permanent you already control, the legend rule will not apply to the newly copied planeswalker and it will be allowed to stay on the battlefield.
5. Does Deathtouch Affect Planeswalkers?
No, deathtouch only applies to creatures. Damage from a source with deathtouch won’t cause a planeswalker to lose loyalty unless a specific ability like Vraska, Swarm’s Eminence is involved.
6. Do Planeswalkers Have Summoning Sickness?
No, planeswalkers do not have summoning sickness. You can use their abilities on the turn they enter the battlefield, provided they have enough loyalty counters for those abilities.
7. Does Copying a Planeswalker Create a Token?
Yes, effects that copy permanent spells result in tokens once the copy of the spell resolves.
8. How Many Legendary Planeswalkers Can I Have in My Deck?
You can have up to four copies of any card in your deck. With 193 currently released planeswalkers in the game, in theory you can have a deck of up to 772 planeswalkers. However, most decks include land cards.
9. Can All Legendary Planeswalkers Be Commanders?
No, not all planeswalkers can be commanders. Only planeswalkers that specifically state, “[CARDNAME] can be your commander,” can be used in the commander zone.
10. What Happens if I Control a Copy of Spark Double and Play Another Spark Double?
The second Spark Double can copy a permanent, and it will be non-legendary as well. If it is the same name as the first, the legend rule will not apply, as there will be no legendary permanents with the same name on the battlefield.
11. Does Mirage Mirror Become a Creature?
No, Mirage Mirror becomes a copy of any target artifact, creature, enchantment, or land until the end of the turn. It itself remains a non-creature artifact.
12. Which Cards Remove the Legend Rule for Copies?
Cards such as Mirror Gallery, Mirror Box, and Sakashima of a Thousand Faces effectively remove the legend rule for copies.
13. What Happens When a Land Card is Played?
Playing a land is a special action that doesn’t use the stack, and it’s never considered a spell. Therefore, players cannot respond with instants or abilities.
14. Why Are Planeswalkers So Expensive?
Planeswalkers are often expensive due to their power, popularity, multiple printings, and special collector’s versions, making them desirable collector’s items.
15. Can I Have Multiple Liliana Planeswalkers?
Yes, you can control multiple Liliana planeswalkers such as “Liliana of the Veil” and “Liliana, the Last Hope” simultaneously as their names are different. However, you cannot control two copies of “Liliana of the Veil”.
Conclusion
Copying legendary planeswalkers can be a powerful strategy in Magic: The Gathering, but it comes with the complexities of the legend rule. Understanding how these rules interact with copy effects is crucial for building effective and legal decks. Remember that while you can’t have two planeswalkers with the same name, using cards that bypass the legend rule or different planeswalkers with the same subtype can lead to very powerful plays. By mastering these rules, you can enhance your gameplay and take your Magic skills to the next level.