Bending the Will of the Legends: Cards That Defy the Legendary Rule in Magic: The Gathering

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So, you’re looking to dance with multiple legendary permanents on the battlefield simultaneously, thumbing your nose at the Legend Rule in Magic: The Gathering? You’ve come to the right place. The Legend Rule, a cornerstone of Magic, dictates that if you control two or more legendary permanents with the same name, you must choose one to keep, and the rest go straight to the graveyard. It’s a balancing mechanism, preventing players from overwhelming the board with duplicates of powerful legendary characters or lands. However, just like any good rule, there are exceptions and ways to play around it.

As of now, a select few cards allow you to circumvent this rule, either wholly or partially. The prominent cards that ignore the Legend Rule are:

• Mirror Gallery: This artifact completely negates the Legend Rule. With this in play, you can control any number of legendary permanents with the same name.
• Mirror Box: This artifact allows you to control any number of legendary permanents with the same name.
• Sakashima of a Thousand Faces: This legendary creature allows you to copy a creature when it enters the battlefield, and it keeps its name. This allows you to have multiple copies of the same legendary creature, provided that they are all named Sakashima of a Thousand Faces.
• Cadric, Soul Kindler: This legendary creature specifically ignores the Legend Rule for legendary creature tokens that you control.
• The Master, Multiplied: This legendary creature allows you to control multiple tokens that are legendary creatures, allowing you to control multiples of these tokens, and the Legend Rule does not apply to them.

These cards offer unique strategies and deck-building opportunities, enabling you to create scenarios previously impossible within the standard rules of Magic.

Diving Deeper: Understanding the Legend Rule and Its Exceptions

The Legend Rule exists to prevent board states from becoming too powerful or repetitive with multiple copies of the same legendary permanent. Without it, strategies could devolve into simply cloning powerful legendary creatures repeatedly.

It’s crucial to distinguish between the Legend Rule and similar concepts. For instance, planeswalkers have their own version of the rule that prevents you from controlling two planeswalkers with the same subtype (e.g., two different versions of “Jace”). This is not the Legend Rule itself, though it operates in a similar fashion. Also, the Legend Rule only applies to permanents with exactly the same name, meaning a card that changes its name could temporarily bypass the rule.

The exceptions, like those mentioned above, are powerful tools for enabling specific archetypes. Decks built around token generation, cloning, or even sheer chaos can benefit significantly from the ability to ignore the Legend Rule.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Bypassing the Legend Rule

Let’s address some common questions about the Legend Rule and how to sidestep it:

1. Does the Legend Rule apply to lands?

   Yes, the Legend Rule applies to all legendary permanents, including legendary lands. You cannot control two lands with the same legendary name.

2. Does the Legend Rule apply to my opponents?

   Yes, the Legend Rule applies to each player individually. Your opponents cannot control multiple legendary permanents with the same name, just as you cannot.

3. What happens if I have two legendary creatures with the same name and no cards that ignore the Legend Rule?

   As a state-based action, you must choose one of those creatures to keep, and the other is put into your graveyard. This happens before you gain priority and before any abilities trigger (like “enter the battlefield” abilities).

4. Can I use a card like Clone to copy a legendary creature, and then use Mirror Gallery to keep both?

   Yes! The Clone enters as a copy of the legendary creature, and since Mirror Gallery is in play, the Legend Rule is ignored, and you can keep both permanents.

5. If I control a Mirror Box and two legendary creatures with the same name, can I tap them both for mana?

   Yes, with Mirror Box, you can tap them both for mana, as the Legend Rule does not apply.

6. Does the Legend Rule stop “enter the battlefield” (ETB) abilities?

   The Legend Rule is a state-based action that is checked before triggers go on the stack. Thus, a second legendary permanent’s ETB ability will trigger, but the permanent will be sacrificed before you get a chance to resolve the ability. This is why ignoring the Legend Rule can be so powerful.

7. If I have a creature that becomes legendary temporarily, does the Legend Rule suddenly apply?

   Yes. If a non-legendary permanent becomes legendary and you already control a permanent with the same name, the Legend Rule will apply.

8. What about planeswalkers? Do they follow the Legend Rule?

   Planeswalkers have their own rule, preventing you from controlling multiple planeswalkers with the same subtype (e.g., “Jace”). This is similar to, but distinct from, the Legend Rule.

9. If I have a legendary creature and I play a spell that makes a token copy of it, does Cadric, Soul Kindler allow me to keep both?

   Yes! Cadric, Soul Kindler specifically allows you to control any number of legendary creature tokens you control, and the Legend Rule does not apply.

10. If I have a non-legendary creature and The Master, Multiplied in play, and I make a copy of that token, does The Master, Multiplied allow me to keep both?

    Yes, The Master, Multiplied does allow you to control multiple tokens that are legendary, but the caveat is that the creatures need to be tokens. This also allows you to bypass the Legend Rule.

11. Can I use the Legend Rule to my advantage against an opponent?

    Indirectly, yes. You can force your opponent to sacrifice a legendary permanent by playing the same legendary permanent yourself. This is a common tactic in formats where specific legendary cards are prevalent.

12. Does the Legend Rule affect creatures with indestructible?

    Indestructible only protects against destruction due to damage or effects that say “destroy.” The Legend Rule puts a permanent into the graveyard; it doesn’t destroy it. Thus, indestructible will not prevent the Legend Rule from applying.

13. If I control Mirror Gallery and my opponent plays the same legendary creature as I have, what happens?

    The Legend Rule only applies if you control two or more legendary permanents with the same name. Your opponent can control the same legendary permanent as you without triggering the rule.

14. Can a non-legendary creature be my Commander?

    Normally, no. Your Commander must be a legendary creature or a planeswalker with the ability that specifically allows it to be a commander. However, some special cards, like the Mystery Booster test card “You’re in Command,” can temporarily change a non-legendary creature into your Commander.

15. When was the Legend Rule changed?

    The Legend Rule was updated in 2004, with the release of Champions of Kamigawa, to instead destroy all copies of the card in play whenever a new one would enter the battlefield. It was then updated again in 2013 to only trigger of legendary permanents controlled by the same player.

Beyond the Rules: Strategy and Deckbuilding

Knowing the cards that break the Legend Rule opens up exciting possibilities. Consider decks that focus on creating token copies of legendary creatures and using Cadric, Soul Kindler to keep them all. Or, build a strategy around the powerful combos enabled by Mirror Gallery, allowing you to amass multiple copies of game-winning legendary permanents.

The key is to identify which legendary permanents offer the most significant advantage when multiplied and build your deck around leveraging that synergy. This could involve using clone effects, token generators, or even cards that temporarily turn your creatures legendary.

Don’t be afraid to experiment. The cards that ignore the Legend Rule are relatively niche, but when used effectively, they can lead to surprising and devastating victories. Furthermore, consider exploring how games can enhance learning. The Games Learning Society explores the connection between learning and playing. Visit GamesLearningSociety.org to learn more.