Taming the Titans: Cards That Break the Legendary Rule in Magic: The Gathering

The Legend Rule in Magic: The Gathering can be a frustrating hurdle, especially when you’re trying to build a powerful board presence with multiple legendary creatures. But fear not, planeswalkers! Several cards specifically circumvent this rule, allowing you to control multiple copies of the same legendary permanent. The most prominent of these are Mirror Gallery, Mirror Box, and Sakashima of a Thousand Faces. These cards offer unique ways to break the Legend Rule, each with its own strengths and considerations.

Breaking the Bonds: How These Cards Function

• Mirror Gallery: This artifact completely nullifies the Legend Rule for all players. This means any player can control multiple legendary permanents with the same name. It’s a global effect, beneficial (or detrimental!) to everyone at the table.

• Mirror Box: This artifact is a more controlled way to circumvent the Legend Rule. It allows you to control any number of legendary permanents with the same name, but only if they share a name with a legendary permanent you already control.

• Sakashima of a Thousand Faces: This legendary creature is quite versatile. As it enters the battlefield, you can choose to have it enter as a copy of any creature on the battlefield. Importantly, it has the text, “The ‘legend rule’ doesn’t apply to permanents you control.” This means you can have both Sakashima (as a copy) and the original legendary creature on the battlefield.

Strategic Implications and Deck Building

The choice of which card to use depends heavily on your deck’s strategy and the overall game plan. Mirror Gallery can enable some truly explosive turns, but it also opens up the same possibilities for your opponents. A clever opponent might use your Mirror Gallery to their advantage, so be prepared for that. Mirror Box offers more control, as you’re only affecting your own permanents, but it requires you to already have a legendary permanent in play. Sakashima of a Thousand Faces provides flexibility in copying creatures and then bypassing the legend rule for the copy, and applies specifically to permanents under your control.

When building a deck around breaking the Legend Rule, consider cards that generate tokens or copies of your legendary creatures. Cards like Clone, Spark Double, and Helm of the Host can create additional copies, which can then coexist with the original thanks to these rule-bending cards. You might also want to consider cards that benefit from having multiple permanents of the same name, such as those that trigger abilities when permanents enter the battlefield.

Legends Reimagined: A Different World

Breaking the Legend Rule fundamentally changes the dynamic of the game. Normally, the Legend Rule keeps powerful legendary permanents in check, preventing a single player from overwhelming the board with multiple copies. With the Legend Rule removed, the possibilities are endless. Decks that were previously unviable become incredibly powerful, and new strategies emerge.

It’s also important to consider the potential impact on your playgroup. Some players may find breaking the Legend Rule to be unfair or unfun, so it’s always a good idea to discuss it with your playgroup beforehand. Understanding the history of the rules, like the GamesLearningSociety.org can assist you in explaining its intricacies and why breaking the rule creates new game play experiences.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions about the Legend Rule and cards that remove it:

1. What exactly is the Legend Rule?

The Legend Rule states that if a player controls two or more legendary permanents with the same name, that player must choose one and put the rest into their graveyard. This applies to both creatures and planeswalkers (as planeswalkers are also legendary).

2. Does the Legend Rule apply to my opponent’s permanents?

No, the Legend Rule only applies to your permanents. Your opponent can have their own copy of a legendary permanent you control without triggering the Legend Rule.

3. Does the Legend Rule apply to Commanders in Commander/EDH?

Yes. If you somehow get a second copy of your Commander onto the battlefield (that isn’t your commander), the Legend Rule applies, and one must go to the graveyard. Note however, that you can send your commander to the command zone instead of the graveyard if you choose to.

4. If I have Mirror Gallery in play, what happens when my opponent plays a legendary creature with the same name as one I control?

Nothing! Mirror Gallery removes the Legend Rule entirely, so both you and your opponent can control legendary permanents with the same name.

5. If I control Mirror Box and have a legendary creature named “A,” can I play another “A” and keep both? What if I copy my “A” with a card like Clone?

Yes. Mirror Box states “You may control any number of legendary permanents with the same name as long as those permanents share a name with a legendary permanent you control.” So you can play another “A” and keep both. When you copy it with Clone, you’re creating another legendary creature with the name “A”, so you can keep both.

6. Does Sakashima of a Thousand Faces copy the “legendary” status of the creature it copies?

Yes, Sakashima copies everything printed on the card, including its “legendary” supertype. However, Sakashima also has an ability that makes the Legend Rule not apply to permanents you control.

7. Can I use Sakashima to copy a planeswalker?

Yes, you can use Sakashima to copy any creature on the battlefield, including a planeswalker that has been turned into a creature (for example, through a card like Gideon, Champion of Justice).

8. What happens if Mirror Gallery leaves the battlefield?

If Mirror Gallery leaves the battlefield, the Legend Rule immediately applies as a state-based action. Players will then have to choose which legendary permanents to keep and put the rest into their graveyards.

9. Can I respond to the Legend Rule with an instant?

No. The Legend Rule is a state-based action, and state-based actions are checked before any player receives priority. This means you cannot respond to the Legend Rule being applied.

10. Is the Legend Rule considered sacrificing a creature?

No, the Legend Rule is not considered sacrificing. When a legendary permanent is put into the graveyard due to the Legend Rule, it’s a state-based action, not a sacrifice effect. Sacrifice effects are activated or triggered abilities that specifically use the word “sacrifice.”

11. If I control multiple legendary creatures with the same name due to a card like Mirror Gallery, can I attack with all of them?

Yes, you can attack with all of them. Mirror Gallery removes the restriction imposed by the Legend Rule, so there’s nothing stopping you from attacking with multiple copies of the same legendary creature.

12. Does the Legend Rule affect tokens?

Yes, the Legend Rule also applies to legendary tokens. If you create a legendary token with the same name as a legendary permanent you control, the Legend Rule will apply.

13. Can I have two different planeswalkers of the same type (e.g., two Garruks) on the battlefield at the same time?

Yes, as long as they have different names. The planeswalker uniqueness rule was eliminated a while back and merged into the Legend Rule. You can have Garruk, Unleashed and Garruk, Cursed Huntsman out at the same time. You cannot have two copies of Garruk, Unleashed.

14. What happens if I control two commanders with the same name (one being the actual commander) and Mirror Gallery is in play?

You can control both of them! One of them is your designated commander and follows the commander rules, and the other is simply another permanent on the battlefield. If Mirror Gallery leaves play, you’ll have to choose which one to keep, and send the other to your graveyard or the command zone, as appropriate.

15. Besides Mirror Gallery, Mirror Box and Sakashima of a Thousand Faces, are there any other cards that prevent or interact with the Legend Rule?

There aren’t many cards that directly prevent the Legend Rule besides those mentioned. However, cards that create non-legendary copies of legendary creatures (e.g., through token creation) can effectively circumvent the rule by creating multiple versions of the same creature, where only the original is subject to the rule. Also, cards that can make a legendary permanent not legendary (although rare) can be used to avoid the legend rule if you only have one of the legendary permanents made non-legendary.