Malcolm Rivera
The legend rule in Magic: The Gathering is a state-based action that prevents players from controlling two or more legendary permanents with the same name. If a player controls two or more legendary permanents with the same name, that player must choose one of them, and the rest are put into their owners' graveyards. This rule applies to any permanent (artifact, creature, enchantment, planeswalker, and land) with the legendary supertype. The word legendary appears in the card's type line, and these cards tend to represent key characters, places, and objects from the MTG story. While there are a handful of cards that circumvent the legend rule, such as Mirror Gallery, Mirror Box, and Sakashima of a Thousand Faces, it remains a fundamental rule in the game.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Rule Number | 704.5j |
| Rule Name | "Legend Rule" |
| Rule | Two or more legendary permanents with the same name cannot be controlled by the same player at the same time |
| Rule Application | Applies to cards with the supertype "legendary" |
| Card Type Line | "Legendary" will appear in the card type line |
| Card Rarity | Rare or mythic rare |
| Card Frame | Unique card frame with flourishes at the top and different color textures |
| Card Name | The words in the upper-left corner of the card |
| Exceptions | Mirror Gallery, Mirror Box, Sakashima of a Thousand Faces, Brothers Yamazaki, Aeve, Progenitor Ooze, Jace, Cunning Castaway, Jace, Mirror Mage, Ob Nixilis, the Adversary, Osgood, Operation Double, Ratadrabik of Urborg, Sakashima the Impostor, Olag, Ludevic's Hubris, Lazav, Dimir Mastermind, Lazav, the Multifarious, Sarkhan, Soul Aflame, Spark Double, Auton Soldier, Cadric, Soul Kindler, The Master, Multiplied, Double Major, The Apprentice's Folly, Quantum Misalignments, Irenicus's Vile Duplication, Nanogene Conversion |
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What You'll Learn
- The rule: If a player controls two or more legendary permanents with the same name, all but one are put into their owners' graveyards
- Card identification: A card's name is found in the upper-left corner
- Planeswalkers: Planeswalkers are now subject to the legend rule
- Exceptions: Cards like Sakashima of a Thousand Faces and Mirror Gallery cancel the rule
- History: The rule has changed over time, previously only one creature of the same name could be in play
The rule: If a player controls two or more legendary permanents with the same name, all but one are put into their owners' graveyards
The "legend rule" in Magic: The Gathering (MTG) states that a player who controls two or more legendary permanents with the same name must put all but one of them into their owners' graveyards. This rule is a state-based action, meaning it applies automatically whenever the game state includes the relevant condition. In this case, the condition is having multiple legendary permanents with the same name under the control of a single player.
The "legend rule" applies to any permanent card type, including artifacts, creatures, enchantments, planeswalkers, and lands. A card's name is considered to be the words in the upper-left corner, and the name must be identical for the "legend rule" to take effect. For example, a player could control both Thalia, Guardian of Thraben and Thalia, Heretic Cathar, as their names are not identical.
It's important to note that the "legend rule" only applies to cards with the supertype "legendary." This supertype is indicated in the card's type line, just below the art. Legendary cards tend to depict key characters, places, and objects from MTG's story and are often rare or mythic rare. While the rule generally applies across all formats of MTG, there are a few exceptions. Certain cards, such as Mirror Gallery, Mirror Box, and Sakashima of a Thousand Faces, can cancel the rule entirely. Additionally, some cards, like Brothers Yamazaki, ignore the rule as long as only two copies are on the battlefield.
The "legend rule" adds an interesting layer of strategy to MTG. While players can have multiple legendary cards in their deck, they must be cautious about playing them to avoid triggering the rule and sacrificing their own permanents. It encourages players to carefully time their plays and consider the potential consequences of each move.
Over time, the "legend rule" has evolved, and its application to planeswalkers has seen some changes. Before 2017, planeswalkers didn't have the "legendary" supertype and were subject to the planeswalker uniqueness rule. This rule prevented two planeswalkers sharing the same subtype, such as "Jace," from appearing on the battlefield simultaneously. However, with the release of Ixalan in 2017, planeswalkers became subject to the "legend rule," just like other legendary cards.
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Card identification: A card's name is found in the upper-left corner
Card identification is an important aspect of the "Legend Rule" in Magic: The Gathering. This rule prevents players from controlling more than one legendary permanent with the same name. The key to identifying a card's name is to look in the upper-left corner of the card. This is where the card's name is officially designated.
For example, cards with the name "Ob Nixilis" in the upper-left corner, such as "Ob Nixilis, the Fallen", "Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath", and "Ob Nixilis, Unshackled", are considered to have different names and can all be on the battlefield at the same time without violating the "Legend Rule".
It is important to note that the "Legend Rule" only applies to cards with the exact same name. For instance, "Thalia, Guardian of Thraben" and "Thalia, Heretic Cathar" can both be in play because their names are not identical, even though they depict the same character.
Additionally, the "Legend Rule" does not restrict players from having multiple legendary cards with different names. Each player can have one copy of the same legendary permanent, and there is no restriction on the number of legendary creatures in a deck.
The "Legend Rule" has undergone changes over time. Previously, it applied to planeswalkers with the same name, but now it only applies to cards with identical names. This change allows players to own multiple planeswalkers with the same name as long as their full card names are not word-for-word identical.
In conclusion, card identification for the "Legend Rule" in Magic: The Gathering relies on the card's name, which is found in the upper-left corner. This rule ensures that players cannot control more than one legendary permanent with the exact same name, contributing to the strategic depth and variety of the game.
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Planeswalkers: Planeswalkers are now subject to the legend rule
In the popular card game Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the legend rule states that a player cannot control two legendary permanents with the same name. If they do, they must choose one and put the other into their graveyard. This rule is in place to prevent players from having two legendary cards with the same name in play at the same time.
Prior to the 2017 release of Ixalan, planeswalkers did not have the "legendary" supertype and were instead subject to the "planeswalker uniqueness rule." This rule prevented two planeswalkers of the same subtype from appearing on the battlefield at the same time. For example, a player could not control both Jace Beleren and Jace, the Mind Sculptor simultaneously as they share the subtype "Jace."
However, with the release of Ixalan, the planeswalker uniqueness rule was removed, and all planeswalkers became subject to the legend rule. This means that players can now control multiple planeswalkers as long as their names are different. For instance, a player can own three copies of Jace, as long as they have different names, such as Jace Beleren, Jace, the Mind Sculptor, and Jace, Cunning Castaway.
While this change may seem counterintuitive, as planeswalkers are meant to represent specific characters, it allows for more flexibility in deck building and gameplay strategies. Additionally, it simplifies the rules by aligning planeswalkers with other legendary cards, creating a more consistent and intuitive gameplay experience.
It's worth noting that there are exceptions to the legend rule. Certain cards, such as Mirror Gallery, Mirror Box, and Sakashima of a Thousand Faces, can circumvent the rule entirely, allowing players to have multiple legendary permanents with the same name in play.
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Exceptions: Cards like Sakashima of a Thousand Faces and Mirror Gallery cancel the rule
The Legend Rule in Magic: The Gathering prevents two legendary cards with the same name from being in play at the same time under the same controller. However, certain cards like Sakashima of a Thousand Faces and Mirror Gallery cancel this rule.
Sakashima of a Thousand Faces allows a player to have two legendary creatures with the same functionality. When this card enters the battlefield, it can become a copy of another creature that player controls, but it retains its other abilities. This means that the "legend rule" doesn't apply to permanents controlled by the player.
Similarly, Mirror Gallery cancels the "legend rule" entirely, allowing players to control multiple legendary permanents with the same name. This card creates an exception to the rule, enabling players to have more flexibility in their strategies and deck-building options.
Other cards that can circumvent the "legend rule" include Mirror Box and Brothers Yamazaki. The Brothers Yamazaki card ignores the rule as long as exactly two copies are on the battlefield; a third copy would cause the other two to be "killed".
Cards that can copy legendary creatures without triggering the "legend rule" include Sakashima the Impostor, Olag, Ludevic's Hubris, Lazav, Dimir Mastermind, and Lazav, the Multifarious. These cards allow players to have two legendary creatures with the same name and abilities in play, providing unique strategic advantages.
It's worth noting that the "legend rule" has evolved over time. Originally, it applied to any planeswalkers with the same name, but this is no longer the case. Now, players can own multiple planeswalkers with the same name as long as their names are not word-for-word identical.
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History: The rule has changed over time, previously only one creature of the same name could be in play
The Magic: The Gathering (MTG) legend rule has indeed changed over time. The rule, which applies to legendary permanents, previously stated that only one creature of the same name could be in play at the same time. This was known as the "legend rule" and required players to put all but one of the legendary permanents with the same name into their owners' graveyards.
The legend rule used to be quite different, with various iterations over time. In the past, it applied to any planeswalkers with the same name. This meant that if a player owned two planeswalkers with the same name, the legend rule would be triggered, and all but one would be put into the graveyard. This was called the "planeswalker uniqueness rule," and it no longer exists.
The planeswalker uniqueness rule was changed around the time of Ixalan's release in 2017. All planeswalkers became subject to the legend rule, which meant that if a player controlled more than one legendary planeswalker with the same name, they would choose one to keep, and the others would be put into their owner's graveyard.
The legend rule has also had an impact on the gameplay dynamics, especially with the introduction of legendary sorceries in 2018. These sorceries can only be cast if a player already controls another legend, adding a layer of strategy to the game.
Over time, the legend rule has evolved to simplify gameplay and make it more engaging for players. While it used to be wild and unpredictable, the changes made by Wizards have been well-received by the MTG community.
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Frequently asked questions
The legend rule states that a player cannot control more than one legendary permanent with the same name. If they do, they have to choose one and put the other into their graveyard.
A card's name is the words in the upper-left corner. For example, you could control both Thalia, Guardian of Thraben and Thalia, Heretic Cathar at the same time because their names are not word-for-word identical.
You pick which copy stays and which goes into your graveyard.
Yes, there are a few cards that circumvent the legend rule, including Mirror Gallery, Mirror Box, and Sakashima of a Thousand Faces.
