Legend (Magic: The Gathering)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the Magic: The Gathering trading card game, a Legendary card or Legend is a card that represents a unique individual or thing with a specific name, rather than the generic, unnamed things that most cards represent. For example, while the card Raging Goblin could be any goblin, the card Squee, Goblin Nabob is a specific goblin with a personality and a history.
Recently printed legendary cards are indicated by the word "Legendary" before their card type (e.g. "Legendary Artifact"). Older cards used "Creature — Legend" or "Summon Legend" instead of "Legendary Creature".
The associated Magic: The Gathering novels often deal with the characters represented by legendary cards in the game.
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[edit] Gameplay
| 205.4c Any permanent with the supertype "legendary" is subject to the state-based effect for legendary permanents, also called the "legend rule" (see rule 420.5e).
420.5e If two or more legendary permanents with the same name are in play, all are put into their owners' graveyards. This is called the "legend rule." If only one of those permanents is legendary, this rule doesn't apply. 601.12. The "legend rule" (see rule 420.5e) applies to a permanent only if other legendary permanents with the same name are within its controller's range of influence. |
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| Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules, as of May 1, 2008[1] | |
Only one copy of a given legendary card may be in play at the same time. If multiple copies of a legend are put into play, all of them are put into the graveyard (discard pile).[1] (This has not always been the case; see History below.)
The cards must have exactly the same name in order to trigger the legend rule. Some characters are represented on multiple cards: for example, the character Kamahl appears as both Kamahl, Pit Fighter and Kamahl, Fist of Krosa, and the character Akroma appears as both Akroma, Angel of Wrath and Akroma, Angel of Fury. Because the cards are different, one of each card can be in play without counting as the same legend, even though they represent the same character.[2]
In games with more than two players, there is an optional rule whereby each player has a limited range of influence, meaning they can only attack, target or otherwise influence other players if they are within a certain range. In such games, a legend will remain in play, despite other copies of the same card also being in play, if the other copies are outside of the player's range of influence.[1]
Most legendary cards are creatures; legendary artifacts, lands and enchantments also exist.
[edit] History
Legendary creatures and lands were introduced in 1994 with Legends, the game's third expansion set. Although some cards printed prior to Legends represent unique individuals and would logically have been legendary, they were and are still treated as non-legendary. The first legendary artifact, Sword of the Chosen, was printed in the Stronghold set in 1998,[3] and the first legendary enchantments were printed in Champions of Kamigawa in 2004.
The way the legend rule functioned when it was first introduced differed from its present form: if a legendary card came into play when another copy of the same card was already in play, the recently played legend would be put in the graveyard, but not the one that was already in play. This could be a significant advantage to the player who played the legend first, and was particularly an issue with legends that could be played cheaply and quickly, such as Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero.[4]
Initially, legendary creatures were printed with "Legend" as their creature type. At the time, most creatures other than artifact creatures (which had no creature type at all) could only have one creature type, so "Legend" replaced any other creature type they might have had. Later, some legends were printed with additional text giving them extra creature types: for example, while Barrin, Master Wizard has "Legend" as his creature type, the card's text reads "Barrin, Master Wizard counts as a Wizard", effectively giving him the Wizard creature type as well. Beginning with the Urza's Destiny set in 1999, legendary creatures were simply given multiple creature types: for example, Rayne, Academy Chancellor is simply printed as a "Wizard Legend", making the "counts as a Wizard" text unnecessary. The status of "Legend" as a creature type could be exploited using the card Unnatural Selection: a player could eliminate an opponent's creatures by changing them into Legends, triggering the legend rule.[4]
In 2004, Legend was removed as a creature type, rendering it inaccessible by Unnatural Selection, and the legend rule was changed to its present form.[4] As a result, new, cheap legendary cards have been printed in subsequent sets.[4] Early legendary creatures which had only "Legend" as their creature type have been retroactively given other creature types.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules. Wizards of the Coast (2008-05-01). Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
- ^ Magic Rules Corner (2008-03-31). Ask Wizards - March 31, 2008. Ask Wizards. Magicthegathering.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
- ^ Card of the Day - Monday, September 6, 2004. Card of the Day. Magicthegathering.com (2004-09-06). Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
- ^ a b c d Forsythe, Aaron (2004-09-10). Legendary Rules Changes. Latest Developments. Magicthegathering.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
- ^ Gottlieb, Mark (2007-09-26). The Grand Creature Type Update. Magicthegathering.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
[edit] See also
- Magic: The Gathering rules
- Enchant World, a card type similar to but distinct from Legendary Enchantments
