How does legendary rule work?

The Legend Rule is how Magic balances the often powerful effects of a Legendary permanent. To put it simply, you can't control more than one Legendary permanent (land, creature, enchantment, artifact, or Planeswalker) with the same name at the same time.

How do you get around the legend rule?

This is called the “legend rule.” The only ways to get around the legend rule are if the creatures all have different names, or at most one of those with identical names is legendary.

What does the legend rule doesn't apply cards?

The "legend rule" doesn't apply to permanents you control. Each legendary creature you control gets +1/+1. Each nontoken creature you control gets +1/+1 for each other creature you control with the same name as that creature.

Does legend rule count as dying?

Yes. A creature dies when it moves from the battlefield to the graveyard, for any reason. As long as the creature goes directly to the graveyard, yes. "Dying" in Magic literally means "to go from the battlefield to the graveyard", how this happens is irrelevant.

Does the legend rule apply to copies?

No, the change to the legend rule made it so each player in a game may control a copy of a legendary permanent (whether it's a cloned permanent or not).

TR&CI 38: The Legend Rule & State-Based Actions

What copy cards ignore the legendary rule?

Can you have 2 legendary planeswalkers on the field?

There's no limit to the number of planeswalker permanents you can have in play! It may hurt your head trying to manage 100 passive and loyalty abilities, but that's completely fair game. The only restriction is that you can't have two copies of the exact same planeswalker card in play.

What is the rule 704.5 in magic?

704.5g If a creature has toughness greater than 0, it has damage marked on it, and the total damage marked on it is greater than or equal to its toughness, that creature has been dealt lethal damage and is destroyed.

What happens if you copy a legendary creature?

The copies would then be put into your graveyard. This is governed by rule 704.5j: If a player controls two or more legendary permanents with the same name, that player chooses one of them, and the rest are put into their owners' graveyards.

Can you respond to the legend rule?

To clarify, the legend rule happens as a state based action. It happens before players get priority, and it cannot be responded to.

What cards negate the legendary rule?

Avoiding The Legend Rule

Some cards make non-Legendary copies of Legendary creatures. Cards like Spark Double, Double Major, and Helm of the Host all make copies of whatever creature you want, while Aeve, Progenitor Ooze makes non-Legendary copies of itself.

Can you activate abilities before legend rule?

No, you have no opportunity to take any actions, including activating mana abilities, after the Teysa Karlov spell resolves and before one of the Teysas dies due to the legend rule state-based action. State-based action happen immediately after the spell resolves, before any player gains priority.

Does the legend rule prevent ETB?

This is called the “legend rule.” Note that in order for the Legendary state-based action to be triggered, the Legendary permanents are both already on the battlefield and therefore any triggered enters the battlefield abilities (ETB) are also triggered.

Does legend rule trigger death triggers?

As long as Ryusei, the Falling Star goes to the graveyard, it will trigger it's when it dies ability. This includes going to the graveyard due to the legend rule.

Does the legend rule apply to Planeswalkers?

All planeswalkers have supertype "legendary" and are subject to the "legend rule". Planeswalkers with the same subtypes can exist under your control as long as they are not of the same name.

Can vigilance block flying?

Reach (This creature can block creatures with flying.) As long as you've drawn two or more cards this turn, Gnarled Sage gets +0/+2 and has vigilance. (Attacking doesn't cause it to tap.) Whenever you cast a creature spell, create a 4/4 black Zombie Warrior creature token with vigilance.

What is the new legendary rule?

The new rule separates the field of play into your battlefield and your opponent's battlefield, and only checks those to make sure that there are not multiple copies of one legend with the same name or Planeswalker with the same type.

Can spark double copy a legendary creature?

Spark Double isn't legendary if it copies a legendary permanent, and this exception is copiable. If something else copies Spark Double later, that copy also won't be legendary. If you control two or more permanents with the same name but only one is legendary, the “legend rule” doesn't apply.

Does legendary rule go on the stack?

Nope, you don't. The “legend rule” (704.5) is a state-based action and it doesn't use the stack.

What is Rule 111.11 MTG?

111.11. If an effect instructs a player to create a token that is a copy of a nonexistent object, no token is created (see rule 707, “Copying Objects”). This does not apply to an effect that would use the last known information of an object.

What is Rule 118.4 in MTG?

118.4. If a cost or effect allows a player to pay an amount of life greater than 0, the player may do so only if their life total is greater than or equal to the amount of the payment. If a player pays life, the payment is subtracted from their life total; in other words, the player loses that much life.

What is Rule 707.12 MTG?

707.12. An effect that instructs a player to cast a copy of an object (and not just copy a spell) follows the rules for casting spells, except that the copy is created in the same zone the object is in and then cast while another spell or ability is resolving.

Who was the first planeswalker?

These monocolor double-faced cards were legendary creatures that could transform into planeswalkers. Kytheon was (sort of) the first one-drop planeswalker.

How was Nicol Bolas defeated?

Stripped of his advantages as a planeswalker, a sorcerer, and a dragon, and forced to battle in a realm where his opponent had a significant edge, Bolas was defeated and apparently killed by Umezawa.

Can any legendary planeswalker be a Commander?

A planeswalker can only be a commander if it specifically states on the bottom of the card, “this card can be your commander.” If it doesn't have that line of text, forget it. Pick a legendary creature instead. But don't take this statement too literally.