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The first legendary creatures
What this set is
Legends introduced the legendary supertype. It has 55 legendary creatures and 6 legendary lands, and every one of those creatures is multicolor, many of them in three colors. Commander, which needs a legendary creature at the head of every deck, traces its earliest commanders to this set; the format is named for the Elder Dragon Highlander decks built around the five Elder Dragons printed here.
Those five are Nicol Bolas, Chromium, Arcades Sabboth, Palladia-Mors and Vaevictis Asmadi: seven-mana, three-color flying dragons that each ask for one mana of each of their colors every upkeep or are sacrificed. Nicol Bolas later returned as a planeswalker and one of the story's main villains.
The rest of the set is a mix of strong enchantments and curiosities. Mana Drain, Sylvan Library, Land Tax, Moat and The Abyss are here, and so is The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale. 72 of its 310 cards are on the Reserved List, more than in any set before it.
Themes
Every mechanic in Legends
Legendary
A supertype. Today's rule is that if you control two legendary permanents with the same name, you choose one and the other goes to the graveyard. It is the type Commander checks: your commander must be a legendary creature or a card that says it can be your commander.
Rampage
Rampage N: whenever the creature becomes blocked, it gets +N/+N until end of turn for each creature blocking it beyond the first. It punishes blocking with several creatures.
Legendary lands
Six lands with the legendary supertype: Karakas, Pendelhaven, Hammerheim, Tolaria, Urborg and The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale.
Where You Can Play It
Format legality
Legends is a single code. Its cards are eternal-format cards with a handful of bans, most of them cards banned everywhere.
Not Standard-legal, and not Modern-legal as a set: Modern starts at Eighth Edition (July 2003). A card from here that was reprinted in a later Modern-legal set is Modern-legal in this printing too, because legality follows the card, not the printing. Invoke Prejudice, Cleanse, Imprison and Pradesh Gypsies are banned in Legacy, Vintage and Commander, as are the ante cards Rebirth and Tempest Efreet and the dexterity card Falling Star. Legacy also bans Mana Drain, and Commander also bans Karakas. Commons from any set are Pauper-legal; that isn't listed per set here.
Commanders
The most played commanders from Legends
The legends this set is best known for. Tap one for its printings and what it costs.
Boosters, precons and singles from Legends are on TCGplayer.
FAQ
Common questions
Where can I play Legends cards?
In Legacy, Vintage and Commander, minus the cards each format bans. Legends is too old for Standard, Pioneer or Modern as a set, though any card that was later reprinted in a Modern-legal set is Modern-legal in every printing.
Did legendary creatures start in Legends?
Yes. Legends introduced the legendary supertype, with 55 legendary creatures and 6 legendary lands.
Why is Commander called EDH?
EDH stands for Elder Dragon Highlander. The format began with decks led by the five Elder Dragons from Legends: Nicol Bolas, Chromium, Arcades Sabboth, Palladia-Mors and Vaevictis Asmadi.
Is Mana Drain legal in Commander?
Yes. It is legal in Commander and Vintage and banned in Legacy.
Which Legends cards are banned in Commander?
Invoke Prejudice, Cleanse, Imprison, Pradesh Gypsies, Rebirth, Tempest Efreet, Falling Star and Karakas.
All card names, art, and mechanics belong to Wizards of the Coast. Legends released on Jun 1, 1994; details reflect the set as published. Sources: Wizards of the Coast set pages and release notes, Draftsim, Untapped.gg.
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