Magic: The Gathering May Have to Break a 20-Year-Old Tradition

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Magic: The Gathering May Have to Break a 20-Year-Old Tradition

Key Takeaways

  • MTG’s Legendary supertype poses text space issues in new cards like Valgavoth, Terror Eater.
  • Mark Rosewater, MTG’s Lead Designer, stated that alternatives to Legendary have been considered. He also would like for the Legend Rule to be removed.
  • Possible solutions could be shortening or visually altering the Legendary supertype on cards for better clarity and more text space.

As a long-time Magic: The Gathering enthusiast with countless hours spent shuffling cards and strategizing my next move, it’s always fascinating to see the game evolve over time. The introduction of mechanics like Gift in Bloomburrow or Legendary back in 1994 has significantly impacted the way we play and enjoy this TCG. However, as a seasoned player, I must admit that some changes can be challenging to adapt to, especially when they involve iconic elements like the Legend Rule and Legendary supertype.

Magic: The Gathering is a constantly changing game, introducing new cards and often one or two unique mechanics per set. This results in themed releases and keeps the Trading Card Game feeling fresh. For instance, the Bloomburrow set introduced the ‘Gift’ mechanic, where some cards have a gift option in their text box that players can offer to opponents. This usually amplifies the card’s effects when used. A significant change in the game’s history occurred as far back as 1994 with the release of the Legends set, which introduced the ‘Legend’ type for both lands and creatures. Creatures would have “Summon Legend” as part of their text to reflect old summoning terminology.

Beginning in October 2004 with the set Champions of Kamigawa, Magic: The Gathering (MTG) introduced the “Legendary” attribute for various card types, eventually extending to Legendary Sorcery and Legendary Instant as well. This addition significantly altered MTG, as it was later employed to create the Commander format, but it also impacts regular gameplay due to what’s known as the “Legend Rule.” This rule requires players to remove from play one of two (or more) permanents with this attribute that share the same name. Despite its iconic status, MTG appears to be preparing to phase out the Legendary designation as it approaches the 20th anniversary of its rebranding.

Why Magic: The Gathering May Have to Change or Remove The Legendary Supertype

What is Magic: The Gathering’s Legend Rule?

In the game Magic: The Gathering, there are two concerns linked to the Legendary supertype. Firstly, the Legend Rule issue arises when players, excluding those playing in the Commander format, tend to use multiple identical cards to build synergies within their decks. However, since Legendary permanents are subject to the Legend Rule, it can be challenging to strike a balance when using multiple copies. Secondly, the term “Legendary” consumes a significant amount of text space on cards, which might pose a problem for card designers who want to add more abilities or details to their creations.

Why MTG’s Legendary Supertype is Problematic For Text Space

For the Legendary supertype, there’s often a significant amount of text required on cards, making it challenging for certain creatures to fit all their types comfortably on the card. A recent example is Valgavoth, Terror Eater from the new spooky-themed set Duskmourn: House of Horror. This creature is the main antagonist of the expansion and is categorized as an Elder Demon, but it also appears quite moth-like. The debate arises about whether it should be classified as “Elder Demon Insect” instead. Mark Rosewater, the Lead Designer of MTG, has addressed this issue on his Tumblr blog.

The Gathering’s formats and new cards, it might be beneficial to shorten or make it immediately clear that a card is Legendary upon first glance.

The Gathering’s Legend Rule and Legendary supertype will undergo a transformation or be phased out altogether, that remains uncertain. However, given the rising number of problematic instances, this could be an opportune moment to implement such a change.

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2024-10-01 14:33