Let me tell you, nothing feels worse than sauntering up to a Legacy tournament with your janky homebrew Standard deck. I'll never forget the opponents' amused smirks when I proudly slapped my mono-green stompy deck on the table. "Uh, don't you mean Legacy Elves?" one chuckled—rookie mistake.
For the uninitiated, Legacy is an eternal Magic format where nearly every card ever printed is legal, ban list notwithstanding. We're talking over 20 years of ultra-powerful, broken, crazy interactions. Vintage light. As you can imagine, it gets complex. Though it can be intimidating, Legacy appeals to many players precisely because of its enormous card pool and potential for bonkers combos. There's nothing like casting a first-turn Show and Tell to drop an Emrakul onto the battlefield. Legacy can lead to some of the most intricate, skill-testing board states ever seen in Magic. Not to mention, some of the most powerful spells ever printed. Let's dive into some of my personal favorites for dominating the Legacy battlefield!
The Power Nine
Ah, the Power Nine. Just hearing those words makes any Magic player a little weak in the knees. These uber-powerful cards date all the way back to Alpha, the very first Magic set. In the early days, Wizards of the Coast barely understood the monster they created in allowing such ridiculously pushed cards to exist. Thus, the Power Nine came to be. Let's walk through them real quick.
Ancestral Recall
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Ah, Ancestral Recall, the ultimate value train of card advantage. For a single blue mana, you draw not one, not two, but THREE entire cards! Tell me, what other spell even comes close to that rate of return? It's no wonder Ancestral Recall is restricted in Legacy - every blue mage would jam 4 copies otherwise. This super-saver spell is like hitting up a Black Friday sale and grabbing armfuls of goods for pennies. Card advantage is crucial in Magic, and Ancestral Recall is the cheapest all-you-can-eat buffet of cards around. Your blue-playing opponents will be drooling with envy as you slam this bad boy turns one and drown in options while they struggle to cobble together a second land drop. Ancestral Recall may be old, but it remains one of the most busted draw spells ever printed!
Black Lotus
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Of all the Power Nine, Black Lotus takes the crown as the most absurdly broken. I mean, hello - it produces 3 mana of ANY color for absolutely ZERO cost. What were those early Magic designers smoking? Black Lotus enables completely degenerate turn 1 win and early game power moves no other land or artifact can match. This tiny flower packs a punch, letting you ramp out fatties or power out your combos lightyears ahead of schedule.
Your opponents will be cursing your good fortune if you manage to get a Black Lotus in your opening hand. Their pathetic 1 drops and dual lands look downright cute compared to the raw power flowing from this dominating little lotus. Make sure to cackle maniacally as you float your 3 free mana and imagine the look of horror on your opponent's face! Play the powerful lotus on stunning custom playmats. Dominate in style!
Time Walk
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Take all the turns, take all the turns! With Time Walk you're no longer bound by the shackles of one measly turn per round. Skip straight to your next turn for just 2 mana! Now you can untap, draw, and go nuts with your cards all over again before your opponent can even sputter out their first spell. Time Walk turns Magic into a game of solitaire where you take as many consecutive turns as you please while your opponent watches helplessly.
This kind of temporal manipulation is just plain unfair! Why bother with fancy win conditions when you can loop turns forever and beat down with a humble Squire? Go ahead, take all the time you need to set up game-ending combos and attacks. Your opponent has no choice but to watch you pop off over and over until you decide the game is finished. Time Walk is true control over the flow of the game.
Mox Sapphire
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Imagine someone handed you a shiny new land that tapped for mana. Sounds sweet right? Now imagine that land didn't even cost you a card from your hand or any mana to play. Your jaw drops - I can ramp my mana for FREE? Mox Sapphire delivers that kind of insane acceleration, giving you an extra blue source without any investment. All it takes is slipping this beautiful jewel into play and suddenly you're turbocharged with mana.
Moxen like Sapphire demonstrates why fast mana is dangerous yet oh-so tempting. Free ramp lets you splash extra colors, cast devastating turn 1 plays, or combo off faster than should be legal. Lesser cards require you to pay mana for mana - Moxen laughs at such peasant conventions! Who needs lands when you can conjure mana from thin air?
Mox Jet
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The Moxen cabal welcomes a new member - Mox Jet, provider of the darkest mana around. Like its Sapphire cousin, Mox Jet costs zero to play and taps for 1 mana, this time as black as night. The allure of black mana proves hard to resist, especially when Mox Jet delivers that forbidden power instantly. Dark Ritual is child's play compared to the ever-flowing mana fountain of Jet.
Ready to slam down back-breaking turn 1 discards spells, demonic threats, and vampire beaters? Mox Jet is here to enable your most sinister Magic dreams. No need to pay tribute in blood when this Mox freely offers the mana you crave. Now go and unleash hell upon your opponents!
Mox Ruby
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Mox Ruby blazes to life, ready to fan your red flames higher and faster than ever before. This crimson Mox taps for red mana at lightning speed, no cost required. Red mages everywhere rejoice at the prospect of an extra free source of that sweet, chaotic red mana. Turn 1 damage enablers, rituals, and ritual effects are now within your grasp thanks to Ruby's ramping prowess.
Go ahead and vomit your entire hand onto the board on the first turn! Who cares about card advantage when you can overwhelm your opponent right out of the gate? This hazardous little Mox enables all your most explosive red dreams. No need to pace yourself when you've got a fiery mana battery powering you to victories as quick as bolts of lightning!
Mox Emerald
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Nature's bounty flows forth from Mox Emerald, provider of the lushest green mana around. But this Mox needs no rich soil or forest dwelling to generate its mana. With zero investment you can tap Emerald for 1 green mana, perfect for accelerating out those big fatty creatures, ramp payoffs, or any green mage's wildest dreams! Why bother with Llanowar Elves when Mox Emerald offers up mana dork services for free? Any green strategy craves early acceleration, so this Mox is the perfect tool to race ahead of the competition.
No need to meticulously cultivate your mana when Emerald offers up an overgrown source of green goodness from turn 1 and beyond. Make opponents quake in fear as you tap your Mox and prepare to unleash colossal green threats!
Mox Pearl
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With Mox Pearl, consider your mana troubles washed away in a purifying white tide. White may be the color of order and restraint, but don't show any restraint when it comes to slamming Mox Pearl on turn 1! This gleaming white Mox taps for 1 mana, ready to accelerate all your righteous white plans. Now you can unleash the fastest of white weenie swarms before opponents have even summoned their first creature.
Or race to wrath the board with devasting mass removal ahead of schedule. Pearl enables white control decks to set up fast locks with prison pieces and disruption. Such is the holy power granted by this Mox. So go forth and tap Mox Pearl without abandon! It offers up mana as pure as the driven snow.
Timetwister
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Last but not least, Timetwister whirls opponents into temporal disarray while refueling your hand and board. This time twisting sorcery shuffles all cards in hand, graveyard, exile, and library back into freshly shuffled decks while players draw 7 cards. Essentially it resets the game state while refilling your grip with action. Timetwister foils the opponent's plans by shuffling away threats while potentially digging you into more gas.
Sure, they draw too - but clever timing means you can take advantage of the reset more than them. The combo really benefits from looping turns and recurring key pieces too. Timetwister is a powerful reset button perfect for when games stall out or you need to dig for an answer. Reset away, then watch in glee as you navigate the new game state better than your confused opponents! Sleeve your powerful reset button in stunning sleeve designs. Refresh your advantage in style!
Original Dual Lands
Underground Sea
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Underground Sea beckons you to the ocean depths, ready to submerge you in black and blue mana riches. This land oozes flavor, perfect for dimmer aficionados who love the unseen horrors of the deep. With Underground Sea in play, you've got no limitations - just tap for either black OR blue mana! Make opponents shiver as you cast turn 1 thought-seize or counterspell off your Underground Sea. Its murky mana empowers all your best dimmer spells.
Don't be surprised if you draw the ire of the table for playing such a powerful land so early! With flawless black and blue mana at your fingertips, the most cunning tricks and tempo plays await. Just try not to awaken the ancient evil lurking within the Underground Sea itself...
Volcanic Island
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Light the fires of creativity with Volcanic Island, a producer of perfect red or blue mana! This land evokes fiery inspiration, fusing steam and smoke into versatile mana generation. Your opening hand needs red to unleash bolts and burn. Volcanic Island has you covered. Prefer to counter opponents' spells with blue magic?
Volcanic Island won't judge - it provides blue mana too! Enemy color pairs like Izzet love the seamless mana fixing of dual lands like Volcanic Island. With this masterpiece land channeling your red and blue desires turn after turn, you'll have unlimited fuel for cards like Force of Will and Lightning Bolt! Just hope your opponents don't lose their cool at the sight of such power.
Tundra
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Enter a frosty plane of possibilities with Tundra, ready to tap for either white or blue mana! This icy land is perfect for amorous mages seeking supreme control over the board. Need white mana to cast Wrath of God? Tundra won't let you down. Hoping to counter spells with blue magic? Tundra is cool with that too! With versatility like this, there's no telling just how much value you'll extract turn after turn.
Opponents will surely be chilled to the bone as you manage threats flawlessly with Tundra smoothing your mana requirements. The original duals demonstrate mastery of land design - no downsides, no limitations, just perfect colors again and again. Harness the magical cold of the Tundra, and watch your win rate skyrocket!
Tropical Island
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Paradise awaits with Tropical Island, a land of flawless green and blue mana generation! This land breathes life and creativity all in one, fusing the natural and arcane into tapping perfection. Like all original dual lands, Tropical Island requires no sacrifices - just tap for green OR blue as needed! Accelerate into that turn 2 aggro monster with green, or leave up counterspell mana with blue. Tropical Island empowers Simic strategies to run wild in the early game with the ideal mana available from turn 1 and onward. Don't be surprised if your opponents throw temper tantrums over how smoothly Tropical Island enables your plays! With this land nurturing your mana needs in sunshine and rain, prepare to grow your board and spells to tower over all challengers.
Savannah
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Run free across wild fields and wide open plains with Savannah, a provider of green and white mana! As an original dual land, Savannah presents no obstacles - just tap for your choice of a green or white turn after a turn. Launch your early game with the mana ramp from green, or power out white weenie pressure. Savannah enables any selesnya strategy to start strong with the perfect mana base. Your opponents will surely envy such a powerful land ready to embrace your spells with welcoming mana each turn. Some dual lands require payment or sacrifice, but not Savannah! This land carries no penalties, only strength and versatility. Seek out Savannah, and harness its untamed mana spirit to fuse your green and white gameplans into victory.
Badlands
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Badlands beckons with treacherous red and black mana, perfect for unleashing chaos and suffering upon opponents! As an original dual land, Badlands taps smoothly for red OR black mana every turn with no downsides. Give in to temptation - cast turn 1 bolts and discard spells to overwhelm foes before they can even play a land! The reckless power flowing from Badlands will have your opponents seething. After all, how dare you access such flawless mana right from the start! Little do they know, Badlands has plenty more mana to offer its controller in the coming turns. This land is your ticket to an unstoppable rakdos onslaught. So journey into the Badlands, and ignite the flames of victory!
Plateau
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Sun-drenched fields stretch to the horizon with Plateau, an original dual land ready to tap for red OR white mana! Plateau enables speedy Boros starts, perfect for unleashing your swift aggro assault. There are no hoops to jump through with Plateau - simply tap each turn for the mana you need to cast spells like Lightning Helix, Boros Charm, and more! Your opponents will surely resent you for curving out so smoothly thanks to Plateau's versatility. After all, how dare you access such flawless mana right from turn 1? But you can't help it if you were lucky enough to draw this masterpiece land! Seize the gift of Plateau and let its bountiful mana carry you to quick Boros victories.
Taiga
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Step lightly through Taiga, a wild dual land with untamed mana! Taiga can tap for either red or green mana, allowing gruul decks to race out huge threats, burn spells, and ramp effects starting turn 1. Thanks to Taiga's flawless fixing, your opening hand is supercharged no matter what cards you're holding.
Light 'em up with red bolts or accelerate into colossal green creatures - Taiga fuels it all! Your opponents are sure to grumble about such an explosive start enabled by this versatile original dual. But don't let their saltiness stop you from unleashing Taiga's potential each turn. Let this land's primal mana roar as you overwhelm opponents with your red and green beatdown. The Taiga cannot be tamed!
Scrubland
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Tread lightly across the Scrubland, a long-forgotten original dual ready to summon white and black mana. This land offers flexibility, smoothly powering out early disruption, removal, and threats in Abzan-colored decks. Scrubland asks for no sacrifice or penalty for its mana gifts. Simply tap each turn for white or black as your strategy requires! Such versatility will have opponents shaking their heads.
After all, how can they compete against your ideal mana base right from turn 1? Little do they realize Scrubland has more flexible mana to offer in the turns ahead. Don't let the innocent name fool you - this land enables ruthless early-game dominance. Journey now to the Scrubland, and history's mana power will be yours! Store your powerful dual lands in worthy deck boxes. Keep history's power protected!
Lock Pieces
Ah, lock pieces. The fun police of Magic! As you can guess, these cards aim to completely lock down opponents from casting spells and having fun. Counterbalance, Chalice of the Void, Blood Moon - they all hate joy and wish to extinguish it!
Counterbalance
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Uh oh, look who it is - Counterbalance, here to crash the party! This stick-in-the-mud enchantment exiles cards from your deck, and if the exiled card's mana value matches your opponent's spell - countered! So rude. Set up Counterbalance with Sensei's Divining Top and you've got yourself an impenetrable wall of "nope!" for all incoming spells. One moment opponents are excited to cast their cool spells, the next - Counterbalance arrogantly sends them packing. "None shall pass!" it declares stoically. Sheesh, take it down a notch! But if you can withstand Counterbalance's judgemental glare, it does offer reliable control over the board. Just beware of opponents' anguished cries as their fun is extinguished.
Chalice of the Void
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Chalice of the Void - now there's some vintage salt production! This artifact lets you exile spells with a chosen mana value. Set Chalice on 1, and kiss goodbye to all those 1 mana plays we know and love. No bolts, no dorks, no discards - Chalice gobbles them all up, cackling with glee! Opponents are sure to weep salty tears as their hands turn useless. "But I wanted to play cards!" they protest. "Not today!" responds Chalice merrily as it continues ruining lives. That's our Chalice - ruthlessly shutting down key parts of opponents' strategies! Sure, it's oppressive. But hey, their misery equals our advantage!
Blood Moon
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Nothing delights Blood Moon more than ruthlessly crushing opponents' mana dreams. This destructive enchantment turns all nonbasic lands into Mountains. Yep, that means all your fancy duals, shocks, and triomes - are now useless Mountains! Any sweet multicolor plans are instantly dashed against the rocks by Blood Moon's merciless power. Kiss goodbye to your Gaea's Cradle, your Urza's Saga, and your Cavern of Souls - Blood Moon corrupts them all into mediocre red sources. Opponents' anguished howls are music to Blood Moon's ears as their intricate mana base crumbles away. Down goes Tron! Down goes Amulet Titan! Ah, such sweet sorrow. Just be careful not to become Blood Moon's next victim should the tides turn against you!
As you can see, these lock cards are party poopers with no regard for fun. But, uh, maybe we can "accidentally" drop one into our next deck, right? After all, opponents' misery is our...joy? Yeah, let's go with that!
Must-Answer Threats
Brace yourselves, some truly horrendous creatures are about to ravage the battlefield! Delver of Secrets, Gurmag Angler, True-Name Nemesis - these baddies demand immediate answers or else it's game over for opponents. Record scratch Freeze frame Yup, that's me about to get clobbered by one of these nightmares. You're probably wondering how I got into this mess. Baba O'Riley plays
Delver of Secrets
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Let's start with that conniving little insect, Delver of Secrets. At first glance, a 1/1 flyer for 1 mana? Pssh, who's scared of that? But then Delver flips over with just a bit of luck to become a monstrous 3/2 flyer! Suddenly opponents are getting beat down hard as early as turn 2. "My delicate life total!" they cry as Delved drains them away. A flipped Delver running wild might just spell game over!
True-Name Nemesis
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True-Name Nemesis also inspires fear and misery across the Legacy format. This dastardly 1/1 freely attacks past even the most stalwart blockers. With protection from everything but itself, True-Name just cannot be stopped! Opponents can chump block all day long, but True-Name will just keep coming until their life total is a distant memory. Feel that despair slowly settling in!
Gurmag Angler
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And let's not forget Gurmag Angler. This zombie fish casts for just 1 mana thanks to filling your graveyard with fuel. Except now it's emerged as a terrifying 5/5 beater! No attacks or blocks can meaningfully interact with this unholy monstrosity. Only removal or counterspells will put down Angler for good. But if opponents stumble, Angler ends games in just a few crushing swings!
As you can see, these threats demand answers ASAP before things spiral out of control! Learn to spot the dangers fast - or fall victim to their dominant attacks over and over in the Legacy format! Display your dominant threats on custom tabletops. Showcase the danger in style!
Key Removal and Counters
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Uh oh, opponents are trying to do unfair things! Quick, stop them with the best removal and counters Magic has to offer! Legacy is packed with devastating spells to shut down opponents' scheming - you just have to know the proper time for Swords to Plowshares, Force of Will, and more!
Swords to Plowshares laughs in the face of creature destruction. For a single mana, it exiles any pesky monster that dares show its face on the battlefield! Harsh, but effective. Your opponents will surely shake their fists as their badass dragons and demons get reduced to harmless 1/1 spirits. Ha, take that! Swords are a premier path to keeping scary things in check.
But what about instants and sorceries? Never fear, the Force of Will is here! This iconic counterspell trades 1 card to stop ANY spell, no mana is required. Your opponent excitedly prepares to combo off or resolve a backbreaking play. "Nope!" responds Force of Will, erasing their spell into the exile zone instead. The look of sheer anguish sustains you. With Force in hand, no Magic spell is truly safe!
Timing is everything though. Slam removal and counters too recklessly, and opponents will rebuild and try again. But catch their key spells at the perfect moment to completely cripple their game plan! Watch carefully, then strike like a viper. Remove their value engine at the worst moment. Counter their combo piece so they fizzle out. Ruin their fun at just the right time for maximum misery! Oops, I mean maximum gameplay advantage, of course. Yeah, let's go with that! Time your interaction perfectly on custom mousepads. Counter misery and secure advantage in style!
Final Thoughts
After our epic journey through the best cards in Legacy Magic, you now possess the knowledge to crush opponents in this broken format! The Power Nine demonstrate why Vintage has nothing on Legacy's sheer power level. Meanwhile, optimal dual lands provide flawless mana-fixing turn after turn. And let's not forget must-answer threats like Delver of Secrets that quickly dominate the board if left unchecked.
Master the intricate mechanics of MTG Legacy format, and spectacular combos await. But don't forget to save some of that sweet victory for your opponents too - no need to completely demolish their will to live each game! Keep exploring and discovering new powerful interactions. Legacy's massive card pool rewards creative deckbuilding and intricate format knowledge.
When you emerge victorious, be sure to customize your play experience too! At Your Playmat we offer the finest MTG accessories like personalized playmats, card sleeves, and deck boxes to flex your success in style. With swag, this sweet, opponents will be sure to compliment you on such great taste - right before you demolish them yet again. So treat yourself to the best MTG gear and continue your reign over Legacy!
So go unleash the unfair power within a Legacy deck today! But try not to cackle too loudly when you stick a turn 1 Chalice and counter everything they play. Save the truly evil laughs until after your opponent forfeits in despair! The MTG Legacy format awaits. Now go and tap into its limitless potential for fun and utter annihilation!