Magic 2014 is coming, and with it, we’re getting some major updates to the rules!

One of the major changes is to the “legend rule” that governs legendary permanents. Currently, if two or more legendary permanent with the same name are on the battlefield, all of them are put into their owners’ graveyards as a state-based action (http://blogs.magicjudges.org/rulestips/2011/03/state-based-actions-are-checked-when-a-player-would-receive-priority/). It doesn’t matter if the legendary permanents are controlled by the same player or different ones, nor does it matter which permanent entered the battlefield first.

The new “legend rule” is a bit different. Instead of looking at legendary permanents controlled by all players, the new rule says that if the same player ever controls two or more legendary permanents with the same name, that player chooses one of those permanents to keep in play, and the rest are put into their owners’ graveyards.

Let’s break that down a bit. Basically, two things are changing. First, the “legend rule” now looks at each player individually. After the rules update, you and I can each have Olivia Voldaren fighting on our side without any problems. Second, whenever a single player controls two or more permanents with the same name, instead of all of those permanents going away, you get to keep one of them; the others go to your graveyard. You can choose which one you keep; it can be the old one, or the new one.

Apart from those changes, the “legend rule” works the same way as it did before. It’s still a state-based action that’s performed before any player receives priority. And permanents going to the graveyard due to the “legend rule” aren’t being sacrificed or destroyed, although they will count as dying.

This change will definitely have a major impact on the game, which will be very interesting to see unfold over the next few weeks, months, and maybe even years. One neat interaction that’s now possible is using the new legend rule to “cheat” Marit Lage into play. If you have Dark Depths in play, and then copy it with Thespian’s Stage you’ll briefly have two legendary permanents named Dark Depths. The original will have some number of ice counters, but the copy won’t. Choose to get rid of the original to satisfy the legend rule, and you’ll be left with a copy of Dark Depths with zero ice counters, which will happily sacrifice itself to give you a 20/20 creature with indestructible. (Before, this wasn’t possible because both the original and the copy would go away before the triggered ability could go off.)

Enjoy your legendary permanents!

PSA: These rules changes go into effect on July 13 for the Magic 2014 Prerelease. Check out for the Magic 2014 Frequently Asked Questions Guide!

Here are some older Rules Tips that have been updated for the new Legend Rule:
http://blogs.magicjudges.org/rulestips/2011/05/when-a-land-gains-or-changes-subtype/
http://blogs.magicjudges.org/rulestips/2011/04/legend-is-not-a-creature-type/
http://blogs.magicjudges.org/rulestips/2011/01/genesis-wave-ob-nixilis-and-multiple-triggers-oh-my/

Today’s Rules Tip written by Paul Baranay