Legions (Magic: The Gathering)

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Legions
two crossing spears on a shield
Released	January 2003
Size	145 cards (55 commons, 45 uncommons, 45 rares)
Keywords	Amplify, Provoke, Double Strike
Mechanics	Creatures, Tribal Themes
Dev. code	Moe
Exp. code	LGN
Second set in the Onslaught block
Onslaught Legions Scourge

Legions is the second set in the Onslaught block of cards of Magic: The Gathering, along with the expansions Onslaught and Scourge. It contained 145 cards which continued on the themes started in Onslaught. Its expansion symbol is two spears behind a shield.

Set history

Legions is the only expansion in Magic to be 100% creature cards. This was done to help amplify the creature-based mechanics of the block such as Morph and Tribal. Due to the complete absence of non-creature cards and a limited number of tournament staples, Legions is one of the most controversial set releases by Wizards of the Coast among many players. The set does feature the return of a fan favorite creature type, Sliver.

Storyline

Kamahl and the Cabal, in their uneasy alliance, set out to defeat the threat of Akroma. Ixidor was killed, but Akroma continues her mission to destroy Phage. Meanwhile, the slivers (last spotted in Tempest and its era) have been reintroduced as clones of the originals. In a final battle, Phage and Akroma merge into one being, Karona, the false god.

Mechanics

The following mechanics first appeared in Legions:

• Amplify - As a creature with Amplify came into play, its controller could reveal creature cards from their hand that shared a type with it to add +1/+1 counters. Creatures with Amplify were generally costly.
• Provoke - Based on a card from Stronghold, when a creature with provoke attacked, it could untap an opponent's creature and force that creature to block it.
• Double Strike - A mechanic suggested by a fan during the Magic Website's You Make the Card Promo and was officially turned into a mechanic. A creature with Double Strike would deal both First Strike and regular combat damage.
• Cycling Triggered Abilities - Some creatures had an ability that would trigger when the card was cycled, such as Gempalm Incinerator.
• Morph Triggered Abilities - Some creatures had an ability that would trigger upon turning face up. This too helped prevent one-dimensional gameplay due to lack of Instant and Sorcery cards.

External links

• Wizards' official Legions expansion page