Myths and Legends

Myths and Legends
Designers	Conrado Aciares
Publishers	SALO, Comic Images, Geniohi
Players	unlimited now
Playing time	Approx 20 min
Chance	Some
Age range	9+
Skills	Card playing; Arithmetic; Basic Reading Ability

Myths and Legends is a collectible card game based on universal mythologies, developed in 2000 in Santiago, Chile. The game now has 39 editions and more than 3,000 collectible cards^{[citation needed]}. It is the only collectible card game integrally produced and developed in Latin-America (Chile), and it is translated into the English and German languages. The game has been launched in Europe, United States, Oceania and Latin America. In January 2010, the game went into "indefinite recess" due to the bankruptcy of the publisher, Salo.

The game was partially revived in 2011 under the name of "Fénix" but was discontinued because of weak sales.

In October 2014 the game was officially revived bringing back many of the staff members of the original game, including game designers and artists

Types of cards

A Myths and Legends deck is made up of five types of cards: Allies, Totems, Talismans, Weapons and Gold cards ( Kingdom card being used only during the Genesis Era) . Each card has its own special function, with some common characteristics. Each card's Gold cost is indicated in the upper right-hand corner. If there is no number there, it is a Gold card. The upper left-hand corner indicates the card type, with Totems, Weapons, and Talismans all having a special symbol, and Allies having a Strength number.

Totems are cards that assign special powers. The card's abilities can usually be activated as long as the Totem remains in play. Totems are played in your^[who?] Support Line.

Allies are warrior cards used to defend your Castle Deck or to attack your opponent's Castle. Note that these are the only cards that may be assigned in the Mythological Battle Phase. Note: An Ally cannot attack unless it has been in play and under your control from the beginning of the turn. However, you can always use it to either block or to activate its abilities.

Talismans have one-time abilities that are played as direct effects. To play a Talisman, first pay the corresponding Gold cost, show the card to the opponent, then determine the effect that the card produces and finally send it to the Ruin Pile. Note: Sometimes the effect of a Talisman outlasts your turn. In these special cases, follow the instructions on each card.

Gold Cards are your resources. Every time you want to play a non-Gold card, you must move a number of Gold cards equal to each non-Gold card 's cost from your Reserve Area to your Used Gold Area. This action is called payment in Gold. You begin the game with one Gold Card in play, and can add one to your Gold Reserve each turn. Note: You cannot choose a UNIQUE Gold Card as your starting Gold Card.

Weapons are "attached to" (slid underneath) Allies already in play. Only one Weapon may be attached to an Ally at any time, and once attached to an Ally, a Weapon cannot be removed or transferred to another Ally. Note: Whatever happens to the Ally (returned to hand, destroyed, etc.) also happens to the Weapon. Other type of weapons named maquinaria (machinery) can be deployed in the support line, to use them the controller must control at least one ally, other maquinarias will require more allies. A third type of weapon called embarcacion (ship) works like maquinaria, with the advantage than embarcaciones can work without allies.

Kingdom are featured in GENESIS ERA; this cards are chosen before the duel begin, only one can be added to the deck. this cards are allowed to activate it effect any time you can but only once per duel, because kingdoms are not considered cards, there are no effect that can prevent nor negate the activation and effects of this cards.

Starting the game

Before beginning the game, both players search their Castle Deck for one Gold card and place it into their Gold Reserve areas. A player may only choose a Normal Gold card at the beginning of the game. Then the players shuffle their decks and pass the deck to an opponent to cut. To determine who goes first, choose a random method like flipping a coin, rolling a die, etc. The player who wins in the chosen method will take the first turn.

The hand

Each player draws eight cards from the top of their Castle Deck to get their starting hand. Beginning with the first player, if a player does not want his or her starting hand, they can return those cards to their deck and then reshuffle. In this case the player must ask their opponent to cut the deck once more, but this time he draws one less card. This can be repeated as many times as a player wishes, but always with one less drawn card than the previous time.

Winning the game

One player wins a round when the other player draws or Ruins the last card of their Castle Deck. In a full game of Myths and Legends, the first player to win two rounds becomes the winner of the game.

Special abilities

Like in other card games, Mitos y Leyendas used Keywords (known as mechanics in other games) in order to simplify many effects of the card. Many of these effects were used continuity through the game, while other were eventually discarded due to overuse or because after some tournaments these mechanics proved to be unbalanced and poorly planned.

Única (Unique) - Only one copy of a Única card is allowed per deck.
Orbe (Orb) - Orbe cards work with the following effects: it is considered a Única card and can only by affected by card that specifically target Orbe cards.
Mercenario (Mercenary) - You are allowed to have more than 3 copies of a Mercenario card per deck.
Relámpago (Lighting) - A Relámpago card can be played at the beginning of any phase or step of the turn.
Maquinaria (Machinery) - An ability exclusive to Arma cards. A Maquinaria card is played in the Support Line and can only activate its effects as long his/her controller has one ally in play.
Tamaño X (Size X) - A sub ability for Maquinaria cards. In order to use the Maquinaria effects, a player must control X or more allies.
Embarcación (Craft) - An ability exclusive to Arma cards. Similar to Maquinaria cards, Embarcación cards are played in the Support Line, except that this card doesn't need an ally in play in order to use their effects.
Errante (Wandering) - A player can only control one copy of a Errante card one at a time. If by any reason a player controls 2 or more copies of an Errante card, he must remove them from play.
Réplica X (Replica X) - An ability exclusive to Talismán cards. When a Talisman card with Réplica is played, his/her owner can pay the Réplica cost. If done, the effects of the Talismán are used twice. Usually the Réplica cost is paid in gold, although many card offer alternatives like discarting card, destroying allies, and so on. Other Réplica cards, rather than copying the effect of the card, offer a second effect that can only be used by the payment of the Réplica cost.
Furia (Fury) - An ability exclusive to Aliado cards. An ally with Furia can attack the same turn that was summoned.
Imbloqueable (Unblockable) - Exclusive to Aliado cards. Can not be blocked by other allies.
Indestructible (Indestructible) - Can not be destroyed by damage nor by effects (It still can be Vanished or returned to the hand or deck).
Indesterrable (Indesterrable) - Cannot be vanished from the game (it still can be destroyed by damage or by effects; or returned to the hand or deck).
Lealtad (Loyalty) - A card with Lealtad can not be controlled by the opponent, if by any reason a card with Lealtad is controlled by the opponent, the card is moved immediately to his/her owner.
Inmunidad X (Immunity X) - A card with Inmunidad can not be the target of effects that comes from X (Where X is any specific type of card or race). Example: Inmunidad: Talismanes- can not be affected by the effects of any Talisman card; Inmunidad:Dragones- can not be the target of dragon type allies, although it can be affected by other type of allies.
Guardián (Guardian) - Exclusive to Aliado cards. An Aliado with Guardián can not be sent out to attack.
Embestida X (assault X) - Exclusive to Aliado cards. When an Aliado with Embestida X is blocked, the opponent receives X damage, regardless of the difference in strength of the attacking or blocking allies. This ability was discontinued after several players complained for an abuse of this ability. The ability was later redefined to be as follows: any damage that an ally makes to a deck is doubled.
Oro Inicial (Initial Gold) - Exclusive to Oro cards. The owner is allowed to start the game with this card, even if the card has an effect.
Exhumar (Exhume) - Any card with Exhumar can be played from the graveyard as it where in your hand. However, if the card played was a Talisman, the card is Vanished.
Retorno (Return) - Any card with Retorno can be played from the Exile zone. If the card played was a Talisman, vanish the card.
Barrera (Barrier) - If a card with Barrera is dropped from your deck because of damage, you can vanish the Barrera card and stop any further deck drop.
Evasión X (Evasion X) - Exclusive to Aliados. Each time an Evasión card blocks, his/her owner recovers X cards from the graveyard to the deck. This ability was discontinued as tended to prolong the game, causing troubles in official tournaments, where the limit time per game is one hour.
Traición X (Betrayal X) - During the main phase, any player could pay the Traición cost of a card in order to gain its control. Usually the Traición cost was paid with gold; however, other cards accepted other types of payments, live dropping cards, discarding, and so on.
Absorción (Absorption) - Any damage targeted to the deck, but intercepted by an Absorción Ally, is reduced to zero.
Retador (Challenger) - Each time a Retador card attacks, its controller may select the opponent ally who must block it.
Temerario (Bold) - Allies with Temerario can only be blocked by another Temerario ally.
Inmortal (Immortal) - While not properly an ability, Inmortal worked as a "title" that allowed to interact with other cards that specified Inmortal card.

Editions

This game is divided into editions, and each edition has a different type of mythology. The editions are as follows:

El Reto (The Challenge) - (universal mythology)
Mundo Gótico (Gothic World) - (mythology of the war between the light and the darkness)
La Ira del Nahual (The Nahual's Fury) - (Indian-American mythology)
Ragnarok - (Nordic mythology)
La Cofradía (Brotherhood) - (a recompilation of the previous editions)
Espíritu de Dragón (Dragoon Spirit) - (Chinese and Japanese mythology)

From here begins the segunda era (second age); in order to give balance to the game, cards from the previous editions must not be added.

Espada Sagrada (Sacred Sword) - (English medieval mythology, specially the Arthurian cycle)
Cruzadas (Crusades) - (an extension of Espada Sagrada)
Helénica (Hellenic) - (Greek mythology)
Imperio (Empire) - (an extension of Helenica, Roman mythology)
Hijos de Daana (Daana's Children) - (Celtic mythology)
Tierras Altas (Highlands) - (an extension of Hijos de Daana)
Dominios de Ra (Ra's Domains) - (Egyptian mythology)
Encrucijada (Crossroads) - (an extension of Dominios de Ra, the Persian and Ptolemaic rule)
Guerrero Jaguar (Jaguar Warrior) - (Aztec and Mayan mythology)
Vendaval (Gale) - (an extension of Guerrero Jaguar, South American mythology)
Compendium - (a recompilation of cards from Espada Sagrada to Tierras Altas)
Barbarie (Barbarism) - (medieval mythology, from the fall of the Roman Empire to Charlemagne's reign)
Reino de Acero (Steel Kingdom) - (war of the 100 years)
Hordas (Hordes) - (Mongolian invasion to Europe)
Bestiario (Bestiaire) - (dark creatures)
Extensión Compendium II Era - an extension of Compendium, includes cards from Espada Sagrada to Vendaval
Heroes - (extension of Bestiario, presents heroes and forces of good [as opposed to Bestiario's forces of dark])
Codigo Samurai (Samurai Code) - (feudal Japan culture and mythology)
Katana - (extension of Codigo Samurai)
Heroes, la gloria tiene su precio (Heroes, glory has a price) - (Chilean independentist history)
Piratas (Pirates) - (the story of the pirates through the seven seas)
Corsarios (Privateers) - (an extension of Piratas, it's about the history of buccaneers)
Inmortales(Immortals) - (re-illustrated characters from Espada Sagrada to Vendaval)
Dunas (Dunes) - (the tales of Sheresade and the thousand-one nights)
Origenes (Origins) - (Chilean myths)
Invasión (Invasion) - (the battle of the Greeks and Persians in the Thermopylae)
Insurgentes - (Mexican revolutionary history)
Profecias (Prophecies) - (Characters and events from the Old Testament)
Éxodo (Exodus) - (the story of the Book of Exodus)
Vikingos (Vikings) - (myths from the land of Asgard)

From here begins MyL Genesis. New rules were added to give a new perspective. Like in the segunda era, cards from the early sets are incompatible.

Conquista (Conquest) - (the arrival of the Spaniards to the new world)
Trincheras (Trenches) - (First World War with a modern look)
Apocalipsis (Apocalypse) - (the war within light and darkness)
Condenados (Damned) - (battles of the vampires and werewolves) - cancelled

After 4 years of hiatus, the game start from scratch. This new edition will bring back many mechanics from the "segunda era" (second age) block, ignoring the multicolor aspect of "Genesis". No cards from previous sets are compatible.

Furia (Fury) - (Greek, Egyptian, Norse, Medieval and Pre-Hispanic mythology. The last one with little to no coverage) - First set in 4 years of hiatus
Furia: Extensión (Fury:expansion) - (Continuous with the previous mythologies, this time with more coverage of Egyptian mythology)
Sumeria (Sumer)" - (Sumer culture and mitology)
Sumeria:rebelion (Sumer:rebelion)" - (Expands further more the Sumer culture. Additionally makes a brief mention of the Persian invasion

References

External links

Mytos y Leyendas - Official website Template:Es