_Legions_(TM) Frequently Asked Questions
Compiled by Paul Barclay, David DeLaney, and Jeff Jordan
This FAQ has two sections, each of which serves a different purpose.
The first section ("General Notes") explains the new mechanics and concepts in
the set. The second section ("Card-Specific Notes") contains answers to the
most important questions players might ask about a given card.
Items in the "Card-Specific Notes" section include full rules text for your
reference. Not all cards in the set are listed.
GENERAL NOTES
Amplify
The official rules for the amplify ability are as follows:
502.27. Amplify
502.27a Amplify is a static ability. "Amplify [X]" means "As this card comes
into play, reveal any number of cards from your hand that share a creature
type with this card. This card comes into play with X +1/+1 counters on it for
each card revealed this way. You can't reveal this card or any other cards
that are coming into play at the same time as this card."
502.27b If a creature has multiple instances of amplify, each one works
separately.
* The player who will control the creature is the one who reveals the cards.
* Each revealed card must share a creature type with the amplify card. The
reminder text reminds you what those types are.
* Playing the _Onslaught_(TM) card Artificial Evolution on an amplify spell on
the stack can change what types need to be revealed. The card Conspiracy can
also change what types need to be revealed.
* If multiple creatures with amplify are going to come into play under your
control at the same time, you're allowed to reveal the same cards for each of
them.
* If you play Clone and choose for it to copy a creature with amplify, you get
to reveal cards and get +1/+1 counters.
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Double Strike
The official rules for the double-strike ability and updated rules for the
first-strike ability are as follows:
502.28 Double Strike
502.28a Double strike is a static ability that modifies the rules for the
combat damage step.
502.28b During the combat damage step, if at least one attacking or blocking
creature has double strike or first strike, creatures without double strike or
first strike (see rule 502.2) don't assign combat damage. Instead of
proceeding to end of combat, the phase gets a second combat damage step to
handle the remaining creatures. Creatures with double strike also assign
combat damage during the second combat damage step.
502.28c Removing double strike from a creature during the first combat damage
step will stop it from assigning combat damage in the second combat damage
step.
502.28d Giving double strike to a creature after combat damage has been put
onto the stack in the first combat damage step will allow the creature to
assign combat damage in the second combat damage step, even if it already
assigned combat damage in the first combat damage step.
502.28e Multiple instances of double strike on the same creature are
redundant.
502.2. First Strike
502.2a First strike is a static ability that modifies the rules for the combat
damage step.
502.2b During the combat damage step, if at least one attacking or blocking
creature has first strike or double strike, creatures without first strike or
double strike (see rule 502.28) don't assign combat damage. Instead of
proceeding to end of combat, the phase gets a second combat damage step to
handle the remaining creatures.
502.2c Adding or removing first strike after the first combat damage step
won't prevent a creature from dealing combat damage or allow it to deal combat
damage twice.
502.2d Multiple instances of first strike on the same creature are redundant.
* Double strike isn't first strike. Effects that make a creature lose first
strike won't make it lose double strike.
* Creatures with double strike and creatures with first strike deal combat
damage in the first combat damage step.
* All creatures that didn't assign combat damage in the first combat damage
step assign combat damage in the second combat damage step. In addition, all
creatures with double strike assign combat damage again in the second step.
* If a creature has both double strike and trample, the combat damage it
assigned during the first combat damage step will be considered when
determining how much damage can trample through in the second combat damage
step.
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Provoke
The official rules for the provoke ability are as follows:
502.29. Provoke
502.29a Provoke is a triggered ability. "Provoke" means "Whenever this
creature attacks, you may choose to have target creature defending player
controls block this creature this combat if able. If you do, untap that
creature."
502.29b If a creature has multiple instances of provoke, each triggers
separately.
* There's no requirement for the provoked creature to be tapped or to be able
to block.
* You can choose not to force the creature to block, in which case it won't
untap.
* If the provoked creature becomes tapped before the declare blockers step, it
won't be able to block.
* If a creature is provoked by more than one creature, the controller of the
provoked creature chooses which one it blocks.
* If the provoked creature has any costs to block, those costs don't have to
be paid. If the costs are paid, the provoked creature must block the creature
with provoke.
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Morph
See the Onslaught FAQ for information about the morph ability.
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Morph Triggered Abilities
* Many Legions cards have abilities that trigger when the cards are turned
face up. These abilities work like normal triggered abilities.
Defender of the Order
3W
Creature -- Cleric
2/4
Morph WW (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. Turn it face up
any time for its morph cost.)
When Defender of the Order is turned face up, creatures you control get +0/+2
until end of turn.
* Morph triggers will trigger when the card is turned face up either by an
effect or if its morph cost is paid.
* Morph triggers don't trigger when the card is looked at or leaves play.
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Slivers
* Slivers can grant activated or static abilities to Slivers in play. Not all
Slivers grant abilities. Some have abilities that trigger when Slivers do
things, and some have static abilities that affect the rules of the game, such
as "Any player may play Sliver cards any time he or she could play an
instant."
* You can change creatures of other types into Slivers so they can get the
benefits of being a Sliver.
* You can use Artificial Evolution on any Sliver to make it affect another
creature type (this would also change the type of the Sliver, so it would
still affect itself).
* Mistform Ultimus is a Sliver.
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CARD-SPECIFIC NOTES
Akroma's Devoted
3W
Creature -- Cleric
2/4
Attacking doesn't cause Clerics to tap.
* This affects your Clerics and all other players' Clerics.
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Aven Warhawk
4W
Creature -- Bird Soldier
2/2
Amplify 1 (As this card comes into play, put a +1/+1 counter on it for each
Bird and/or Soldier card you reveal in your hand.)
Flying
* The Warhawk has two creature types, so you can reveal cards that share
either or both of its types.
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Brood Sliver
4G
Creature -- Sliver
3/3
Whenever a Sliver deals combat damage to a player, its controller may put a
1/1 colorless Sliver creature token into play.
* The triggered ability is controlled by Brood Sliver's controller, but the
controller of the Sliver that dealt damage chooses whether to put the token
into play (under his or her control).
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Canopy Crawler
3G
Creature -- Beast
2/2
Amplify 1 (As this card comes into play, put a +1/+1 counter on it for each
Beast card you reveal in your hand.)
T: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each +1/+1 counter on
Canopy Crawler.
* The second ability counts the number of +1/+1 counters on the Crawler when
the ability resolves. If that number changes afterward, the bonus granted
won't change.
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Celestial Gatekeeper
3WW
Creature -- Bird Cleric
2/2
Flying
When Celestial Gatekeeper is put into a graveyard from play, remove it from
the game, then return up to two target Bird and/or Cleric cards from your
graveyard to play.
* You can target the Gatekeeper in your graveyard with its own ability, but it
will be removed from the game before it can be returned to play. The other
target will still be returned to play.
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Chromeshell Crab
4U
Creature -- Beast
3/3
Morph 4U (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. Turn it face up
any time for its morph cost.)
When Chromeshell Crab is turned face up, you may exchange control of target
creature you control and target creature an opponent controls.
* You don't have to exchange control of the Crab with your opponent's
creature. You can exchange one of your other creatures with your opponent's
creature.
* Choose whether or not to make the exchange when the ability resolves.
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Dark Supplicant
B
Creature -- Cleric
1/1
T, Sacrifice three Clerics: Search your graveyard, hand, and/or library for a
card named Scion of Darkness and put it into play. If you search your library
this way, shuffle it.
* You don't have to search your library if you don't want to. You can just
search the other zones. If you don't search your library, you don't have to
shuffle.
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Daru Stinger
3W
Creature -- Soldier
1/1
Amplify 1 (As this card comes into play, put a +1/+1 counter on it for each
Soldier card you reveal in your hand.)
T: Daru Stinger deals damage equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on it to
target attacking or blocking creature.
* The second ability counts the number of +1/+1 counters on the Stinger when
the ability resolves.
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Dermoplasm
2U
Creature -- Shapeshifter
1/1
Flying
Morph 2UU (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. Turn it face
up any time for its morph cost.)
When Dermoplasm is turned face up, you may put a creature card with morph from
your hand into play face up. If you do, return Dermoplasm to its owner's hand.
* The new creature comes into play face up, which doesn't count as turning
that creature face up.
* Dermoplasm returns to your hand only if you put a creature into play.
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Drinker of Sorrow
2B
Creature -- Horror
5/3
Drinker of Sorrow can't block.
Whenever Drinker of Sorrow deals combat damage, sacrifice a permanent.
* If the Drinker leaves play before it deals combat damage, you won't have to
sacrifice a permanent. If it leaves play because of combat damage, you will.
* You only sacrifice one permanent, no matter how many things the Drinker
deals combat damage to at once.
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Embalmed Brawler
2B
Creature -- Zombie
2/2
Amplify 1 (As this card comes into play, put a +1/+1 counter on it for each
Zombie card you reveal in your hand.)
Whenever Embalmed Brawler attacks or blocks, you lose 1 life for each +1/+1
counter on it.
* The second ability counts the number of +1/+1 counters on the Brawler when
the ability resolves.
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Essence Sliver
3W
Creature -- Sliver
3/3
Whenever a Sliver deals damage, its controller gains that much life.
* The triggered ability is controlled by Essence Sliver's controller, but it
gives life to the controller of the Sliver that dealt damage.
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Frenetic Raptor
5R
Creature -- Beast
6/6
Beasts can't block.
* This affects your Beasts and all other players' Beasts.
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Goblin Clearcutter
3R
Creature -- Goblin
3/3
T, Sacrifice a forest: Add three mana in any combination of red and/or green
to your mana pool.
* You can get GGG, RGG, RRG, or RRR.
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Hollow Specter
1BB
Creature -- Specter
2/2
Flying
Whenever Hollow Specter deals combat damage to a player, you may pay X. If you
do, that player reveals X cards from his or her hand and you choose one of
them. That player discards that card.
* You choose a value for X and pay for it when the triggered ability resolves.
The damaged player chooses X cards to reveal, then you choose one of those
cards for that player to discard.
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Hunter Sliver
1R
Creature -- Sliver
1/1
All Slivers have provoke. (When a Sliver attacks, its controller may have
target creature defending player controls untap and block it if able.)
* This Sliver gives the ability to your Slivers and all other players'
Slivers.
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Infernal Caretaker
3B
Creature -- Cleric
2/2
Morph 3B (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. Turn it face up
any time for its morph cost.)
When Infernal Caretaker is turned face up, return all Zombie cards from all
graveyards to their owners' hands.
* The Caretaker's triggered ability isn't optional, and it works for all
players.
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Kilnmouth Dragon
5RR
Creature -- Dragon
5/5
Amplify 3 (As this card comes into play, put three +1/+1 counters on it for
each Dragon card you reveal in your hand.)
Flying
T: Kilnmouth Dragon deals damage equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on it
to target creature or player.
* The second ability counts the number of +1/+1 counters on the Dragon when
the ability resolves.
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Krosan Vorine
3G
Creature -- Cat Beast
3/2
Provoke (When this attacks, you may have target creature defending player
controls untap and block it if able.)
Krosan Vorine can't be blocked by more than one creature.
* If you use the Vorine's provoke ability to force a creature to block it,
that creature must block it, and no other creature can.
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Lavaborn Muse
3R
Creature -- Spirit
3/3
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, if that player has two or fewer
cards in hand, Lavaborn Muse deals 3 damage to him or her.
* The player must have two or fewer cards in hand both when the ability
triggers and when it resolves.
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Magma Sliver
3R
Creature -- Sliver
3/3
All Slivers have "T: Target Sliver gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is
the number of Slivers in play."
* This Sliver gives the ability to your Slivers and all other players'
Slivers.
* Count the number of Slivers in play when the ability resolves.
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Master of the Veil
2UU
Creature -- Wizard
2/3
Morph 2U (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. Turn it face up
any time for its morph cost.)
When Master of the Veil is turned face up, you may turn target creature with
morph face down.
* Master of the Veil can turn itself face down with its own morph triggered
ability.
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Mistform Sliver
1U
Creature -- Illusion Sliver
1/1
All Slivers have "1: This creature's type becomes the creature type of your
choice in addition to its other types until end of turn."
* This Sliver gives the ability to your Slivers and all other players'
Slivers.
* Unlike other type-changing cards, Mistform Sliver's ability adds a creature
type to the creature rather than replacing the creature's type.
* Any number of types may be added by playing this ability multiple times. But
if the creature's type is later changed by another spell or ability that
replaces rather than adds types, that spell or ability will replace all the
creature's previous types, including added types. (Artificial Evolution would
not replace all types this way, however. It replaces only one creature type.)
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Mistform Ultimus
3U
Creature -- Illusion Legend
3/3
Mistform Ultimus is every creature type (even if this card isn't in play).
Mistform Ultimus may attack as though it weren't a Wall.
* The types "Illusion" and "Legend" are printed on the card's type line purely
for flavor. The Ultimus has every other creature type as well.
* It's a Legend, so the Legend rule applies to it. It's also a Wall, so the
Wall rule applies to it (although it has an ability that allows it to ignore
this rule). It's also a Sliver, and so will gain all Sliver abilities.
* Artificial Evolution doesn't affect this creature's types at all, although
changing the word "Wall" in the second ability to another type will prevent
the Ultimus from attacking because it will still be a Wall.
* Like any creature, if the Ultimus "becomes" another type as the result of a
spell or ability, it will lose all its other creature types. For example, if
your opponent uses Imagecrafter to turn your Ultimus into a Soldier, your
Ultimus will be only a Soldier. All its other types will be lost for the rest
of the turn.
* The Ultimus is currently a "Creature -- Abomination Aboroth Advisor Aladdin
Albatross Alchemist Ali-Baba Ali-from-Cairo Alligator Ambush-Party Ancestor
Angel Ant Antelope Ape Archaeologist Asp Assassin Assembly-Worker Atog Aurochs
Avatar Avenger Avizoa Badger Ball-Lightning Bandit Banshee Barbarian Barishi
Basilisk Bat Bear Beast Bee Beeble Behemoth Being Berserker Bird Boar
Bodyguard Brother Brownie Brushwagg Bull Bureaucrat Butterfly Camarid Camel
Caravan Caribou Carnivore Carriage Carrier Cat Cavalry Cave-People Centaur
Cephalid Cheetah Chicken Chimera Citizen Clamfolk Cleric Clone Cobra
Cockatrice Constable Cow Crab Crocodile Crusader Dandan Demon Dervish Deserter
Devil Devouring-Deep Dinosaur Djinn Dog Doppelganger Dragon Dragonfly Drake
Drill-Sergeant Druid Dryad Dwarf Eater Eel Effigy Efreet Egg Elder Elemental
Elephant Elf El-Hajjaj Enchantress Entity Erne Essence Exorcist Faerie Fallen
Farmer Ferret Fiend Fish Flagbearer Flying-Men Force Fox Frog Frostbeast
Fungus Fungusaur Gaea's-Avenger Gaea's-Liege Gargoyle Gatekeeper General Ghost
Ghoul Giant Gnome Goat Goblin Golem Gorgon Graveborn Gremlin Griffin Guardian
Gus Gypsy Hag Harlequin Hell's-Caretaker Heretic Hero Hipparion Hippo Homarid
Hornet Horror Horse Horseman Hound Hunter Hydra Hyena Illusion Imp Incarnation
Infernal-Denizen Inquisitor Insect Island-Fish Jackal Jellyfish Kavu Keeper
Kelp King Kithkin Knight Kobold Kraken Lady-of-Proper-Etiquette Leech Legend
Legionnaire Lemure Leper Leviathan Lhurgoyf Lichenthrope Licid Lion Lizard
Lord Lurker Lycanthrope Mage Maggot Maiden Mammoth Manticore Mantis Marid
Martyr Master Medusa Meerkat Mercenary Merchant Merfolk Mindsucker Minion
Minor Minotaur Miracle-Worker Mist Mistfolk Mob Mold-Demon Monger Mongoose
Monkey Monster Mosquito Mummy Murk-Dwellers Mutant Mystic Nameless-Race
Narwhal Necrosavant Nekrataal Niall-Silvain Nightmare Nightstalker Noble Nomad
Octopus Ogre Ooze Orb Orc Orgg Ouphe Ox Oyster Paladin Peacekeeper Pegasus
People-of-the-Woods Phantasm Phelddagrif Phoenix Pig Pikemen Pirate
Pixie-Queen Plant Poison-Snake Poltergeist Pony Preacher Priest Prism Pyknite
Rabbit Raider Ranger Rat Rebel Reflection Rhino Robber Roc Rock-Sled Rooster
Rukh Sage Salamander Sand Saproling Satyr Scavenger Scorpion Scout Serf
Serpent Shade Shapeshifter Shark Sheep Ship Shyft Sindbad Singing-Tree Sister
Skeleton Sliver Slug Smith Snake Soldier Sorceress Spawn Speaker Specter
Spellshaper Sphinx Spider Spike Spirit Sponge Sprite Spuzzem Spy Squire
Squirrel Stangg-Twin Starfish Stone Strider Survivor Swarm Tactician Tarpan
Taskmaster Tetravite
The-Biggest-Baddest-Nastiest-Scariest-Creature-You'll-Ever-See Thopter Thrull
Thundermare Tiger Titan Toad Tombspawn Tortoise Townsfolk Tracker Treefolk
Troll Turtle Uncle-Istvan Undead Unicorn Vampire Viashino Villain Viper Volver
Vulture Walking-Dead Wall War-Rider Warrior Warthog Wasp Wave Whale
Whippoorwill Wight Wiitigo Wildebeest Will-o'-the-Wisp Witch Wizard Wolf
Wolverine Wolverine-Pack Wolves-of-the-Hunt Wombat Wood Worm Wraith Wretched
Wurm Yeti Zombie"
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Phage the Untouchable
3BBBB
Creature -- Minion Legend
4/4
When Phage the Untouchable comes into play, if you didn't play it from your
hand, you lose the game.
Whenever Phage deals combat damage to a creature, destroy that creature. It
can't be regenerated.
Whenever Phage deals combat damage to a player, that player loses the game.
* The first ability will apply no matter how Phage is brought into play except
when you play it from your hand as a spell.
* The first and third abilities cause players to lose the game.
* For the second and third abilities, if the combat damage is prevented, the
ability won't trigger.
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Planar Guide
W
Creature -- Cleric
1/1
3W, Remove Planar Guide from the game: Remove all creatures from the game. At
end of turn, return those cards to play under their owners' control.
* When the creatures leave play, all enchantments on them are put into their
owners' graveyards and any counters on them are removed.
* Token creatures aren't returned to play.
* Creatures that were face down will return to play face up. (They're also
face up when in the removed-from-the-game zone.)
* All "comes into play" abilities of the removed creatures work when they
return to play.
* If the ability is played during the end of turn step, the creatures are
returned to play at the end of the next turn.
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Quick Sliver
1G
Creature -- Sliver
1/1
You may play Quick Sliver any time you could play an instant.
Any player may play Sliver cards any time he or she could play an instant.
* The first ability applies while Quick Sliver is in a zone from which you can
play it.
* The second ability applies while Quick Sliver is in play. It applies to
other Sliver cards that are in zones from which they can be played.
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Ridgetop Raptor
3R
Creature -- Beast
2/1
Double strike (This creature deals both first-strike and regular combat
damage.)
* See the rules for double strike in the General Notes section.
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Riptide Mangler
1U
Creature -- Beast
0/3
1U: Change Riptide Mangler's power to target creature's power. (It doesn't
change back at end of turn.)
* The change to the Mangler's power doesn't end at the end of the turn.
* If the Mangler targets itself, it will set its power to its current power.
* The effect of this power change is applied after the effect of any
power-adjusting counters (such as +1/+1 counters), so if the ability has ever
been played, counters on the Mangler won't change its power in any way.
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Rockshard Elemental
5RR
Creature -- Elemental
4/3
Double strike (This creature deals both first-strike and regular combat
damage.)
Morph 4RR (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. Turn it face
up any time for its morph cost.)
* See the rules for double strike in the General Notes section.
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Root Sliver
3G
Creature -- Sliver
2/2
Root Sliver can't be countered.
Sliver spells can't be countered.
* The first ability applies while Root Sliver is on the stack.
* The second ability applies while Root Sliver is in play and any other Sliver
spells are on the stack.
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Seedborn Muse
3GG
Creature -- Spirit
2/4
Untap all permanents you control during each other player's untap step.
* All your permanents untap during each other player's untap step. You have no
choice about what untaps.
* During each other player's untap step, effects that would otherwise cause
your permanents to stay tapped don't apply because they only apply during
*your* untap step. For example, Static Orb doesn't apply, and the Couriers
from Onslaught will untap.
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Shifting Sliver
3U
Creature -- Sliver
2/2
Slivers can't be blocked except by Slivers.
* The "can't be blocked" ability applies to your Slivers and all other
players' Slivers.
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Skirk Alarmist
1R
Creature -- Wizard
1/2
Haste
T: Turn target face-down creature you control face up. At end of turn,
sacrifice it.
* Any morph triggered abilities of the target creature will trigger.
* If the creature is turned face up during the end of turn step, it will be
sacrificed at the end of the next turn.
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Warped Researcher
4U
Creature -- Wizard Mutant
3/4
Whenever a player cycles a card, Warped Researcher gains flying until end of
turn and can't be the target of spells or abilities this turn.
* On your turn, an opponent can cycle a card that has a cycling triggered
ability (such as Gempalm Incinerator) and target the Researcher with that
ability. This works on your turn because your triggered abilities go on the
stack first, so your opponent's ability will resolve before yours. This
situation is reversed on your opponent's turn.
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Whipgrass Entangler
2W
Creature -- Cleric
1/3
1W: Until end of turn, target creature gains "This creature can't attack or
block unless its controller pays 1 for each Cleric in play. (This cost is paid
as attackers or blockers are declared.)"
* If you play the Entangler's ability multiple times on the same creature, the
costs are cumulative.
* The number of Clerics in play is counted when attackers or blockers are
declared (as appropriate).
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Windborn Muse
3W
Creature -- Spirit
2/3
Flying
Creatures can't attack you unless their controller pays 2 for each creature
attacking you. (This cost is paid as attackers are declared.)
* If you control multiple Windborn Muses, your opponent must pay for all of
them.
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