Legendary land

In Magic: The Gathering, legendary lands are lands that have the Legendary supertype, imposing a flavorful drawback that represents the land's uniqueness and notability. Legendary lands are bound by the "Legend rule", which prevents multiple copies of the card with the same name from existing on the battlefield under the same player's control.

History

Legendary land were introduced in Legends. Despite the one-off drawback many of them were banned from various formats.

Specific locations sometimes appear on nonlegendary lands, such as Emeria, the Sky Ruin. This is because legendary lands have gone out of favor with R&D due to poor gameplay. To justify the flavor of these cards, Mark Rosewater has suggested that lands on the battlefield represent not the location itself, but the leylines connected to its mana.

Legendary land cycles

Legends

The first cycle of legendary utility lands is from Legends. Each land produces mana of the associated color, and has an activated ability which can be activated by tapping.

• Karakas ()
• Tolaria ()
• Urborg ()
• Hammerheim ()
• Pendelhaven ()

Urza's Saga

Urza's Saga introduced a cycle of legendary lands, two of which were renowned for being able to generate incredibly high amounts of mana.

• Serra's Sanctum ()
• Tolarian Academy ()
• Phyrexian Tower ()
• Shivan Gorge ()
• Gaea's Cradle ()

Weatherlight Saga

A mega-megacycle of legendary lands representing important locations of the Weatherlight Saga. All of them are utility lands with the exception of Teferi's Isle, which is a phasing tapland that produces .

One land was printed in each of the five blocks that make up the saga: Mirage block, Tempest block, Urza block, Masques block and Invasion block.

• Kor Haven () from Nemesis
• Teferi's Isle () from Mirage
• Volrath's Stronghold () from Stronghold
• Keldon Necropolis () from Invasion
• Yavimaya Hollow () from Urza's Destiny

Champions of Kamigawa

Another cycle of legendary utility lands was printed in Champions of Kamigawa. They work like the ones from Legends, but requires one colored mana in addition to being tapped.

• Eiganjo Castle ()
• Minamo, School at Water's Edge ()
• Shizo, Death's Storehouse ()
• Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep ()
• Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers ()

Time Spiral

A megacycle printed across the first two sets of the block (Time Spiral and Planar Chaos). The fifth card of the cycle is a timeshifted card from Legends: Pendelhaven is, therefore, part of two different legendary lands cycles.

• Flagstones of Trokair () from Time Spiral — A fetch land for Plains.
• Academy Ruins () from Time Spiral.
• Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth () from Planar Chaos
• Kher Keep () from Time Spiral — A typal land for Kobolds.
• Pendelhaven () from Time Spiral/Timeshifted.
• Gemstone Caverns ( or ////) from Time Spiral.
  • Gemstone Caverns can be seen as the sixth part of the cycle producing either colorless mana or mana of any color (depending on luck).

Ixalan

Ixalan introduced a cycle of lands which transform from legendary enchantments. In general, the lands may be tapped for one mana of their respective color. They are all utility lands, with the exception of Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun, whose alternate ability is to tap for equal to the number of creatures under its owner's control.

• Adanto, the First Fort ()
• Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin ()
• Temple of Aclazotz ()
• Spitfire Bastion ()
• Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun ()

Rivals of Ixalan

Rivals of Ixalan introduced a cycle of lands that transform from enemy color legendary enchantments. In general, the lands may be tapped for one mana of any color. They are all utility lands, with the exception of Vault of Catlacan, whose alternate ability is to tap for equal to the number of artifacts under its owner's control.

• Tomb of the Dusk Rose ()
• Atzal, Cave of Eternity ()
• Winged Temple of Orazca ()
• Vault of Catlacan ()
• Metzali, Tower of Triumph ()
• Sanctum of the Sun
  • Sanctum of the Sun can be seen as the sixth part of the cycle, though it is transformed from a legendary artifact rather than an enchantment. It taps for mana of a chosen color equal to its controller's life total.

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty

A spiritual sequel to the Champions cycle was printed in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, being legendary lands that came in untapped and had an additional ability. This time, they all have Channel, instead of having activated abilities, that let players use extra copies. Two locations are repeated from prior Legendary Lands, two are referred to often in name and flavor, and the last (Otawara) was only known from the novels.

• Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire ()
• Otawara, Soaring City ()
• Takenuma, Abandoned Mire ()
• Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance ()
• Boseiju, Who Endures ()

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth

A Universes Beyond product using the Tolkien novels, eight notable locations were printed as Legendary lands, all of which are color-producing utility lands. The five monocolored lands enter untapped with a Legendary creature, Mount Doom is a pain land, The Black Gate is a shock land variant, and The Grey Havens is a scry land.

• Minas Tirith ()
• Rivendell ()
• Barad-dûr ()
• Mines of Moria ()
• The Shire ()
• The Grey Havens
• Mount Doom ()
• The Black Gate ()

Lost Caverns of Ixalan

Lost Caverns of Ixalan had two cycles of double-faced cards that transform into legendary lands

Deep God Temples

A cycle of 5 monocolored gods, that transform into their respective temples when they die. Each temple taps for one mana of their color, and can transform back into creatures as a sorcery by paying M when a certain condition is met

• Temple of Civilization () — Can transform if you attacked with three or more creatures
• Temple of Cyclical Time () — Can transform if there are no time counters on it
• Temple of the Dead () — Can transform if a player has one or fewer cards in hand
• Temple of Power () — Can transform if red sources you control dealt 4 or more noncombat damage
• Temple of Cultivation () — Can transform if you control 10 or more permanents

Legendary Permanents

Six legendary transforming permanents that are a callback to original Ixalan block. Four are utility lands, and two tap for more than one mana of a color

• Barracks of the Thousand () — Artifact Land
• The Myriad Pools () — Artifact land
• The Tomb of Aclazotz () — Cave
• Tecutlan, the Searing Rift () — Cave
• Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun () — A reprint from Ixalan, making this part of two different legendary land cycles
• The Core () — Adds X mana of any one color equal to your fathomless descent

The Kamigawa block

Besides the cycle from Champions of Kamigawa the Kamigawa block introduced 8 more legendary lands as a part of its Legendary-matters theme. That makes a total of 13 legendary lands in the block, far more than the average block, though the Ixalan block is a close second at 11 legendary lands.

Champions of Kamigawa

• Boseiju, Who Shelters All
• Hall of the Bandit Lord
• Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
• Untaidake, the Cloud Keeper

Betrayers of Kamigawa

• Gods' Eye, Gate to the Reikai — A typal land for Spirits.

Saviors of Kamigawa

• Miren, the Moaning Well
• Oboro, Palace in the Clouds ()
• Tomb of Urami () — A typal land for Ogres, Demons and Spirits.

Strongholds Mega-Megacycle

A series of Legendary lands starting in Stronghold that tap for a , and, for M, allow you to put a card of a specific type from your graveyard on top of your library

• Volrath’s Stronghold (, Stronghold) — Salvages creatures
• Academy Ruins (, Time Spiral) — Salvages artifacts
• Hall of Heliod's Generosity (, Modern Horizons) — Salvages enchantments

Other legendary lands

• Baldur’s Gate (Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate) — A filter land for the number of gates you control.
• Dark Depths (Coldsnap) — A depletion land that doesn't add mana, but creates a token creature when it gets depleted.
• Eye of Ugin (Worldwake) — A typal land for Eldrazi.
• Gallifrey Council Chamber (Doctor Who) — A typal land for Time Lords and Aliens.
• Geier Reach Sanitarium (Eldritch Moon) — A looting land.
• Havengul Laboratory— A land inspired by Stranger Things' Hawkins National Laboratory.
• Inventors' Fair (Kaladesh) — A utility land conditional on controlling three or more artifacts.
• Jurassic Park (Jurassic World Collection) — A typal land for Dinosaurs, the back face of a saga.
• Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx (Theros) — A filter land to a color of your devotion.
• Paliano, the High City (Conspiracy) — Especially designed for Conspiracy Draft.
• R&D's Secret Lair (Unhinged) — Forces all cards to be played without errata. Not legal in any format.
• Rath's Edge (Nemesis) — A land that can sacrifice lands for damage.
• The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale (Legends) — An anti-creature taxing land.
• Three Tree City (Bloomburrow) — A filter land to a color of your choice equaling the number of Creatures you control of a chosen Creature type.
• Trenzalore Clock Tower (Doctor Who) — A utility land conditional on the number of time counters on it and if its controller also controls a Time Lord.
• Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth (Modern Horizons 2) — A reference to Urborg, granting Forests typing to all lands.