The origins of Legacy were in the mid-2000s. The precursor formats to Vintage and Legacy, then Type 1 and Type 1.5, were linked: all cards restricted in the former were banned in the latter. The separation of the Type 1.5 ban list and the renaming of both formats birthed the current Legacy format.

The early days were chaotic. With no established metagame and still only a fledgling internet presence for Magic deck development, adapting old archetypes and fresh brewing was the order of the day. Classic decks like Blue-White Control made their appearance. Goblins materialized, and would be an ever-present menace to the format in its early days. Monochromatic stompy decks made showings in every color. There was even the beginnings of our modern blue-based tempo decks in the form of decks like Miracle Grow. And, of course, there was combo aplenty.

These were turbulent times as well. Not long after the format’s birth, Flash-Hulk emerged and decimated a Grand Prix, resulting in a quick ban. Time Vault had to follow suit, as changes in errata rules would have allowed a deadly combo with simple Voltaic Key. Mystical Tutor and Survival of the Fittest would soon follow suit, as the format lacked the tools to really handle the consistency and power these cards could provide at the time. In the same period several cards were gradually unbanned as well, stoking the fires of creativity.

From this core, the format took shape.

Following these early bannings, Legacy settled into one of the finest formats Magic had ever experienced. Many of the decks from this period might be recognizable a decade later. Goblins remained, persistent as ever. Early tempo decks evolved into Canadian Threshold, seeking the perfect balance of aggression, removal, and free countermagic. Blue-white control likewise continued, even going so far as to create one of the most land-heavy decks ever in Landstill. Aggro-Loam became established, as was the earliest form of Death and Taxes. Stoneblade decks were ever popular, especially (but not exclusively) in Bant colors. The decks were innumerable, they were good, they were interesting, and they were in balance.

The community also grew more together in this period. Several years of great support from organized-play spurred huge investments of attention. The balance of a format that offered a unique and enjoyable experience with significant but not the highest stakes helped cultivate rapport. Internet sites bloomed during this stage, and further tied the community together. This was also the period in which many of the players that would become major personalities in the community joined the format, while others who had been present since the beginning rose in prominence as well.

How long the Golden Age lasted is unclear, mostly since its point of origin is uncertain. The format’s evolution to this point was gradual and had no clear point of delineation. This was less so for the ending. The introduction and then banning of Mental Misstep created ripples throughout the community and radically altered gameplay on its way in and out. But even more significant would be the changes that Innistrad block would bring to the format, and the very assumptions on which the game was played and built for years.

Innistrad Block fundamentally changed the nature of Legacy and most other non-rotating formats forever. The impactful cards were innumerable, but a few noteworthy cards include: Delver of Secrets; Thalia, Guardian of Thraben; Snapcaster Mage; Griselbrand; Craterhoof Behemoth; and Terminus. Deathrite Shaman would follow not long after. These cards found immediate homes in existing archetypes, and others were built to suit them.

The power and efficiency of these cards was so great that previous mainstays in many cases could not compete. Some like Griselbrand had great impact, but still took some years to be fully accepted as superior to all other options. Others like Delver and Terminus immediately revolutionized archetypes. Every deck became faster, more streamlined, and more deadly. The bar had raised on what could be played in the format, and slowly the best of those decks began to strangle those which could not match their effectiveness. The parade of tyrants had begun, and it would not end until each had been removed by banning.

First was the reign of Miracles, which was the slowest to be recognized. This was interrupted by the emergence of Dig Through Time decks, especially those based on Delver and Show and Tell combos. Dig Through Time was banned before long, and Miracles regained its crown. It ruled almost uncontested for over a year, until Sensei’s Divining Top was banned. Now relegated to merely a powerful deck, Miracles abdicated to a new champion: Grixis Delver. This deck did not maintain sole control of its crown, but was soon joined by Czech Pile: a deck built around much of the same core, with the substitution of aggro elements for midrange ones. The two reigned until Deathrite Shaman was banned.

So passed the last tyrant.

The end of the Deathrite Shaman era was a momentous event for Magic: The Gathering's best format. Some cheered his demise and others mourned him, but none doubted that Legacy would be a changed place in his absence. Few knew that his passing would usher in one of the greatest environments Magic had ever known.

If the Pre-Innistrad period was Legacy's Golden Age, this was its Silver Age. The powerful Delver decks remained, but unable to totally triumph as they had. Death and Taxes rose from its weakened position to dethrone Delver as the preeminent deck in the format. Simultaneously, Death's Shadow also emerged onto the Legacy stage; a great innovation on the Delver archetype which showed the depth of the card pool as it paved another route to power for new players.

Their reign was brief. The Czech Pile decks shed their green spells and became Grixis Control, punishing these two deck types. Miracles and Ad Nauseum Tendrils were not far behind. They were not alone, as Sneak and Show, Stoneblade, Elves, 4-color Loam, and countless other decks reemerged.

Some were old decks were reborn as they might have been from just a few years prior. Others were reimagined from the depth of 25 years of cards or received fresh life from new cards, as was true for Goblins and BUG Leovold. New archetypes formed as well, with innovative decks like Grixis Phoenix breaking onto the scene.

For about ten months, Legacy flourished in way few formats had ever experienced. Decks were powerful, but creative. The metagame was dynamic, but self-correcting: no deck reigned or was forced out for too long. Any deck might have the opportunity for greatness on the right day. The field was not balanced, but it was in a sort of harmony. Legacy then was one of the greatest times and ways to play Magic.

It was not to last.

Even when clearly visible on the horizon, it may be hard to fully appreciate danger approaching. So it was with War of the Spark, which changed Legacy unexpectedly, immediately, and irreversibly. Most immediately felt was the presence of Planeswalkers with one-sided static abilities: several of these could unilaterally shut down entire aspects of the game, generate significant value for the caster, and were hard to interact with once resolved. Slower to be appreciated were low-cost threats that generated great value like Dreadhorde Arcanist. The weapons of WAR had changed the game. A format previously defined by closely fought, long battles of attrition and maneuver became about games often lost early and without real chance of recovery.

It did not improve. Modern Horizons brought several more cards akin to the threats of WAR. Others shattered the color balance in ways unseen since the time of Deathrite Shaman. M20 added yet another brutally efficient weapon for the stack wars, and Throne of Eldraine introduced the most egregious Planeswalker to date: one that made most opponent's deck construction decisions irrelevant while being a versatile answer and powerful game-ending threat as well.

Things only got worse. While the developers admitted their error in Oko, they doubled down on the game's direction. The Titans of the next set were overshadowed by an even more terrible decision: to recreate perhaps the most powerful spell in the game's entire history in an even mightier form. Though Underworld Breach was quickly banished to the banned list without apology, it still left the format in a miserable state.

Then came Ikoria, and the companion mechanic: a design so horrid it destroyed every format it touched. When the evidence became incontrovertible, the developers reluctantly reacted with a half measure that still left the blight to linger on in Legacy and elsewhere, with only a vague promise that they might address it later.

It had become obvious that whatever the agenda of the developers, they had forsaken the spirit of the game and their most loyal players. Slowly, the luminaries and most loyal players began to voice their dismay and spoke openly of quitting... and many did.

A few players refused to accept this end. Motivated by both righteous anger and memories of a better time, they decided to carve out their own paths... and formats. It had been done before, it could be done again.

These players did not bide their time, but struck out quickly and suddenly. They built the forums and places from which this old vision could be restored. The Gathering was a fire passed down into the hands of its players, and it could not be denied. Communities sprouted up overnight around these formats. Activity was at first slow, but each day without change for the better inspired more to test the waters.

Will you join us, and experience Legacy at its finest?