The Best Commander Cards From... Legends

Underworld Dreams | Illustrated by Julie Baroh
Welcome back to The Best Commander Cards From..., a series focusing on the most powerful EDH cards from across Magic: the Gathering's thirty-year history. Today's focus is Legends, the third expansion set ever created. Released in June of 1994, Legends was and still is a groundbreaking set, responsible for many design, development, and production trends and precedents that still exist today.
Legendary
You might not be very surprised to learn that Legends was packed with... well, legends. In total, the set contains 61 legendary permanents, not including things like world enchantments and such. For reference, "world" is a defunct supertype that has legendary qualities. If a "world" permanent is on the battlefield, another one entering the battlefield will put the first into its owner's graveyard. This is called the World Rule, and it's like a Legend Rule that applies to both players.
Gold Medals
Many creature types were introduced in Legends, the most prominent of which are Spirit, Beast, Phoenix, and Sphinx. However, an even greater list of creature types were featured that were later changed via errata, including Cobra, Being, and Effigy, which were changed to Snake, Human, and Elemental, respectively.
Without any further ado, let's get right into the cards themselves, starting with...
Honorable Mentions
Acid Rain
Honorable Mentions - Legendary Creatures
Rubinia Soulsinger
Finally, let's cover the highlight reel.
Concordant Crossroads
Granting haste to all creatures for only one mana certainly changes how many decks operate, but many players see this card as a combo-enabler. After all, this can make many mana-producing creatures instantly offer you a rebate for their casting cost. When it isn't letting Elves go wild, it's paving the way for faster games and enabling huge creatures to swing the first turn they get played. Prior to a printing in Double Masters, this card was significantly more expensive than it is now. I doubt the price point will go much lower, so consider picking one up!
Greed
Folks, I've paid a lot of life into Greed
Land Tax
This card has consistently been a staple in mono-white decks for years. Despite being reprinted in Battlebond and Double Masters, the price has been on an upward trajectory the whole time. Whether you need lands to play or cards to discard, Land Tax
Sylvan Library
One of the ultimate staples of EDH, Sylvan Library
Mana Drain
Someone, for some reason, decided that Counterspell
Winds of Change
One-mana wheels are not very common. Although you lose out on some of the guaranteed functionality of cards like Windfall
Underworld Dreams
Speaking of cards that make an appearance in wheel-heavy decks, here's another. Punishing players for drawing cards is pretty sweet, and Underworld Dreams
The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
I've had the misfortune of playing against this card a few times in person. I guess I should have seen it coming when the player fetched a real Beta Volcanic Island
Karakas
It shouldn't be surprising that this card is banned. In any deck that could play it, you'd have no reason not to do so. There's nothing to dislike. All it's missing is a basic land type to make it fetchable, but even without that it's still more than ban-worthy. Karakas
Kismet
Long before the era of Thalia, Heretic Cathar
Hell's Caretaker
Strangely, the original printing featured the creature type Hell's Caretaker, which was later changed to Horror. If you've ever wanted a Goblin Welder
The Elder Dragons
In all fairness, these might be a bit anemic by today's standards. Still, how could I not mention the Elder Dragons for which the entire format is named? That's right, these five draconic legends are the namesake of Elder Dragon Highlander. Without them, this format probably wouldn't exist, and you certainly wouldn't be reading this article. So thanks, Nicol Bolas
That's All, Folks
I have a soft spot for Legends. Not only because it is largely responsible for the EDH format as we know it, but also because of how wacky the cards are. Princess Lucrezia