By Fetar
About that card search... maybe I could make it have a frame (God no! Not frames! The unspeakable!) where it opens the Wizards card search and focuses on the Oracle text, so we don't have to go to all the trouble of making a whopping database for it.
Note that none of the portal legends are going on these lists, and that leaves little more than fifteen legends to choose from... (with the exception of multicolored legends which trouble_fish gets to go through) maybe next time we can choose a topic with more selection. Anyhow, heres the top blue legends!#10. Rayne, Academy Chancellor
The worst legend on this list. Doesn't mean that is bad, its actually quite amazing. Throw Diplomatic Immunity on Rayne and suddenly you have this massive card drawing machine every time your opponent tries to touch you. The card isn't perfect but it can give you good advantage if used properly. Its a good card to have in play and put into multicolor decks.
#9. Blind Seer
Now this guy is really wierd. You wonder how many uses this could have... most of them derived from the Invasion block. There are just too many to list but he is even a 3/3 for 2UU which is decent by itself. He's like a super Tidal Visionary. Coalition Victory, Circle of Protections, Spheres, Hosers, and saving your creatures from assorted black destroy spells are just a few of the hundreds of uses this card has.
#8. Llawan, Cephalid Empress
LLawan is the wonder-hoser against blue. Or is it? Wait! If you are playing blue, Llawan will be gone before it gets into play. And if it does get in play, how often does blue play with lots of creatures? And can't blue just Unsummon it? I guess thats all true, but thats why cards like Alter Reality and Sleight of Mind. Then boom! You're opponents suddenly can't play creature spells and have none in play. After that all you have to do is defend Llawan. But then that makes Alter Reality the better card, and thats why Llawan is all the way down here on the list.
#7. Ixidor, Reality Sculptor
Ixidor can be crazy in a morph deck. Card will be flipping up and down and things will be flying left, right and center. Eventually you'll see all the cards in play floating in a swirling eddy of despair above the card table. Actually, I guarantee that won't happen but still, for three colorless mana each your morphs will be 3/3s with a morph cost of 2U. All this and a 3/4 for 5 mana. The bad part? Your opponent's creatures get +1/+1. Well, if you really wanted to you could flip them up too and get rid of something like Bane of the Living before it gets rid of you. Ixidor is very conditional, and is almost worthless if you aren't playing with morph.
#6. Barrin, Master Wizard
Barrin a tiny 1/1 and relies on sacrifical terms for the postponement of creatures. Barrin works as a great back-up plan when things go wrong and is great with other colors with his colorless mana ability. However, the card is not explosive, rather more like a little annoying creature you want to peg off. To put him to good use, use some Ray of Commands to steal your opponent's creatures, attack then sacrifice them throwing your opponent to disadvantage... that is if they are playing mostly creatures.
#5. Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor
Aboshan is highly mana dependant, blue leader in Cephalid flying decks. I don't see too many of those around but still, with a bunch of little Cephalids and some Air Elementals, you can easily tap your opponent's defenders with the Cephalids then twiddle their army again on their turn. The fascinating part of the versatile Cephalid Emporer is that he comes ready to use for all these abilities.
#4. Alexi, Zephyr Mage
Every list so far gets an Prophecy spellshaper in the top five, and blue doesn't make an exception. I'd have to say that for the price of two cards that blue can easily replenish (or fuel madness/flashback which is ultimately useful), demolishing your opponent's army is a fine asset. Remember they have a clean-up step too. Not to mention Alexi still is a 3/3 for 3UU and his ability doesn't fully require blue mana. A great splashable card if you ask me. Alexi is amazing and but it may surprise you know that the cards below are twice as powerful.
#3. Arcanis the Omnipotent
Every list so far gets an Onslaught pitfighter in the top five, and blue doesn't make an exception. Woah! Did I say that again!? No, I changed two words. They sure have a lot of mono-color legend themes in some sets. Anyhow, Arcanis is a whopping 3/4 with some heavy abilities to fuel any pure blue deck, as 3UUU is hard to get colorwise in a multicolored deck. Great as a blocker and magnificient for refilling your hand, Arcanis the "All powerful" can pop in and out of play for a hefty cost which is what a lot of the other blue legends don't have. Safety first, draw later. It even saves you from having to waste your spells protecting Arcanis, however you may want to keep him in play to get the spells you played to save him back in double. Arcanis is another one of those cards you say "Holy crap!" to for its sheer power.
#2. Ambassador Laquatus
I don't know how it feels to have my opponent mill my deck away as I sit there, helpless. But I'm sure I know a lot of people who do because I love using this card. Its unbelievably fun and an amazing combo with some Heartstones. But my opinion alone doesn't make this card #2, its the fact the Ambassador is a 1/3 Millstone that doesn't tap for 1UU. He works wonderfully in permission decks but his greatest downfall is the fact that he is a creature, and blue decks don't need creatures. So if you are playing a counter deck, the majoriy of your counterspells (and therefor your mana!) will be going to Laquatus. I'd say Repulse it and stop wasting mana if you can, thats the advantage Millstone, Grindstone and Whetstone have: they are artifacts and are generally hard to get rid of. On the bright side, his legendary status doesn't affect him much thanks to his non-tapping ability. I'd say Ambassador Laquatus gets the #1 "Fun" award for this list.
#1. Ertai, Wizard Adept
If the Ambassador gets the #1 "Fun" award, then this card gets both
the #1 "Freaking Cheap" award and the #1 place. If you can get Ertai going, you can get him going. With one card, your opponent's deck is rend asunder and the game just ends there. I mean, its bad enough playing spells knowing the will probably be countered, but playing spells knowing they WILL be countered? Everyturn?! The player behind this card essentially gets to play the game by himself and all the counterspells in the deck will go to the extra spells the opponent sneaks in. This guy is weak his first turn in play because he can't be used, but his tiny mana cost buys enough time and mana to save him.
Notice the top five legends show the main aspects of blue? Draw, return, twiddle, flying aspect, mill and counter. I'd say Wizards has done an excellent job in designing these cards to fit a blue mage's theme.
Check out the other legend articles:
White
Blue
Black
Green
Multicolour