Upper Deck

A Decade of Building Legendary

by Richard Berg, Community Coordinator – Board Games, Upper Deck

When people hear “deck-building game,” more often than not their minds jump to Legendary games by Upper Deck. Established in 2012, we are proud that the popularity of the deck-building game genre was, in part, spurred by our legacy. Ten years ago, we worked with designer Devin Low to bring the world Legendary®: A Marvel Deck Building Game, and what’s followed since then has been amazing, fantastic, incredible, spectacular, uncanny; and all kinds of other “Marvel”ous adjectives.

It’s not just the world of comics that Legendary has ventured into either. Offshoots like Legendary: Encounters maintain the core systems of Legendary while adapting them for a completely separate and unique experience, bringing classic film franchises to the table. We’ve even adapted the game for digital platforms via Legendary DXP, letting longtime fans build their decks anywhere they go and anytime they want.

So what’s allowed Legendary to excel as an evergreen deck builder for an entire decade? Mechanically, the game is highly accessible, taking very few games to “learn” while still remaining a satisfying challenge depending on your setup or player count. That flexibility is another known and loved strength – the game works as a solo experience or accommodates up to five players, while also offering competitive elements within its cooperative core. The appeal of the license is also worth noting. In a world where plenty of publishers are working with Marvel’s illustrious catalog of characters, Legendary not only predates the Marvel Cinematic Universe surge but prides itself on the sheer amount of characters represented across its 10-year history – almost all of them via unique, illustrated art. Whether they’re Heroes, Villains, Masterminds, or something else; Legendary more likely than not has your favorites available. Over 30 expansions and thousands upon thousands of cards will do that, and by that we mean effectively infinite possibilities!

There’s no sign of stopping either. Multiple expansions are on the way and actively in development. Legendary: Black Panther is our most recent release. With its multiple denizens of Wakanda coming to the game, this expansion offers fresh keywords with unique twists on familiar Legendary concepts like Ambush effects and Wounds. Coming soon will be the espionage-flavored Legendary: Black Widow and our next dive into the MCU with Legendary: Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga. Beyond Marvel, a new franchise made its Legendary: Encounters debut at this year’s Gen Con!

It’s our sincere joy to continue supporting and developing Legendary, and we thank everyone who’s ever come out on top in Victory Points or succumbed to an ill-timed Scheme Twist. We hope you’re looking forward to what’s on the way during this 10th anniversary year and more to come.