I've got to preface this entire review talking about Phyrexian mana in general; this is a game of resources. This brings me back to a Vince Lombardi speech of, "This is a football." When we're handling a new concept, it doesn't hurt to remember the basics of how and why we use certain cards in Legacy.
We handle with the best of the best. When we're looking for something to perform a particular task, we can find something that's very cheap to cast (Snuff Out, Spell Pierce, Daze, Force), there's a particular reason why we use the card (Krosan Grip has a high CMC and Split Second), overwhelmingly powerful (Tarmogoyf, Jace the Mind Sculptor, Elspeth Knight Errant), or interacts favorably with the anticipated metagame (Counterbalance, Chalice of the Void). So when we have a set full of reduced cost cards: it's a very exciting prospect.
So, I'm going to go ahead and go through just the Legacy viable cards that I can think of.
White:
Blade Splicer, and all the additional Splicers - Not good enough. Doesn't do enough for what it is.
Chancellor of the Annex, and all additional Chancellors - This is Reanimator realm and it doesn't compare favorably with Iona. However, consider a forgotten deck that might actually be able to use the fact that you have an unknown number of fat creatures in your hand: Hypergenesis.
Dispatch - In decks that you'd be playing this card, you would have Metalcraft all the time. I haven't wanted to cast a Plow effect in Affinity yet, but I can see how it'd be attractive to some people.
Due Respect - A turn too slow for what we're trying to do. Randomly hoses fetchlands. Also, Jace enters the battlefield tapped, if you're into that.
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite - Now THIS is a reanimation target. Single handedly slaying hordes of Goblins, keeping the Merfolk threat under control, making Elves unable to do anything - is this better than Blazing Archon? Situationally, sure. Goblins can't throw Siege-Gang Commander tokens at you, but Merfolk can still survive with multiple lords. Note, that if you put the second Elesh Norn into play, you get to check state based effects, and everything they have that is x/4 or less will go to the graveyard.
Marrow Shards - This is free. It doesn't do enough. Not quite Wing Shards here...
Norn's Annex - This isn't a Moat. Also, creatures are relatively big in Legacy, so if they can't pay White, then they can happily pay the life.
Phyrexian Unlife - Wouldn't you rather play Crumbling Sanctuary? Though, Crumbling Sanctuary doesn't beat Tendrils.
Puresteel Paladin - This guy is superb. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this guy. This implies a couple things for Legacy: Stoneforge Mystic, Sword of Blank and Blank, Umezawa's Jitte. He accentuates all of these, and he even makes the Batterskull, which will be talked about later, even better. Potential experimental decks soon to be coming.
Blue:
Gitaxian Probe - The next time I need to cast Peek, I'll think about this one instead. Being sorcery speed isn't too bad, if it's coming down the same turn as Meddling Mage, or can see if it's safe to cast something. Odd that I'm saying that about Peek.
Jin-Gitaxis, Core Augur - Whoa this guy costs a lot of mana. If you thought Consecrated Sphinx was a good random Show and Tell target, think again. However, this doesn't actually do much in the way of ending the actual game - any Legacy creature worth its salt outclasses it. Your new hand can probably do something useful though.
Mental Misstep - Get a bunch of these. You'll use them. I could write an entire article on where and how they'll be useful, but I don't want to talk much about it here.
Black:
Despise - Just play Thoughtseize, Duress or Inquisition.
Dismember - See, now this I like. It's not quite free, and it's not quite a full kill spell, but it's good enough to make a splash. It kills most Tarmogoyfs, Early Knights, Tombstalkers, Dark Confidants, and it doesn't hurt as much as Snuff Out when flipping off Dark Confidant and you can pay for some of the cost in life, or all of the cost relatively easily. I'd definitely pick up a set.
Geth's Verdict - Not going to replace Diabolic Edict except in a select few decks, but every little bit helps sometimes.
Phyrexian Obliterator - Swords to Plowshares is pretty prevalent in this format, but it has a very notable upside - it's a gigantic brickwall. Still, it costs 4 for just a creature.
Praetor's Grasp - Take that, Tendrils of Agony. Don't.
Surgical Extraction - If Mental Misstep catches on to being a very real card, this not having split second might actually become a liability. There are also only a few decks that really need to Duress/Thoughtseize on turn 1 and follow it up with an Extirpate effect. Still, though; free.
Red:
Gut Shot - I thought this was safe to print at 2 damage, and it still wouldn't see play. You are disappoint.
Whipflare - Like most red cards, there's a very small number worth talking about. This one is a one sided Pyroclasm in Affinity - something that might be useful.
Green:
Beast Within - We have better ways of killing planeswalkers.
Birthing Pod - There will likely be a deck that can abuse something as crazy as this. I'm not sure if you want to be playing that deck, but it has a repeatable powerful tutoring effect.
Glistener Elf - This is the card we needed for Legacy infect. Just random 1 drop that has infect, it's the one that leads to nut draws.
Mutagenic Growth - Not that impressive, but there is a 1/1 green creature with infect for 1 now. Turn 2 kills!
Noxious Revival - Skip this one, free Reclaim is still just a Reclaim.
Artifacts:
Batterskull - You aren't going to pay 5 mana for this. This is the new card to go hand in hand with Stoneforge Mystic. Get at least 1 of these.
Darksteel Relic - This is probably the card I'm most excited for in the New Phyrexia. Meet the best new Legacy trolling tool: Turn 1 on the draw, you draw up to 8 cards, sigh, and ask if it's okay to go to your discard. Your opponent looks at you as if you've kept either a terrible hand, or he realizes that you're playing some explosive combo deck like Belcher. You discard Darksteel Relic.
Hex Parasite - The same tools exist in Legacy as it do Standard; you can Trinket Mage for this guy and eat Jaces.
Sword of War and Peace - I was having a discussion of what it would take for the Red and White sword to not see play in Legacy; because of its relevant protections. I came up with something like "Destroys itself and equipped creature." Get your hands on one of these for Stoneforge Mystic decks, equip it to beat most removal, and then profit!
Torpor Orb - I don't think this will make Dreadnought good enough, but keep it in mind.
Overall, I'm tentatively excited about the set. There's a handful of cards that are good enough to play with and Mental Misstep provides an interesting/awful new hurdle to all decks in Legacy. Instead of providing a buy/sell list, I'll let you come to your own conclusions - it's important to read about what other people think about cards, but it's also important to make your own judgment.
-G
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