Arch of Orazca MTG Card

Provides consistent card advantage and late-game leverage by replenishing your hand at instant speed. Can alter game flow with ascend, bolstering resources with ten or more permanents controlled. Might overextend or clash with color-rich decks due to its specific activation cost.
Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
RarityRare
TypeLand
Abilities Ascend

Text of card

Ascend (If you control ten or more permanents, you get the city's blessing for the rest of the game.) : Add to your mana pool. , : Draw a card. Activate this ability only if you have the city's blessing.

Cards like Arch of Orazca

Arch of Orazca stands out in the world of Magic the Gathering as a unique land card that provides a dynamic advantage for those looking for sustained card advantage. Similar to other lands like Sea Gate Wreckage, it grants the ability to draw cards, but with a different twist. While Sea Gate Wreckage requires a player to have no cards in hand to activate, Arch of Orazca’s condition revolves around the city’s blessing — it requires ten or more permanents under your control to activate its drawing ability.

Comparing Arch of Orazca to other utility lands, such as Mikokoro, Center of the Sea, which allows each player to draw a card, Arch of Orazca’s power remains in the hands of the controlling player only, offering a more targeted approach to card advantage. However, unlike Mikokoro, Arch of Orazca requires five mana to trigger, making it a more costly investment.

Within its magic capabilities, Arch of Orazca provides a consistent end-game value and leverages a board presence to turn it into drawing power. This makes it an attractive option for players who aim to maximize every aspect of their game, from land utility to card influx. With its unique activation requirement and beneficial influence on the game’s progression, Arch of Orazca is a land card that demands strategic deck building and timely play.

Sea Gate Wreckage - MTG Card versions
Mikokoro, Center of the Sea - MTG Card versions
Sea Gate Wreckage - MTG Card versions
Mikokoro, Center of the Sea - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Arch of Orazca. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
BGBG PioneerPioneer Challenge 64 2024-04-28
GG PioneerPioneer League 2024-03-02
Mono-White ControlMono-White Control GladiatorGladiator Proving Grounds: Week 13 2024
WGWG PioneerPioneer League 2024-02-22
All Other DecklistsAll Other Decklists PioneerGruul RampNRG Series $10,000 Showdown - Chicagoland, Illinois (Pioneer)
Mono-Black MidrangeMono-Black Midrange GladiatorGladiator Games: We're Back
Cave RampCave Ramp PioneerCave RampPioneer League 2023-12-19
Mono-Green RampMono-Green Ramp PioneerMono-Green RampPioneer Challenge 96 2023-12-10 (1)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Arch of Orazca provides a consistent method of drawing additional cards, critical for keeping your hand replenished and outpacing your opponents in the late game.

Resource Acceleration: With its ascend ability, once you control ten or more permanents, this card transforms into a reliable source of repeated card draw which can significantly accelerate your in-game resources without expending spells or creatures.

Instant Speed: The ability to draw a card at instant speed means you can wait until the end of your opponent’s turn to activate Arch of Orazca. This not only keeps your available mana open for reactions but also ensures you make the most informed decisions with the newest information at hand.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Arch of Orazca provides a consistent card advantage, it does so at a price. Players must first achieve the city’s blessing, which often means deploying a large number of permanents. This can lead to overextension on the board, potentially setting you back should a sweep occur.

Specific Mana Cost: Despite its ability to tap for colorless mana, Arch of Orazca’s draw ability requires one of any color and five additional colorless mana. This requisite can be at odds with decks that are color-intensive and need their mana for key spells.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost of activating Arch of Orazca’s ability is steep, ringing up at a total of six mana. For many decks, particularly in fast-paced games, this can be a prohibitive investment, making the draw ability potentially too slow against decks that can build up a board presence more quickly.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Arch of Orazca offers a unique benefit for nearly any deck – it’s a land that can draw you a card. This adaptability is crucial, allowing it to seamlessly integrate into an array of strategies without compromising your mana base.

Combo Potential: Its Ascend ability, which is activated when you control ten or more permanents, can be a key component in decks that look to exploit card draw mechanics or landfall triggers, setting the stage for powerful plays.

Meta-Relevance: Within the constantly evolving game environment, Arch of Orazca maintains relevance by providing consistent card advantage. This can be a game-changer in matches that drag into the late game where drawing the right card is pivotal.

How to beat

Arch of Orazca is a unique land card in Magic: The Gathering, offering players a persistent form of card advantage once the city’s blessing is attained. To effectively counter this card, one must focus on strategies that limit the opponent’s ability to achieve ascend or mitigate the Arch’s impact once it’s activated.

Directly dealing with Arch of Orazca can be challenging since it’s a land and not as susceptible to removal as other permanent types. Instead, attacking the player’s board state to keep the number of permanents below ten can delay or prevent them from getting the city’s blessing, which is vital for Arch’s drawing capability. Utilizing land destruction or field wipes can also be a tactical approach, though these are typically less common in most decks. A different angle would be to accelerate one’s own game plan to outpace the incremental value Arch of Orazca provides. Focusing on aggressive strategies or establishing a win condition swiftly can overshadow the benefits Arch of Orazca brings to your adversary over the long game.

Remember, while powerful, Arch of Orazca requires a setup to be effective. Disrupt the setup and you effectively negate the card’s advantage.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Arch of Orazca MTG card by a specific set like Rivals of Ixalan and Mystery Booster, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Arch of Orazca and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Arch of Orazca Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2018-01-19 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by Titus Lunter.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-01-19Rivals of IxalanRIX 1852015NormalBlackTitus Lunter
22019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 16552015NormalBlackTitus Lunter
32020-09-26The ListPLST RIX-1852015NormalBlackTitus Lunter
42021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 4041997NormalBlackTitus Lunter
52023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 9862015NormalBlackTitus Lunter
62023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 3192015NormalBlackTitus Lunter

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Arch of Orazca has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Arch of Orazca card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2018-01-19 A permanent is any object on the battlefield, including tokens and lands. Spells and emblems aren't permanents.
2018-01-19 Ascend on a permanent isn't a triggered ability and doesn't use the stack. Players can respond to a spell that will give you your tenth permanent, but they can't respond to getting the city's blessing once you control that tenth permanent. This means that if your tenth permanent is a land you play, players can't respond before you get the city's blessing.
2018-01-19 If you cast a spell with ascend, you don't get the city's blessing until it resolves. Players may respond to that spell by trying to change whether you get the city's blessing.
2018-01-19 If you control ten permanents but don't control a permanent or resolving spell with ascend, you don't get the city's blessing. For example, if you control ten permanents, lose control of one, then cast Golden Demise, you won't have the city's blessing and the spell will affect creatures you control.
2018-01-19 If your tenth permanent enters the battlefield and then a permanent leaves the battlefield immediately afterwards (most likely due to the "Legend Rule" or due to being a creature with 0 toughness), you get the city's blessing before it leaves the battlefield.
2018-01-19 Once you have the city's blessing, you have it for the rest of the game, even if you lose control of some or all of your permanents. The city's blessing isn't a permanent itself and can't be removed by any effect.