City of Brass MTG Card

City of Brass provides seamless multicolor mana at any time, enhancing deck performance and consistency. Despite its flexibility, the life point payment needed can be a significant downside against swift decks. It’s a staple in multicolored decks for its versatility and remains relevant in changing metas.
Card setsReleased in 33 setsSee all
RarityUncommon
TypeLand

Text of card

Tap to add 1 mana of any color to your mana pool. You suffer 1 damage whenever City of Brass becomes tapped.

Cards like City of Brass

City of Brass is a venerable and powerful land card in Magic: The Gathering, treasured for its versatility in mana generation. This card bears comparison to Mana Confluence, another land that allows players to tap for any color of mana at the expense of one life. City of Brass triggers whenever it becomes tapped, meaning the loss of life occurs regardless of how it’s tapped. Mana Confluence provides a clearer choice, only costing you life when you choose to tap it for mana.

Reflecting on Exotic Orchard, it also offers a colorful mana palette but depends on the diversity of opponents’ lands, hence lacks the straightforward reliability of City of Brass. Tarnished Citadel presents a more extreme trade, offering any color of mana for three life, undeniably a steeper price than City of Brass demands.

Ultimately, City of Brass stands out for its ability to fit seamlessly into multicolor decks, with its defining feature being an immediate impact that often outpaces the drawbacks. Its place among multicolor land cards is solidified by its consistent utility and historic prominence in a variety of MTG formats.

Mana Confluence - MTG Card versions
Exotic Orchard - MTG Card versions
Tarnished Citadel - MTG Card versions
Mana Confluence - MTG Card versions
Exotic Orchard - MTG Card versions
Tarnished Citadel - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to City of Brass by color, type and mana cost

Cathedral of Serra - MTG Card versions
Mishra's Factory - MTG Card versions
Bad River - MTG Card versions
Griffin Canyon - MTG Card versions
Ice Floe - MTG Card versions
Ghost Town - MTG Card versions
Urza's Mine - MTG Card versions
Hall of Tagsin - MTG Card versions
Bloodstained Mire - MTG Card versions
Zoetic Cavern - MTG Card versions
Grixis Panorama - MTG Card versions
Rupture Spire - MTG Card versions
Krosan Verge - MTG Card versions
Terramorphic Expanse - MTG Card versions
Tectonic Edge - MTG Card versions
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx - MTG Card versions
Springjack Pasture - MTG Card versions
Buried Ruin - MTG Card versions
Wasteland - MTG Card versions
Eldrazi Temple - MTG Card versions
Cathedral of Serra - MTG Card versions
Mishra's Factory - MTG Card versions
Bad River - MTG Card versions
Griffin Canyon - MTG Card versions
Ice Floe - MTG Card versions
Ghost Town - MTG Card versions
Urza's Mine - MTG Card versions
Hall of Tagsin - MTG Card versions
Bloodstained Mire - MTG Card versions
Zoetic Cavern - MTG Card versions
Grixis Panorama - MTG Card versions
Rupture Spire - MTG Card versions
Krosan Verge - MTG Card versions
Terramorphic Expanse - MTG Card versions
Tectonic Edge - MTG Card versions
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx - MTG Card versions
Springjack Pasture - MTG Card versions
Buried Ruin - MTG Card versions
Wasteland - MTG Card versions
Eldrazi Temple - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

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

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Ad NauseamAd Nauseam ModernAd NauseamModern Challenge 64 2024-03-31 (1)
DredgeDredge ModernDredgeF2f Tour Edmonton - Modern Super Qualifier
DoomsdayDoomsday LegacyAd Nauseam TendrilsCharlotte Legacy League Season 2 Week 3
WUBGWUBG ModernModern Challenge 64 2024-04-14
MadnessMadness Premodern$1K - Pre-Modern - SCG CON Atlanta - Saturday - 9:30 am
Five-color ComboFive-color Combo LegacyPainterCharlotte Legacy League Season 2 Week 1
Five-color MidrangeFive-color Midrange Premodern$1K - Pre-Modern - SCG CON Atlanta - Saturday - 9:30 am
Azorius AggroAzorius Aggro Premodern$1K - Pre-Modern - SCG CON Atlanta - Saturday - 9:30 am
Esper ComboEsper Combo ModernAd Nauseam$10K RCQ - Modern - SCG CON Atlanta - Saturday - 9:00 am (Gold)
Grixis StormGrixis Storm Free formNoble Spring Quarterly

Card Pros

Card Advantage: City of Brass doesn’t directly let you draw cards, but it enables a seamless play of multicolored spells and resources which can lead to natural card advantage by optimizing your deck’s consistency and performance.

Resource Acceleration: As a highly flexible land, City of Brass provides instant access to any color of mana, effectively accelerating your resource capabilities without the wait. This ensures you can play high-impact cards earlier in the game than you might otherwise be able to.

Instant Speed: The beauty of City of Brass lies in its ability to generate mana of any color at instant speed, allowing you to respond to your opponent’s actions or end-of-turn plays efficiently, thus maximizing your tactical flexibility on the fly.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While City of Brass provides mana of any color, it does require payment in the form of life points rather than a discard. This constant life payment can be a critical drawback against fast-paced or aggressive decks, potentially leading to a quicker loss.

Specific Mana Cost: City of Brass instantly deals damage to you whenever it becomes tapped, not just for mana abilities. This effect can hinder strategies in multicolored decks that aim to manage life totals carefully, restricting its versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: In terms of the life cost associated with its ability, City of Brass can be seen as having a high ‘mana cost.’ Other land cards offer mana fixing abilities without the same detrimental effect on your life total, which might make them more favorable choices in certain decks.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: City of Brass is renowned for its ability to produce any color of mana instantly, making it a staple in multicolored decks as it streamlines mana-fixing without slowing down the gameplay.

Combo Potential: This card can be a crucial component in decks that thrive on five-color combos or strategies that capitalize on having access to all mana types, boosting the deck’s synergy and potential to win.

Meta-Relevance: As the meta shifts, City of Brass maintains its status by offering universal mana access, which is pivotal in adapting to various competitive environments, ensuring your deck can handle diverse challenges.

How to beat

The City of Brass is a legendary land in MTG, often praised for its ability to tap for any color of mana, which is invaluable in multicolored decks. Yet, every rose has its thorn; in this case, it’s the damage dealt to you whenever it becomes tapped. This aspect can be exploited by savvy players aiming to secure their victory against this otherwise versatile card.

Applying pressure through aggressive strategies can make each tap of City of Brass riskier for your opponent. Use cards that force them to tap their lands frequently, or introduce cards that penalize players for taking damage. Additionally, incorporating direct damage spells or abilities that can target players might tip the scales, particularly in the late game when life totals are lower. Timing is crucial, and understanding when to capitalize on the life loss City of Brass imposes can be the difference between defeat and triumph.

In essence, the key to overcoming the vast mana potential of City of Brass lies in turning its own drawback into a strategic advantage. Focus on consistent damage output and tactics that make every mana tap a tough decision for your opponent. This way, City of Brass transforms from a resource powerhouse to a liability they might hesitate to use.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase City of Brass MTG card by a specific set like Arabian Nights and Chronicles, 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 City of Brass and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The City of Brass Magic the Gathering card was released in 20 different sets between 1993-12-17 and 2022-07-08. Illustrated by 6 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-12-17Arabian NightsARN 711993NormalBlackMark Tedin
21995-07-01ChroniclesCHR 1121993NormalWhiteMark Tedin
31995-08-01RinascimentoRIN 1711993NormalBlackMark Tedin
41996-05-02Pro Tour Collector SetPTC mj1121993NormalGoldMark Tedin
51996-05-02Pro Tour Collector SetPTC ll112sb1993NormalGoldMark Tedin
61996-05-02Pro Tour Collector SetPTC shr1121993NormalGoldMark Tedin
71996-05-02Pro Tour Collector SetPTC et1121993NormalGoldMark Tedin
81996-05-02Pro Tour Collector SetPTC gb1121993NormalGoldMark Tedin
91997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 4131997NormalWhiteTom Wänerstrand
101997-08-13World Championship Decks 1997WC97 pm4131997NormalGoldTom Wänerstrand
111997-08-13World Championship Decks 1997WC97 jk4131997NormalGoldTom Wänerstrand
121997-08-13World Championship Decks 1997WC97 js4131997NormalGoldTom Wänerstrand
131998-08-12World Championship Decks 1998WC98 bs112a1997NormalGoldMark Tedin
141999-04-21Classic Sixth Edition6ED 3211997NormalWhiteTom Wänerstrand
151999-12-01Junior Super SeriesPSUS 61997NormalBlackMark Tedin
162000-08-02World Championship Decks 2000WC00 nl3211997NormalGoldTom Wänerstrand
172001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 3271997NormalWhiteRon Walotsky
182001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 327★1997NormalBlackRon Walotsky
192001-08-08World Championship Decks 2001WC01 jt3271997NormalGoldRon Walotsky
202002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 359521997NormalBlackMark Tedin
212002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 1023712015NormalBlackMark Poole
222002-08-14World Championship Decks 2002WC02 bk327sb1997NormalGoldRon Walotsky
232002-08-14World Championship Decks 2002WC02 bk3271997NormalGoldRon Walotsky
242003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 3222003NormalWhiteRon Walotsky
252003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 322★2003NormalBlackRon Walotsky
262003-08-07World Championship Decks 2003WC03 dh3222003NormalGoldRon Walotsky
272003-08-07World Championship Decks 2003WC03 we3222003NormalGoldRon Walotsky
282011-01-10Masters Edition IVME4 2431997NormalBlackMark Tedin
292013-06-07Modern MastersMMA 2212003NormalBlackJung Park
302014-05-30Modern Event Deck 2014MD1 152003NormalBlackJung Park
312022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 3212015NormalBlackKirsten Zirngibl
322022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 5702015NormalBlackKirsten Zirngibl
332022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 4032015NormalBorderlessMark Poole

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where City of Brass has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2004-10-04 If you tap City of Brass while you are casting a spell or activating an ability, its ability will trigger and wait. When you finish casting that spell or activating that ability, City of Brass’s triggered ability is put on the stack on top of it. City of Brass’s ability will resolve first.
2004-10-04 On the other hand, you can tap City of Brass, put its triggered ability on the stack, and then respond to that ability by casting an instant or activating an ability using that mana. In that case, the instant spell or activated ability will resolve first.
2004-10-04 The first ability triggers no matter how the land becomes tapped.