City of Solitude MTG Card
1997-02-03 - Number 102
1997-08-13 - Number sg102sb
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment |
Text of card
Each player may play spells and abilities only during his or her turn.
"My horizon was the arcing petals, my new home resplendent with spires of weeds and pillows of fragrant pollen." —Naimah, Femeref philosopher
Cards like City of Solitude
City of Solitude is an intriguing enchantment in the Magic: The Gathering universe, offering a unique ability that prevents players from casting spells or activating abilities of artifacts, creatures, or enchantments during anyone’s turn but their own. By contrast, cards like Dosan the Falling Leaf offer a comparable effect by allowing only the person whose turn it is to cast spells, though this card’s benefit is slightly narrower, limiting only spells and not the abilities of other card types.
Diving deeper into this space, there is also Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir, which provides a similar yet slightly more flexible limitation. Teferi not only locks out your opponents from playing instants on your turn but also grants the advantage of letting you cast creature cards as though they had flash, thus expanding your strategic options. Grand Abolisher is another card that shares the spirit of City of Solitude, ensuring your turns are uninterrupted by your opponent’s spells or abilities, though it is limited only to your own turn, unlike City of Solitude’s all-encompassing restriction.
In the landscape of Magic: The Gathering, City of Solitude stands out for its ability to create a one-way street in gameplay, demanding both strategic planning and timing from its user and placing it as a powerful option for control decks looking to safeguard their own maneuvers.
Decks using this card
MTG decks using City of Solitude. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Naya | Free form | Canadian Highlander for Duals - Underground Sea Guaranteed - Proxies Allowed | |
 | Enchantress | Premodern | Eternal Weekend Europe 2023 Premodern Mainevent |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: City of Solitude is a potent enchantment that, while not directly increasing your hand size, does offer a form of card advantage by disrupting your opponent’s ability to respond to your moves. This can often lead to situations where you can safely set up your board without the threat of interference, effectively giving you more utility out of the cards you play.
Resource Acceleration: Although City of Solitude itself does not provide additional resources in terms of mana, it accelerates your game plan by ensuring your turns are uninterrupted. This means you can develop your resources freely, casting spells and summoning creatures without worrying about counterspells or instant-speed removal during your turn.
Instant Speed: City of Solitude doesn’t have instant speed, but it greatly enhances the power of your instant-speed interactions. By only allowing spells and abilities to be activated during each player’s own turn, this card guarantees that your instants can be played without fear of immediate retaliation, essentially giving you the upper hand when timing is crucial.
Card Cons
Specific Mana Cost: City of Solitude demands a precise mana composition to cast, strictly requiring green mana. This can restrict its utility solely to decks that are capable of generating green mana consistently.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, including two generic and one green, City of Solitude might be considered expensive for the effect it provides. Players could find themselves prioritizing other more impactful plays on the third turn, thereby potentially delaying the setup of this enchantment for later in the game when its effect could be less relevant.
Discard Requirement: Although City of Solitude itself does not have a discard requirement, its ability to lock players into only playing spells during their own turns could inadvertently lead to card accumulation and a higher discard probability during the cleanup step if the hand size exceeds the maximum limit.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: City of Solitude is a unique addition, offering protection from spells and abilities during your turn. Its utility is universal in formats where holding up mana for instant-speed interaction is common, thus shifting the dynamic of gameplay in your favor.
Combo Potential: For decks that aim to assemble combinations uninterrupted, City of Solitude provides a shield allowing you to execute your strategy without opposition. By safeguarding your turn, it ensures combo pieces hit the board without interference.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state where instant-speed interaction and stack battles are prevalent, this card offers you a powerful tool to neutralize such strategies. Its presence can dictate the pace of the game, making it a solid meta choice under the right conditions.
How to beat
City of Solitude is a card that can dramatically shift the pace of gameplay in MTG. It lays down the rule that players can only cast spells and activate abilities on their own turns, effectively putting an end to instant-speed responses and making it a powerful addition in decks that want to avoid interruptions. However, like any powerful card, there are ways to navigate around its limitations.
To gain an edge over City of Solitude, it’s pivotal to act within the confines of your own turn. This means optimizing your plays when the card is not in effect, by setting up a robust board presence or finding ways to remove it before your opponent can fully benefit from it. Consider utilizing enchantment removal spells, such as Naturalize or Disenchant, which are fundamental to taking down game-altering permanents like City of Solitude. Building a diverse deck with a balance of removal tools ensures that you won’t be pushed into a corner by such constraints. It’s these pre-emptive measures and strategic planning that can turn the tables on a seemingly insurmountable board state imposed by City of Solitude.
Ultimately, overcoming the quieting effect of City of Solitude requires foresight and an adaptable deck strategy, elements that showcase the dynamic nature of MTG deck building and in-game decision-making.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase City of Solitude MTG card by a specific set like Visions and World Championship Decks 1997, 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 Solitude and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The City of Solitude Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1997-02-03 and 1997-08-13. Illustrated by Romas Kukalis.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1997-02-03 | Visions | VIS | 102 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Romas Kukalis | |
| 2 | 1997-08-13 | World Championship Decks 1997 | WC97 | sg102sb | 1997 | Normal | Gold | Romas Kukalis |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where City of Solitude has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering City of Solitude 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 | City of Solitude can affect abilities of cards that are not on the battlefield because it prevents players from activating those abilities. |
| 2004-10-04 | City of Solitude does not stop triggered abilities from being put on the stack. They are never “activated”. |
| 2009-10-01 | This stops players from activating mana abilities. |