City's Blessing MTG Card
2018-01-19 - Number 6
2023-04-21 - Number 45
2023-08-04 - Number 49
2023-11-17 - Number 17
2024-02-09 - Number 28
2017-12-27 - Number 2
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Type | Card |
Cards like City's Blessing
The pursuit of dominance in a game of Magic: The Gathering can come in various forms and the City’s Blessing is a stellar example of achieving such a goal. It’s earned via Ascend, a unique keyword that grants you the City’s Blessing for the remainder of the game once you control ten or more permanents. One can draw parallels with the Monarch mechanic, which also provides continuous benefits but can be passed between players. While the Monarch offers card draw each turn, the City’s Blessing enhances a myriad of cards like Radiant Destiny, providing vigilance to creatures if you have the City’s Blessing.
Similarly, Theros’s Devotion mechanic calculates power based on the number of certain colored symbols in your permanents, a measure of commitment to color that can often help tip the scales in your favor. Just like Ascend, gaining rewards from your dedication to the board state. However, Devotion’s impact fluctuates with the board, unlike the permanent status the City’s Blessing guarantees. Another card worth mentioning is Ethereal Absolution, which, rather than relying on a specific count of permanents, buffs creatures you control and debuffs opponents’ creatures globally.
When comparing the City’s Blessing to other game mechanics that leverage the might of your permanents, its enduring advantage and synergy with specific cards often create substantial shifts in power dynamics on the battlefield, making it a formidable mechanic to exploit in MTG.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Earning the City’s Blessing can often lead to significant card advantage. Many cards that interact with the City’s Blessing provide additional effects or bonuses, ensuring you have more resources than your opponent.
Resource Acceleration: Achieving the City’s Blessing quickly through token generation or land ramp exemplifies resource acceleration. Once bestowed, it enhances your gameplay by improving the efficiency of your cards tied to the City’s Blessing mechanic.
Instant Speed: Although the City’s Blessing itself isn’t an instant, numerous cards enabling you to reach ten permanents and gain the blessing can be played at instant speed. This allows for strategic plays that opponents may not see coming, potentially changing the game in your favor at crucial moments.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Obtaining the City’s Blessing may necessitate cards that force a discard, reducing hand advantage especially when playing against control decks.
Specific Mana Cost: Cards granting or benefiting from the City’s Blessing often have mana costs that require a commitment to a particular color or color combination, which may not always align with a player’s deck strategy.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Achieving the City’s Blessing usually comes at the expense of playing more expensive cards. This could slow down the overall tempo of your game, giving faster-paced decks a distinct edge.
Reasons to Include City’s Blessing in Your Collection
Versatility: City’s Blessing isn’t tied to one specific card but is a status that, once achieved, cannot be lost. This mechanic offers flexibility in deck building, allowing for various strategies that capitalize on having a permanent advantage over opponents.
Combo Potential: Cards that synergize with City’s Blessing enhance each other, as reaching the ten-permanent-threshold sooner amplifies their effects. This opens up creative avenues for combo decks that can consistently secure and benefit from the City’s Blessing throughout the game.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where board presence is key, having the City’s Blessing can provide critical advantages. It grants staying power and additional incentives to maintain a wide and varied board, which can be pivotal against numerous popular strategies.
How to beat
City’s Blessing in MTG is a unique mechanic that, once attained, gives a player ongoing benefits for the remainder of the game. It activates when you control ten or more permanents at the beginning of your upkeep, and once you achieve it, City’s Blessing cannot be lost or revoked. Overcoming a player with City’s Blessing can be challenging due to the continuous advantages it provides.
To counteract this mechanic, focus on removal and board control strategies. Utilize cards that can handle multiple permanents at once, such as board wipes or mass removal spells. Reducing the number of permanents your opponent controls below ten will not remove City’s Blessing, but it will limit their ability to benefit from it. This could involve spot removal, forced sacrifices, or using cards that bounce permanents to their owner’s hand.
Furthermore, disrupting your opponent’s tempo can prevent them from getting the City’s Blessing in the first place. Play aggressively, and impede their board development to ensure they don’t reach that critical mass of ten permanents. In essence, be proactive and reactive in controlling the game state to surmount the challenges presented by City’s Blessing.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase City's Blessing // Elemental MTG card by a specific set like Friday Night Magic 2018 and Rivals of Ixalan, 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's Blessing // Elemental 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
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Printings
The City's Blessing // Elemental Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2018-01-19 and 2024-02-09. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Friday Night Magic 2018 | F18 | 2 | 2015 | Double Faced Token | Black | Yeong-Hao Han | ||
| 2 | 2018-01-19 | Rivals of Ixalan | RIX | 6 | 2015 | Token | Black | Yeong-Hao Han | |
| 3 | 2023-04-21 | March of the Machine Commander | MOC | 45 | 2015 | Token | Black | Yeong-Hao Han | |
| 4 | 2023-08-04 | Commander Masters | CMM | 49 | 2015 | Token | Black | Yeong-Hao Han | |
| 5 | 2023-11-17 | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander | LCC | 17 | 2015 | Token | Black | Alfven Ato | |
| 6 | 2024-02-09 | Murders at Karlov Manor Commander | MKC | 28 | 2015 | Token | Black | Carlos Palma Cruchaga |