Paliano, the High City MTG Card
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Land |
| Released | 2014-06-06 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Conspiracy |
| Set code | CNS |
| Number | 65 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Adam Paquette |
Text of card
Reveal Paliano, the High City as you draft it. The player to your right chooses a color, you choose another color, then the player to your left chooses a third color. : Add one mana to your mana pool of any color chosen as you drafted cards named Paliano, the High City.
Cards like Paliano, the High City
Paliano, the High City stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a unique land card, compared to other cards that influence the draft phase of a game. While most land cards focus purely on mana generation, Paliano brings an interactive drafting twist. This mechanic echoes that of Booster Tutor, which allows a player to open a sealed booster pack during the game and choose a card to put into their hand, thus altering the draft.
Another card with distinct impact on drafts is Lore Seeker, which adds an entire new booster pack to the draft when chosen. This increase in card pool can be a game changer, much like Paliano’s ability to influence draft picks. On the other hand, Deal Broker allows players to draft an additional card and then trade one from their hand, offering yet another approach to draft manipulation. While Paliano doesn’t provide the tradability of Deal Broker, it compensates with its potential to significantly strategize the very composition of a player’s deck before the game begins.
Understanding these comparisons illustrates that while Paliano, the High City may not fit the mold of a traditional land, its innovative draft capabilities make it an intriguing option for those looking to add strategic depth to their draft experience.
Cards similar to Paliano, the High City by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Paliano, the High City offers a unique drafting mechanic that grants a free card during the draft process in addition to its capability to provide potent political leverage within the game. Through the drafting advantage, players can shape their deck strategy early on, propelling them toward a commanding position as the game unfolds.
Resource Acceleration: This card can be a powerhouse in terms of mana production, as it has the potential to tap for one mana of any color that a land an opponent controls could produce. This adaptability can be vital for multicolored decks, granting access to diverse mana resources and enabling quicker deployment of high-impact spells.
Instant Speed: While Paliano, the High City does not inherently operate at instant speed, it complements decks that revolve around instant-speed interactions. Its unique advantage gained during the draft and subsequent versatile mana acceleration naturally integrate with strategies that value flexibility and the capacity to respond to opponents’ actions on the fly.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: In order to play Paliano, the High City, you must start the game with it in your command zone and then follow the draft instructions, which can be a setback in games where drafting isn’t an option.
Specific Mana Cost: This land demands you to have a strategy that taps into multiple colors of mana. While this could support a diverse spell mix, it narrows down deck-building options and could strain your mana base in a high-stakes game.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When considering the added steps to include Paliano, the High City in your deck, it might not hold up against other lands that provide mana more straightforwardly or offer additional benefits with fewer conditions.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Paliano, the High City offers unique flexibility for Commander players. As it allows you to choose the player who gives you a card during the draft, it can seamlessly integrate into a variety of deck themes and strategies.
Combo Potential: Draft-related abilities have niche applications but can create powerful and unexpected combinations in the right setup. Since the card’s benefit scales with knowledge of your opponents’ decks, it allows for savvy drafting combos and advantage.
Meta-Relevance: For formats like Cube or Commander variants that include a drafting phase, Paliano, the High City can prove to be a pivotal tactical advantage. Its relevance in meta rises in environments where knowing your opponents’ strategies and decks is key.
How to beat
Paliano, the High City is a unique multiplayer-focused card in MTG that can shift the dynamics of a draft game upon entering the battlefield. For combatting this powerful card, the key lies in carefully choosing your draft picks and preparing a strategy that does not depend on mono-color synergies alone. Paliano’s ability can be disruptive, especially if your deck leans heavily on specific color combinations or a particular strategy. To mitigate this, diversify your deck to handle various mana colors effectively.
Another tactic is to focus on drafting flexible cards that offer value regardless of Paliano’s influence on the draft. Prioritize selecting cards with universal effects or those that provide mana fixing to adapt to the resultant four-color draft that Paliano encourages. Utilizing cards that fetch lands or alter mana symbols can help overcome the hurdles presented by Paliano, ensuring your deck’s performance remains consistent. Therefore, while Paliano, the High City elevates the complexity of the draft, with the right preparation and card choices, its impact can be meaningfully reduced.
In short, it’s essential to approach drafts with Paliano in mind, ready with a versatile and resilient strategy that can stand up to the challenge it presents. By doing so, players can turn potential obstacles into opportunities for strategic advantage.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Paliano, the High City MTG card by a specific set like Conspiracy, 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 Paliano, the High City 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Paliano, the High City has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Paliano, the High City card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2014-05-29 | If you control Paliano, the High City but you didn’t draft a card named Paliano, the High City, its second ability won’t add mana to your mana pool. Notably, Paliano won’t produce colorless mana. |
| 2014-05-29 | The three chosen colors must be different. |