Secrets of the Golden City MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Ascend

Key Takeaways

  1. Increases card advantage, critical for outpacing others with an ample selection for strategic play.
  2. Accelerates resource availability which is key for developing strong positions on the board.
  3. Its sorcery speed necessitates foresight, rewarding players who can optimally time their plays.

Text of card

Ascend (If you control ten or more permanents, you get the city's blessing for the rest of the game.) Draw two cards. If you have the city's blessing, draw three cards instead.

Stolen knowledge can never be stolen back.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Secrets of the Golden City is crafted to bolster your hand by granting access to drawing additional cards. Triggering its ascend ability can net you three cards instead of two, ensuring a significant leap in your resource pool. This is crucial for outpacing opponents through sheer card options.

Resource Acceleration: While this spell doesn’t create mana or treasure directly, the additional cards drawn can lead to an accelerated development of your board state. More cards often equate to more land drops and resources which are the lifeblood of any successful MTG strategy.

Instant Speed: The real magic of Secrets of the Golden City lies in its sorcery speed, which encourages strategic planning. Knowledgeable players can optimize their game by setting up the perfect moment to reach the city’s treasures, transforming the tide of matches with well-timed execution.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Secrets of the Golden City may demand a full hand to unlock its true potential. Without seven or more cards in hand, players might not draw as many cards, reducing its effectiveness.

Specific Mana Cost: Locking in two blue mana could pose a challenge in multi-colored decks. It may not be as easily castable for those not heavily invested in blue mana resources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a base cost of three which can be considered high for its conditional draw ability. In fast-paced games, players may find lower cost card draw options more appealing and efficient.


Reasons to Include Secrets of the Golden City in Your Collection

Versatility: Secrets of the Golden City offers a substantial advantage in decks that focus on card draw and aim for the city’s blessing. Its ability to potentially draw two cards for three mana makes it a solid option in blue-based control or combo decks that prioritize hand size and resource accumulation.

Combo Potential: Drawing cards is a critical component in many combo decks, and Secrets of the Golden City’s ascend mechanic synergizes well with strategies aiming for the city’s blessing. It can easily be incorporated into decks that use card quantity to activate win conditions, making it a strategic addition to combo-centric collections.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where the right cards in hand can determine victory, the additional card advantage from Secrets of the Golden City can be a game changer. As metas shift towards control and longer games, having access to more options gives players the upper hand, ensuring that this card remains relevant in various competitive environments.


How to beat

Secrets of the Golden City is an intriguing card that boasts card draw potential in the world of Magic: The Gathering. This card shines in a deck built around the Ascend mechanic, granting the player access to draw three cards if they have the city’s blessing. Drawing cards can significantly turn the tides of the game by providing more options and resources to outmaneuver opponents.

To counteract Secrets of the Golden City, disrupting your opponent’s board state to prevent them from getting ten permanents is crucial, thereby denying them the city’s blessing. Applying pressure through aggressive strategies can divert their focus from achieving Ascend. Removal spells are also an effective method to keep their permanent count low. Moreover, denial of card-drawing capabilities by using cards that limit hand size or force discards can diminish the value gained from Secrets of the Golden City.

Focus on maintaining control, challenge their strategy proactively, and keep the permanent count under close watch. By doing so, you reduce the card’s impact, preserve your position, and enhance your chances to emerge victorious in your MTG battles.


BurnMana Recommendations

Unveiling the secrets behind MTG’s gripping strategies is akin to discovering the hidden pathways of an ancient city. Secrets of the Golden City exemplifies this adventure, offering a treasure trove of cards to those prepared for its conditions. If you’re invested in crafting a deck that not only thrives on accumulating vast resources but also seeks to outplay opponents with a well-stocked hand, this card deserves your attention. Tap into the art of card draw, and let Secrets of the Golden City guide you towards mastering the intricate game of resource control. Embark on your journey with BurnMana as your compass and turn your next match into a strategic conquest.


Cards like Secrets of the Golden City

In the Magic: The Gathering universe, Secrets of the Golden City is a notable card for players seeking to bolster their hand. The card bears resemblance to Concentrate, a classic that offers a straight draw of three cards. What sets Secrets of the Golden City apart is its ascend mechanic which, upon having the city’s blessing, lets you draw an extra card. This conditional aspect provides a potentially greater payoff than Concentrate.

Treasure Cruise is another card that shares similar drawing capability. It allows for drawing three cards as well, but it has the added advantage of delve, reducing its cost by utilizing cards from your graveyard. Yet, unlike Secrets of the Golden City, it doesn’t depend on the board state to increase its yield. Glimmer of Genius provides an alternative with scry 2 before drawing two cards, offering more control over the quality of cards drawn. It’s instant speed, which gives a flexibility that the sorcery-speed Secrets of the Golden City does not.

When comparing these options, Secrets of the Golden City can stand out for its potential card draw expansion tied to the board’s ascend status. This factor can sway deckbuilders towards including it over cards lacking the city’s blessings mechanic.

Concentrate - MTG Card versions
Treasure Cruise - MTG Card versions
Glimmer of Genius - MTG Card versions
Concentrate - Odyssey (ODY)
Treasure Cruise - Khans of Tarkir (KTK)
Glimmer of Genius - Kaladesh (KLD)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Secrets of the Golden City 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 Secrets of the Golden City and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Secrets of the Golden City Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2018-01-19 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Jason Felix.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-01-19Rivals of IxalanRIX 522015normalblackJason Felix
22019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 4822015normalblackJason Felix
32020-09-26The ListPLST RIX-522015normalblackJason Felix

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Secrets of the Golden City has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2018-01-19 A permanent is any object on the battlefield, including tokens and lands. Spells and emblems aren’t permanents.
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.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks