Secrets of the Golden City is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
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.
Complete guide
Secrets of the Golden City is a powerful blue sorcery that rewards players for building a wide board state. By utilizing the Ascend mechanic, this spell can scale from a standard draw spell into a high-value resource generator. Once you obtain the city's blessing, your knowledge of the golden city becomes even more profound.
What It Does
Secrets of the Golden City allows you to draw two cards by default. However, it features the Ascend keyword, which checks if you control ten or more permanents. If you satisfy this condition as the spell resolves, you gain the city's blessing for the remainder of the game and draw three cards instead of two.
Step-by-Step Resolution
When you cast the spell, it moves to the stack. Upon resolution, the game checks how many permanents you control. If you have ten or more, you permanently gain the city's blessing. Then, the spell checks if you have that blessing; if you do, you draw three cards. If you have fewer than ten permanents and didn't already have the blessing from a previous effect, you simply draw two cards.
Common Mistakes
A common error is assuming you get the blessing as soon as you cast the spell. In reality, the Ascend check happens during resolution. If an opponent destroys one of your permanents in response to the spell, bringing you down to nine permanents, you will not get the blessing or the third card. Note that permanents include lands and tokens, but not the Secrets of the Golden City spell itself while it is on the stack.
When to Play It
This card is best utilized in decks that can quickly fill the battlefield with lands, creatures, or artifacts. Because the city's blessing cannot be lost once gained, it is often worth waiting until you reach that tenth permanent to maximize your card advantage, turning a modest draw spell into a major swing.
Interaction examples
City's BlessingIf you control seven lands and three creature tokens, you control ten permanents. When Secrets of the Golden City resolves, you gain the City's Blessing. Because you now have the blessing, you draw three cards.
FabricateYou have nine permanents and cast Fabricate to find an artifact. After Fabricate resolves and you play that artifact, you now have ten permanents. Casting Secrets of the Golden City afterward ensures you get the blessing and draw three cards.
WindfallIf you have the City's Blessing and cast Secrets of the Golden City, you draw three cards. If you follow this up with Windfall, you will force all players to discard and draw based on your now-larger hand size, leveraging the extra card drawn from the blessing.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Secrets of the Golden City
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
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.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
A permanent is any object on the battlefield, including tokens and lands. Spells and emblems aren’t permanents.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
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.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
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.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
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.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Secrets of the Golden City
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