After reading over the description of the ascend mechanic I was left with a handful of confusing parts when they said 'it isn't a trigger' and it 'just happens' and the effect is just a marker for other cards to reference that a certain game state has occurred. So here's the more important situation that's likely to come up and I'd like to have clarified.
I have 9 assorted permanents in play and I put out an arch of orazca making it a total of 10 and pass the turn. I do not announce that I have the blessing but simply say go. On my opponent's turn they kill one of my creatures putting me back down to 9 permanents and pass back. On their end step can I use the arch to draw a card?
Here's my thoughts on why this goes directly in the "weird" category of rulings. When you attack with an exalted creature you don't have to announce exalted immediately, you only have to announce the extra +1/+1 until it is relevant such as combat damage. Ascend 'seems' to be the same and with the above example it wasn't relevant until I wanted to draw with the arch. I am under the impression that ascend only cares that the game state was reached with an "ascend card" either in play or resolving and in the given example it was.
So...can I draw with the arch in my example? Are my understandings of how this mechanic works completely off base?
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And on that day, Garfield said unto the world "Go ye forth and durdle!"
As soon as you control ten or more permanents while you control Arch of Orazca, you get the city's blessing for the rest of the game (note that this is a continuous effect akin to the epic keyword, which means, in part, "For the rest of the game, you can't cast spells" [C.R. 702.50a]) (C.R. 702.131a, 611.3a; in the case of permanents, this effect modifies C.R. 611.2a because of C.R. 101.1), and you retain the city's blessing even if you control fewer than ten permanents after that. (Note that ascend doesn't say, for example, "For the rest of the game, you have the city's blessing as long as you control ten or fewer permanents".)
EDIT (Feb. 21): Correctness edit.
EDIT (Nov. 14, 2021): Edited, including because some rules were renumbered in the meantime.
Ok let me see if I understand this correctly. If at some point I had the cities blessing (such as the example I gave) it does not matter at all if I announced it or took advantage of it or even noticed that at some point I met the requirements. So I hit 10 things with an ascend card and I have the blessing and that's the end of the discussion no matter what else happens between then and the moment something happens that references it?
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And on that day, Garfield said unto the world "Go ye forth and durdle!"
More specifically, to get the city's blessing, you must not have had the city's blessing and, in addition—
for a permanent with ascend, you must have controlled ten or more permanents while that permanent is on the battlefield (C.R. 702.131a, 611.3b, 112.6), or
for an instant or sorcery spell with ascend, you must have controlled ten or more permanents while that spell is resolving (C.R. 702.131a, 611.2a).
However, in practice, you will need to notice whether you have the city's blessing if you decide to set up a situation where you having the city's blessing is relevant, such as activating Arch of Orazca's last ability.
In sanctioned tournaments, "[d]etails of ... past game actions that still affect the game state", such as getting the city's blessing, are free information (M.T.R. 4.1), and also see Toby Elliott's policy update for Rivals of Ixalan.
EDIT (Apr. 24): See comment 5.
EDIT (Jun. 14, 2018): Correctness edit.
EDIT (Jan. 8, 2019): Edited.
EDIT (Nov. 14, 2021): One rule was renumbered in the meantime.
In sanctioned tournaments starting when Dominaria is released (and in Prereleases), having the city's blessing is considered status information, a new category of game information (M.T.R. 4.1). In such tournaments, status information "must be announced upon change and physically tracked by the affected player" in a manner that, in general, is "visible to both players during the match", but "[a]t Competitive and Professional [rules enforcement level], methods that can easily be changed (such as dice) may not be used" for this tracking (M.T.R. 4.1). See also Toby Elliott's policy update for Dominaria.
What's the benefits of the City's blessing? I thought it meant something like a combination of shroud and indestructible but after reading a few cards and some ruling I'm not sure
What's the benefits of the City's blessing? I thought it meant something like a combination of shroud and indestructible but after reading a few cards and some ruling I'm not sure
The city's blessing has no inherent game mechanics; it merely "act[s] as a marker that other rules and effects can identify" (C.R. 702.131c).
EDIT (Nov. 14, 2021): One rule was renumbered in the meantime.
The city's blessing is referred to on every existing card with ascend. It essentially demarcates the bonus for hitting ascend in the first place, which is a static ability that doesn't use the stack and checks either constantly (on permanents) or upon resolution of a spell (on instants and sorceries) for whether you control ten or more permanents. Once it's on, it's on, even if you stop controlling ten or more permanents; you have the city's blessing for the rest of the game once ascend sees that you have it, and no currently existing card directly removes it.
Can I ask why you thought it was simultaneous shroud and indestructible?
The city's blessing isn't a permanent or emblem, and nothing can destroy it or otherwise interact with it. I thought it made the player something like a super enchantment made their deck unbeatable or something idk
The city's blessing isn't a permanent or emblem, and nothing can destroy it or otherwise interact with it. I thought it made the player something like a super enchantment made their deck unbeatable or something idk
No, it's just a marker, a "sticker" that means nothing by itself, but that certain cards from the Rivals of Ixalan expansion give and care about. All cards that give that marker are the same cards that care about it.
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I'm a former judge (lapsed), who keeps up to date on rules and policy. Keep in mind that judges' answers aren't necessarily more valid than those of people who aren't judges; what matters is we can quote the rules to back up our answers. When in doubt, ask for such quotes.
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I have 9 assorted permanents in play and I put out an arch of orazca making it a total of 10 and pass the turn. I do not announce that I have the blessing but simply say go. On my opponent's turn they kill one of my creatures putting me back down to 9 permanents and pass back. On their end step can I use the arch to draw a card?
Here's my thoughts on why this goes directly in the "weird" category of rulings. When you attack with an exalted creature you don't have to announce exalted immediately, you only have to announce the extra +1/+1 until it is relevant such as combat damage. Ascend 'seems' to be the same and with the above example it wasn't relevant until I wanted to draw with the arch. I am under the impression that ascend only cares that the game state was reached with an "ascend card" either in play or resolving and in the given example it was.
So...can I draw with the arch in my example? Are my understandings of how this mechanic works completely off base?
EDIT (Feb. 21): Correctness edit.
EDIT (Nov. 14, 2021): Edited, including because some rules were renumbered in the meantime.
In sanctioned tournaments, "[d]etails of ... past game actions that still affect the game state", such as getting the city's blessing, are free information (M.T.R. 4.1), and also see Toby Elliott's policy update for Rivals of Ixalan.EDIT (Apr. 24): See comment 5.
EDIT (Jun. 14, 2018): Correctness edit.
EDIT (Jan. 8, 2019): Edited.
EDIT (Nov. 14, 2021): One rule was renumbered in the meantime.
EDIT (Jan. 8, 2019): Correction in quote.
EDIT (Nov. 14, 2021): One rule was renumbered in the meantime.
RULES OF MAGIC :
http://magic.wizards.com/en/game-info/gameplay/rules-and-formats/rules
Can I ask why you thought it was simultaneous shroud and indestructible?
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