

Since the guild uses dead material to cultivate new growth, it made sense to have a mechanic centered around the graveyard. Dredge was introduced as the defining mechanic of the Golgari guild back in the original Ravnica block. Today it’s about dredge, a mechanic that is just as broken as phyrexian mana and now has a deck named after it. Phyrexian mana is a great example of this, but that’s another topic. In fact, some decks will actually like it, such as Darien, King of Kjeldor.Every now and then Wizards of the Coast releases a mechanic that is too good for Magic, like those that break the fundamentals of the game. This is especially true for those designed to gain life. Tarnish Citadel works best in the Commander format, where taking a Bolt for mana won't be too big a deal for most decks. Competing land like City of Brass and Man Confluence only have their damage-dealing mana fixing abilities, so even paying for a generic cost will hurt with those lands.

Tapping for one colorless mana is sometimes all the player needs to pay for generic or colorless mana requirements in the mana cost of a spell or ability. RELATED: How College Humor's Dimension 20 Predicted D&D's Strixhavenįor one, it doesn't enter the battlefield tapped, but more importantly, there is an option outside its mana fixing ability.

At first, taking a Bolt for one mana sounds outrageous, but while Tarnished Citadel isn't a must-have for every deck, it has its merits. This provides the ultimate mana flexibility in exchange for a Bolt to the dome with each use. It can tap for one colorless mana, or for any color of mana, and deal three damage to its controller. That's why the oft-overlooked Tarnished Citadel is so interesting.
