Ascend Ability in Magic the Gathering

The Ascend ability in Magic: The Gathering grants you the “city’s blessing” once you control ten or more permanents at the time you cast a spell or a permanent with Ascend enters the battlefield. Once you have the city’s blessing, you keep it for the rest of the game, regardless of the number of permanents you control afterward.

Utility in Gameplay and Deck Building

1. Long-Term Benefit: Once achieved, the city’s blessing provides ongoing advantages through various card effects.
2. Encourages Board Development: Ascend incentivizes building a substantial board presence, aligning well with strategies that rapidly deploy numerous permanents.
3. Synergy with Permanent-Heavy Decks: It’s particularly useful in decks that naturally play a lot of creatures, artifacts, and other permanents.
4. Strategic Depth: Ascend adds a layer of strategic depth, encouraging players to balance between extending into the battlefield and holding back for potential board wipes.

In deck building, incorporating cards with Ascend can be beneficial in strategies that naturally accumulate many permanents, providing additional value and power as the game progresses.