The Battlefield

Grand Architect

$0.94

Pili-Pala

$2.57

AI DraftFeb 26, 2026

Grand Architect + Pili-Pala

Overview

If you make Pili-Pala blue with Grand Architect’s {U}

ability, Grand Architect can tap Pili-Pala to produce {C}

and you can spend that {C}

to pay Pili-Pala’s {2}

activation (which untaps it), letting Pili-Pala produce one mana and return untapped. Repeating this cycle produces unlimited mana because each iteration nets one mana. This uses Ruling [2020-08-07] (color-change behavior), Ruling [2008-05-01] (Pili-Pala’s ability is a mana ability), and the untap-symbol rules and .

Step 1

Use Grand Architect’s {U}

activated ability to make Pili-Pala blue until end of turn; per Ruling [2020-08-07] the creature becomes blue but remains an artifact.

Step 2

Ensure Pili-Pala has been under your control continuously since your turn began so its {2}

ability (which includes an untap symbol) is legal to activate per .

Step 3

Activate Grand Architect’s tap ability: Tap the now-blue Pili-Pala to add {C}

to your mana pool; that mana is restricted to casting artifact spells or activating abilities of artifacts (text on Architect).

Step 4

Spend the

you just produced to pay the {2}

portion of Pili-Pala’s {2}

activation cost. The untap symbol ( {Q}

) is paid as part of the activation cost and untaps Pili-Pala as you pay it per .

Step 5

Pili-Pala’s ability resolves as a mana ability and immediately adds one mana of any color to your mana pool (it doesn’t use the stack) per Ruling [2008-05-01].

Step 6

Pili-Pala is now untapped and can be tapped again by Grand Architect’s tap ability to produce another {C}

; repeat the loop to generate arbitrarily large amounts of mana.

Resolution

Once Pili-Pala has been made blue and it is eligible to activate its {2}

ability (i.e., it has been under your control since the start of the turn per ), the loop is: Architect taps Pili-Pala for {C}

(usable only to cast artifact spells or activate artifacts), you pay {2}

from that

to activate Pili-Pala’s {2}

(the

untaps Pili-Pala as part of the cost per ), Pili-Pala’s mana ability resolves and adds one mana of any color to your pool (it’s a mana ability and doesn’t use the stack per Ruling [2008-05-01]), and Pili-Pala is untapped and ready to be tapped again by Architect. Because the color-change doesn’t remove the artifact type (Ruling [2020-08-07]), the restriction on Architect’s mana is satisfied. This yields unbounded mana if repeated.

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