How Does Monarch Work in Magic: The Gathering?

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A comprehensive guide on one of the best mechanics in MTG
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Monarch is one of the most powerful mechanics in Magic. Unfortunately, it can be a little counterintuitive, as well. Monarch is one of the only mechanics in the game that designates players—not cards, creatures, or conditions. At its most basic, becoming the monarch gives you two abilities: “At the end of your turn, draw a card,” and “Whenever another player deals you combat damage, they become the monarch.” We’ll break down the rules, interactions, and best monarch cards so that you can dominate your opponents.

Monarch in MTG: Quick Overview

Monarch is a player designation that basically translates to, “Draw a card at the end of your turn for as long as you’re the monarch.” You become the monarch by casting a card that makes you the monarch, but an opponent can become the monarch if they deal you combat damage.

Section 1 of 6:

How does monarch work in MTG?

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  1. Monarch is a very unique ability in Magic. It’s a player designation, not an effect, ability, or trigger, which means you are the monarch (. When you’re the monarch, you gain an ability that says, “At the beginning of your end step, draw a card. Whenever a creature deals combat damage to you, its controller becomes the monarch.” [1]
    • You can become the monarch by playing a card that says “you are the monarch,” or by dealing combat damage to a player who is already the monarch.
    • Just to clarify, monarch isn’t something you or any card you control does —it’s something you are . It’s one of the few mechanics in MTG (alongside planeswalker emblems) that spells, cards, and effects can’t interact with directly.
    • There are monarch markers you can use to track who is the monarch, but monarch is not an emblem or token. It cannot be targeted, removed, or interacted with directly.
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Section 2 of 6:

Becoming the Monarch Example

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  1. Unless someone plays a card that makes someone the monarch, the entire game will play out without monarch ever coming up. Play continues as normal with each player taking their turns, playing lands, and casting spells.
  2. Let’s say you cast Azure Fleet Admiral on your turn. It enters play. Since the Admiral reads, “When Azure Fleet Admiral enters, you become the monarch,” the trigger goes on the stack. It resolves and you’re now the monarch.
    • If you aren’t using a monarch marker, just put a token on top of your library to remind you to draw an extra card at your end step. You can also just write down that you’re the monarch on your scoresheet.
  3. So long as you’re the monarch, you—the player—have an ability that basically says, “At your end step, draw a card.” So, at the end of the turn where you cast the Admiral, you draw a card. You will draw an extra card at the end of each turn until something happens to make someone else the monarch.
  4. You remain the monarch until your opponent hits you with a creature and deals you combat damage. Once that happens (if it happens), they become the monarch. However, you will become the monarch again if you hit your opponent and deal them combat damage.
    • Once the monarch mechanic has been introduced, it cannot be removed from the game. Either you are the monarch, or your opponent is the monarch—whoever last dealt damage to their opponent or cast a card that made them monarch.
    • If either you or your opponent resolves a card that says “you become the monarch,” they immediately become monarch. So, if your opponent deals you damage, they become monarch, and you cast another Azure Fleet Admiral , you get the monarch back.
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Section 3 of 6:

Notable Rules & Interactions

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  1. There is no mechanic in the game of Magic: The Gathering that can remove monarch from play once it has been introduced. So long as you or an opponent have introduced monarch into the game, one of you must be the monarch. [2]
  2. Even if you and your opponent take turns casting “you become the monarch” cards, there will only ever be one monarch. There cannot be more than player who is the monarch simultaneously.
    • This is meant to emulate the feeling of an actual monarchy—there can’t be two kings or queens!
  3. In multiplayer games like Commander (EDH) , the monarch may die before the game is over. When this happens, the next turn player automatically becomes the commander (unless a different player killed them with combat damage, in which case the monarch moves the same way it normally would).
    • This is an actual downside of becoming the monarch in Commander. Monarch is an extremely powerful ability that can be stolen away if you attack the player with it, so becoming the monarch immediately puts a target on your back.
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Section 4 of 6:

Is monarch permanent?

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  1. By dealing damage to the monarch, the attacking player becomes the monarch and functionally steals the designation from them. In that sense, you are not “permanently” the monarch, per se. However, once a monarch has been introduced into a game, it cannot be removed. There are no cards, effects, or spells in the game that remove monarch from play.
Section 5 of 6:

Best Monarch Cards

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  1. Queen Marchesa is probably the most popular monarch-themed commander. When she enters the battlefield, you become the monarch. However, if someone else ever steals the monarch from you, you get a 1/1 with deathtouch and haste to help you steal it back!
  2. Thorn of the Black Rose isn’t anything special at first glance, but it’s got one important thing going for it. It’s a common. This means that it’s legal in the Pauper format, where becoming the monarch is extremely powerful since games tend to drag on longer than normal.
    • Thorn is a staple in Jund and Grixis control decks in pauper. It also sees some play in Orzhov Initiative control and mono-black.
  3. Custodi Lich forces an opponent to kill something and makes you the monarch. It’s relatively expensive at 5 mana, but in Commander and Cube (where this sees play), it’s a powerful effect.
    • The fact that you can blink Custodi Lich with cards like Restoration Angel and Ephemerate to retrigger its sacrifice and monarch abilities is a huge upside in BW decks.
  4. Palace Jailer , like Custodi Lich, makes you the monarch and removes one of your opponent’s creatures from play. Unlike Custodi Lich though, the Jailer will return the creature if the creature’s owner deals combat damage to you. Still, it’s a powerful card in both Cube and Commander.
  5. Forth Eorlingas! Is currently the most popular Legacy card that takes advantage of monarch. It creates tokens with haste that will make you the monarch if you deal combat damage with them that turn. With an X cost in its CMC, Forth Eorlingas! can be a turn-3 surprise that triggers monarch early, or a game-ending finishing move your opponent can’t stop.
  6. Fealty to the Realm is expensive, but it makes you the monarch and steals the best creature on the battlefield. Theft cards are already extremely powerful in Commander, so stapling “you become the monarch” to a theft card makes it even more insane.
  7. Crimson Fleet Commodore isn’t necessarily very good, but it’s a common and it’s red. This makes it one of the only reasonable ways for mono-red players to become the monarch in Pauper. Since mono red does a lot of attacking and it tends to run out of tools late in the game, monarch is very good for the deck. This make the Commodore look very attractive!
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Section 6 of 6:

Is monarch good?

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  1. There’s an adage in MTG that the three most powerful words you can put on a card are “draw a card.” Cards in hand are the ultimate resource in the game, and the player that draws the most cards is often the winner. Since monarch draws you a card every turn , its power really can’t be overstated. [3]
    • Monarch is commonly banned in Commander playgroups and at kitchen table games just because it’s considered too powerful.

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      • Monarch is often compared to Initiative since both mechanics are extremely powerful (and notoriously annoying). They’re both player designations that you can’t interact with directly. Those similarities aside, they’re completely different mechanics.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/conspiracy-take-crown-mechanics-2016-08-15
      2. ↑ https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/conspiracy-take-crown-mechanics-2016-08-15
      3. ↑ https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/looking-back-part-2

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