The 5 best Monarch cards in Magic: The Gathering

Monarchs are unique cards in Magic: The Gathering. While you can “become the monarch” in later stages of the game, no player begins in this state. Cards with the Monarch keyword allow you to take the crown and draw an extra card at the end of your turn.

Continuing to be Monarch requires you to bolster your defenses. If you take combat damage, you will lose the effect, giving the extra-draw advantage to your opponent, which can swing the game around easily.

Here are the best Monarch cards in MTG.

Custodi Lich

Custodi Lich is a strong removal card while also making you the Monarch. Even if the opponent steals your throne, the effect doesn’t get stolen with it, allowing you to reapply it when you become the Monarch again. It can snowball in your favor, allowing you dismantle the opposing board unless the Lich is dealt with.

Keeper of Keys

With a five-mana cost and 4/4 stats, Keeper of Keys is decent even without its additional effect. If you have a wide board and summon him, you can take down your opponent without fear of being blocked. Due to the fact that the creature has three subtypes of Human, Rogue, and Mutant, he can be fit in most decks easily.

Throne of the High City

One of the few non-creature cards, Throne of the High City allows you to tap for one mana, making it a great card pick in any deck. If, however, you have some spare mana during some turns, you can pay four of it to sacrifice the Throne to become the Monarch and get some extra draws instead.

Queen Marchesa

Queen Marchesa is a four-mana legendary that allows you to deal with huge boards easily if your opponent takes the crown back from you. With the haste keyword, you can attack with her on the turn she is played, making her versatile if you need to remove a threat. If the enemy is the Monarch during your turn, you’ll get an Assassin with Deathtouch and Haste to deal with his board and possibly retake the crown.

Skyline Despot

This seven-mana creature boasts only a 5/5 statline, but its effect can snowball you the game in a couple of turns if uncontested. If you are the Monarch, you can keep summoning 5/5 red dragons to overwhelm your opponent and force them to use removal on Skyline Despot or risk losing the game.