First printed in Conspiracy: Take the Crown (2016)
Creature — Ogre Mercenary
When this creature enters, you become the monarch.
This creature can't attack unless defending player is the monarch.
While most in Paliano seek fame through favor, he'll settle for infamy through blood.
4/4
- Illustrated by
- Izzy
Legality
- Legal in
- Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, Commander, Duel Commander, Pauper Commander, Oathbreaker
- Not legal in
- Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Future Standard, Historic, Timeless, Alchemy, Penny Dreadful, Premodern, Old School 93/94, Gladiator, PreDH, Tiny Leaders, Brawl, Standard Brawl, Competitive Brawl
Rulings (5)
- If the triggered ability that causes the monarch to draw a card goes on the stack, and a different player becomes the monarch before that ability resolves, the first player will still draw the card.
- Being the monarch carries two inherent triggered abilities. "At the beginning of the monarch's end step, that player draws a card" and "Whenever a creature deals combat damage to the monarch, its controller becomes the monarch."
- Abilities that trigger whenever you "become the monarch" trigger only if you aren't already the monarch. For example, if you are already the monarch as Custodi Lich enters the battlefield, its last ability won't trigger.
- Crown-Hunter Hireling can attack only the monarch or a planeswalker controlled by the monarch. This check is done only as attackers are declared. After that point, Crown-Hunter Hireling won't be removed from combat if that player ceases to be the monarch.
- The game starts with no monarch. Once an effect makes one player the monarch, the game will have exactly one monarch from that point forward.
Prices
MTGO price: 0.2 TIX, the cheapest non-foil print (average sell price on GoatBots, 1 Nov 2026).