Throne of the God-Pharaoh MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Artifact

Key Takeaways

  1. It converts each tapped creature into a source of damage, maximizing the end-of-turn impact.
  2. Boosts board presence value without demanding more mana, allowing focus on development.
  3. End-of-turn damage effect synergizes with instants, enabling strategic play and resource allocation.

Text of card

At the beginning of your end step, each opponent loses life equal to the number of tapped creatures you control.

"When the Second Sun rests between the horns on the horizon, so begins the Hour of Revelation. Then the Hour of Glory, the Hour of Promise, and finally the Hour of Eternity." —*The Accounting of Hours*


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Throne of the God-Pharaoh bolsters your position with indirect card advantage by capitalizing on board presence. This artifact rewards you for something you’re already doing – deploying creatures and turning them sideways. Each tapped creature becomes the equivalent of a ping to your opponents’ life totals, effectively turning each of your creatures into a potential damage source at the end of your turn without needing extra cards.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana or acceleration, this card enhances the value of your creature-based strategies. By enabling a damage output that requires no additional mana investment, Throne of the God-Pharaoh allows you to focus your resources on furthering board development rather than having to allocate mana for direct damage spells.

Instant Speed: Although the Throne itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its effect triggers at the end of your turn, which allows for synergy with instant-speed spells and abilities. This means you can maximize the utility of your mana by playing instants or activating abilities during your opponent’s turn, and still reap the benefits of the Throne’s end-of-turn damage as your creatures will likely be tapped.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For Throne of the God-Pharaoh to deliver maximum value, a player must have a wide board presence of tapped creatures. This can sometimes require discarding or sacrificing creatures that would be better served for defense or future turns.

Specific Mana Cost: Reigning from the Amonkhet set, Throne of the God-Pharaoh presents a mana cost that includes generic mana. While it provides flexibility, it competes with other important two-mana plays in a deck, making it sometimes a challenging fit.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of two mana, Throne of the God-Pharaoh can be considered costly compared to other artifacts that impact the board upon entry. It only affects the end step, potentially delaying the payoff you receive from playing it until the next turn cycle.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Throne of the God-Pharaoh is a dynamic asset in creature-heavy decks and those aiming to capitalize on tapping strategies, providing a universal end-of-turn damage mechanism.

Combo Potential: As a card that synergizes with various tap and untap effects, Throne of the God-Pharaoh can be the cornerstone in combos that aim to control the board while chipping away at opponent’s life totals.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where aggressive and token strategies are prevalent, this card becomes a crucial piece to ensure your board’s efforts translate into direct damage, turning any stalemate into a win condition.


How to beat

The Throne of the God-Pharaoh is a unique artifact in Magic: The Gathering that can be quite a challenge to work against. This card shines in decks that tap a lot of creatures, as it leeches life from your opponent at the end of your turn for each tapped creature you control. While it doesn’t directly interact with creatures or spells on the stack, its incremental damage can quickly add up, putting you on a clock.

To effectively counteract the life-draining effects of the Throne of the God-Pharaoh, speed is of the essence. Aggressive decks that can knock out an opponent before their strategy comes to fruition have an edge. Additionally, utilizing instant-speed removals to deal with the opponent’s creatures before the end step can thwart the damage output from the throne. Another strategy includes employing artifact destruction spells or abilities to directly remove the throne from play, cutting off the passive damage cycle. It’s also beneficial to keep the board clear of creatures or to dissuade them from tapping, mitigating the throne’s impact.

Overall, a proactive approach and specific answers to this artifact are key to staying ahead of the debilitating effect it can have on your life total, ensuring that the throne doesn’t secure victory for your opponent.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the landscape of MTG with cards like Throne of the God-Pharaoh can transform your deck into a formidable arsenal. Given its power to deal damage every turn, it could be the sleeper card your strategy needs. Remember, the magic often lies in understanding your playstyle and optimizing your deck with synergy in mind. Tapping into the potential of this unique artifact could mean the difference between a loss and a dominating win. Willing to turn the tide of battle with clever board tactics? Discover more on how to incorporate this powerful card into your deck and outmaneuver your opponents with every tap.


Cards like Throne of the God-Pharaoh

Throne of the God-Pharaoh stands as a distinctive artifact in MTG, with its ability to tap opponent’s creatures and drain life. It bears resemblance to cards like Raid Bombardment and Impact Tremors, which also capitalize on the number of creatures you control. However, Throne of the God-Pharaoh is unique in its application; it requires your creatures to be tapped, aligning well with strategies that involve a lot of attacking or tap abilities.

Sifting through similar artifacts, we can’t overlook the likes of Pyrohemia and Pestilence. These cards allow you to deal damage to each creature and each player. They offer a wider damage radius but at the cost of greater mana investment to maintain the effect each turn. Throne of the God-Pharaoh, conversely, is a silent finisher, draining life at the end of your turn, making it a lethal addition to decks that consistently have numerous creatures engaging in combat or using tap-based mechanics.

When juxtaposed with its counterparts, Throne of the God-Pharaoh stands out for providing a passive yet powerful end-of-turn impact, making it an under-the-radar threat in creature-heavy decks in MTG.

Raid Bombardment - MTG Card versions
Impact Tremors - MTG Card versions
Pyrohemia - MTG Card versions
Pestilence - MTG Card versions
Raid Bombardment - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Impact Tremors - Dragons of Tarkir (DTK)
Pyrohemia - Planar Chaos (PLC)
Pestilence - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)

Cards similar to Throne of the God-Pharaoh by color, type and mana cost

Chaos Orb - MTG Card versions
Winter Orb - MTG Card versions
Ankh of Mishra - MTG Card versions
Amulet of Kroog - MTG Card versions
Nacre Talisman - MTG Card versions
Howling Mine - MTG Card versions
Essence Bottle - MTG Card versions
Emerald Medallion - MTG Card versions
Scrying Glass - MTG Card versions
Cursed Totem - MTG Card versions
Tsabo's Web - MTG Card versions
Millikin - MTG Card versions
Swiftfoot Boots - MTG Card versions
Ark of Blight - MTG Card versions
Surestrike Trident - MTG Card versions
Demon's Horn - MTG Card versions
Energy Chamber - MTG Card versions
Water Gun Balloon Game - MTG Card versions
Angel's Feather - MTG Card versions
Elsewhere Flask - MTG Card versions
Chaos Orb - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Winter Orb - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Ankh of Mishra - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Amulet of Kroog - Rinascimento (RIN)
Nacre Talisman - Ice Age (ICE)
Howling Mine - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Essence Bottle - Tempest (TMP)
Emerald Medallion - Commander Anthology (CMA)
Scrying Glass - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Cursed Totem - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Tsabo's Web - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Millikin - Odyssey (ODY)
Swiftfoot Boots - The Brothers' War Retro Artifacts (BRR)
Ark of Blight - Scourge (SCG)
Surestrike Trident - Darksteel (DST)
Demon's Horn - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Energy Chamber - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Water Gun Balloon Game - Unhinged (UNH)
Angel's Feather - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Elsewhere Flask - Shadowmoor (SHM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Throne of the God-Pharaoh MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Amonkhet Promos, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Throne of the God-Pharaoh and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Throne of the God-Pharaoh Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Titus Lunter.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-04-28AmonkhetAKH 2372015normalblackTitus Lunter
22017-04-29Amonkhet PromosPAKH 237s2015normalblackTitus Lunter
32020-08-13Amonkhet RemasteredAKR 2812015normalblackTitus Lunter

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Throne of the God-Pharaoh has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Throne of the God-Pharaoh card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2017-04-18 If other abilities trigger at the beginning of your end step, first those controlled by your opponents resolve, then yours resolve. Each player orders their triggers in any order.
2017-04-18 In a Two-Headed Giant game, the triggered ability of Throne of the God-Pharaoh causes the opposing team to lose life equal to twice the number of tapped creatures you control. Tapped creatures your teammate controls aren’t counted.
2017-04-18 Throne of the God-Pharaoh’s ability triggers at the beginning of each of your end steps, even if you control no tapped creatures. The number of tapped creatures you control is checked as the ability resolves.

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