Queen Marchesa MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 9 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Assassin
Abilities Deathtouch,Haste
Power 3
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Queen Marchesa adds a political aspect to games, encouraging alliances and adding depth to multiplayer matches.
  2. This monarch-themed card brings an element of intrigue and strategy, perfect for Commander and Conspiracy formats.
  3. Her ability to create deathtouch assassins and card advantages makes her a versatile addition to any deck.

Text of card

Deathtouch, haste When Queen Marchesa enters the battlefield, you become the monarch. At the beginning of your upkeep, if an opponent is the monarch, put a 1/1 black Assassin creature token with deathtouch and haste onto the battlefield.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Queen Marchesa gives you the government advantage, labeling you as the Monarch. This boosts your draw ability, helping you maintain or even strengthen your hold over the card count in the game.

Resource Acceleration: As a multi-colored card, Queen Marchesa provides flexibility. She allows acceleration of your resources by introducing Deathtouch and Haste effects into the mix. This ramps up your battlefield and takes your gaming strategy to new heights.

Instant Speed: Queen Marchesa doesn’t work at instant speed, but her propensity to stir up the board as soon as she hits play makes her a game-changer!


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike many other MTG cards, Queen Marchesa does not mandate you to discard any cards from your hand for activating its abilities. Nevertheless, it can put you at a disadvantage when there’s a need to manage hand size with strategies that involve discarding.

Specific Mana Cost: Every card has its own unique costs captioned for distinct abilities, and in the case of Queen Marchesa, the cost of a specific coloured mana can limit its range of adaptability in decks not focusing on her stakes of red, white and black mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Granting you the monarchy and additional tokens just for the cost of four mana may sound great, but if we compared it with other MTG cards in the meta, you’ll find some that provide more resource generation efficiency or card draw for the same or even less mana cost than Queen Marchesa.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Queen Marchesa brings an adaptable presence to diverse deck architectures. Her ability to morph the political landscape of the game lends her to control, midrange, and aggro decks alike.

Combo Potential: A keystone card for politics-themed decks, Queen Marchesa paves the deck with opportunities for heightened interaction and synergistic plays. Her monarch mechanic is key to unlocking and executing transformative multi-card strategies.

Meta-Relevance: The diverse utility and mechanics of this monarch make her a formidable component in the current meta. Regardless of the prevalent deck style, Queen Marchesa offers valuable control elements and aggressive options to keep your deck on its toes.


How to Beat

Overcoming the challenge of Queen Marchesa in MTG requires developing a nuanced approach. This coveted monarch is not just a card, but a robust strategy with her deathtouch, haste, and the ability to become the monarch, which draws you an additional card at the beginning of your end step.

However, one viable approach to beat Queen Marchesa is through a counter measure card like Counterspell. This blue instant card has the ability to counter target spell, thus negating the monarch’s effects before they come into play.

Alternatively, Queen Marchesa and her deathtouch can be neutralized with cards such as Pacifism or Luminous Bonds, which prevent the targeted creature from attacking or blocking. In addition, Shatter the Sky or Fumigate can be instrumental to completely remove her from the battlefield.

Ultimately, the key to beating Queen Marchesa rests in studied deck building and keeping cards that can counter her strengths in play. Employing these tactics will help you gain an upper hand over her and unlock further MTG strategic prowess.


Conclusion

In conclusion, embracing the complex dynamics of Queen Marchesa’s playstyle epitomizes the intrigue and depth found in Magic the Gathering. Her dominion in the game offers a blend of power, politics, and control that can elevate your decks to regal heights. For monarchs and commoners alike, the quest for dominance in MTG is a journey rich with strategic depth and thrilling gameplay. Embrace the challenge, refine your strategies, and ascend to the throne of victory. We encourage you to further your conquests and deepen your understanding of this captivating realm. Unleash your potential and rule the game – your kingdom of cards awaits your command. Step into the realm of MTG lore, strategy, and community with us, and let your reign begin!


Cards like Queen Marchesa

Queen Marchesa, a sought-after monarch in the MTG universe, exemplifies an intriguing balance between power and control. Her unique interaction with the monarch mechanic makes her a compelling counterpart to cards like Karlov of the Ghost Council and Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim. Both of these cards share a similar life gain and control strategy, yet Queen Marchesa brings a rewarding twist with her monarchy inheritance.

Similarly, there is Edgar Markov, which provides aggro and go-wide strategy. Yet, despite these similarities, Marchesa’s unique feature of becoming the monarch and generating assassins sets her apart. Compared to Edgar’s token generation ability, she allows for political shenanigans and draws extra cards, creating an array of strategic possibilities.

Then there’s Alesha who Smiles at Death, another intriguing comparison. While Alesha also lets you recur creatures, she doesn’t have the deathtouch token generation of Marchesa. Nor does she have the monarch mechanic at her disposal, which can significantly alter the tempo of gameplay.

By comparing attributes and strategic potentials, Queen Marchesa stands out among similar cards in MTG with her ability to control, command, and adapt to an ever-changing game dynamic.

Karlov of the Ghost Council - MTG Card versions
Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim - MTG Card versions
Edgar Markov - MTG Card versions
Alesha, Who Smiles at Death - MTG Card versions
Karlov of the Ghost Council - Commander 2015 (C15)
Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim - Oath of the Gatewatch Promos (POGW)
Edgar Markov - Treasure Chest (PZ2)
Alesha, Who Smiles at Death - Fate Reforged Promos (PFRF)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Queen Marchesa MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Conspiracy: Take the Crown, 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 Queen Marchesa and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Queen Marchesa Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 2016-08-26 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 861842015normalblackKieran Yanner
22016-08-26Conspiracy: Take the CrownCN2 782015normalblackKieran Yanner
32016-11-16Treasure ChestPZ2 502015normalblackKieran Yanner
42019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 14682015normalblackKieran Yanner
52019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 4992015normalborderlessPeter Diamond
62020-09-26The ListPLST CN2-782015normalblackKieran Yanner
72020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 5312015normalblackKieran Yanner
82023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 5882015normalblackKieran Yanner
92023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 3502015normalblackKieran Yanner

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Queen Marchesa has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2016-08-23 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.
2016-08-23 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."
2016-08-23 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.
2016-08-23 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.
2016-08-23 The last ability of Queen Marchesa (long may she reign) checks to see if an opponent is the monarch as your upkeep begins. If no opponent is the monarch, Queen Marchesa's (long may she reign) ability won't trigger at all. Queen Marchesa's (long may she reign) ability will also check to see if an opponent is the monarch as it tries to resolve. If no opponent is the monarch at that time, Queen Marchesa's (long may she reign) ability will have no effect.

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