Jade Monolith MTG Card
1993-08-05 - Number 252
1993-10-04 - Number 253
1993-12-01 - Number 253
1993-12-10 - Number 253
1993-12-10 - Number 253
1994-04-01 - Number 255
1994-04-01 - Number 255
1994-06-21 - Number 255
1995-04-01 - Number 329
1995-04-01 - Number 329
1997-03-24 - Number 381
1999-04-21 - Number 293
2011-01-10 - Number 208
2022-11-28 - Number 249
2022-11-28 - Number 546
| Card sets | Released in 15 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Artifact |
Text of card
o1: You may take damage done to any creature on yourself instead, but you must take all of it. Source of damage is unchanged.
Cards like Jade Monolith
Jade Monolith offers a unique form of creature protection in the vast landscape of Magic: The Gathering. It shares some similarities with other protective spells like Safe Passage, which also serves to shield creatures on the battlefield. Yet, Jade Monolith’s key feature allows players to redirect damage from creatures to their life total at any time, providing flexibility that Safe Passage lacks, given that Safe Passage can only be used once and only during your turn.
When looking at Guardian Angel, another card with a similar protective approach, Jade Monolith stands out because of its reusability. Guardian Angel lets players prevent a certain amount of damage for a single turn, while Jade Monolith can be employed multiple times, securing a stronghold throughout the game. Then we have cards like Samite Healer, which straightforwardly prevents damage to creatures or players. Though beneficial, it doesn’t offer the same control over damage distribution as Jade Monolith does, which can be strategically pivotal during gameplay.
From a strategic standpoint, while there are other options in the realm of creature defense, Jade Monolith holds its ground with its ability to be a persistent shield, emphasizing its valiant place among Magic: The Gathering’s protective cards.
Cards similar to Jade Monolith by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While Jade Monolith itself does not directly draw cards or manipulate the library, its value lies in preserving your key creatures on the battlefield. By diverting damage to your own life total, you effectively keep your board state advantage, maintaining pressure and your presence in the game without losing critical pieces.
Resource Acceleration: Although Jade Monolith does not produce mana or tokens, it aids in resource acceleration by saving mana that would otherwise be used to recast important creatures. Its one-time investment safeguards your assets, allowing you to deploy further resources with confidence, knowing that your established board can be protected.
Instant Speed: The beauty of Jade Monolith lies in its ability to be activated at instant speed. This flexibility allows a player to wait until the last possible moment to redirect damage, making it a tactical asset in your arsenal. You can bait opponents into unfavorable attacks or spells, only to pivot the outcome to your life total, conserving your creatures for a substantial counter-attack.
Card Cons
Specific Mana Cost: Jade Monolith demands a precise mana investment to activate its ability, requiring a single colorless mana. While this isn’t typically restrictive, it does mean that in mana-tight situations, choosing when to allocate your colorless mana can be crucial and potentially limiting.
Discard Requirement: Despite not having a discard requirement, Jade Monolith does have a protective ability that is reactive by nature. Meaning, its value diminishes if you’re facing a strategy that doesn’t focus on dealing damage through combat or targeted effects where its ability would shine.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an activation cost that doesn’t scale, the high initial mana cost of four colorless mana can be a significant drawback. This investment can be cumbersome early on when developing your board is often more critical, and alternatives might present more immediate benefits or versatility for the same or lesser mana investment.
Reasons to Include Jade Monolith in Your Collection
Versatility: Jade Monolith offers flexible damage redirection, capable of protecting your most valuable creatures from fatal blows regardless of the deck type you run, making it a superb addition to any MTG collection focused on creature-based strategies.
Combo Potential: The card has synergies with abilities that trigger upon damage prevention or targeting creatures you control. Strategically using Jade Monolith can enable complex board states and interactions, significantly impacting your games’ outcomes.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where direct damage spells or combat tricks are prevalent, Jade Monolith steps up as a defensive lynchpin. Having it in your deck can dissuade opponents from executing their removal plans, therefore preserving your board state and giving you an edge in creature-heavy match-ups.
How to Beat Jade Monolith
Jade Monolith is recognized for its defensive capabilities, allowing Magic: The Gathering players to redirect damage from their creatures to themselves. While this may seem daunting to overcome, there are several strategies to counter it. A straightforward method is to target the Monolith directly with artifact destruction cards such as Naturalize or Shatter, effectively removing the threat from the field.
Another tactic is to bypass the Monolith’s effect altogether by using spells that deal damage to the opposing player directly, such as Lightning Bolt or Lava Spike. Additionally, using cards that impose conditions on damage prevention, like Skullcrack, can prevent the Monolith’s ability from activating successfully.
Players can also capitalize on the life loss incurred by the Monolith’s controller. Cards that punish the opponent for losing life or having a high life payment, such as Stigma Lasher or Leyline of Punishment, turn the Monolith’s defensive strength into a potential weakness. By combining these approaches, players can effectively neutralize Jade Monolith’s advantages and keep their offensive pressure unhindered.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Jade Monolith MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Jade Monolith and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Jade Monolith Magic the Gathering card was released in 14 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1993-08-05 | Limited Edition Alpha | LEA | 252 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 2 | 1993-10-04 | Limited Edition Beta | LEB | 253 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 3 | 1993-12-01 | Unlimited Edition | 2ED | 253 | 1993 | Normal | White | Anson Maddocks | |
| 4 | 1993-12-10 | Collectors' Edition | CED | 253 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 5 | 1993-12-10 | Intl. Collectors' Edition | CEI | 253 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 6 | 1994-04-01 | Foreign Black Border | FBB | 255 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 7 | 1994-04-01 | Revised Edition | 3ED | 255 | 1993 | Normal | White | Anson Maddocks | |
| 8 | 1994-06-21 | Summer Magic / Edgar | SUM | 255 | 1993 | Normal | White | Anson Maddocks | |
| 9 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition | 4ED | 329 | 1993 | Normal | White | Anson Maddocks | |
| 10 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border | 4BB | 329 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 11 | 1997-03-24 | Fifth Edition | 5ED | 381 | 1997 | Normal | White | Richard Kane Ferguson | |
| 12 | 1999-04-21 | Classic Sixth Edition | 6ED | 293 | 1997 | Normal | White | Richard Kane Ferguson | |
| 13 | 2011-01-10 | Masters Edition IV | ME4 | 208 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 14 | 2022-11-28 | 30th Anniversary Edition | 30A | 249 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 15 | 2022-11-28 | 30th Anniversary Edition | 30A | 546 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Jade Monolith has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |