Palace Sentinels MTG Card
2016-08-26 - Number 19
2016-11-16 - Number 2
2019-11-07 - Number 193
2020-11-20 - Number 36
2023-08-04 - Number 48
2020-09-26 - Number CN2-19
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Soldier |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Text of card
When Palace Sentinels enters the battlefield, you become the monarch.
"One who ruled willing subjects would need no such protection." —Adriana, Captain of the Guard
Cards like Palace Sentinels
Palace Sentinels stands out in the realm of creature cards that manage the monarchy mechanic within Magic: The Gathering. Comparable to its effect is the Court of Grace, which also provides you with the monarchy along with the valuable bonus of creating creature tokens. Unlike Palace Sentinels, however, it provides an ongoing advantage with the tokens for as long as you maintain the crown.
Then there’s Thorn of the Black Rose, a creature card with a lower power but the same ability to bestow you with the monarchy upon entering the battlefield. Although it doesn’t boast the same defense stats as the Sentinels, the deathtouch ability on Thorn of the Black Rose compensates, making it a significant deterrent for attackers.
Finally, Keeper of Keys adds a unique twist to the monarchy dynamic, offering not only the crown when it enters the battlefield but also rendering your creatures unblockable if you begin your turn as the monarch. The Sentinels, while lacking this additional functionality, compensates with a sturdy defense ready to protect the monarchy status.
Assessing these cards, Palace Sentinels ranks prominently among MTG cards providing strategic depth and defense capabilities crucial for maintaining the upper hand through the monarchy mechanic.
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Palace Sentinels. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | W | Pauper | Pauper Challenge 32 2024-03-10 | |
 | Caw-Gates | Pauper | Caw-Gates | Pauper Challenge 64 2024-03-24 |
 | Monarch | Pauper | Monarch | Pauper League 2024-03-29 |
 | Orzhov Control | Pauper | Liga Gacha de Pauper 2024 - Etapa 3 | |
 | Orzhov Midrange | Pauper | Ogonyok | |
| Mono-White Midrange | Pauper | Ogonyok | |
| Mono-White Aggro | Pauper | Pauper Jungle | |
 | Boros Ephemerate | Pauper | Boros Ephemerate | 12^ tappa | Lega Pauper Mediavalle e Garfagnana 2023/24 - Road to Paupergeddon Pisa |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When Palace Sentinels enters the battlefield, you become the Monarch, a unique ability that grants you an extra card draw at the end of your turn. This steady stream of card draw can help you pull ahead of your opponents by providing a consistent advantage in resources.
Resource Acceleration: Although Palace Sentinels doesn’t directly generate mana or treasure tokens, becoming the Monarch can indirectly lead to resource acceleration. Extra cards drawn can provide more land drops or spells, enabling you to deploy more threats or answers faster than opponents who can’t match your card draw pace.
Instant Speed: While Palace Sentinels itself is not an instant, holding the title of Monarch allows you to draw cards which could be instant-speed interactions. This means that gaining and maintaining Monarch status can contribute to a strategy where you keep mana open for other spells, using your arsenal of cards drawn at the perfect moment.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Palace Sentinels requires a player to have the monarchy, which can be a challenging condition to meet and maintain throughout the game, especially when behind on the board.
Specific Mana Cost: Palace Sentinels demands exactly two white mana in its cost, which can strain mana bases that aren’t heavily skewed towards white, potentially restricting it to mono-white or two-color decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Four mana for a 2/4 creature may be steep, as there are alternatives that could provide more immediate board presence or value for the same or less investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Palace Sentinels offers a unique advantage in being able to transform any deck into a monarchy-centric building, no matter the color scheme. As long as you can protect your monarch status, the consistent card draw can be game-changing.
Combo Potential: As players vie for the crown, Palace Sentinels can work wonders in decks that exploit the monarch mechanic or use creatures and spells that benefit when you draw cards or when various players become the monarch throughout the game.
Meta-Relevance: With decks pivoting to longer, more drawn-out battles of attrition, having Palace Sentinels in your arsenal ensures you’re playing with a card that can sustain your resources and pressure opponents who are unprepared to claim the throne, keeping you ahead in the game.
How to beat
Palace Sentinels may not be the flashiest card in the MTG realm, but it holds its own as a monarchy enabler in the Pauper format. Players often rely on it in control decks to gain card advantage, thereby making it a considerable target to dismantle. Tackling the Sentinels effectively requires a shrewd plan to take back the monarchy and minimize the value it provides to your adversary.
To triumph over this four-cost creature and its implications, employing removal spells swiftly is key. Whether you’re using efficient removal like Lightning Bolt to immediately remove it from play or countering it upon casting with a Spell Pierce, the goal is to prevent your opponent from reaping ongoing benefits. Creatures with haste or evasive abilities also serve to swiftly dethrone an opponent, reclaiming the monarchy and neutralizing the Sentinels’ influence as a result. Infiltrating defenses with unblockable or flying creatures can shift the momentum in your favor.
Understanding that combat and removal are the main avenues to contest Palace Sentinels emphasizes the importance of retaining control over the board. Keeping pace with this strategy will inhibit the card’s long-term advantage, ensuring that it doesn’t become the cornerstone of your opponent’s victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Palace Sentinels MTG card by a specific set like Conspiracy: Take the Crown and Treasure Chest, 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 Palace Sentinels and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- 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 Palace Sentinels Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2016-08-26 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by Aaron Miller.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-08-26 | Conspiracy: Take the Crown | CN2 | 19 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Aaron Miller | |
| 2 | 2016-11-16 | Treasure Chest | PZ2 | 2 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Aaron Miller | |
| 3 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 193 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Aaron Miller | |
| 4 | The List | PLST | CN2-19 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Aaron Miller | ||
| 5 | 2020-11-20 | Commander Legends | CMR | 36 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Aaron Miller | |
| 6 | 2023-08-04 | Commander Masters | CMM | 48 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Aaron Miller |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Palace Sentinels has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Palace Sentinels card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| 2020-11-10 | If combat damage dealt to the monarch causes that player to lose the game, the triggered ability that causes the controller of the attacking creature to become the monarch doesn't resolve. In most cases, the controller of the attacking creature will still become the monarch as it is likely their turn. |
| 2020-11-10 | If the monarch leaves the game during another player's turn, that player becomes the monarch. If the monarch leaves the game during their turn, the next player in turn order becomes the monarch. |
| 2020-11-10 | 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. |
| 2020-11-10 | 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. As a player becomes the monarch, the current monarch (if any) ceases being the monarch. |
| 2020-11-10 | There are two inherent triggered abilities associated with being the monarch. These triggered abilities have no source and are controlled by the player who was the monarch at the time the abilities triggered. The full texts of these abilities are "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." |