Keeper of Keys MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Rogue Mutant
Power 4
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Grants card advantage and strengthens game position by bestowing monarch status for extra draws.
  2. Boosts resource acceleration, offering more strategic options and a competitive edge in games.
  3. Complements strategies with instant speed interaction, adding depth to gameplay and control.

Text of card

When Keeper of Keys enters the battlefield, you become the monarch. At the beginning of your upkeep, if you're the monarch, creatures you control can't be blocked this turn.

For the right price, he'll unlock your path to the throne.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Keeper of Keys not only promotes strategic hand management but also rewards players with the monarch mechanic, providing an extra card draw at the end of their turn. This consistent card advantage can be a game-changer, allowing you to keep the pressure on your opponents with a steady flow of resources.

Resource Acceleration: Once you become the monarch after playing Keeper of Keys, your position in the game accelerates. Not only do you have the benefit of extra draws, but maintaining the crown can lead to a surplus of options and plays, thus developing your onboard presence and giving you the necessary edge to outpace your adversaries.

Instant Speed: While Keeper of Keys itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it perfectly complements a strategy that does. By encouraging opponents to commit resources to dethroning you, it opens opportunities to capitalize on their end-of-turn with instant speed interaction, helping maintain control of the game state and secure your rule as monarch for potentially game-winning advantage.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Keeper of Keys demands that players discard a card which can hamper your hand resources, particularly in tight match-ups where each card in hand could pivot the game’s outcome.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost necessitates a mix of blue and generic mana, potentially making it a challenging card to utilize efficiently outside of dedicated blue or specific multicolor decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Boasting a mana value on the higher side, the card may compete for a spot with other high-impact cards in the same cost bracket which could potentially offer immediate board presence or game-changing effects without the discard downside.


Reasons to Include Keeper of Keys in Your Collection

Versatility: Keeper of Keys offers diverse advantages beyond being just a creature card. With its ability to grant you the monarch status, it can easily slide into any blue-based control or midrange deck craving consistent card draw.

Combo Potential: When you become the monarch, the card provides additional value each turn. Moreover, its hidden role as a game-changer in multiplayer formats, where it can alter the flow of the game, opens up avenues for numerous creative deck-building strategies and combos.

Meta-Relevance: Given its unique interaction with the monarch mechanic, Keeper of Keys commands a special role in games, especially if the current environment favors longer, grindy match-ups where incremental advantages lead to victory. It’s a savvy pick for players looking to exploit this aspect of the game.


How to beat

Keeper of Keys is a unique card that adds an engaging twist to Magic: The Gathering games. Being the monarch can offer a considerable advantage due to the extra card draw it provides at the end of your turn. Therefore, figuring out how to tackle this card is crucial for maintaining control of the game.

One effective strategy is to focus on creature removal spells to deal with Keeper of Keys directly. By keeping your opponent’s board clear, you minimize the chances of them declaring themselves the monarch. Another method is to prioritize cards that block or redirect damage to protect yourself from losing the monarch status. Your goal should be to outpace your opponent in card advantage, utilizing efficient draw spells or creatures that can keep attacking each turn to reclaim the monarchy if lost.

It’s also prudent to include cards in your deck that can counteract becoming the monarch, such as instant-speed spells that can be cast right after the Keeper of Keys activation. By understanding the role this card plays in your opponent’s strategy and preparing your deck accordingly, you’ll stand a much better chance of neutralizing the threat and taking the victory for yourself.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG gameplay involves strategy and knowing unique card intricacies like those offered by Keeper of Keys. With its ability to crown you as the monarch, it becomes a pivotal card for gaining card advantage and steering the flow of the game. Whether you’re eyeing enriched deck versatility or looking to capitalize on combo potentials in multiplayer formats, including Keeper of Keys in your collection might just be your gateway to gaining that edge over your opponents. Dive deeper into the mechanics of this enthralling card and refine your deck-building skills with us. Let’s elevate your MTG experience together—learn more with BurnMana.


Cards like Keeper of Keys

Keeper of Keys brings a unique presence to the table in Magic: The Gathering as part of the conspiracy card type. It holds similarities to cards like Edric, Spymaster of Trest, which also encourages attacks by rewarding the player with extra card draws. However, Keeper of Keys offers the additional boon of becoming the monarch, which can secure an ongoing advantage of drawing extra cards at the end of your turn.

Another analog is Thada Adel, Acquisitor, which delves into acquiring resources but through a different route—exiling cards from an opponent’s deck when it deals combat damage. Although not directly offering card draw, Thada Adel opens up strategic card advantage by potentially accessing your opponent’s resources. Like Keeper of Keys, Thada Adel also presents a form of evasion, though through islandwalk as opposed to being unblockable once you’re the monarch.

By examining the dynamics these cards introduce into the game, Keeper of Keys distinguishes itself not just as a creature that can influence combat but as a means to maintain card advantage and a position of power by making you the monarch—a role that your opponents will want to usurp if they can.

Edric, Spymaster of Trest - MTG Card versions
Thada Adel, Acquisitor - MTG Card versions
Edric, Spymaster of Trest - Commander 2011 (CMD)
Thada Adel, Acquisitor - Worldwake (WWK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Keeper of Keys 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 Keeper of Keys and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Keeper of Keys Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-08-26 and 2016-11-16. Illustrated by Bastien L. Deharme.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-08-26Conspiracy: Take the CrownCN2 342015normalblackBastien L. Deharme
22016-11-16Treasure ChestPZ2 152015normalblackBastien L. Deharme

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Keeper of Keys has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Keeper of Keys 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 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 Keeper of Keys checks to see if you’re the monarch as your upkeep begins. If you’re not, the ability won’t trigger at all. You won’t be able to do anything that would make you the monarch during your upkeep in time to have that ability trigger. The ability will also check to see if you’re the monarch as it tries to resolve. If you’re not the monarch at that time, the ability will have no effect.
2016-08-23 The last ability of Keeper of Keys will affect all creatures you control that turn, even if they weren’t on the battlefield or weren’t creatures as the ability resolved.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks