The last ability of Throne Warden checks to see if you're the monarch as your end step 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 end step 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.
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."
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.
This printing is one of 3 catalogued treatments from PZ2 — the lineup includes Foil and Nonfoil alongside the standard finish. Across our catalog the Rarix library tracks every variant in the same family so collectors can compare price, scarcity and demand inside a single lineage.
This card belongs to *Treasure Chest* (released November 2016).
Card #1 in Treasure Chest.
Rarity tier: common. Commons fill the bulk of a booster pack's volume.
Card type: Creature — Human Soldier. Color identity: white. Mana cost: {1}{W} (2 converted).
Legal in Legacy, Vintage, Commander, and Pauper.
EDHrec ranks this card #17,578 in Commander, putting it in the fringe-play tier of the format's playable pool.
Illustrated by Chris Rallis. Rarix tracks 691 other cards credited to this artist across the catalog — browse the full gallery to see the body of work.
Magic: The Gathering · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast · Illus. Chris Rallis
Card data via Scryfall. Rarix is fan-made; not endorsed by the rights holders.
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.
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.
