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Protector of the Crown
Creature — Giant Soldier
rare
When this creature enters, you become the monarch. All damage that would be dealt to you is dealt to this creature instead.
2/5
Semantic Tags
Triggers when a creature or permanent enters the battlefield. Prime blink targets.
Monarch mechanic — becoming and keeping the monarch for card advantage.
Monarch mechanic — becoming and keeping the monarch for card advantage.
A card or token on the battlefield. See rule 110, “Permanents.”
Format Legality
Price history
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Printings (2)
| Set | Rarity | TCGplayer | Card Kingdom | Cardmarket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treasure Chest#8 | rare | · | · | · |
| Conspiracy: Take the Crown#21 | rare | · | · | · |
Related Rules
If an ability would produce one or more mana of an undefined type, it produces no mana instead.
Some abilities produce mana based on the type of mana another permanent or permanents “could produce.” The type of mana a permanent could produce at any time includes any type of mana that an ability of that permanent would produce if the ability were to resolve at that time, taking into account any applicable replacement effects in any possible order. Ignore whether any costs of the ability could or could not be paid. If that permanent wouldn’t produce any mana under these conditions, or no type of mana can be defined this way, there’s no type of mana it could produce.
To “tap [a permanent] for mana” is to activate a mana ability of that permanent that includes the {T} symbol in its activation cost. See rule 605, “Mana Abilities.”
An ability that triggers whenever a permanent “is tapped for mana” or is tapped for mana of a specified type triggers whenever such a mana ability resolves and produces mana or the specified type of mana.
A replacement effect that applies if a permanent “is tapped for mana” or tapped for mana of a specific type and/or amount modifies the mana production event while such an ability is resolving and producing mana or the specified type and/or amount of mana.
If an object’s enters-the-battlefield triggered ability or replacement effect refers to X, and the spell that became that object as it resolved had a value of X chosen for any of its costs, the value of X for that ability is the same as the value of X for that spell, although the value of X for that permanent is 0. This is an exception to rule 107.3i.
The tap symbol is {T}. The tap symbol in an activation cost means “Tap this permanent.” A permanent that’s already tapped can’t be tapped again to pay the cost. A creature’s activated ability with the tap symbol in its activation cost can’t be activated unless the creature has been under its controller’s control continuously since their most recent turn began. See rule 302.6.
The untap symbol is {Q}. The untap symbol in an activation cost means “Untap this permanent.” A permanent that’s already untapped can’t be untapped again to pay the cost. A creature’s activated ability with the untap symbol in its activation cost can’t be activated unless the creature has been under its controller’s control continuously since their most recent turn began. See rule 302.6.
Rulings
Protector of the Crown's last ability doesn't depend on you being the monarch. It will create a redirection effect even if an opponent is the monarch.
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.
If you control more than one Protector of the Crown, you choose which redirection effect to apply. You can't divide damage dealt by one source. For example, if an attacking creature would deal 6 damage to you and you control two Protectors of the Crown, you may have that damage dealt to either of the Protectors. You can't have 3 damage dealt to each one.
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.
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."
Applying this redirection effect doesn't change whether the damage is combat damage.
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.