Atarka Monument is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
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Complete guide
Atarka Monument is a versatile mana rock from the Dragons of Tarkir era that provides both acceleration and a late-game threat. While it usually sits quietly on your board providing mana, it can transform into a fearsome Dragon when you have resources to spare. Understanding the timing of this transformation is key to catching your opponents off guard.
Dual Utility: Mana and Muscle
At its core, Atarka Monument is a noncreature artifact that taps for either Red or Green mana. For a six-mana investment, it becomes a 4/4 red and green Dragon artifact creature with flying until the end of the turn. This transformation doesn't remove its mana ability, meaning it can still be tapped for mana even while it is a creature, provided it doesn't have summoning sickness.
The Transformation Process
When you activate the last ability, the Monument undergoes a type change. It retains its 'Artifact' type but gains 'Creature' and the subtype 'Dragon.' It also gains the colors Red and Green for the duration of the effect. If the Monument is already a creature and you activate the ability again, it will reset its base power and toughness to 4/4, overriding previous setting effects but keeping modifiers like +1/+1 counters.
Summoning Sickness and Timing
A common mistake is trying to attack with the Monument the same turn it is played. Even though it starts as a noncreature artifact, the 'summoning sickness' rule applies to any permanent that is currently a creature if you haven't controlled it since the start of your most recent turn. Additionally, any +1/+1 counters placed on it while it is a creature stay on it when it reverts to an artifact, though they do nothing until it becomes a creature again.
When to Activate
The best time to activate Atarka Monument is usually during your combat phase to attack, or during an opponent's turn to provide a surprise 4/4 flyer for blocking. Since it is an artifact, it is susceptible to both artifact destruction and creature removal once transformed, so keep mana open to protect it if necessary.
Interaction examples
Swiftfoot BootsIf you cast Atarka Monument and then equip it with Swiftfoot Boots, it gains hexproof but haste does nothing yet because it isn't a creature. However, once you spend six mana to turn the Monument into a Dragon, the Boots grant that creature Haste. This allows you to attack with the 4/4 Dragon immediately on the turn the Monument was played.
Arcane SignetIn a Commander game, you can use Arcane Signet and Atarka Monument together to ramp your mana. If you have both on the field, you can tap Arcane Signet for mana to help pay the activation cost of Atarka Monument. Once the Monument is a creature, you can even tap the Monument itself to help pay for other spells, provided you have controlled the Monument since the start of your turn.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Atarka Monument
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
A Monument can't attack on the turn it enters the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Each Monument is colorless, although the last ability will make each of them two colors until end of turn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If a Monument has any +1/+1 counters on it, those counters will remain on the permanent after it stops being a creature. Those counters will have no effect as long as the Monument isn't a creature, but they will apply again if the Monument later becomes a creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Activating the last ability of a Monument while it's already a creature will override any effects that set its power or toughness to a specific value. Effects that modify power or toughness without directly setting them to a specific value will continue to apply.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Atarka Monument
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