Court of Cunning 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
When this enchantment enters, you become the monarch. At the beginning of your upkeep, any number of target players each mill two cards. If you're the monarch, each of those players mills ten cards instead. (To mill a card, a player puts the top card of their library into their graveyard.)
Complete guide
Court of Cunning is a powerful blue enchantment that introduces the Monarch mechanic to your game, rewarding you for maintaining control of the crown. It offers a consistent way to deplete your opponents' libraries while providing the card advantage inherent to being the Monarch. Whether you are aiming for a mill victory or simply seeking extra resources, this card is a centerpiece of control strategies.
Claiming the Crown
When Court of Cunning enters the battlefield, its triggered ability immediately makes you the Monarch. As the Monarch, you gain a special triggered ability that allows you to draw an extra card at the beginning of your end step. However, you must defend your status; if a creature deals combat damage to you, its controller will take the crown, stripping you of the title and its benefits.
The Upkeep Mill Process
At the start of your upkeep, you choose any number of target players to mill cards. The number of cards they mill depends entirely on your status as the Monarch at the moment the ability resolves. If you still hold the crown, each target mills ten cards; if you have lost the crown, they only mill two cards. Because you choose 'any number' of targets, you can target yourself to fill your graveyard or target multiple opponents to pressure their libraries.
Maintaining Momentum
It is a common mistake to think you must be the Monarch when the ability triggers. The check for Monarch status happens during resolution. If you lose the Monarch status after the upkeep ability is put on the stack but before it resolves, the effect will be reduced to two cards. Conversely, if you aren't the Monarch but somehow regain the title before resolution, the targets will mill ten.
Strategy and Timing
Court of Cunning is best played when you have a stable board state to prevent opponents from stealing the crown through combat. Since the mill occurs at your upkeep, you ideally want to survive one full turn cycle as the Monarch to maximize the card's impact. Use your extra card draws from the Monarch status to find defensive spells to protect your lead.
Interaction examples
Court of Cunning
The MonarchYou cast Court of Cunning. When it resolves and enters the battlefield, its first ability triggers, making you the Monarch. You now have the 'The Monarch' status, which means at the beginning of your end step, you will draw a card. If an opponent hits you with a creature, they will take that status from you.
At the start of your next turn's upkeep, Court of Cunning's second ability triggers. You target your opponent. If you are still the Monarch, the ability resolves and the opponent must put the top ten cards of their library into their graveyard. If you had lost the crown earlier to an attacking creature, they would only mill two cards.
In a multiplayer game, you can use Court of Cunning to target all three of your opponents during your upkeep. If you are the Monarch, each of those three players will mill ten cards simultaneously, for a total of thirty cards removed from libraries across the table in a single turn.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Court of Cunning
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
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.
Card named in this ruling
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
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."
Card named in this ruling
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
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.
Card named in this ruling
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
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.
Card named in this ruling
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
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.
Card named in this ruling
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Meta decks with Court of Cunning
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.