Court of Vantress — ruling 1

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.

Court of Vantress — ruling 2

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.

Court of Vantress — ruling 3

Court of Vantress copies the printed values of the enchantment or artifact plus any copy effects that have been applied to it.

Court of Vantress — ruling 4

If Court of Vantress becomes a copy of a token, it copies the original characteristics of that token as defined by the effect that put it onto the battlefield. It won't become a token.

Court of Vantress — ruling 5

If Court of Vantress becomes a copy of an Aura, it's put into its owner's graveyard unless it's somehow attached to an appropriate object or player already. If it becomes a copy of an Equipment and is attached to a creature, it'll become unattached when it becomes a non-Equipment, non-Aura permanent.

Court of Vantress — ruling 6

The copy effect lasts indefinitely. Often, it will last until it is overwritten by another copy effect (if it copies another permanent on a future turn, perhaps).

Court of Vantress — ruling 7

When Court of Vantress becomes a copy of a permanent, it's neither entering nor leaving the battlefield. Any enters-the-battlefield or leaves-the-battlefield abilities won't trigger.

Court of Vantress — ruling 8

If another permanent becomes a copy of Court of Vantress, it will become a copy of whatever Court of Vantress is currently copying (if anything) that also has Court of Vantress's last ability.

Court of Vantress : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Court of Vantress 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, choose up to one other target enchantment or artifact. If you're the monarch, you may create a token that's a copy of it. If you're not the monarch, you may have this enchantment become a copy of it, except it has this ability.

Complete guide

Court of Vantress is a powerful enchantment that cements your rule by granting you the title of the monarch and then doubling down on your most valuable artifacts and enchantments. Whether you are maintaining your crown or seeking to reclaim it, this card ensures your board state evolves every single turn.

Seizing the Crown

When Court of Vantress enters the battlefield, you immediately become the monarch. This grants you an inherent triggered ability: at the beginning of your end step, you draw a card. However, be careful, as any creature that deals combat damage to you will steal this title. Court of Vantress checks your status as the monarch at the beginning of your upkeep to determine how its second ability functions.

Copying Step-by-Step

At the start of your upkeep, the ability triggers and you choose up to one target enchantment or artifact. As the ability resolves, the game checks if you are currently the monarch. If you are, you create a token copy of the target. If you are not the monarch, Court of Vantress itself becomes a copy of that target, but it retains its ability to trigger again on your next upkeep. Note that becoming a copy does not trigger 'enters the battlefield' effects for the Court itself, but creating a token copy will trigger them for that new token.

Common Mistakes

A common point of confusion involves copying Auras or Equipment. If Court of Vantress becomes a copy of an Aura while you aren't the monarch, it will be put into the graveyard unless it is already attached to a legal target. Additionally, if the Court copies a token, it becomes a copy of whatever that token was representing, but the Court itself remains a nontoken permanent. Remember that copy effects only copy the base card; they do not copy counters, temporary power boosts, or status effects like being tapped.

When to Play It

Court of Vantress is best utilized in decks that can defend the monarch status effectively. By staying the monarch, you generate new tokens every turn, allowing you to keep the original Court on the table to continue the engine. It is especially potent when targeting permanents with powerful static effects or triggered abilities that benefit from redundancy.

Interaction examples

Multiplying the Tax

Rhystic Study

With Court of Vantress on the field and you as the monarch, you target Rhystic Study during your upkeep. You create a token copy of Rhystic Study. Now, whenever an opponent casts a spell, they must pay {2} total or you draw two cards (one for each Study).

Building a Fortress

Propaganda

If you have lost the monarch title, you can have Court of Vantress become a copy of Propaganda. Because the Court retains its own ability, if you later reclaim the monarch title, you can start creating tokens of Propaganda every upkeep, making it exponentially more expensive for opponents to attack you.

The Monarch Exchange

The Monarch

If a creature deals combat damage to you, that player becomes the monarch. On your next upkeep, since you are no longer the monarch, Court of Vantress must become a copy of a target rather than creating a token. Once you deal combat damage back to a player to reclaim The Monarch status, your next upkeep will allow you to start creating tokens again.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Court of Vantress

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1September 1, 2023· 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
The Monarch
#2September 1, 2023· 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
The Monarch
#3September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
Court of Vantress copies the printed values of the enchantment or artifact plus any copy effects that have been applied to it.
Card named in this ruling
Copy
#4September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If Court of Vantress becomes a copy of a token, it copies the original characteristics of that token as defined by the effect that put it onto the battlefield. It won't become a token.
Card named in this ruling
Copy
#5September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If Court of Vantress becomes a copy of an Aura, it's put into its owner's graveyard unless it's somehow attached to an appropriate object or player already. If it becomes a copy of an Equipment and is attached to a creature, it'll become unattached when it becomes a non-Equipment, non-Aura permanent.
Card named in this ruling
Copy
#6September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
The copy effect lasts indefinitely. Often, it will last until it is overwritten by another copy effect (if it copies another permanent on a future turn, perhaps).
Card named in this ruling
Copy
#7September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
When Court of Vantress becomes a copy of a permanent, it's neither entering nor leaving the battlefield. Any enters-the-battlefield or leaves-the-battlefield abilities won't trigger.
Card named in this ruling
Copy
#8September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If another permanent becomes a copy of Court of Vantress, it will become a copy of whatever Court of Vantress is currently copying (if anything) that also has Court of Vantress's last ability.
Card named in this ruling
Copy
#9September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
The token copies exactly what was printed on the original permanent and nothing else (unless that permanent is itself copying something else; see below). It doesn't copy whether that permanent is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras attached to it, or any non-copy effects that have changed its power, toughness, types, color, and so on.
Card named in this ruling
Copy
#10September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If the copied permanent is copying something else, then the token enters the battlefield as whatever that permanent copied, with the stated exceptions.
Card named in this ruling
Copy
#11September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If the copied permanent has in its mana cost, X is 0.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#12September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied permanent will trigger when the token enters the battlefield. Any "as [this permanent] enters the battlefield" or "[this permanent] enters the battlefield with" abilities of the permanent will also work.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#13September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
The game starts with no monarch. As a player becomes the monarch, the current monarch (if any) ceases being the monarch. There is never more than one monarch at a time.
Card named in this ruling
The Monarch
#14September 1, 2023· 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
The Monarch
#15September 1, 2023· 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
The Monarch