Emberwilde Captain 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 creature enters, you become the monarch. Whenever an opponent attacks you while you're the monarch, this creature deals damage to that player equal to the number of cards in their hand.
Complete guide
Claiming the throne in a game of Magic is a powerful move, but defending it is where the real challenge lies. Emberwilde Captain is a fiery Djinn Pirate that not only grants you the crown but punishes anyone bold enough to try and take it by force.
Taking the Crown
When Emberwilde Captain enters the battlefield, you become the monarch. This introduces a special game state where you draw an extra card at the beginning of your end step. However, if a creature deals combat damage to you, its controller becomes the monarch instead. The Captain ensures that this exchange of power comes at a steep price in life points.
Punishing the Aggressor
The Captain's second ability triggers whenever an opponent attacks you, provided you are the monarch at the moment they declare attackers. Note that this trigger only happens if they attack you specifically; attacking a planeswalker you control will not trigger the damage. The damage dealt is equal to the number of cards currently in that opponent's hand as the ability resolves.
Timing and Resolution
The damage trigger goes on the stack during the Declare Attackers step, before any blockers are chosen or combat damage is dealt. If an opponent manages to take the monarch status away from you later in that same combat, or even if they become the monarch while the Captain's ability is still on the stack, they will still take the damage. The ability only checks if you were the monarch at the moment the attack was declared.
Strategic Considerations
The Captain triggers once per opponent per combat. It doesn't matter if they attack with one creature or twenty; they take damage based on their hand size once. This makes the card particularly effective against control players who keep many cards in hand but try to chip away at your life total with small utility creatures.
Interaction examples
Emberwilde Captain
Solemn SimulacrumYou control Emberwilde Captain and are currently the monarch. Your opponent attacks you with a Solemn Simulacrum while they have five cards in their hand. Emberwilde Captain's ability triggers immediately. Before blockers are even declared, the Captain deals 5 damage to your opponent. If the Simulacrum later deals combat damage to you, your opponent will then become the monarch.
Roaming ThroneYou have Roaming Throne on the battlefield with 'Pirate' chosen as the creature type. When you play Emberwilde Captain, you become the monarch. If an opponent attacks you, Emberwilde Captain's ability triggers. Because of Roaming Throne, it triggers an additional time. If the opponent has 4 cards in hand, they will be dealt 4 damage twice, for a total of 8 damage, before the combat phase even proceeds to blockers.
The MonarchYou play Emberwilde Captain and gain The Monarch status. You pass the turn. At the beginning of your end step, the triggered ability from being the monarch goes on the stack. Even if an opponent uses an instant-speed effect to take the monarch status away from you while that draw ability is on the stack, you will still draw your card when the ability resolves.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Emberwilde Captain
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Emberwilde Captain's last ability triggers once for each player who attacks you, no matter how many creatures they attack with beyond the first.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Emberwilde Captain's last ability won't trigger if an opponent attacks only planeswalkers you control and not you.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If another player becomes the monarch after Emberwilde Captain's last ability triggers but before it resolves, the ability will resolve as normal. The player who attacked you will be dealt damage, even if that player was the one who became the monarch.
Card named in this ruling
- #4· 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
- #5· 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
- #6· 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
- #7· 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
- #8· 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 Emberwilde Captain
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.