Queen Marchesa 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
Deathtouch, haste When Queen Marchesa enters, you become the monarch. At the beginning of your upkeep, if an opponent is the monarch, create a 1/1 black Assassin creature token with deathtouch and haste.
Complete guide
Long may she reign! Queen Marchesa is the ultimate political powerhouse in Commander, introducing the Monarch mechanic to the table the moment she arrives. She is designed to reclaim her throne through a steady stream of deadly Assassins if anyone dares to take her crown.
Claiming the Throne
When Queen Marchesa enters the battlefield, you immediately become the monarch. This is a triggered ability that happens once. Being the monarch grants you a special triggered ability: at the beginning of your end step, you draw a card. However, be careful—if a creature deals combat damage to you, that creature's controller becomes the monarch instead.
The Assassin Contingency
Queen Marchesa's second ability is an 'intervening if' clause. At the start of your upkeep, the game checks if an opponent is the monarch. If you are the monarch, or if there is no monarch, the ability does not trigger at all. If an opponent is the monarch, the ability goes on the stack and checks again upon resolution. If the condition is still met, you create a 1/1 black Assassin creature token with deathtouch and haste.
Strategic Timing
Because your Assassin tokens have haste and deathtouch, they are the perfect tools for taking back the monarch status immediately. You don't need to wait a turn to attack with them. Since the monarch draws a card at the end step, your goal is to use these Assassins to deal combat damage to the current monarch during your combat phase so you can reap the card draw reward yourself.
Interaction examples
The MonarchYou cast Queen Marchesa while the board is empty. Her ETB ability triggers, making you The Monarch. At your end step, the monarch's inherent ability triggers, and you draw a card. On the following turn, an opponent hits you with a creature; they become the monarch. At the start of your next upkeep, Marchesa sees an opponent is the monarch and creates an Assassin token to help you win it back.
Roaming ThroneWith Roaming Throne on the battlefield (naming Human or Assassin), Queen Marchesa's abilities trigger twice. When she enters, you become the monarch twice (which has no additional effect beyond the first). However, during your upkeep, if an opponent is the monarch, Roaming Throne causes Marchesa to trigger twice, granting you two 1/1 Assassin tokens instead of one.
Solemn SimulacrumAn opponent attacks you with Solemn Simulacrum to try and take the monarch title. Because Queen Marchesa has deathtouch, she can block and destroy the Golem regardless of its toughness. While the opponent will draw a card from the Golem's death trigger, they fail to deal combat damage to you, meaning you remain the monarch and keep your end-step card draw.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Queen Marchesa
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
The last ability of Queen Marchesa (long may she reign) checks to see if an opponent is the monarch as your upkeep begins. If no opponent is the monarch, Queen Marchesa's (long may she reign) ability won't trigger at all. Queen Marchesa's (long may she reign) ability will also check to see if an opponent is the monarch as it tries to resolve. If no opponent is the monarch at that time, Queen Marchesa's (long may she reign) ability will have no effect.
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- #2· 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.
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- #3· Wizards of the Coast
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."
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- #4· Wizards of the Coast
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.
Card named in this ruling
- #5· 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.
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