Shefet Monitor 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
Cycling(
Complete guide
Shefet Monitor is a versatile Lizard from Amonkhet that offers much more than a simple body on the board. Its cycling ability transforms it from a high-mana creature into a powerful tool for mana ramp and deck thinning. By utilizing its unique triggered ability, you can secure your land drops and advance your board state at instant speed.
A Dual-Purpose Powerhouse
While you can cast Shefet Monitor as a 6/5 creature, its true strength lies in its Cycling ability. For the cost of 4 mana and discarding the card, you activate a special sequence that allows you to search your library. Unlike standard cycling, which only draws a card, this Lizard searches for a basic land or a Desert card and puts it directly onto the battlefield.
How the Stack Handles the Search
When you pay the cycling cost, the cycling ability is placed on the stack first. Immediately after, Shefet Monitor's triggered ability is placed on top of it. This means the search happens first: you find your land, put it into play, and shuffle your library. Only after the land search is fully resolved do you proceed to the original cycling ability to draw a card.
Common Misconceptions
It is important to remember that the search and the draw are separate. If an opponent uses an effect to counter the triggered ability, you still get to draw a card from the cycling itself. Additionally, the land you find enters the battlefield untapped unless the specific land card says otherwise, meaning you can often use that mana immediately if you have a way to spend it.
Strategy and Timing
Because cycling is an activated ability, you can use Shefet Monitor at the end of an opponent's turn or in response to spells. This allows you to hold up mana for interaction and then 'ramp' into a land right before your own turn begins, ensuring you stay ahead of the mana curve.
Interaction examples
Avenger of ZendikarIf you have Avenger of Zendikar on the battlefield, you can cycle Shefet Monitor to search for a land. When the land enters, it triggers the Landfall ability of the Avenger, putting a +1/+1 counter on all your Plant tokens. This can be done at instant speed to surprise an opponent during their combat phase.
Seedborn MuseWith Seedborn Muse in play, your lands untap during every opponent's turn. This gives you plenty of mana to cycle Shefet Monitor on an opponent's turn to find a Desert. Not only do you get a new land to use on the next turn, but you also draw a card, all without tapping out on your own turn.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Shefet Monitor
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
When you cycle this card, first the cycling ability goes on the stack, then the triggered ability goes on the stack on top of it. The triggered ability will resolve before you draw a card from the cycling ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
The cycling ability and the triggered ability are separate. If the triggered ability doesn't resolve (because, for example, it has been countered, or all of its targets have become illegal), the cycling ability will still resolve, and you'll draw a card.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Shefet Monitor
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.