Palace Jailer 2WW Palace Jailer
Creature - Human Soldier (U)
When - enters the battlefield, you become the monarch.
When - enters the battlefield, exile target creature an opponent controls until an opponent becomes the monarch.
2/2
I think this might be playable as a replacement for Demon Slayer. The only thing that bothers me is the 4CMC.
A very match up dependant card. Probably best as an aggro curve topper helping you squeeze out the last few points of life from your opponent. I don't think it makes mature cubes until they are very large, but I would draft it in Peasant cubes and wouldn't scoff at it in a newly built cube either.
Stacked slot is stacked. Other than that, this effect seems too slow: Nekrataal and Skinrender are great because their effects are permanent and can be re-used and abused. I like Fiend Hunter more as a removal on a stick since being a 1/3 allows him to actually not die to everything. Quarantine Field is also more versatile than this since it can take out more than one type of permanent and can act as a nice mana sink in a control deck.
It's a good limited card, but it's massively overshadowed in cube.
The cool part of this card is that it does not matter if the creature dies. I think this card is going to be underrated because people naturally want to compare it to Banisher Priest. In a deck where you can maintain monarch status this card gives you a 2/2, exile creature, and one-sided howling mine for 2WW. I could see this being a pretty sick curve-topper in an aggro deck.
The cool part of this card is that it does not matter if the creature dies.
Dies vs monarch clause seems about equal consequence to me, and the other playable monarch cards at least have teeth to trade with big butt creatures. Also, the other monarch cards are slotted in probably the two softest creature slots in the cube, 5-cmc black and 6-cmc green where this competes in one of the most stacked slots; in my cube this just doesn't stack up and I'm not even running Moat.
Overall, I like Citadel Siege more than this card since it has options and is hard to deal with since it's an enchantment. It's also one of the few things that can neutralize an offensive AEtherling.
Granted I have not tried this yet, but it seems way more difficult to grab monarch against this than it is to kill a 2/2. This card removes one of their creatures which is a natural synergy with maintaining monarch, and you are also probably playing this in a deck where you are flooding the board with bodies turns 1-3. Also it doesn't need to be sized to kill a big creature because its ability exiles the opponent's largest creature if you need it to.
The power level of this card is much higher than Citadel Siege - it cantrips at minimum (but is probably a Phyrexian Arena in the right deck/matchup), exiles a creature, and gives you a body vs a 4-mana Icy Manipulator on one creature each turn.
I'll agree that the ceiling of Palace Jailer is probably higher than Citadel Siege, but A.) I don't think it's THAT much higher and B.) The average / floor is significantly lower. Citadel Siege is much harder to deal, can switch its target whenever it wants, and has a higher damage output with the +1/+1 counter mode. Also, it triggers every opponent's combat so its much more useful in multiplayer for those that play it.
Okay, this is the white 4 drop monarch dude to consider. It's obviously really strong if you get there, and it helps you keep monarch very well by exiling and blocking at 4 cmc, so I wouldn't be shocked if it tests well for us.
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I primarily play limited, so most of my spoiler season comments view cards through that lens.
For the people that have been testing this, how has Palace Jailer been for you? Monarch has proven to be pretty powerful, and since this exiles a creature when it comes down, it can make it hard for the opponent to take it from you right away...
Too early to tell, but this is only solid in aggro. It is not as good in midrange as I have hoped because in many board states taking the crown and creature back is rather easy. When that creature has an ETB effect it can be quite a comeback. In an aggro deck, removing a blocker, adding a body and drawing a card is hard to beat. Even if they hit you with a manland or something later, you do not care as much - the tempo gain is easily worth the mana for you.
Vehicles could make this card significantly weaker.
I was thinking that it can reset itself with blink effects and stuff if you lose monarch (and therefore the exiled creature) at some point. And being able to tutor for this kind of effect now (thanks to Recruiter of the Guard) this might be a thing. I may give it a spin in an upcoming update.
I had this in a WB aggro deck yesterday. With Recruiter of the Guard and Flickerwisp (though the latter one was never drawn in the same game). My findings of that evening are mostly negative. Palace Jailer is good when you are ahead, but is super risky or even downright terrible when you are not. Half the time where I was happy to play him, the Monarch part didn't matter at all, since I won the game in that very turn. A Goblin Shortcutter would have pretty much had the same effect in those games. In the situations where I wasn't at least equal on board and/or my opponent still had a high life total, the Monarch ability was a liability. Not only did my opponent get their creature back more easily than it would have been the case if Jailer where a Banisher Priest, they also got to draw at least as many cards with Monarch as I did.
And while Regal Behemoth and Custodi Lich turn back on once you reclaim the Monarch, Palace Jailer's bonus is gone for good the moment you lose Monarch.
At this point, I will probably cut this guy for Cataclysmic Gearhulk, because he was pretty disappointing.
I'm going to test this guy in cube, I think. I've been playing it a ton in legacy and it's quite strong. My buddy with a pauper cube actually cut it for being too strong.
The card is swingy and white four drops are competitive, so I can see it not making the cut in small cubes. I still like it however - it creates dynamic game states and can relatively easily put you over the top, like most monarch cards. Plus it is white card draw.
I'm going to test this guy in cube, I think. I've been playing it a ton in legacy and it's quite strong. My buddy with a pauper cube actually cut it for being too strong.
Well it is an uncommon so that makes sense
Also what deck in legacy plays it? Death and Taxes?
Just to check something, if he dies or I flicker him does the game forget about the "until an opponent becomes the monarch" clause? I scanned the thread and couldn't see an answer, sorry if its s silly question but I always forget how the game handles memory issues like this.
He seem a lot more solid that I first though if bouncing him exiles the creature forever.
Palace Jailer
Creature - Human Soldier (U)
When - enters the battlefield, you become the monarch.
When - enters the battlefield, exile target creature an opponent controls until an opponent becomes the monarch.
2/2
I think this might be playable as a replacement for Demon Slayer. The only thing that bothers me is the 4CMC.
Thoughts?
http://cubetutor.com/cubeblog/993
http://www.cubetutor.com/cubeblog/23690
It's a good limited card, but it's massively overshadowed in cube.
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Dies vs monarch clause seems about equal consequence to me, and the other playable monarch cards at least have teeth to trade with big butt creatures. Also, the other monarch cards are slotted in probably the two softest creature slots in the cube, 5-cmc black and 6-cmc green where this competes in one of the most stacked slots; in my cube this just doesn't stack up and I'm not even running Moat.
Overall, I like Citadel Siege more than this card since it has options and is hard to deal with since it's an enchantment. It's also one of the few things that can neutralize an offensive AEtherling.
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The power level of this card is much higher than Citadel Siege - it cantrips at minimum (but is probably a Phyrexian Arena in the right deck/matchup), exiles a creature, and gives you a body vs a 4-mana Icy Manipulator on one creature each turn.
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Plus, there is this whole "white 4-drop" problem.
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Vehicles could make this card significantly weaker.
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And while Regal Behemoth and Custodi Lich turn back on once you reclaim the Monarch, Palace Jailer's bonus is gone for good the moment you lose Monarch.
At this point, I will probably cut this guy for Cataclysmic Gearhulk, because he was pretty disappointing.
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Well it is an uncommon so that makes sense
Also what deck in legacy plays it? Death and Taxes?
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Yep.
White 4s are so competitive in cube though... :/
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He seem a lot more solid that I first though if bouncing him exiles the creature forever.
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