MTG Salvation

Court of Virtue



2WW
Enchantment

When Court of Virtue enters the battlefield, you become the monarch.

At the beginning of your upkeep, create a 1/1 white Spirit token creature with flying.
If you're the monarch, create a 4/4 white Angel token creature with flying instead.

Looks like another Decent White 4 Drop that is probably playable. Not sure how many cards I want in cube that have monarch. It would probably be fun for a little while to have a monarch sub theme, but it will probably get stale after a while with too many cards like this running around. I suspect that at least 1 or 2 of these in the cycle will have a chance of sticking though.

I like this one. The fact it makes its own 1/1 fliers means it would be easier to win back Monarch should you lose it. Also, it's another playable 'non-creature creature', which is nice for Prowess/spells matter decks and Polymorph effects if supported.

This definitely seems like the best of the cycle so far, and I definitely see it making the cut.

Love it! This is one of the best repeatable card draw effects in white and it plays nicely into its token theme.

I thought at first that Court of Grace would go nicely with a flicker theme, but the timing is actually awkward for Flickerwisp (Court comes back at the beginning of your end step, so it takes the monarch away from your opponent but you have to wait another turn cycle before drawing a card), Yorion (same as Flickerwisp), and Brago (if you dealt combat damage you already are the monarch). Only Felidar Guardian really does the thing you want it to do with Court of Grace.

Also, yay for another great enchantment on the quest to make enchantress happen in Cube!

I think this card is great.
It's an engine that can re-steal the monarch if opponent happens to be able to retake it, and should completely run away with the game if the opponent can't deal take the monarch.

Like all monarch cards it gets better the less combat oriented the cube is... but even in a cube that is more aggressively slanted, I think this will still be decent.

Awsome in a UW midrange pile that can protect the monarch early, and then hopefully draw a counter spell or two once the monarch is established.

Great control card and a token generator for aristocrats and other shenanigans. Very nice.

Great card if you support monarch in your cube.

Also I know wfwlf is working on the polymorph deck which this could maybe be another contributor for?

I wasn't too keen on the Monarch mechanic when Palace Jailer and arguably Custodi Lich were the only cubeable options with the effect. Did not seem worth adding in this minigame over a single card. Now we've got a few additional options that might make it worth the while.

I have some reservations about this card. This doesn't create any bodies until your next upkeep which leaves you pretty vulnerable the turn after you cast it and your first spirit token won't be able to attack to reclaim monarch until turn 6. If you have the board-state to protect yourself and this starts creating Angels, it becomes unbeatable. It's very much a great when you're ahead and subpar when behind kind of card. If anything, I tend to favor tide-turning cards over cards that reward already being ahead.

Quote from BlackWaltz3 »

It's very much a great when you're ahead and subpar when behind kind of card. If anything, I tend to favor tide-turning cards over cards that reward already being ahead.

You seem to be disregarding the monarch card draw effect. You get that right away, so all you need to do is play it when it's tough for your opponent to take it back immediately and you will be in great shape.

You should give Palace Jailer at least a try, that card is amazing if it's the only monarch card in the cube.

Not sure how my post which literally opens with discussion of the monarch mechanic is disregarding monarch?

My point was that this card is a bit of a win-more card. If you have sufficient blockers (which probably means you are already ahead on board) before you resolve this on turn 3-4, you will probably win having gotten 2 cards and a 4/4 angel for 2WW by the end of your next turn (in addition to your other spells) with further value to come for no additional investment. If you draw this later when behind on board or can't drop this on turn 3-4 without losing monarch, the spirit tokens don't make up for giving your opponent additional cards and they can't attack until two turns later meaning your opponent could net multiple cards before you reclaim monarch. In sum, if you're ahead on board this will often close out the game. If you're behind on board this isn't particularly good. I may test this yet, but as stated I have reservations.

I agree that Palace Jailer is extremely good. If I can get even a couple other cubeable monarch cards from this set or a future set, Jailer will go in along with those cards. I want at least a little interaction with Monarch though (besides stealing it via combat damage), I don't want Jailer to be the only cubeable card that grants this ability.

Quote from BlackWaltz3 »

Not sure how my post which literally opens with discussion of the monarch mechanic is disregarding monarch?

My point was that this card is a bit of a win-more card. If you have sufficient blockers (which probably means you are already ahead on board) before you resolve this on turn 3-4, you will probably win having gotten 2 cards and a 4/4 angel for 2WW by the end of your next turn (in addition to your other spells) with further value to come for no additional investment. If you draw this later when behind on board or can't drop this on turn 3-4 without losing monarch, the spirit tokens don't make up for giving your opponent additional cards and they can't attack until two turns later meaning your opponent could net multiple cards before you reclaim monarch. In sum, if you're ahead on board this will often close out the game. If you're behind on board this isn't particularly good. I may test this yet, but as stated I have reservations.

I agree that Palace Jailer is extremely good. If I can get even a couple other cubeable monarch cards from this set or a future set, Jailer will go in along with those cards. I want at least a little interaction with Monarch though (besides stealing it via combat damage), I don't want Jailer to be the only cubeable card that grants this ability.

I think the issue is assuming that "sufficient blockers" = "ahead on board". If your opponent has a pair of 3/3's, and you've got 2 2/1's, you're definitely not "ahead on board"... but you do have enough blockers to hold onto the monarchy for a turn, and start outclassing their dudes with angels. There's going to be a lot of situations where this can turn one turn of chump blocking into a tide of advantage that keeps it from being relegated entirely to "win more".

This card feels absolutely busted to me. Palace Jailer is amazing and this seems about on par.

Maybe I'm somehow overrating it...but I don't think so...I think this will be oppressively good.

Top 10 white card in cube.

It'll sound blasphemous but I might cut Elspeth, Knight-Errant for this. Either that or Day of Judgment.

This card looks like it'll be pretty strong. Good in token decks that can protect Monarch well, good in Moat decks since all the threats are fliers, and it grinds out both card advantage and board presence. This is a great midrange card against control, and I'm always looking to add in more cards that meet that description. I'll be trying to find room for this I think.

To be clear, I didn't state that having sufficient blockers means you are ahead on board - I qualified my statement about having sufficient blockers saying it probably, but not absolutely, means you are ahead on board. The general point I was making is identical to what you said afterwards. I agree with you that this card probably shouldn't be characterized as a "win more" card in that sense.

Ultimately, the card is very polar - if the board state is such that you can protect this for even one turn there is a strong likelihood you win that game, if you lose the monarch though this card gets much worse for you. As someone who advocates for the role of Baneslayer type creatures and the "do they have removal or not" tensions they create, I suppose I should like this card with its similar "answer it (via removal or stealing the monarch) or lose" implications.

OMG THIS IS INSANE!

What's nice is if you lose the monarch, you could get flyers to regain it. This is absolutely perfect for white-aggro.

Whats nice is cards like Fliperwisp, Felidar Guardian or Yorin could reset the enchantment to regain the monarch.

I think this card is one of the better white card for cube, like ever. Any testing so far?

Decent in testing so far. It's a great anti-control card, as expected.

Quote from IMorphling89 »

It'll sound blasphemous but I might cut Elspeth, Knight-Errant for this.

Seems to me like OG Elspeth's time is done. This card does a good job eclipsing her.

I agree with steve_man: Elspeth is the best white walker. Even if Court of Virtue ends up being better, which I doubt it will, I'll cut something other than Elspeth.

Cheers,
rant

So far, Court has not been close to being better than OG Elspeth. It's early, but my gut says that swap would be very wrong.

Quote from wtwlf123 »

So far, Court has not been close to being better than OG Elspeth. It's early, but my gut says that swap would be very wrong.

I ended up cutting Emeria's Call instead of Elspeth for this card.
Not as clean of a cut and white is a bit overloaded with 4s...but from a power level perspective that cut ended up making more sense to me.

Hot take alert! Our group feels that OG Elspeth is getting quickly outdated. She’s still in our Cube primarily because of the Humility archetype we’re pushing, but I’d include both this enchantment and Emeria’s Call as generically good cards over OG Elspeth.