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Commander Nexus
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  3. Marchesa, the Black Rose

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Marchesa, the Black Rose

Marchesa, the Black Rose

Legendary Creature — Human Wizard

Marchesa wants a deck that keeps making its creatures bigger turn after turn. It also suits a deck that sacrifices its own creatures to drain opponents' life.

  • Mana cost1 genericblueblackred
  • Blue, Black, Red ()
  • Power / toughness3 / 3
  • RarityMythic

Dethrone (Whenever this creature attacks the player with the most life or tied for most life, put a +1/+1 counter on it.)

Other creatures you control have dethrone.

Whenever a creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it dies, return that card to the battlefield under your control at the beginning of the next end step.

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Themes

Cards That Fit Marchesa, the Black Rose

Picked for what they do in Marchesa's deck. When two cards do the same job, the one with the lower comes first. All of them fit Marchesa's color identity.Mana ValueThe total amount of mana a card costs, all added up. A card costing two generic and one green has a mana value of three. Wizards renamed this from "converted mana cost" in 2021, so older cards and articles may still use the old name.Sol RingOpen the full glossary

plan6

The 6 Cards

plan6

The 6 Cards

Rulings for Marchesa, the Black Rose

explain how Marchesa works in tricky situations. They come from Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic.RulingThe official answer to how a card works in a tricky situation. Most rulings are written by Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic, and a few are notes from Scryfall, the card database Magic players use. A ruling explains a card. It does not change what the card says.Open the full glossary

Wizards of the Coast 29 May 2014

If a creature has multiple instances of dethrone, each triggers separately.

Wizards of the Coast 29 May 2014

If Marchesa has a +1/+1 counter on it when it dies, it will return to the battlefield under your control because of its own ability.

Wizards of the Coast 29 May 2014

If the creature card leaves the graveyard before the delayed triggered ability resolves, that card won't return to the battlefield, even if it's back in the graveyard when the delayed triggered ability resolves.

Wizards of the Coast 29 May 2014

In a Two-Headed Giant game, dethrone will trigger if the creature attacks either player on the team with the most life or tied for the most life.

Wizards of the Coast 29 May 2014

Once dethrone triggers, it doesn't matter what happens to the players' life totals before the ability resolves. You'll put a +1/+1 counter on the creature even if the defending player doesn't have the most life as the ability resolves.

Wizards of the Coast 29 May 2014

The +1/+1 counter is put on the creature before blockers are declared.

Wizards of the Coast 28 Jul 2023

Dethrone doesn't trigger if the creature attacks a planeswalker, even if its controller has the most life. The same is true if the creature attacks a battle, even if its protector has the most life.

7 rulings, all written by Wizards of the Coast. Read the originals on Gatherer ↗

Similar Commanders

Commanders that share the most with Marchesa, and what they share.

Color identityEvery color of mana symbol on a card, in its cost and in its rules text. Your commander's color identity sets the limit for your whole deck: every other card has to fit inside it. A deck led by a green and white commander cannot play a card with any blue in its color identity.Open the full glossaryUBRPlayers write colors as letters: U for blue, B for black, R for red. Blue is U because B was already taken by black.+1/+1 Counters+1/+1 counter decks put small markers on their creatures that make each one permanently bigger, and keep adding more every turn. Each +1/+1 counter adds one to a creature's power (the damage it deals) and toughness (the damage it can take).Open the +1/+1 Counters pageCounter EngineAdds +1/+1 counters over and over rather than once. A counter here is a small permanent marker that raises a creature's power and toughness for good. It is not a counterspell, which is a different thing entirely. Something that adds them every turn makes your whole board bigger and keeps it that way. Hardened Scales, Corpsejack MenaceOpen the Counter Engine page+1/+1 CountersPuts +1/+1 counters on creatures, permanently raising their power and toughness. Unlike a temporary boost that wears off at end of turn, these markers stay put and stack up over a long game. Hardened Scales, The Great HengeOpen the +1/+1 Counters pageDeath TriggerTriggers when a creature dies, whether it is this creature, one of yours or an opponent's. These are the cards that pay you in an Aristocrats deck: something else makes creatures die, and these decide what you get each time. Blood Artist, Solemn SimulacrumOpen the Death Trigger pageAristocratsAristocrats decks sacrifice their own creatures on purpose and profit every time one dies, often by draining life from each opponent. A sacrifice outlet, a card that lets you sacrifice whenever you like, decides when that happens.Open the Aristocrats page