The elemental Monarchs first appeared with the release of Zaborg the Thunder Monarch in the Ancient Sanctuary expansion set. Since then, three more Monarchs have been released: Mobius the Frost Monarch, Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch, and most recently, Flaming Eternity’s Granmarg the Rock Monarch.

Each Monarch has a specific effect that activates when the monster is successfully tribute summoned. The activation mechanic is normally easy to explain, but the results of the effects and the unique problems for each Monarch aren’t so easily explained.

This week, we’ll start looking at the Monarchs and try to clear up any confusion about them.

A Common Foe

All four Monarchs share a drawback—you can’t use their effects unless they are tribute summoned successfully. You might be wondering how you tell if a tribute summon is successful. The only way to make a tribute summon unsuccessful is to negate it. This can be accomplished by using cards like Solemn Judgment or Horn of Heaven. However, playing Torrential Tribute, Bottomless Trap Hole, or Trap Hole in response to the summon will not make a summon unsuccessful, because these cards are activated in response to a successful summon.

If a Monarch is summoned in any way other than a tribute summon, the card’s effect isn’t activated. For example, if you were to use Cost Down to reduce a Monarch’s level by 2, it would become a level 4 monster. If you then summoned the Monarch, you would be normal summoning it, because level 4 monsters don’t require tributes. In this situation, you are not performing a tribute summon, so the Monarch’s effect won’t activate. Similarly, if you special summon a Monarch with Premature Burial or Call of the Haunted, the monster’s effect won’t activate. This is because you are special summoning the monster and not tribute summoning it.

Zaborg the Thunder Monarch

Zaborg the Thunder Monarch is the first Monarch and the start of the whole mess. When you successfully tribute summon Zaborg, its effect is activated, and you must choose a monster on the field to be destroyed when the effect resolves. The effect is not optional, so if Zaborg is the only monster on the field when the Monarch is tribute summoned, it will destroy itself.

That’s right—Zaborg will destroy itself, so you’d better make sure that there is something else for the its effect to go after. Keep in mind that the monster that you want to destroy has to be on the field when you tribute summon Zaborg. If you tribute summon Zaborg alone on the field, and then you try to use Call of the Haunted to bring out another monster to be destroyed instead, you will be disappointed. It’s best to use Call of the Haunted before you tribute summon Zaborg, so another monster will be on the field for the Monarch to destroy.

In addition, turning Zaborg face down with Book of Moon isn’t going to stop the Monarch’s effect. Zaborg doesn’t have to remain face up for its effect to resolve, but you’re bound to run into players who will think otherwise.

Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch

Rise of Destiny introduced Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch. While Thestalos hasn’t seen much high-level tournament play, the card still has some players scratching their heads. When Thestalos’s effect resolves, the opponent must randomly discard a card from the hand. If the discarded card is a monster, the opponent takes damage.

Thestalos is the easiest of the Monarchs to understand. One small issue arises when the opponent has no cards in hand. In that situation, the opponent can’t discard anything, so he or she won’t risk taking damage.

You should also know that you can’t use Barrel Behind the Door to counter Thestalos’s effect. The Barrel only works against effects that are certain to inflict damage, but the Monarch’s discard effect isn’t guaranteed to drain life points.

Lastly, no damage will be caused if something prevents the discarded card from reaching the graveyard. If Banisher of the Light is face up on the field when your opponent’s Thestalos is tribute summoned, you won’t take any damage from a discarded monster card. This is because the discarded card has to reach the graveyard to satisfy Thestalos.

As you can see, there isn’t much to worry about with Thestalos. This Monarch shouldn’t give you much trouble.

Granmarg the Rock Monarch

Flaming Eternity introduced the mighty Granmarg, the nemesis of the face-down card. When Granmarg is successfully tribute summoned, one face-down card is marked for destruction. When the effect resolves, the face-down card is destroyed.

This effect gives Granmarg a bit of freedom to be tribute summoned to the field by itself. Even if you tribute to set Granmarg, its effect won’t activate, so you won’t have any problems with the Monarch destroying itself.

The target of Granmarg’s effect must be face down. What does this mean for Granmarg? Well, if the targeted card is turned face up by an effect or because the card is activated in a chain, the target won’t be destroyed by Granmarg’s effect.

Example: Curse that Gravity Bind!

Let’s say that my opponent has a face-down card in the spell and trap zone. I tribute summon Granmarg the Rock Monarch and target my opponent’s face-down card with Granmarg’s effect. In response, my opponent activates the face-down card, which turns out to be Gravity Bind. Because Gravity Bind is face up when Granmarg’s effect resolves, the trap isn’t destroyed.

Granmarg’s effect, like Zaborg’s, isn’t optional. If you tribute summon Granmarg, and you are the only player with a face-down card, the Monarch will mark your card for destruction. If the marked card can be legally activated, you can save the card by activating it in a chain. However, you won’t always be able to do this. If you’re running Granmarg in your deck, it’s a good idea to keep the risks in mind.

Next week, we’ll look at the most complicated of the Monarchs—Mobius the Frost Monarch. Until then, let the Monarchs reign.