Palace Jailer (CMM)

Palace Jailer
Casting Cost: {2}{W}{W}
Card Type: Creature - Human Soldier
Power/Toughness: 2/2
Card Text:
When Palace Jailer enters the battlefield, you become the monarch.
When Palace Jailer enters the battlefield, exile target creature an opponent controls until an opponent becomes the monarch.
Artist: David Palumbo

Palace Jailer is a white creature card with a multifaceted effect on the battlefield. At a casting cost of {2}{W}{W}, you get a 2/2 Human Soldier which might seem standard, but its abilities are what truly set it apart.

Upon its entrance to the battlefield, you immediately become the monarch. The monarch mechanic introduces an additional layer of strategy to the game. As the monarch, you get the benefit of drawing an additional card at the beginning of your end step. However, the title of the monarch can be taken from you if an opponent deals combat damage to you.

Additionally, when Palace Jailer enters the battlefield, you get to exile a target creature an opponent controls. This can remove a significant threat or obstacle from the game, at least temporarily. The creature remains in exile for as long as you are the monarch. If an opponent manages to reclaim the title from you, the exiled creature returns to the battlefield, re-energizing your opponent's offensive or defensive capabilities.

David Palumbo's artwork likely encapsulates the theme and function of this card. One can imagine a stern, regal jailer, keys dangling at his side, ushering a captured foe into a secluded, palace dungeon. The backdrop might be the grandeur of the palace, reminding players of the card's monarch mechanic and the prestige (and target) it places on the controller. The juxtaposition of power and responsibility is at the heart of this card, and Palumbo's rich, realistic style would surely convey this in a visually compelling manner.