Marchesa's Decree
Enchantment
When this enchantment enters, you become the monarch.
Whenever a creature attacks you or a planeswalker you control, that creature's controller loses 1 life.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $0.88
- EDHREC rank
- #7230
Marchesa's Decree puts a tax on every attack directed at you while draining opponents for each creature that dies in combat — two forms of deterrence on a single enchantment. Four mana is a real cost, but Queen Marchesa decks recoup it immediately through the political pressure the card creates at a full table.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Queen Marchesa
Marchesa's Decree is a natural fit for Queen Marchesa's tax-and-punish gameplan — the Monarch mechanic already baits attacks your way, and the Decree turns every one of those swings into a life drain that keeps you healthy enough to hold the crown.
Thantis, the Warweaver
Thantis, the Warweaver forces every creature on the board to attack every turn, which means Marchesa's Decree is draining opponents for combat deaths on a near-continuous loop rather than waiting for opportunistic strikes.
Sygg, River Cutthroat
Marchesa's Decree's life-loss clause is exactly the trigger Sygg, River Cutthroat needs — opponents bleeding three or more life in a turn from combat damage or the Decree's drain will consistently draw you cards with no extra setup required.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Marchesa's Decree is a Commander card through and through — the life drain and attack deterrence only compound in value as the number of opponents and creatures at the table grows. In a four-player game, taxing all three opponents' attackers while punishing every combat death generates enormous incremental advantage that simply doesn't translate to one-on-one formats. It's legal in Legacy and Vintage but sees no meaningful play there; the effect is too slow and too dependent on a crowded board to compete. Oathbreaker is the only other format where the multiplayer math works in its favor, and it's a solid include in any tax-style shell there.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.88 bulk tier
At $0.88, Marchesa's Decree is firmly bulk — an easy pickup that demands no budget consideration. The price is stable; it's a Commander-specific enchantment with a defined home rather than a card with broad crossover appeal that might spike.
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Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.