Jade Monolith MTG Card


Instantly redirect damage to protect key creatures and maintain a robust board presence in MTG games. Jade Monolith’s activation cost requires strategic mana management without the pressure of discarding cards. This artifact shines in metas dominated by direct damage, offering a sturdy defense and combat flexibility.
Card setsReleased in 15 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeArtifact

Text of card

o1: You may take damage done to any creature on yourself instead, but you must take all of it. Source of damage is unchanged.


Cards like Jade Monolith

Jade Monolith offers a unique form of creature protection in the vast landscape of Magic: The Gathering. It shares some similarities with other protective spells like Safe Passage, which also serves to shield creatures on the battlefield. Yet, Jade Monolith’s key feature allows players to redirect damage from creatures to their life total at any time, providing flexibility that Safe Passage lacks, given that Safe Passage can only be used once and only during your turn.

When looking at Guardian Angel, another card with a similar protective approach, Jade Monolith stands out because of its reusability. Guardian Angel lets players prevent a certain amount of damage for a single turn, while Jade Monolith can be employed multiple times, securing a stronghold throughout the game. Then we have cards like Samite Healer, which straightforwardly prevents damage to creatures or players. Though beneficial, it doesn’t offer the same control over damage distribution as Jade Monolith does, which can be strategically pivotal during gameplay.

From a strategic standpoint, while there are other options in the realm of creature defense, Jade Monolith holds its ground with its ability to be a persistent shield, emphasizing its valiant place among Magic: The Gathering’s protective cards.

Safe Passage - MTG Card versions
Guardian Angel - MTG Card versions
Samite Healer - MTG Card versions
Safe Passage - MTG Card versions
Guardian Angel - MTG Card versions
Samite Healer - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Jade Monolith by color, type and mana cost

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Conservator - MTG Card versions
Jayemdae Tome - MTG Card versions
Juggernaut - MTG Card versions
Dancing Scimitar - MTG Card versions
Grinning Totem - MTG Card versions
Lodestone Myr - MTG Card versions
Krark-Clan Ironworks - MTG Card versions
Ur-Golem's Eye - MTG Card versions
Jester's Cap - MTG Card versions
Bottled Cloister - MTG Card versions
Gnarled Effigy - MTG Card versions
Scrapbasket - MTG Card versions
Magnetic Mine - MTG Card versions
Eye of Doom - MTG Card versions
Well of Lost Dreams - MTG Card versions
Coercive Portal - MTG Card versions
Aetherworks Marvel - MTG Card versions
Nevinyrral's Disk - MTG Card versions
Sword of the Paruns - MTG Card versions
Grappling Hook - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Jade Monolith itself does not directly draw cards or manipulate the library, its value lies in preserving your key creatures on the battlefield. By diverting damage to your own life total, you effectively keep your board state advantage, maintaining pressure and your presence in the game without losing critical pieces.

Resource Acceleration: Although Jade Monolith does not produce mana or tokens, it aids in resource acceleration by saving mana that would otherwise be used to recast important creatures. Its one-time investment safeguards your assets, allowing you to deploy further resources with confidence, knowing that your established board can be protected.

Instant Speed: The beauty of Jade Monolith lies in its ability to be activated at instant speed. This flexibility allows a player to wait until the last possible moment to redirect damage, making it a tactical asset in your arsenal. You can bait opponents into unfavorable attacks or spells, only to pivot the outcome to your life total, conserving your creatures for a substantial counter-attack.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Jade Monolith demands a precise mana investment to activate its ability, requiring a single colorless mana. While this isn’t typically restrictive, it does mean that in mana-tight situations, choosing when to allocate your colorless mana can be crucial and potentially limiting.

Discard Requirement: Despite not having a discard requirement, Jade Monolith does have a protective ability that is reactive by nature. Meaning, its value diminishes if you’re facing a strategy that doesn’t focus on dealing damage through combat or targeted effects where its ability would shine.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an activation cost that doesn’t scale, the high initial mana cost of four colorless mana can be a significant drawback. This investment can be cumbersome early on when developing your board is often more critical, and alternatives might present more immediate benefits or versatility for the same or lesser mana investment.


Reasons to Include Jade Monolith in Your Collection

Versatility: Jade Monolith offers flexible damage redirection, capable of protecting your most valuable creatures from fatal blows regardless of the deck type you run, making it a superb addition to any MTG collection focused on creature-based strategies.

Combo Potential: The card has synergies with abilities that trigger upon damage prevention or targeting creatures you control. Strategically using Jade Monolith can enable complex board states and interactions, significantly impacting your games’ outcomes.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where direct damage spells or combat tricks are prevalent, Jade Monolith steps up as a defensive lynchpin. Having it in your deck can dissuade opponents from executing their removal plans, therefore preserving your board state and giving you an edge in creature-heavy match-ups.


How to Beat Jade Monolith

Jade Monolith is recognized for its defensive capabilities, allowing Magic: The Gathering players to redirect damage from their creatures to themselves. While this may seem daunting to overcome, there are several strategies to counter it. A straightforward method is to target the Monolith directly with artifact destruction cards such as Naturalize or Shatter, effectively removing the threat from the field.

Another tactic is to bypass the Monolith’s effect altogether by using spells that deal damage to the opposing player directly, such as Lightning Bolt or Lava Spike. Additionally, using cards that impose conditions on damage prevention, like Skullcrack, can prevent the Monolith’s ability from activating successfully.

Players can also capitalize on the life loss incurred by the Monolith’s controller. Cards that punish the opponent for losing life or having a high life payment, such as Stigma Lasher or Leyline of Punishment, turn the Monolith’s defensive strength into a potential weakness. By combining these approaches, players can effectively neutralize Jade Monolith’s advantages and keep their offensive pressure unhindered.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Jade Monolith MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Jade Monolith and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Jade Monolith Magic the Gathering card was released in 14 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-08-05Limited Edition AlphaLEA 2521993NormalBlackAnson Maddocks
21993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 2531993NormalBlackAnson Maddocks
31993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 2531993NormalWhiteAnson Maddocks
41993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 2531993NormalBlackAnson Maddocks
51993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 2531993NormalBlackAnson Maddocks
61994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 2551993NormalBlackAnson Maddocks
71994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 2551993NormalWhiteAnson Maddocks
81994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 2551993NormalWhiteAnson Maddocks
91995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 3291993NormalWhiteAnson Maddocks
101995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 3291993NormalBlackAnson Maddocks
111997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 3811997NormalWhiteRichard Kane Ferguson
121999-04-21Classic Sixth Edition6ED 2931997NormalWhiteRichard Kane Ferguson
132011-01-10Masters Edition IVME4 2081997NormalBlackAnson Maddocks
142022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 2492015NormalBlackAnson Maddocks
152022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 5461997NormalBlackAnson Maddocks

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Jade Monolith has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal