Skyline Despot
Skyline Despot: Creature - Dragon, Foundations Commander. Flying. When this creature enters, you become the monarch. Prices and printings on Mana Grove.
- Mana cost
- {5}{R}{R}
- Mana value
- 7
- Type
- Creature - Dragon
- Colour identity
- Red (R)
- Power / toughness
- 5/5
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Set
- Foundations Commander (FDC)
- Released
- 2026-10-02
- Collector number
- 176
- Artist
- Lucas Graciano
- Commander rank
- 3,731 (by how often it appears in Commander decks)
- Keywords
- Flying
Build around this card with Grover
About Skyline Despot
Skyline Despot is a Magic: The Gathering card, an uncommon red creature from Foundations Commander (FDC), released in October 2026. It is collector number 176 in that set, with art by Lucas Graciano. It costs {5}{R}{R} (five generic and two red mana) to cast, for a mana value of 7. It is a 5/5 creature. Its colour identity is red. It is legal in Legacy, Vintage, Commander, Duel Commander and Oathbreaker. It has been printed in 7 sets, from Conspiracy: Take the Crown (2016) to Foundations Commander (2024). The latest aggregated market price for this printing is $0.26 (normal finish, as of 2026-11-02).
Card text
Flying
When this creature enters, you become the monarch.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you're the monarch, create a 5/5 red Dragon creature token with flying.
Market price
Latest aggregated market price for the normal finish of this printing: $0.26 (as of 2026-11-02).
The figure covers this printing only; other printings carry their own price on their own page.
Format legality
Legality of Skyline Despot by format. Formats in which it is not legal are not listed.
| Legacy | Legal |
|---|---|
| Vintage | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Duel Commander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
Other printings of Skyline Despot
Skyline Despot has been printed in 7 sets. The other printings are listed newest first, with the rarity and release year of each.
| Printing | Rarity | Year |
|---|---|---|
| The List (PLST) #CMM-254 | Uncommon | 2026 |
| Secret Lair Drop (SLD) #1529 | Rare | 2025 |
| Commander Masters (CMM) #254 | Uncommon | 2023 |
| Forgotten Realms Commander (AFC) #140 | Rare | 2021 |
| Treasure Chest (PZ2) #28 | Rare | 2016 |
| Conspiracy: Take the Crown (CN2) #57 | Rare | 2016 |
Official rulings
Five official rulings apply to Skyline Despot, newest first.
- Being the monarch carries two inherent triggered abilities. “At the beginning of the monarch's end step, that player draws a card” and “Whenever a creature deals combat damage to the monarch, its controller becomes the monarch.”
- The last ability of Skyline Despot checks to see if you're the monarch as your upkeep begins. If you're not, the ability won't trigger at all. You won't be able to do anything that would make you the monarch during your upkeep in time to have that ability trigger. The ability will also check to see if you're the monarch as it tries to resolve. If you're not the monarch at that time, the ability will have no effect.
- If the triggered ability that causes the monarch to draw a card goes on the stack, and a different player becomes the monarch before that ability resolves, the first player will still draw the card.
- The game starts with no monarch. Once an effect makes one player the monarch, the game will have exactly one monarch from that point forward.
- Abilities that trigger whenever you “become the monarch” trigger only if you aren't already the monarch. For example, if you are already the monarch as Custodi Lich enters the battlefield, its last ability won't trigger.
Similar cards
Other creature cards with a red colour identity, ranked by how often they appear in Commander decks.
In these precons
Skyline Despot is in the decklist of these preconstructed Commander decks.
Mentioned in these guides
These guides mention Skyline Despot.