Suitable for royalty, Monarchs are an exquisite new deck of playing cards produced by Theory11 and printed by the US Playing Card Company. Influenced by royal crests and heraldic symbols, the back design depicts serpents twisting around the evolution of sword and tree. Guiding the edges are the words, "de duobus malis, minus est semper eligenoum."
Imported heavyweight paper with gold foil embossing encompass the box design for a luxurious effect and timeless aesthetic. The cards themselves are printed on the same high-end press with a premium stock and finish as our own cards, which we believe to be of the highest quality.
Reviews (12)
By James 12:58 PM 2/19/12
5/5
What I love about the Monarchs is that the are absolutely beautiful. The have a middle eastern, African characteristic about them. Box is gorgeous and cards handle perfectly. These feel like that they have a balance between cardistry and magic so they can be used for both. it isn't just strictly XCM. So the best of both worlds. Pick these up if you want to add some class to your routines. 5 stars!
By Robin 12:07 PM 2/18/12
5/5
Feel: The feel is where the Monarchs excel. This is where the hype comes from and where Theory 11 actually did raise the bar. They sport a Premium 909 Air Cushion Finish. You can feel a difference in the finish; the cards are noticeably smoother compared to Bee Stingers, Bicycle Titanium, etc. They feel absolutely fantastic. They day I got the Monarchs in the mail I worked with them for nearly two hours straight. When I fanned the cards after that much intensive use, there was no clumping in sight. The Monarch deck still spread and fanned just as good as it did out of the box. If I were to have any complaints it would be that at times they can be a bit too slippery, but I believe this is more because they’re new, not the finish itself.
In regard to thickness, the Monarch deck is about two cards thinner than a deck of Bee Stingers, but there’s no noticeable difference when handling them. The deck is also pretty resilient. It handles springs, waterfalls, under-pressure, etc. well and pops back to its normal shape with ease. Lastly with faros, the deck faros face down great but when you turn it face up it’s much more difficult to get them to weave properly. This is because of the way the deck is cut.
Design: This is the only area of the Monarchs I’m unsure about. The back design is definitely unique, detailed, and eye-catching. That being said I don’t know if it suits me personally, but whether you like it or not is your own decision to make. There is a sword coming down from each end into the middle with snakes wrapping around in circles down the cards, and tree branched coming out on either side. The amount of effort the T11 team put into designing this deck is obvious. On the back near the center are ribbons that sport the word for “king” in Latin. The sides of the card say (roughly) “Out of two evils, the lesser is always chosen.” The gold ink on top of the dark blue back looks extremely elegant, but the release will be a different color.
Court Cards: I love these. Like most decks Theory 11 sells there are no oranges or yellows; those have been replaced by deeper colors. Red, dark blue, white, and gold all adorn the faces of the Court Cards. These cards were the first to catch my eye when I opened the deck, and have now become my favorite face cards I’ve seen. There’s just enough color to make them pop, but not too much to seem gaudy or obnoxious.
Spot Cards: The Spot Cards also look just as we would expect from Theory 11. There are darker reds on all of the red cards. These are actually a few shades darker than Smoke and Mirrors v5 and the Red Stingers. Also, the pips are a bit smaller. Not thinner and squished looking like we saw on custom decks for a while, but just a bit shrunken from regular sized pips.
Ace of Spades: The Ace is drawn in black and gold with a crown sitting in the middle. It’s a very ornate and beautiful Ace of Spades, but not overdone or distracting. The design of the crown is fantastic; honestly I would liked to have seen this design or more of this theme on the back. The usual “United States Playing Card Company” text is in gold and a bit more visually pleasing.
Jokers: The Jokers are an updated, cleaner version of Bicycle’s original Best Bower joker. These look great and are immediately recognizable to any magician or playing card enthusiast. They’re printed all in gold ink in the pre-release deck so it’ll be interesting to see the difference in the normal pack.
Box: Wow. Nearly every square centimeter on the tuck box is embossed with very reflective, gold metallic ink. The design of the box itself is wonderful too. The flap has “Cerca Trova” written on it which, as you all should know, means “seek and you shall find” in Italian. Also, across a ribbon covering three arrows, there’s the word “Excelsior” which can be translate as “higher”, “Upward”, or “farther”. I’m assuming this is in reference to the quality of the deck. The last point I want to touch on about the box is the paper it’s made with. The box is very sturdy and feels quite a bit thicker than other tuck boxes. You’ll notice it as soon as you hold the box; it just feels more solid. Jonathan Bayme has also said that it was made with imported, thicker paper.
I’m giving the Monarchs deck a 9 out of 10 because the feel is simply incredible and they hold up great under extensive use. In my opinion, how a deck handles (Out of the box and hours, days, or weeks later) is the most important part of a high-quality deck, and the Monarchs surpass any expectations I had in that area. Like I said before, I’m not gun-ho about the back design but it still looks unique and interesting. If you’re wondering whether or not you should pick up a pack of Monarchs, stop wondering and go for it. The feel of the cards, the luxury of the box, and just all the work put into this deck have created one of the highest quality packs of playing cards yet.
In regard to thickness, the Monarch deck is about two cards thinner than a deck of Bee Stingers, but there’s no noticeable difference when handling them. The deck is also pretty resilient. It handles springs, waterfalls, under-pressure, etc. well and pops back to its normal shape with ease. Lastly with faros, the deck faros face down great but when you turn it face up it’s much more difficult to get them to weave properly. This is because of the way the deck is cut.
Design: This is the only area of the Monarchs I’m unsure about. The back design is definitely unique, detailed, and eye-catching. That being said I don’t know if it suits me personally, but whether you like it or not is your own decision to make. There is a sword coming down from each end into the middle with snakes wrapping around in circles down the cards, and tree branched coming out on either side. The amount of effort the T11 team put into designing this deck is obvious. On the back near the center are ribbons that sport the word for “king” in Latin. The sides of the card say (roughly) “Out of two evils, the lesser is always chosen.” The gold ink on top of the dark blue back looks extremely elegant, but the release will be a different color.
Court Cards: I love these. Like most decks Theory 11 sells there are no oranges or yellows; those have been replaced by deeper colors. Red, dark blue, white, and gold all adorn the faces of the Court Cards. These cards were the first to catch my eye when I opened the deck, and have now become my favorite face cards I’ve seen. There’s just enough color to make them pop, but not too much to seem gaudy or obnoxious.
Spot Cards: The Spot Cards also look just as we would expect from Theory 11. There are darker reds on all of the red cards. These are actually a few shades darker than Smoke and Mirrors v5 and the Red Stingers. Also, the pips are a bit smaller. Not thinner and squished looking like we saw on custom decks for a while, but just a bit shrunken from regular sized pips.
Ace of Spades: The Ace is drawn in black and gold with a crown sitting in the middle. It’s a very ornate and beautiful Ace of Spades, but not overdone or distracting. The design of the crown is fantastic; honestly I would liked to have seen this design or more of this theme on the back. The usual “United States Playing Card Company” text is in gold and a bit more visually pleasing.
Jokers: The Jokers are an updated, cleaner version of Bicycle’s original Best Bower joker. These look great and are immediately recognizable to any magician or playing card enthusiast. They’re printed all in gold ink in the pre-release deck so it’ll be interesting to see the difference in the normal pack.
Box: Wow. Nearly every square centimeter on the tuck box is embossed with very reflective, gold metallic ink. The design of the box itself is wonderful too. The flap has “Cerca Trova” written on it which, as you all should know, means “seek and you shall find” in Italian. Also, across a ribbon covering three arrows, there’s the word “Excelsior” which can be translate as “higher”, “Upward”, or “farther”. I’m assuming this is in reference to the quality of the deck. The last point I want to touch on about the box is the paper it’s made with. The box is very sturdy and feels quite a bit thicker than other tuck boxes. You’ll notice it as soon as you hold the box; it just feels more solid. Jonathan Bayme has also said that it was made with imported, thicker paper.
I’m giving the Monarchs deck a 9 out of 10 because the feel is simply incredible and they hold up great under extensive use. In my opinion, how a deck handles (Out of the box and hours, days, or weeks later) is the most important part of a high-quality deck, and the Monarchs surpass any expectations I had in that area. Like I said before, I’m not gun-ho about the back design but it still looks unique and interesting. If you’re wondering whether or not you should pick up a pack of Monarchs, stop wondering and go for it. The feel of the cards, the luxury of the box, and just all the work put into this deck have created one of the highest quality packs of playing cards yet.
By Kirk 2:48 AM 2/18/12
5/5
Really an amazing deck. The box leaves nothing to be desired and the card stock and finish are exceptional. Only issue I have is that the back has no gold at all in the cards themselves. Now, I knew the story behind these before I picked them up but after taking a close look.. it just seems as though they are definitely missing that element. Almost like they are 90% complete, but not quite. Beautiful, beautiful deck though. Highly recommend for flourishes and poker games.
By Haritaipan 9:12 PM 12/23/11
5/5
The first time I saw the box of Monarch, I feel like it'a a treasure box made by elves. I mean this is too beautiful to believe it's human made. Plus, the back of the box resembles some kind of elf arts that I saw in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The box is made of Navy Blue paper with embossed Gold metallic ink. And when I broken the red seal, I found one of the best playing cards of these years.
The back of the cards are navy blue with white sketch lines of arts. The back is very elegant and nice when fanned. The cards are standard face with gold metallic court cards and custom Ace of spades. There are 2 identical jokers, which is also nice, an ad card, and a double backer.
The handle of Monarch is something I've never feel before. Normally, decks would absorb things from my hands, but I feel like this deck has some kind of resistance to protect itself from wear and tear. However, I'm not sure about this deck's real property. It's what I do feel. It has smooth edges, and very slippery right out of the box. When I work with it for a while, I feel that this deck very suits my hands. This is my best favorites decks from Theory11 by far.
The back of the cards are navy blue with white sketch lines of arts. The back is very elegant and nice when fanned. The cards are standard face with gold metallic court cards and custom Ace of spades. There are 2 identical jokers, which is also nice, an ad card, and a double backer.
The handle of Monarch is something I've never feel before. Normally, decks would absorb things from my hands, but I feel like this deck has some kind of resistance to protect itself from wear and tear. However, I'm not sure about this deck's real property. It's what I do feel. It has smooth edges, and very slippery right out of the box. When I work with it for a while, I feel that this deck very suits my hands. This is my best favorites decks from Theory11 by far.
By Jason 9:36 AM 12/20/11
5/5
Let's start off with the tuck box. This is probably the most elegant, beautiful tuck box I have ever seen created for any deck. The fact that Theory11 used navy blue paper instead of white paper and blue ink, that means that even if there is wear and tear on the box it will not bleed white. Also, it was stated that there barely any to none ink on the box because all the gold accents are embossed onto the box. I personally think the box itself is worth more than half the price of the deck. It is just a beauty to look at.
As for the cards, they handle like how most Theory11 decks do. They fan perfectly right out of the box and spread like butter. The stock on these cards feel very thick, similar to David Blaine's Split Spades playing cards. Personally, the Split Spades series was the best handling I've ever had on a deck of cards so I should expect these to be the same in the long run.
The AoS is also very simple but it works out very nicely because of the theme they're trying to get at. I like how these cards portray royalty and simplicity at the same time. The only thing that I would have to disagree with these cards are the court cards. I wished that they would've created custom court cards or even reuse the Sentinels court cards, but with some changes because of the different theme. The gold accents on the cards are nice, similar to the Aristocrat bank notes, but personally I would've like a change them.
Overall, this deck is not only very good performance wise, but also eye candy to both you and your spectators. I would definitely recommend you picking up a couple of these!
As for the cards, they handle like how most Theory11 decks do. They fan perfectly right out of the box and spread like butter. The stock on these cards feel very thick, similar to David Blaine's Split Spades playing cards. Personally, the Split Spades series was the best handling I've ever had on a deck of cards so I should expect these to be the same in the long run.
The AoS is also very simple but it works out very nicely because of the theme they're trying to get at. I like how these cards portray royalty and simplicity at the same time. The only thing that I would have to disagree with these cards are the court cards. I wished that they would've created custom court cards or even reuse the Sentinels court cards, but with some changes because of the different theme. The gold accents on the cards are nice, similar to the Aristocrat bank notes, but personally I would've like a change them.
Overall, this deck is not only very good performance wise, but also eye candy to both you and your spectators. I would definitely recommend you picking up a couple of these!
By Hayden G. 9:11 AM 12/18/11
5/5
These are great cards! I use them all the time. Overall these cards are awesome. They have a nice design, nice handling ,a nice box, and nice court cards too. The backs of these cards are amazing for so many reasons. It is a nice simple design and not too busy...and whenever I take out the cards to perform a trick the spectators and I are amazed at how awesome these cards are! If you are a magician, a flourisher or just like collector then these are the ones for you!
By Derek 5:39 PM 12/12/11
5/5
I just got a couple of these in the mail, and this is my favorite deck of cards that have been produced by Theory11. First of all the tuck case for this deck is great and has a great design on it. It has the style and elegance that most people have come to expect from Theory11 as well as D&D. Right off the box, you know that these are cards that you will use until they turn into dust, which should take a while because the stock and finish on these cards are second to none. The designs are original and simplistic which adds to this decks appeal. This deck is a great deck to perform with and is one I will be back to buy more of.
By Jude Prudence 2:27 PM 12/6/11
5/5
The box alone for these cards is a selling point in itself. And as preposterous as that may sound, it goes to show how well done it was. Not only in that it's extensive use of gold leaf and embossing is mesmerizing, but that it's stock was dyed completely black, meaning that it is never going to show the wear-and-tear like even a box for a deck of sentinels would, which used bleached white paper stock. I am going to go so far as say that the box for this deck is going to remain looking quite beautiful for years, even after daily carry and use. And the feel of it, even with the gold leaf over the flat surfaces alone, is beautiful.
But you don't buy a deck for it's packaging: You buy a deck for the -cards-. And these cards are beautiful. The Ace of Spades and it's Jokers are very much in minimally intricate harmony with the design for the box and back. Although if there is a complaint to be found, it is in that so much work was put into making what could have been the absolute best deck to have ever been produced and stopping just short of including completely new designs for the court cards to better suit the rest of the deck's aesthetics. This one slight oversight that, if not overlooked, could have made this deck the new sentinels. But in the face of everything else that this deck has perfectly and flawlessly nailed right, it is an easily ignored matter. The feel of the cards is absolutely beautiful and what you would expect not only from 909 finish, but Q1 cardstock. They are very much fit for royalty, and very much worth your money. Not only this, but I imagine they will be quite, quite durable, maintaining their luster long after you've retired them from casual use. Buy them.
But you don't buy a deck for it's packaging: You buy a deck for the -cards-. And these cards are beautiful. The Ace of Spades and it's Jokers are very much in minimally intricate harmony with the design for the box and back. Although if there is a complaint to be found, it is in that so much work was put into making what could have been the absolute best deck to have ever been produced and stopping just short of including completely new designs for the court cards to better suit the rest of the deck's aesthetics. This one slight oversight that, if not overlooked, could have made this deck the new sentinels. But in the face of everything else that this deck has perfectly and flawlessly nailed right, it is an easily ignored matter. The feel of the cards is absolutely beautiful and what you would expect not only from 909 finish, but Q1 cardstock. They are very much fit for royalty, and very much worth your money. Not only this, but I imagine they will be quite, quite durable, maintaining their luster long after you've retired them from casual use. Buy them.
By Chris 10:13 AM 12/5/11
5/5
The Monarch deck is probably one of the most beautiful decks of cards still available on the market. Even the box is beautiful. The gold metallic inks on the box and on the faces make this deck look like something only royalty would use.
These decks are perfect. If you didn't know, Theory11 destroyed their entire first run of these cards just because they weren't exactly what they wanted.
The cards themselves are Q1 from the USPCC so you know that you will be getting a deck of cards that lasts! I was lucky enough to get some of the pre-order decks and they are absolutely phenomenal. The cards are thick! They spread nice, they fan wonderfully, and spring great.
If you're looking for a deck of cards that will make you look good, or just something to collect, these are for you!
These decks are perfect. If you didn't know, Theory11 destroyed their entire first run of these cards just because they weren't exactly what they wanted.
The cards themselves are Q1 from the USPCC so you know that you will be getting a deck of cards that lasts! I was lucky enough to get some of the pre-order decks and they are absolutely phenomenal. The cards are thick! They spread nice, they fan wonderfully, and spring great.
If you're looking for a deck of cards that will make you look good, or just something to collect, these are for you!
By Steve H. 4:01 PM 12/3/11
5/5
I have been collecting different decks for a few years now, all in the search for a deck that meets my extremely high standards for the quality of card stock and finish, along with a simple and elegant design.
Well, for awhile I was alternating between different decks until I finally saw these for sale at my favorite online magic store. After receiving them and opening the box, I saw the most amazing and beautiful design for a card case. The embossed designs in the color of gold on a very simple yet powerful and direct dark blue. The same sort of card cases similar to JAQK deck and a few others, so its high quality like never before.
The cards themselves have very high quality Q1 quality card stock, and the finish on the cards make fans almost effortless, just gliding along smoothly. With the high quality card stock, accidentally bending the cards are easy to straighten out and fix the cards.
Because of all this and more, I've finally found the one deck that I will only use to perform card magic and gambling routines. The amazing quality card stock and very, very simple yet amazingly beautiful design on the back make these cards a deck everyone should have in their collection and to use in your performance. You'll absolutely fall in love with these cards once you've checked out the card box and then removed the cards to then perform your opening a new deck ritual slight of hand test.
Buy them, it would be impossible to regret it.
Well, for awhile I was alternating between different decks until I finally saw these for sale at my favorite online magic store. After receiving them and opening the box, I saw the most amazing and beautiful design for a card case. The embossed designs in the color of gold on a very simple yet powerful and direct dark blue. The same sort of card cases similar to JAQK deck and a few others, so its high quality like never before.
The cards themselves have very high quality Q1 quality card stock, and the finish on the cards make fans almost effortless, just gliding along smoothly. With the high quality card stock, accidentally bending the cards are easy to straighten out and fix the cards.
Because of all this and more, I've finally found the one deck that I will only use to perform card magic and gambling routines. The amazing quality card stock and very, very simple yet amazingly beautiful design on the back make these cards a deck everyone should have in their collection and to use in your performance. You'll absolutely fall in love with these cards once you've checked out the card box and then removed the cards to then perform your opening a new deck ritual slight of hand test.
Buy them, it would be impossible to regret it.
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