Gruul Guildgate MTG Card


Provides crucial mana stability by tapping for red or green, essential for multicolor deck consistency. Compatible with gate-matters cards, it offers combo potential and synergistic play options. Though it enters tapped, it’s a budget-friendly alternative to expensive lands in slower decks.
Card setsReleased in 10 setsSee all
RarityCommon
TypeLand — Gate

Text of card

Gruul Guildgate enters the battlefield tapped. : Add or to your mana pool.

Enter and leave the shackles of society behind.


Cards like Gruul Guildgate

Gruul Guildgate is a land card that finds its place in the vast array of mana-fixing options in Magic: The Gathering. It’s in close competition with other dual lands like Izzet Guildgate, which offers blue and red mana access. The Gruul Guildgate, providing red and green mana, is pivotal for players looking to cast spells within the Gruul color combination. Despite the similarity being part of a Guildgate cycle, where each card enters the battlefield tapped, Gruul Guildgate is distinct with its synergy in decks that favor creature-heavy strategies.

Analyzing Rugged Highlands, another comparable card, it also provides red and green mana but with an added benefit of gaining 1 life when it enters the battlefield. This slight advantage can sometimes be a determining factor in longer games. Then, there’s the Rootbound Crag, an option that doesn’t always enter the battlefield tapped, albeit with a requirement to control a Mountain or a Forest to utilize this perk. For players aiming at faster gameplay, this conditional entry might be preferable over the Gruul Guildgate’s consistent tapped status.

Assessing Gruul Guildgate in the landscape of MTG dual lands, its straightforwardness and reliability are appreciated, particularly in decks where the pace of mana is less critical, and the focus is on building up strong creature combinations.

Izzet Guildgate - MTG Card versions
Rugged Highlands - MTG Card versions
Rootbound Crag - MTG Card versions
Izzet Guildgate - MTG Card versions
Rugged Highlands - MTG Card versions
Rootbound Crag - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Gruul Guildgate by color, type and mana cost

Taiga - MTG Card versions
Karplusan Forest - MTG Card versions
Mogg Hollows - MTG Card versions
Shivan Oasis - MTG Card versions
Mossfire Valley - MTG Card versions
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Contested Cliffs - MTG Card versions
Skarrg, the Rage Pits - MTG Card versions
Stomping Ground - MTG Card versions
Highland Weald - MTG Card versions
Fungal Reaches - MTG Card versions
Fire-Lit Thicket - MTG Card versions
Gruul Turf - MTG Card versions
Kazandu Refuge - MTG Card versions
Rootbound Crag - MTG Card versions
Kessig Wolf Run - MTG Card versions
Cinder Glade - MTG Card versions
Timber Gorge - MTG Card versions
Game Trail - MTG Card versions
Rugged Highlands - MTG Card versions
Taiga - MTG Card versions
Karplusan Forest - MTG Card versions
Mogg Hollows - MTG Card versions
Shivan Oasis - MTG Card versions
Mossfire Valley - MTG Card versions
Rockfall Vale - MTG Card versions
Contested Cliffs - MTG Card versions
Skarrg, the Rage Pits - MTG Card versions
Stomping Ground - MTG Card versions
Highland Weald - MTG Card versions
Fungal Reaches - MTG Card versions
Fire-Lit Thicket - MTG Card versions
Gruul Turf - MTG Card versions
Kazandu Refuge - MTG Card versions
Rootbound Crag - MTG Card versions
Kessig Wolf Run - MTG Card versions
Cinder Glade - MTG Card versions
Timber Gorge - MTG Card versions
Game Trail - MTG Card versions
Rugged Highlands - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Gruul Guildgate. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Abzan AggroAbzan Aggro PioneerMaze's EndReCQ - Pioneer - SCG CON Atlanta - Saturday - 1:00 pm (Bronze)
Five-color ControlFive-color Control PioneerMaze's EndSuper Pioneer - 3 Torneio da Liga de Volta Redonda
Five-color ComboFive-color Combo LegacyPainterCharlotte Legacy League Season 2 Week 1
Five-color LandsFive-color Lands Legacy94 / The 94th Legacy at Home
Jund ControlJund Control LegacyCharlotte Legacy League Season 1 Week 2
Five-color RampFive-color Ramp PioneerMaze's EndDreamHack Atlanta 2023 - Sun. 11AM Pioneer 5k Open 8-Slot RCQ
Five-color YorionFive-color Yorion PioneerMaze's End#23 Last Chance Qualifier: Pioneer
DecklistDecklist Free formWeekday Night Magic
Temur MidrangeTemur Midrange PioneerMaze's EndPeasant Pioneer Showdown - A Josh and Pat's MTG Bazaar Sponsored Event
Jund LandsJund Lands GladiatorGladiator Team Unified League

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gruul Guildgate, while not directly offering card draw, does provide a strategic advantage by stabilizing your mana base. Effective mana sources like this ensure you have the right colors when needed, indirectly helping you play your cards more efficiently. It’s a fundamental building block for casting spells on curve and maximizing your hand’s potential.

Resource Acceleration: As a dual land, Gruul Guildgate may enter the battlefield tapped, but it accelerates your resources by tapping for either red or green mana. This flexibility in mana production allows you to smoothly progress towards playing bigger, more impactful spells ahead of schedule or enables multicolored decks to function more consistently.

Instant Speed: Although Gruul Guildgate operates at sorcery speed due to being a land, its presence compliments decks featuring instant speed interaction. By providing a dependable mana foundation, you can confidently keep mana open for instants and abilities, knowing Gruul Guildgate has already fulfilled its role in your land drops without compromising your color requirements.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While not directly related to discard mechanics, the slow pace at which Gruul Guildgate enters the battlefield may force you to discard if it’s drawn late game and your hand is already full.

Specific Mana Cost: Providing only red or green mana can be limiting for multitasking within decks that may also require other colors or more flexible mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: As a land card, Gruul Guildgate doesn’t have a mana cost, but it does enter the battlefield tapped which effectively delays your mana acceleration comparing to other lands that enter untapped, potentially slowing down your game strategy.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Gruul Guildgate serves as a flexible land choice, enabling access to both red and green mana in multicolor decks. This can be particularly helpful for players looking to smooth out their mana base without investing in pricier, rare dual lands.

Combo Potential: As a gate, it has synergy with gate-focused cards that look for the subtype to activate abilities or bonuses. Some powerful gate-matters cards can transform a deck utilizing Gruul Guildgate into a formidable strategy.

Meta-Relevance: In certain meta environments where slower, more budget-conscious decks are viable, Gruul Guildgate fits perfectly. It aligns well with strategies that prioritize reliable mana fixing over the speed of untapped lands.


How to beat

Gruul Guildgate is a nonbasic land card that’s part of a two-colored gate subtheme in Magic: The Gathering. Serving as a mana fixer for decks combining red and green, it enters the battlefield tapped, providing a short delay before its potential is realized. This pause provides an opportunity to outpace decks reliant on such gates.

To gain an advantage against Gruul Guildgate, consider emphasizing speed. Aggro decks are particularly well-suited to exploit the tempo loss incurred by a tapped land entry. Leveraging efficient one and two-drop creatures can apply pressure early on, forcing the gate-reliant deck onto the back foot. Alternatively, land destruction strategies can disrupt the mana base, albeit these tactics are less common in standard formats. Removal spells targeting specific nonbasic lands, such as Field of Ruin, can also dismantle a multi-gate strategy effectively while aiding your own mana fixing.

Understanding the timings and capabilities that Gruul Guildgate offers can turn this potential setback into a strategic opportunity. By emphasizing tempo and applying early pressure, you can navigate the gates and secure your route to victory.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gruul Guildgate MTG card by a specific set like Gatecrash and Dragon's Maze, 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 Gruul Guildgate and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Gruul Guildgate Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 2013-02-01 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-02-01GatecrashGTC 2432003NormalBlackRandy Gallegos
22013-05-03Dragon's MazeDGM 1502003NormalBlackRandy Gallegos
32013-11-01Commander 2013C13 2942003NormalBlackRandy Gallegos
42017-03-17Modern Masters 2017MM3 2362015NormalBlackRandy Gallegos
52019-01-25Ravnica AllegianceRNA 2492015NormalBlackAlexander Forssberg
62019-01-25Ravnica AllegianceRNA 2502015NormalBlackAlexander Forssberg
72020-09-25Zendikar Rising CommanderZNC 1302015NormalBlackRandy Gallegos
82024-01-12Ravnica RemasteredRVR 4031997NormalBlackRandy Gallegos
92024-01-12Ravnica RemasteredRVR 2792015NormalBlackRandy Gallegos
102024-02-23Ravnica: Clue EditionCLU 2372015NormalBlackRandy Gallegos

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gruul Guildgate has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Gruul Guildgate card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2013-04-15 Gate is not a basic land type.
2013-04-15 The subtype Gate has no special rules significance, but other spells and abilities may refer to it.