Citadel Gate MTG Card
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Land — Gate |
| Released | 2022-06-10 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate |
| Set code | CLB |
| Number | 349 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Andreas Rocha |
Key Takeaways
- Citadel Gate enables significant card advantage and resource ramp for strategic deck play.
- Instant speed utility offers reactive gameplay, enhancing board state control.
- While powerful, it requires careful deck building due to color specificity and high cost.
Text of card
Citadel Gate enters the battlefield tapped. As Citadel Gate enters the battlefield, choose a color other than white. : Add or one mana of the chosen color.
A beacon of order and safety, for those who can afford it.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Citadel Gate is known for its ability to generate significant card advantage. With Citadel Gate in play, you have the potential to access additional cards, providing a continuous stream of options to outmaneuver opponents.
Resource Acceleration: This powerful card excels in resource acceleration, permitting you to deploy threats sooner than usual. Efficient mana ramp provided by Citadel Gate can be pivotal in gaining the upper hand, ensuring that you’re able to cast high-cost cards earlier in the match.
Instant Speed: The versatility of Citadel Gate is further emphasized by its capacity to operate at instant speed. This characteristic grants you the flexibility to react to an evolving board state, making strategic moves that can decisively alter the game during the most opportune moments.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Citadel Gate comes with the sometimes-onerous pre-condition of discarding another card, which could challenge players who are hard-pressed for hand advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Citadel Gate includes color-specific mana which necessitates a dedicated deck construction to optimize its inclusion, limiting its overall flexibility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: A scrutiny of Citadel Gate’s mana investment against its benefits reveals it might be less favorable when pitted against other options that could provide similar or greater value at a lower cost.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Citadel Gate’s ability to fit into various deck archetypes makes it a flexible addition to any collection. As a land card, it provides essential mana fixing that can be crucial in multi-color decks, ensuring smoother gameplay and better consistency.
Combo Potential: With its dual land status, Citadel Gate can help enable powerful synergies in decks that capitalize on land-type interactions or benefit from having multiple land types available. It can also be a part of landfall strategies, triggering effects with each land that comes onto the field.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where mana curves are tight and color requirements are demanding, Citadel Gate can play a pivotal role in enabling your deck to function at peak efficiency. Its ability to tap for two different types of mana without coming into play tapped makes it a valuable asset in any collector’s arsenal, especially in fast-paced games where every turn counts.
How to beat
Citadel Gate presents a unique challenge for players in the world of Magic: The Gathering. As a card that offers both defensive and offensive capabilities, it can shape the battlefield in its controller’s favor. Skirting around its formidable presence requires a strategic approach. Disruption is key—consider spells or abilities that remove enchantments or land cards directly from play. Counterspells can also serve as a preventative measure when your opponent attempts to cast Citadel Gate.
Another effective tactic is to employ creatures with flying or unblockable traits. This can outmaneuver the Gate’s defensive fortitude by bypassing it entirely. Land destruction cards could also dismantle your adversary’s mana base, compromising their ability to leverage Citadel Gate to its full potential.
By analyzing the strengths and vulnerabilities of Citadel Gate, it’s clear that although it can alter the course of the game, it does have its Achilles’ heel. In the dynamic and complex environment of Magic: The Gathering, a well-constructed deck and a tactical mindset can triumph over even the most daunting of cards.
Cards like Citadel Gate
Citadel Gate, in the realm of MTG, emboldens strategies that capitalize on defensive measures while providing a degree of deck manipulation. When considering cards with similar functionalities, Wall of Omens is a poignant example. This wall not only bolsters your defenses but also offers the immediate advantage of drawing a card upon entering the battlefield—improving your hand without the complexity of scrying.
Analogous in nature is the Omenspeaker, which, much like Citadel Gate, allows you to scry when it comes into play. However, it doesn’t share Citadel Gate’s ability to deter attacks with its sizeable toughness. There’s also Guard Gomazoa, providing a sturdy defense but lacking the added potential to organize upcoming card draws. Citadel Gate’s inclusion is particularly strategic for decks that thrive on maintaining a strong defense while sequentially setting up future plays.
Each card presents a unique benefit to various MTG playstyles, yet Citadel Gate asserts its position by enabling both stout defense and premeditated deck management—key elements for those who aim to control the game’s tempo and maintain card advantage.
Cards similar to Citadel Gate by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Citadel Gate MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, 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 Citadel Gate and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Citadel Gate has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |