Door of Destinies MTG Card


Door of Destinies enhances your creatures, turning each into a more substantial threat with every cast. Its synergy with tribal decks makes it a cornerstone in Magic, especially for Elves or Goblins. A higher mana cost can affect early-game tempo, making timing and mana management crucial.
Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeArtifact

Text of card

As Door of Destinies comes into play, choose a creature type. Whenever you play a spell of that type, put a charge counter on Door of Destinies. Creatures you control of that type get +1/+1 for each charge counter on Door of Destinies.


Cards like Door of Destinies

Door of Destinies stands proud as a potent artifact in Magic the Gathering, renowned for empowering creatures of a specific type. This card echoes the abilities of other tribal buff artifacts like Coat of Arms, which similarly boosts creatures of the same type. However, Door of Destinies forges its unique path with counters that permanently strengthen your creatures, as opposed to the fluctuating power and toughness Coat of Arms provides based on all creatures on the battlefield.

Another parallel can be drawn with the card Obelisk of Urd, which also grants a static power and toughness increase to a chosen creature type. Yet, Door of Destinies surpasses it by not requiring a mana investment to trigger its buff each time you cast a creature spell of the chosen type. Then there’s the Herald’s Horn, which may offer a cost reduction and potential card advantage for creature spells of the chosen type, but lacks the consistent, cumulative power-up feature of Door of Destinies.

Comparatively, Door of Destinies is a formidable candidate within tribal-themed decks, establishing a lasting dominance that escalates with each spell cast, significantly tipping the scales in favor of the chosen creature type as the game progresses.

Coat of Arms - MTG Card versions
Obelisk of Urd - MTG Card versions
Herald's Horn - MTG Card versions
Coat of Arms - MTG Card versions
Obelisk of Urd - MTG Card versions
Herald's Horn - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Door of Destinies offers a unique type of card advantage. It may not draw you extra cards, but by boosting your creatures, it essentially upgrades each relevant creature card in your hand and on your battlefield, making each one more valuable and creating a formidable board state that’s hard to contend with.

Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t directly provide mana, this artifact still accelerates your resources by amplifying your tribal deck’s power with every cast. Over time, this incremental growth allows you to invest less in creature spells while reaping greater benefits, akin to compounding interest on your mana investment.

Instant Speed: While Door of Destinies itself isn’t played at instant speed, it rewards playing creatures of the chosen type no matter when they’re played – including those with flash. Thus, it can synergize with instant-speed tribal spells, unexpectedly beefing up your creatures during combat or at end of your opponent’s turn, catching them by surprise.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: N/A for Door of Destinies as it does not require you to discard cards.

Specific Mana Cost: Door of Destinies requires a defined investment of four mana, which mandates careful planning, particularly in multicolor decks that may have other pressing demands for their mana resources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Though Door of Destinies holds potential for immense power, the initial investment is significant, which can be challenging in faster-paced games where tempo is crucial. This sometimes results in the card sitting in hand while players establish sufficient mana.


Reasons to Include Door of Destinies in Your Collection

Versatility: Door of Destinies is a fantastic asset for tribal decks, enhancing the potency of your creatures. Its usefulness spans across various tribal strategies, from Elves to Goblins, making it a dynamic addition to many builds.

Combo Potential: This artifact excels in synergy, magnifying the impact of each creature of the chosen type you summon. As each creature hits the board, it elevates the collective strength of your army, weaving together escalating combos.

Meta-Relevance: Given the enduring popularity of tribal decks in various MTG formats, Door of Destinies remains a relevant choice. Adaptability to ongoing meta shifts makes this card a long-standing contender in competitive and casual circles alike.


How to beat

Door of Destinies is a potent artifact that can tip the scales in tribal decks within Magic: The Gathering. When facing this card, it’s essential to disrupt the synergy it harnesses among creatures of the same type. Once Door of Destinies is on the battlefield, removing it quickly becomes a top priority. Artifact destruction spells like Shatter or Naturalize can dismantle this threat before it accumulates too many charge counters and becomes overwhelming.

Another strategy is to apply pressure on your opponent’s creature base. Board clear spells like Wrath of God or Damnation prevent a tribal buildup, making Door of Destinies less impactful. Counter spells can also play a key role. Keeping mana open for a well-timed Negate or Cancel when your opponent casts Door of Destinies can save you from future headaches. Not to forget, exile effects such as Unmake or Oblivion Ring offer a way to deal with the card once it’s active. Remember, timing and knowing when to strike at the artifact or the swarm it empowers can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

In essence, while Door of Destinies has the potential to create insurmountable advantage for tribal decks, it can be neutralized with the right tactics and cards, retaining control of the game inside the boundaries of strategy and foresight typical of the depth found in Magic: The Gathering.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the play of Door of Destinies in MTG is crucial for tribal deck enthusiasts. This artifact is a game-changer, escalating the strength of your creatures with each spell cast. It requires strategic deck construction and timing, ensuring each creature’s presence magnifies your battlefield dominance. As tribal synergy varies across formats, Door of Destinies remains a competitive staple. Understanding its interactions and potential is pivotal. Looking to harness the full power of your tribal deck and attain new heights in your MTG matches? Dive deeper with us, where we unpack strategies and tips to make Door of Destinies a cornerstone of your winning decks.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Door of Destinies MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Morningtide, 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 Door of Destinies and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Door of Destinies Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2008-02-01 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 319632003NormalBlackRob Alexander
22008-02-01MorningtideMOR 1432003NormalBlackLarry MacDougall
32008-02-01Morningtide PromosPMOR 143★2003NormalBlackRob Alexander
42013-07-19Magic 2014M14 2082003NormalBlackLarry MacDougall
52017-08-25Commander 2017C17 2082015NormalBlackLarry MacDougall
62023-06-23Tales of Middle-earth CommanderLTC 2772015NormalBlackPierre Raveneau

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Door of Destinies has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2008-04-01 If you cast a creature spell of the chosen type, Door of Destinies will get a charge counter before the creature enters the battlefield. The creature will enter the battlefield with the additional boost to its power and toughness.
2013-07-01 Creature types, such as Human or Sliver, appear after the dash on the type line of creatures. Notably, artifact is not a creature type. A creature may have more than one creature type, such as Goblin Warrior. Such a creature would benefit from Door of Destinies if the chosen creature type was Goblin or Warrior.