Rakdos Guildgate MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 11 setsSee all
RarityCommon
TypeLand — Gate

Key Takeaways

  1. Dual-land Rakdos Guildgate smooths mana access, crucial for casting multicolored spells effectively.
  2. While tapped on entry, it’s a budget-friendly base for Rakdos decks, aiding diverse strategies.
  3. Rakdos Guildgate synergizes with gate mechanics, making it versatile in the right metagame.

Text of card

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

Enter and indulge your darkest fantasies, for you may never pass this way again.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Rakdos Guildgate doesn’t explicitly provide a card draw, but it serves as a stable dual-land in any deck that might be starved for specific colors, effectively smoothing out your hand and plays without taking up an extra slot for color fixing.

Resource Acceleration: Entering the battlefield tapped might seem like a setback, but once it’s ready to go, this Guildgate offers acceleration by granting access to both black and red mana. This enhances your ability to cast spells from a diverse color pallet earlier in the game than you might otherwise be able to.

Instant Speed: While lands can’t be played at instant speed, Rakdos Guildgate ensures that you have the resources to cast instant speed spells in your deck without worrying about the mana base. This supports a flexible and responsive game plan, especially vital in formats where speed can determine the outcome of a match.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Rakdos Guildgate doesn’t specifically require a discard to play, it does feed into a broader Rakdos mechanic which often involves discarding cards. This can put you at a disadvantage if you’re not prepared or your deck isn’t built to leverage discards effectively.

Specific Mana Cost: Rakdos Guildgate taps for either black or red mana, which is perfect for a Rakdos-centric deck. However, this specificity can be restrictive for decks that require a more varied mana base or need to respond quickly with different colors of mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although the Guildgate itself doesn’t have a mana cost, it enters the battlefield tapped. This delayed availability means you essentially pay a high opportunity cost, particularly in the early game when tempo is critical, as you lose the chance to utilize that mana immediately.


Reasons to Include Rakdos Guildgate in Your Collection

Versatility: Rakdos Guildgate is a dual land card that can tap for either black or red mana, making it an essential inclusion in any deck that runs on a Rakdos color scheme.

Combo Potential: This nonbasic land is not only a stable mana source but also synergizes with mechanics that benefit from the presence of Gates, such as Gatebreaker Ram or Glaive of the Guildpact.

Meta-Relevance: As the metagame often shifts to accommodate multicolored decks, having access to reliable mana fixing like Rakdos Guildgate can keep your deck competitive and versatile in various match-ups.


How to beat

Rakdos Guildgate is a land card that serves as a gateway to a smooth mana base in Magic: The Gathering, particularly in decks embracing the Rakdos color combination of red and black. Unlike basic lands, Rakdos Guildgate enters the battlefield tapped, delaying immediate utilization, which can be exploited by agile opponents. It’s crucial to maintain a swift pace to pressure opponents who might rely on such taplands for their mana fixing.

A proactive strategy in early game stages can severely hamper the effectiveness of Rakdos Guildgate. By deploying low-cost threats or land destruction spells, one can disrupt the tempo of decks counting on Guildgates. Playing lands like Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin allows tactical responses to land-based strategies, removing the opponent’s Guildgate and further impeding their mana development. This approach could pivot the game in your favor even before Rakdos Guildgate’s influence unfurls.

Ultimately, understanding and preempting the delayed gratification that Rakdos Guildgate affords is key. Effective countermeasures can considerably weaken the guildgate’s role, steering the game towards your victory. The path to outpacing and beating the strategic plays pinned to Rakdos Guildgate lies in consistent aggression and strategic land interaction.


Cards like Rakdos Guildgate

The Rakdos Guildgate joins the vast lineup of dual lands in Magic: The Gathering, serving as a fundamental piece in multicolored mana bases. It parallels the essence of gates like Azorius Guildgate and Golgari Guildgate, offering color fixing for two specific guilds. Yet, the Rakdos Guildgate distinguishes itself by catering to the aggressive and chaotic nature of Rakdos colors, blending black and red mana.

While Gateway Plaza presents another versatile land, it requires an additional mana for its activation, which may slow down the tempo for those pivotal early turns. Conversely, Blood Crypt stands out as a shock land that can enter the battlefield untapped at a life cost, thereby providing immediate access to Rakdos colors without a turn’s delay. However, Blood Crypt comes with a higher investment than the cost-effective Rakdos Guildgate.

In evaluating their roles within deck structures, lands like Rakdos Guildgate are vital for players seeking stable mana without the premium price of rare counterparts like Blood Crypt. It serves as a building block for those who are looking to balance a budget while still maintaining the capability to run a potent two-color deck.

Azorius Guildgate - MTG Card versions
Golgari Guildgate - MTG Card versions
Gateway Plaza - MTG Card versions
Blood Crypt - MTG Card versions
Azorius Guildgate - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Golgari Guildgate - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Gateway Plaza - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)
Blood Crypt - Dissension (DIS)

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

Badlands - MTG Card versions
Sulfurous Springs - MTG Card versions
Cinder Marsh - MTG Card versions
Temple of Malice - MTG Card versions
Rakdos Carnarium - MTG Card versions
Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway - MTG Card versions
Haunted Ridge - MTG Card versions
Urborg Volcano - MTG Card versions
Shadowblood Ridge - MTG Card versions
Rix Maadi, Dungeon Palace - MTG Card versions
Auntie's Hovel - MTG Card versions
Lavaclaw Reaches - MTG Card versions
Blackcleave Cliffs - MTG Card versions
Dragonskull Summit - MTG Card versions
Blood Crypt - MTG Card versions
Molten Slagheap - MTG Card versions
Smoldering Marsh - MTG Card versions
Foreboding Ruins - MTG Card versions
Bloodfell Caves - MTG Card versions
Canyon Slough - MTG Card versions
Badlands - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Sulfurous Springs - Dominaria United (DMU)
Cinder Marsh - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Temple of Malice - Doctor Who (WHO)
Rakdos Carnarium - The Brothers' War Commander (BRC)
Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway - From Cute to Brute (PCTB)
Haunted Ridge - Doctor Who (WHO)
Urborg Volcano - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)
Shadowblood Ridge - Fallout (PIP)
Rix Maadi, Dungeon Palace - Dissension (DIS)
Auntie's Hovel - Lorwyn (LRW)
Lavaclaw Reaches - Doctor Who (WHO)
Blackcleave Cliffs - Phyrexia: All Will Be One (ONE)
Dragonskull Summit - Fallout (PIP)
Blood Crypt - Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU)
Molten Slagheap - Warhammer 40,000 Commander (40K)
Smoldering Marsh - Fallout (PIP)
Foreboding Ruins - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)
Bloodfell Caves - March of the Machine (MOM)
Canyon Slough - Fallout (PIP)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rakdos Guildgate MTG card by a specific set like Return to Ravnica 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 Rakdos Guildgate and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Rakdos Guildgate Magic the Gathering card was released in 9 different sets between 2012-10-05 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12012-10-05Return to RavnicaRTR 2442003normalblackEytan Zana
22013-05-03Dragon's MazeDGM 1542003normalblackEytan Zana
32013-11-01Commander 2013C13 3142003normalblackEytan Zana
42017-03-17Modern Masters 2017MM3 2422015normalblackEytan Zana
52017-08-25Commander 2017C17 2712015normalblackEytan Zana
62019-01-25Ravnica AllegianceRNA 2552015normalblackJonas De Ro
72019-01-25Ravnica AllegianceRNA 2562015normalblackJonas De Ro
82019-08-23Commander 2019C19 2672015normalblackEytan Zana
92024-01-12Ravnica RemasteredRVR 2842015normalblackJonas De Ro
102024-01-12Ravnica RemasteredRVR 4081997normalblackJonas De Ro
112024-02-23Ravnica: Clue EditionCLU 2442015normalblackEytan Zana

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Rakdos 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 Rakdos Guildgate card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
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.

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