Deploy the Gatewatch MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityMythic
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Deploys top seven cards for potential planeswalker play, optimizing deck draw and board power.
  2. Requires significant planeswalker density in your deck for consistent value from the six mana cost.
  3. Vital for planeswalker-centric strategies, it can swing the game with key planeswalker synergy.

Text of card

Look at the top seven cards of your library. Put up to two planeswalker cards from among them onto the battlefield. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.

Gideon and Liliana may not have seen eye to eye, but that did not stop them from fighting side by side.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Deploy the Gatewatch has the power to sift through the top seven cards of your library, potentially putting two planeswalker cards directly into play. This not only swells your side of the board with formidable allies but also efficiently thins your deck, setting you up for more strategic draws in subsequent turns.

Resource Acceleration: In a game where tempo is key, Deploy the Gatewatch offers a significant acceleration in resources. Instead of casting planeswalkers individually, you’re effectively playing two for the cost of six mana—a bargain for such a high impact. The immediate presence of these planeswalkers can rapidly change the tide, offering various abilities for defense, control, or aggression.

Instant Speed: While Deploy the Gatewatch itself is a sorcery, the planeswalkers it brings into play often have abilities that can be activated at instant speed. This allows you to adapt quickly to an evolving board state, making strategic choices on the fly and catching opponents off-guard during times they’d least expect a shift in power.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Enthusiasts of Deploy the Gatewatch face the tactical hurdle of ensuring their deck is flush with planeswalkers. Without an ample supply of these specific cards, the spell can falter, turning a promising advantage into a potential waste of critical resources.

Specific Mana Cost: With a strict color alignment needing both white and blue mana, this card demands a dedicated mana base. Players running multi-colored decks might find the mana requirements for Deploy the Gatewatch restrictive, hindering its incorporation into a diverse array of strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The six mana cost of Deploy the Gatewatch is steep, particularly in a format where tempo can mean the difference between victory and defeat. While potentially game-changing, its heavy mana demand can slow down a player’s momentum, especially if the resulting planeswalkers do not provide an immediate impact on the battlefield.


Reasons to Include Deploy the Gatewatch in Your Collection

Versatility: Deploy the Gatewatch offers a unique flexibility to any deck by potentially casting two planeswalker cards directly onto the battlefield. Its application spans across various deck archetypes that are built around planeswalker synergies.

Combo Potential: This card allows players to quickly assemble a powerful board presence with planeswalkers. It can serve as the keystone in a combo with Oath of the Gatewatch cards, or any strategy emphasizing planeswalker activations.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where planeswalkers play a significant role, Deploy the Gatewatch can be a game-changer. It circumvents traditional casting hurdles, and can swiftly tilt the game in your favor by exploiting the power of some of the most influential cards in MTG.


How to Beat

Deploy the Gatewatch is a distinct card in Magic: The Gathering, known for its ability to potentially summon multiple planeswalkers in one fell swoop. This card can tip the scales if it resolves, presenting a unique challenge to opponents. To counter its impact, disruption is key. Employing counter spells like Negate or Dovin’s Veto can prevent Deploy the Gatewatch from ever hitting the battlefield. For those playing black, Thoughtseize allows you to remove it from your opponent’s hand before they can cast it.

Another effective strategy is to limit the number of planeswalkers your opponent can access. By running graveyard interaction spells like Tormod’s Crypt, you can eliminate potential planeswalker targets, rendering Deploy the Gatewatch far less effective. Moreover, quick removals, for example, through Hero’s Downfall or Bedevil, handle planeswalkers right after they land. A preemptive approach using discard or counters alongside prompt removal post-cast can keep the planeswalkers at bay and ensure Deploy the Gatewatch doesn’t overshadow the duel.

While powerful, Deploy the Gatewatch isn’t invincible. Understanding its mechanics and having the right answers in your deck can ensure that your opponent’s aspirations of a planeswalker army remain nothing more than a fantasy.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the intricacies of Deploy the Gatewatch can be a game changer for your MTG endeavors. With its potential to dramatically enhance your board position by introducing powerful planeswalkers, this card can be the cornerstone of a victorious strategy. Ensure your deck is plentiful with planeswalkers to maximize this card’s value, and consider your mana base carefully to meet the casting requirements. As the MTG landscape evolves, so should your tactics. Embrace the chance to innovate your gameplay and shake up the meta with this dynamic card. If your aim is to elevate your MTG sessions to epic proportions, delve deeper and let’s unlock the full potential of Deploy the Gatewatch together.


Cards like Deploy the Gatewatch

Deploy the Gatewatch is a unique sorcery that offers players an opportunity to call powerful planeswalkers into battle in the Magic: The Gathering universe. It closely resembles Oath of Nissa in its ability to sift through the top of your library for legendary company. Oath of Nissa, however, is more restrictive, only allowing a look at the top three cards and it’s a legendary enchantment rather than a sorcery.

Call the Gatewatch is another card that shares a thematic link, permitting a player to search their library for a planeswalker card. Where Call the Gatewatch is a targeted search, Deploy the Gatewatch is more of a gamble, albeit with the potential to put two planeswalkers directly into play. Then there’s the newer enchantment, Fires of Invention, which while not searching for planeswalkers, does allow casting them potentially for free – based on the number of lands you control.

In essence, Deploy the Gatewatch offers a high-risk, high-reward strategy that is distinct among its peers. For players who bank on planeswalker synergy, it holds the potential for an explosive game-changing move, setting it apart from more cautious, selective methods of building your board’s presence.

Oath of Nissa - MTG Card versions
Call the Gatewatch - MTG Card versions
Fires of Invention - MTG Card versions
Oath of Nissa - Oath of the Gatewatch (OGW)
Call the Gatewatch - Oath of the Gatewatch Promos (POGW)
Fires of Invention - Throne of Eldraine Promos (PELD)

Cards similar to Deploy the Gatewatch by color, type and mana cost

Icatian Town - MTG Card versions
Righteous Fury - MTG Card versions
Catastrophe - MTG Card versions
Guan Yu's 1,000-Li March - MTG Card versions
Kirtar's Wrath - MTG Card versions
Devastating Mastery - MTG Card versions
Austere Command - MTG Card versions
Akroma's Vengeance - MTG Card versions
Solar Tide - MTG Card versions
Final Judgment - MTG Card versions
Chronomantic Escape - MTG Card versions
Spectral Procession - MTG Card versions
Planar Cleansing - MTG Card versions
Open the Vaults - MTG Card versions
Nomads' Assembly - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Rebirth - MTG Card versions
Sudden Disappearance - MTG Card versions
Terminus - MTG Card versions
Vanquish the Foul - MTG Card versions
Plea for Guidance - MTG Card versions
Icatian Town - Masters Edition (ME1)
Righteous Fury - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Catastrophe - The List (PLST)
Guan Yu's 1,000-Li March - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Kirtar's Wrath - Crimson Vow Commander (VOC)
Devastating Mastery - Strixhaven: School of Mages Promos (PSTX)
Austere Command - Fallout (PIP)
Akroma's Vengeance - Commander 2020 (C20)
Solar Tide - Mirrodin (MRD)
Final Judgment - The List (PLST)
Chronomantic Escape - Future Sight (FUT)
Spectral Procession - Modern Masters 2015 (MM2)
Planar Cleansing - Core Set 2020 Promos (PM20)
Open the Vaults - Fallout (PIP)
Nomads' Assembly - Commander 2014 (C14)
Phyrexian Rebirth - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)
Sudden Disappearance - Dark Ascension (DKA)
Terminus - From the Vault: Annihilation (V14)
Vanquish the Foul - Theros (THS)
Plea for Guidance - Born of the Gods (BNG)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Deploy the Gatewatch MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon Promos and Eldritch Moon, 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 Deploy the Gatewatch and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Deploy the Gatewatch Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by Wesley Burt.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-07-22Eldritch Moon PromosPEMN 20s2015normalblackWesley Burt
22016-07-22Eldritch MoonEMN 202015normalblackWesley Burt
32023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 8192015normalblackWesley Burt

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Deploy the Gatewatch has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

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