MTG Guildgates -- Complete Guide
Guildgates enter tapped and tap for either of two colors. Their only other feature is the Gate land type, which a small group of cards cares about — most famously Maze’s End. The ten Guildgates come from Return to Ravnica (2012) and Gatecrash (2013) and have been reprinted many times. All ten are legal in Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Commander and Pauper.
All 10 Guildgates
| Card | Colors |
|---|---|
| Azorius Guildgate | White/Blue (Azorius) |
| Orzhov Guildgate | White/Black (Orzhov) |
| Boros Guildgate | White/Red (Boros) |
| Selesnya Guildgate | White/Green (Selesnya) |
| Dimir Guildgate | Blue/Black (Dimir) |
| Izzet Guildgate | Blue/Red (Izzet) |
| Simic Guildgate | Blue/Green (Simic) |
| Rakdos Guildgate | Black/Red (Rakdos) |
| Golgari Guildgate | Black/Green (Golgari) |
| Gruul Guildgate | Red/Green (Gruul) |
What a Guildgate Does
Azorius Guildgate reads: “This land enters tapped. {T}: Add {W} or {U}.” It is a Land — Gate, with no basic land types, so fetch lands can’t find it.
When the Gate Type Matters
Run Guildgates over other tapped duals only if your deck uses Gates. The best-known payoffs:
- Maze’s End — “{3}, {T}, Return this land to its owner’s hand: Search your library for a Gate card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. If you control ten or more Gates with different names, you win the game.”
- Guild Summit — draws a card whenever a Gate you control enters.
- Plaza of Harmony — taps for any color a Gate you control could produce, and gains 3 life if you control two or more Gates.
- Gates Ablaze — deals damage to each creature equal to the number of Gates you control.
Without payoffs, gain lands do the same job and gain 1 life when they enter.
Key Details
- Tier: Budget (3/3)
- Entry: Always enters tapped.
- Fetchable: No
- Cards in cycle: 10
Format Legality
| Standard | Pioneer | Modern | Legacy | Commander |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal | Legal | Legal | Legal | Legal |
Strategy
Guildgates are legal in Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Commander. A budget-friendly option for casual decks and newer players building a collection.
Related Cycles
- Tap Tri-Lands — ETB tapped. Tap for one of three colors.
- Snow Duals — ETB tapped. Snow land with two basic land types — fetchable.
- Typed Duals — ETB tapped. Two basic land types — fetchable. No abilities.
- Slow Fetches — ETB tapped. Tap, sac: search for a land with one of two basic types.
- Bounce Lands — ETB tapped. Return a land to hand. Tap for 2 colors.
Build Your Mana Base
Use our Mana Base Calculator to find the right mix of Guildgates and other duals for your deck. Paste a Moxfield or Archidekt link and get Monte Carlo-simulated land counts. See every cycle in our index of all 48 land cycles, or read the MTG Dual Lands Guide for which ones to buy first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Guildgates good in Commander?
Guildgates are acceptable budget options in Commander. They are legal in all Commander brackets.
Are Guildgates legal in Pauper?
Yes. All ten are commons and legal in Pauper, as well as in Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy and Commander.
What does Maze’s End do?
It fetches a Gate from your library for {3}, returning itself to your hand, and you win the game if you control ten or more Gates with different names.