Gatekeeper of Malakir
Creature — Vampire Warrior
Kicker 
(You may pay an additional as you cast this spell.)
When this creature enters, if it was kicked, target player sacrifices a creature of their choice.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $0.27
- EDHREC rank
- #12509
Gatekeeper of Malakir forces a sacrifice on entry — no targeting, no protection clause, just a body that rips something off the board the moment it lands. Pay the kicker and you get two triggers, which means two sacrifices for two mana extra on a 2/2 that sticks around.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Gatekeeper of Malakir earns its keep — sacrifice-matters commanders like Tergrid, God of Fright and Sheoldred, Whispering One treat every forced sacrifice as a resource, and the Gatekeeper delivers that repeatedly when blinked or reanimated. In black vampire tribal builds under Edgar Markov, it pulls double duty as a tribal member and a removal piece. In 60-card formats, unconditional edict effects at two mana are playable but compete with Liliana of the Veil and Bloodchief's Thirst for the slot, making the Gatekeeper a budget role-player rather than a staple. Pioneer and Modern both have enough sacrifice-immune threats and hexproof creatures that the sorcery-speed edict clause loses value against prepared opponents.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.27 bulk tier
At $0.27, Gatekeeper of Malakir is deep bulk — you're paying for a functional, unconditional edict on a body, not for scarcity. That price is stable; demand is steady enough to keep it from dropping further, but the effect is common enough across black that it won't climb.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.