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Portcullis

Artifact

Whenever a creature enters, if there are two or more other creatures on the battlefield, exile that creature. Return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control when this artifact leaves the battlefield.

CMC
4
Mana cost
{4}
Color identity
C
Rarity
rare
Set
Stronghold
Price
$1.67
EDHREC rank
#17311
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Portcullis card art
Portcullis shuts down creature development for both sides — any creature entering the battlefield gets exiled until Portcullis leaves, which is a prison effect that doubles as combo fuel. The catch is symmetry: it blanks your own creatures too, so you're only running it because you have a plan to break the lock, like bouncing Felidar Guardian in and out to abuse the exile-and-return trigger repeatedly.

Format Analysis

Where it lives, where it can’t

FormatVerdict
commander legal
legacy legal
modern not legal
pioneer not legal
standard not legal
vintage legal
pauper not legal
oathbreaker legal

Commander is where Portcullis actually sees play, slotting into blink, flicker, and stax shells that want to freeze the board while their own engine operates above the lock. Legacy and Vintage are both legal, but Portcullis is far too slow and situational to compete in those formats where the game is often decided before a four-mana artifact resolves. Oathbreaker is legal as well, but the same speed problem applies.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

Price Context

Current price

$1.67 cheap tier

At $1.67, Portcullis is a cheap pickup for a niche prison piece with genuine combo applications. The price reflects its narrow demand — it's not going anywhere fast, but it won't spike without a high-profile deck pushing it into the spotlight.

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Sources

Mentioned

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Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.