Smelt-Ward Gatekeepers
Creature — Human Warrior
When this creature enters, if you control two or more Gates, gain control of target creature an opponent controls until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Dragon's Maze
- Price
- $0.09
- EDHREC rank
- #24549
Smelt-Ward Gatekeepers steals a creature from an opponent until end of turn and gives it haste — but only if you control two or more Gates, which is a hard restriction that makes it unplayable outside dedicated Gate decks. In those shells it earns its slot; everywhere else, it doesn't.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Smelt-Ward Gatekeepers is a Commander card in the narrowest sense: it only functions in a Gate-matters deck, which limits it to commanders like Maze's End builds that are already committed to the land type. In Pauper it's technically legal but the Gate-tribal archetype doesn't exist there in any meaningful way. Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, and Vintage have no interest — five mana for a conditional Act of Aggression is nowhere near competitive. Play it where Gates are the point; ignore it everywhere else.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.09 bulk tier
At $0.09, Smelt-Ward Gatekeepers is bulk in every sense — low demand, easy to find in any common box. The price won't move; it's a narrow card with a small target audience and no crossover appeal.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.