[Deck] The Gate

Against Combo, you need to mulligan until you have a turn 1 Duress. I'm dead serious!
If you play against Belcher or Tendrils or such it doesn't matter what your hand looks like as long as there is a swamp and a Duress. It's your only win-option :)

Sphere of Resistance with its casting cost 2 doesn't seem very effective to me - it's just too slow. Nether Void is only playable with Dark Ritual i think.

As stupid as it may sound, im trying out the following sideboard atm:

3 Extirpate
4 Dark Ritual
3 Sadistic Sacrament
2 Pithing Needle
3 Spinning Darkness

Against any type of Combo i would board out all 4 Persecutors and all 3 Deathmark and put in 3 Sadistic Sacrament(hit win-option) and 4 Dark Ritual.
Against any type of Aggro i would board out e.g. 1 Hymn, 1 Duress, 1 Therapy and board in 3 Spinning Darkness(hit creature). If it is any non green or white aggro, just swap Deathmark for "the Darkness".
Against control i would board out 3 Deathmark, 2 Gatekeeper, and board in 3 Sadistic Sacrament(hit Jace/Win option), 3 Pithing Needle(hit Top)

I know it looks really absurd, but it is working quite well. I am hardly missing the Dystopia here, mainly because i never see Solitaire/Enchantress.
With this sideboard, Combo in general is a favorable matchup post-board :)

Interesting Sbplan. Even if you don`t have a sacrament in your starting 7 a ritual together with a duress and a hymn can crippe him and buy you enough time. Maybe I´ll test that during the next days.
My problem with this SB is that there are NO dystopias, which are so important in a lot of games here in germany....

Dunno, just won a game versus Enchantress/Solitaire. Game 2 he had the white Leyline in his starting hand, that game i wished for Dystopia. But i won 2-1 versus him after all.
Sadistic Sacrament is evil i tell you. If you have a slight advance in your board position and can play a Sacrament it's like christmas. You can basically wish for what you would like to not see the rest of the game - it's just great. And first turn Ritual into Sacrament is a "kill" on JaceControl-archetypes :)
The same is true for Reanimator. If you hit the Sacrament before they hit Iona, the match is VERY winnable :)
If they don't have that Force to answer your Sacrament, they are pretty much done. Amazing for an otherwise really bad matchup.
I need to do more testing on Extirpate, but so far i found it superiour to Faery Macabre and to Leyline of the Void. You don't have to mulligan down to it (though you could do it versus Reanimator) and with it's Split Second it is a lot like the faery.
Versus Lands/Loam Extirpate is such a great card, versus Dredge i don't know.


What would you cut for Dystopia?

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Originally Posted by Droxis

Good therapy/hymn use/luck. Its not an easy match up by any stretch, but not exactly impossible. I've been liking sadistic sacrament in the SB for it. You should focus on what your deck is already good at fighting, instead of bogging it down with stuff for one bad match up (unless your metagame is completely flooded with the problem deck, then by all means).

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Why should I focus on improving MU's I already win (aka are favourable)? And yes, Jace Control is becoming very popular in my meta.


@sporen...: Interesting SB plan. On the play opening with Dark Ritual, Sadistic Sacrament can ruin a game plan. But I'm not so sure you'll have them in your opening to be so effective. So I would cut the Rituals for Dystopia..

Hollywood, are you madrad917 on mtgsalvation.com? They put up a primer for The Gate, credited it to him. Didn't know if you knew. Also, how is your sideboard testing going? Sad Sac doing good things for you as well as everyone else?

Are you allowed to link it here? If so, please do that :)

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The Gate, primer adapted from Hollywood's primer@mtgthesource
The deck generates card advantage and allows a clear opportunity to play unmatched threats while stockpiling cards, life, and creatures. By doing so, it becomes very difficult for an opponent to match this level of consistency when you repeatedly have answers for everything they try. By conducting this strategy, the deck opens itself up for so much more flexibility. Each card in the deck serves an important purpose. Black had so many good, underused things going for it. Peoplesjust overlook it as being a crutch-color for decks that need combo protection or acceleration and really nothing more.

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Taken from the very first post of the The Gate thread on mtgsalvation.com. :) Dunno if I'm allowed to link so I didn't. Sorry for the OT but I thought I'd post it here.

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Originally Posted by bakofried

Hollywood, are you madrad917 on mtgsalvation.com? They put up a primer for The Gate, credited it to him. Didn't know if you knew. Also, how is your sideboard testing going? Sad Sac doing good things for you as well as everyone else?

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No harm, no foul; credit was given so that's cool. But I'd also like to give credit here where it is due: A lot of folks had similar ideas like The Gate before its inception came to competitive fruition; I just piloted it, that's all. It's not really a new concept by any stretch of the imagination. The deck just takes the Mono-Black archetype to a new and exciting direction - a direction much different than the usual, "Swamp, Ritual, Hypnotic Specter, go" turn one.

I came up with the name for it while I was watching the movie (The Gate, 1987) with my wife and thought to myself, "Hey, that would be a sweet title for this new deck I'm working on." I was watching Steven Dorff get his thumb bit off by his possessed friend Terry, who subsequently got a "Barbie Doll" leg jammed through his eye when I finally had a moment of clarity. Quite inspirational.

At any rate, my sideboard has been in constant flux for a while now. It really comes down to how comfortable you feel in a given meta-game. I've been trying all sorts of different variations over the last few weeks and I'm really starting to like Sadistic Sacrament more and more. It shuts off the problematic cards right from the start - much like Pithing Needle - but also strips decks of other cards that are difficult to deal with at the same time.

Pithing Needle in testing seems a little shaky because while it does effectively shut down those cards deemed problematic, it is really just a card that doesn't do much else on its own once it hits the battlefield. It can be dealt with in a multitude of different ways, but Sacrament is a good surprise that eliminates the problem for good. It just feels more aggressive and can potentially severely damage an opponents' path to victory. I'm testing it more and more to see how good it truly is and so far (against Combo) it has worked out pretty well. It supplements the discard package nicely post-board and neuters decks reliant on certain cards to win (i.e. Sneak Attack, Show and Tell, Survival of the Fittest, etc.).

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Originally Posted by Kove

Taken from the very first post of the The Gate thread on mtgsalvation.com. :) Dunno if I'm allowed to link so I didn't. Sorry for the OT but I thought I'd post it here.

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Just to explain how that came about, for what it's worth. I felt The Gate was the natural evolution of MBA, so I updated the thread title. Lacking an actual primer, someone PM'd me one. I posted it, and someone told me it was almost word for word a copy of the primer here. Ergo, I gave credit where credit is due.

My apologies for not asking here first if borrowing the primer was ok(some people, understandably, can have strong feelings on that).

/derail :P

So, is it just me that is having screw problems with 21 lands?

Sadly I started thinking of splashing a color to improve the bad MU's.. But I don't reall want to do it even though I have the cards..

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Originally Posted by pippo84

So, is it just me that is having screw problems with 21 lands?

Sadly I started thinking of splashing a color to improve the bad MU's.. But I don't reall want to do it even though I have the cards..

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Not at all.
I tried 21 at Nationals and got screwed half the day...

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Originally Posted by AlterEgo

Not at all.
I tried 21 at Nationals and got screwed half the day...

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Ok, good to know it isn't just me.. What do you recommand to cut for the 18th swamp? I was thinking of Gatekeeper of Malakir. It's a tought choiche though because all the MB is so tight and important.

@Hollywood: did you cut Pithing Needle for Sadistic Sacrament? How are your testing against heavy control decks going?

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Originally Posted by pippo84

Ok, good to know it isn't just me.. What do you recommand to cut for the 18th swamp? I was thinking of Gatekeeper of Malakir. It's a tought choiche though because all the MB is so tight and important.

@Hollywood: did you cut Pithing Needle for Sadistic Sacrament? How are your testing against heavy control decks going?

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As of right now my sideboard has been largely shifted towards a split in dealing with Combo and Control. Creature heavy decks and decks packing burn spells aren't too troublesome because we already have an unusual amount of life-gain for a Mono-Black deck in Jitte and Nighthawk. Removal obviously helps against creatures, so I've been adjusting and evaluating my board taking all things into consideration.

As of right now, my board looks like this:

//Sideboard

[3x] Dystopia
[3x] Sadistic Sacrament
[3x] Thorn of Amethyst
[3x] Gate to Phyrexia
[3x] Faerie Macabre

I'm really focused on trying to shut down slower combo with Sacrament and punishing faster combo with Thorn (with a solid discard package). Gate to Phyrexia has been effective against artifact-heavy decks, which could be a problem post-Scars. It's still in flux, but this is working great for me so far.

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Originally Posted by Hollywood

As of right now my sideboard has been largely shifted towards a split in dealing with Combo and Control. Creature heavy decks and decks packing burn spells aren't too troublesome because we already have an unusual amount of life-gain for a Mono-Black deck in Jitte and Nighthawk. Removal obviously helps against creatures, so I've been adjusting and evaluating my board taking all things into consideration.

As of right now, my board looks like this:

//Sideboard

[3x] Dystopia
[3x] Sadistic Sacrament
[3x] Thorn of Amethyst
[3x] Gate to Phyrexia
[3x] Faerie Macabre

I'm really focused on trying to shut down slower combo with Sacrament and punishing faster combo with Thorn (with a solid discard package). Gate to Phyrexia has been effective against artifact-heavy decks, which could be a problem post-Scars. It's still in flux, but this is working great for me so far.

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Well, good to know! I'll probably stick with Needles in my SB because Combo has disappeared after the banning of Mystical Tutor, and heavy control decks (Landstill/Landeed) are more popular atm. Well, and aggro is everythere!
For this reason I need an answer to Planeswalkers and just discard isn't enought. I will try some Sadistic Sacraments, they may help against Planeswalkers IF the spell will resolve..

P.S. Vengvine survival is also getting real popular here, so I will keep my Extirpates in the board.

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Originally Posted by pippo84

So, is it just me that is having screw problems with 21 lands?

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Huh. With 21 land I am more often flooded. With 20 - screwed.

Updated the opening post for reference. Also, I will be taking The Gate to Star City Games' Baltimore Legacy Open this Sunday. I'll be sure to write up a report.

Most of the changes from the deck have thrived in the sideboard. It's always in a constant state of flux, but I'm attempting to gear it towards this Sunday in hopes of dealing with Vengevine-Survival and ANT (thus the inclusions of Thorn of Amethyst and Extirpate, respectively). I'm still testing it.

@Hollywood: So Sadistic Sacrament did not convince you? I still haven't had the chance to test it..

Why both Faerie Macabre and Extirpate? Both for Survival and Dredge? Why not Tormod's Crypt instead of Faerie?

I won't cut needles. They are the only answer to Planeswalkers.. Landstill/Jace Control are alreay terrible MU's, without it would be even worse!

Just my thoughts..

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Originally Posted by pippo84

@Hollywood: So Sadistic Sacrament did not convince you? I still haven't had the chance to test it..

Why both Faerie Macabre and Extirpate? Both for Survival and Dredge? Why not Tormod's Crypt instead of Faerie?

I won't cut needles. They are the only answer to Planeswalkers.. Landstill/Jace Control are alreay terrible MU's, without it would be even worse!

Just my thoughts..

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Faerie Macabre hits critical elements of an opponent's graveyard before it actually comes to fruition. By stunting them this way with uncounterable removal, it is extraordinarily hard to stop. Being a body helps, too.

Tormod's Crypt, on the other hand, isn't really here because it does nothing more than sit on the board and is a "one and done" when it is used. People play around Crypt very easily, but Faerie Macabre is much more difficult to deal with because of its surprise factor and targeted removal.

Extirpate is a fine compliment with Faerie, and I've been incessantly testing both options to the point where Faerie Macabre just convinces me that with Extirpate they are unstoppable graveyard disruption that works wonders against the unknowing.

Pithing Needle is a card that I've also been testing to the bone (notably against Landstill variants and other decks utilizing Jace, the Mind Sculptor). It has been somewhat useful when it hits the board, but the problem stems from its lack of action and fragility. It has versatile utility, but the problem is that it feels almost like a wasted slot when something much more effective could be used in its stead. If I do decide to play Needle, I am going with a full play-set. The card is just begging to be used in multiples in order to be able to draw it and make at least a second one stick.

I liken it to Leyline of the Void: If it's not in your opening draw, the card becomes relatively useless and forces you to mulligan more aggressively to be able to find it - if you play a full set. I've always considered Needle as being "weak" because it doesn't solve a problem outright and has the ability to be dealt with in a multitude of different ways. Needle is a card that on paper looks great, but in testing becomes a little shaky due to several factors:

a. The inability to draw into one of the two (or three) you might play.
b. Its fragility in succumbing to all sorts of removal.
c. Forcing the deck to mulligan aggressively to be able to find it.

Looking at other cards in the sideboard, there are a multitude of different uses each card has aside from being stationary permanents. Pithing Needle is a control element that should be played as a full set because of its critical importance in those match-ups that warrant its use. This would be strictly for the Control match-up; Pithing Needle is a relatively "dead" draw against most other decks because it provides no impending action from The Gate pilot and allows an opponent to customize their offense along the way.

It's not a glaring weakness of Needle, but it has risen in testing.

Good answer, I see your point. Anyways I find Needle also good against Vial, Top, Shackles and Planeswalkers.
One thing that I noticed is that we have slightly different opinions because we play in different metas. I have to think about control because it's rising and combo is dead, while you have to think about combo..

P.S. We don't have to think about aggro because it's everywhere and the deck performs well against it.

Im planning to play TheGate again this weekend on a small tourney and im in somewhat of a trouble, because i dont have my Extirpate's yet....

At the moment, this is what im planning to have as my sideboard:

3 Dystopia
3 Spinning Darkness
3 Pithing Needle
3 Faerie Macabre
3 ______ (in this slot, there should be 3 Extirpate)

I am looking forward to see one or two "Lands"-player and perhaps even a "Reanimator"-player, can you give me a tip what i could use against them?
I thought about "Tsabo's Web" or "Planar Void" or "Leyline of the Void" - but i feel like the Leyline is bad since you have to mulligan aggressively to get it. Last time at the tournament, i was playing against that "Lands"-player and even after mulligan to 3, i did not get to see a Leyline on my opening hand. Has anyone tested "Tsabo's Web" and is it in any way usable against any other deck aside from "Lands" ?
I also thought about "Cremate" since it gives you a card back after removing a card :) What do you think?
(I am aware that Extirpate is the best choice, but as i said, i won't be able to have my 3 Extirpate by saturday :( )