Gate tempo control Pioneer

Pioneer Competitive Control

lukecwolf

Land (24)

• 3x Aether Hub
• 1x Azorius Guildgate
• 1x Boros Guildgate
• 1x Dimir Guildgate
• 1x Forest
• 1x Gateway Plaza
• 2x Golgari Guildgate
• 2x Gruul Guildgate
• 2x Izzet Guildgate
• 2x Mana Confluence
• 1x Orzhov Guildgate
• 1x Rakdos Guildgate
• 1x Selesnya Guildgate
• 2x Simic Guildgate
• 3x Thran Portal

Creature (18)

• 1x Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
• 2x Arboreal Grazer
• 1x Bonecrusher Giant
• 1x Dragonlord Ojutai
• 3x Gate Colossus
• 4x Gatebreaker Ram
• 2x Gatecreeper Vine
• 1x Kenrith, the Returned King
• 1x Linvala, Shield of Sea Gate
• 2x Saruli Gatekeepers

Sorcery (5)

• 2x Circuitous Route
• 3x Gates Ablaze

Instant (10)

• 1x Decisive Denial
• 1x Disdainful Stroke
• 1x Impulse
• 1x Joint Exploration
• 2x Mythos of Nethroi
• 1x No More Lies
• 1x Opt
• 1x Simic Charm
• 1x Tear Asunder

Enchantment (2)

• 2x Oath of Nissa

Battle (1)

• 1x Invasion of New Phyrexia  ^Flip

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Sideboard

Instant (6)

• 2x Disdainful Stroke
• 1x Drown in the Loch
• 1x Kolaghan's Command
• 2x Mystical Dispute

Creature (3)

• 2x Lavinia, Azorius Renegade
• 1x Reidane, God of the Worthy  ^Flip

Artifact (2)

• 2x The Stone Brain

Enchantment (3)

• 3x Temporary Lockdown

Sorcery (1)

• 1x Broken Bond

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Maybeboard

Artifact (6)

• 1x Damping Sphere
• 2x Pithing Needle
• 2x Soul-Guide Lantern
• 1x Unlicensed Hearse

Creature (1)

• 1x Haywire Mite

Instant (3)

• 1x Sheoldred's Edict
• 1x Unsubstantiate
• 1x Unwanted Remake

Battle (1)

• 1x Invasion of Ixalan  ^Flip

Sorcery (2)

• 1x Agonizing Remorse
• 1x Pick Your Poison

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Gate control essentially leverages some of the best pioneer cards in all 5 colors and 12 great gate synergy cards using the affordable but slow mana base of gates. In a format considerably slower than modern, gates work remarkably well.

In your usual game, your goal is to control for the first few turns. Once you've controlled and ramp up enough, get out your boss monsters of Gatebreaker Ram or Gate Colossus. Attack for game: 2 creatures that are around 8/8 with psuedo evasion are kind of tough to tank damage from. Getting out Kenrith or a big flying creature is also a possibility.

Your worst matchup is against a deck with sufficient removal or equally impressive boss monsters. Tough matchups include: FIre of Invention/Bring to Light Control (the leyline bindings and touch the spirit realm hurt) Phyrexian Obliderator/ Rona Obliderator.

This gate control deck was Based on a standard winning gate deck I had all the way from 2014. I think the entire deck was worth less than $30.
Almost 9 years later, I took this to a bunch of locals and did remarkably well. Ratios and the sideboard are constantly a work in progress.

The 12 gate synergy cards I've focused on are as follows:

4x Gatebreaker Ram 3x Gate Colossus 2x Saruli Gatekeepers
3x Gates Ablaze

The deck happens to be able to run Jegantha as a companion, and will be used maybe once every 15 games. It's not optimal but it's another boss monster.

I might toy with discard fodder as discarding gate colossus is a net zero. Izzet discard stuff is a consideration.

No landfall?

Not really? I don't run Maze's end, and the deck's boss monsters win consistenly on their own. I did make a big list of cards here as they exist as of 12/2023

azusa, lost but seeking

You must run azusa if running landfall.

Maja, Bretagard Protector Moraug, Fury of Akoum (Actually pretty good)

Nissa of Shadowed Boughs Nissa resurgent animist

Omnath locus of creation Scute swarm (Underwhelming)

Tireless tracker

Content goes here

Notable land inclusions/exclusions

Aether hub? Why not 4 mana confluence? Paying one life to get mana really hurts for decks that go the long game like this. 4 mana confluence hurts too much, 2 is acceptable. May toy with 3.

No maze's end?

Nope! In my 10+ years with this deck I have never reached the maze's end! The deck is powerful enough to go large that it can win long before you reach the maze's end and win.

Maze's end also... kind of sucks outside casual commander? It enters the battlefield tapped, takes 4 mana to cultivate a gate, produces useless colorless mana.

Sideboard notes

There are extensive sideboard lists on other decks. These are to be decided on case by case basis.

Here are some thoughts:

1x Reidane, God of the Worthy Honestly, both sides of the card are nice.

3x Leyline of Sanctity IN Essential against Black decks that attack the hand. Discarding the boss monster or negate really hurts

2x Soul-Guide Lantern OUT There's just not many graveyard decks in Pioneer? Maybe Izzet Phoenix and maybe a few other choice cards? Sided for more potent options

1x Lavinia, Azorius Renegade Mostly used against Lotus combo and Discover.

Date added	11 months
Last updated	1 day
Legality	This deck is Pioneer legal.
Rarity (main - side)	5 - 0 Mythic Rares 10 - 10 Rares 21 - 4 Uncommons 23 - 1 Commons
Cards	60
Avg. CMC	3.08
Tokens	Emblem Teferi Akosa of Zhalfir, Energy Reserve, Knight 2/2 WU, On an Adventure