Dolmen Gate MTG Card


Dolmen Gate ensures creatures survive attacks, aiding in maintaining board dominance and resource conservation. It disrupts opponent strategies, creating unpredictability akin to instant-speed spell interactions. Strategic deck inclusion is crucial as it might conflict with other cards, affecting mana efficiency.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeArtifact

Text of card

Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to attacking creatures you control.

Lorwyn's stones resonate with the place from which they were hewed. Though taken far, still they call to their home when silence is upon the land.


Cards like Dolmen Gate

Dolmen Gate is an intriguing artifact that shields creatures you control from being destroyed by combat damage. This protection can turn the tides, especially during aggressive plays. In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, there are few cards that offer a similar form of defense. Iroas, God of Victory is one such example, giving your attacking creatures invulnerability in combat. Although it covers half of what Dolmen Gate does, it compensates with its ability to also make your creatures harder to block.

Comparatively, Reconnaissance is another enchantment that can be mentioned alongside Dolmen Gate. It allows you to remove creatures from combat, protecting them from potential harm. While it doesn’t prevent damage like Dolmen Gate, it offers a different tactical advantage by allowing creatures to dodge unfavorable battles. Similarly, Eldrazi Monument provides creatures with indestructibility, which is a more comprehensive protection than just from combat damage, but it comes with a steeper cost of sacrificing a creature each turn.

Analyzing these parallels, Dolmen Gate holds a respectable position in the roster of defensive cards. Its ability to let you attack with impunity every turn without losing creatures makes it an asset for aggressive strategies, sounding the charge while keeping your troops safe.

Iroas, God of Victory - MTG Card versions
Reconnaissance - MTG Card versions
Eldrazi Monument - MTG Card versions
Iroas, God of Victory - MTG Card versions
Reconnaissance - MTG Card versions
Eldrazi Monument - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Dolmen Gate by color, type and mana cost

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Chaos Orb - MTG Card versions
Winter Orb - MTG Card versions
Ankh of Mishra - MTG Card versions
Jandor's Saddlebags - MTG Card versions
Amulet of Kroog - MTG Card versions
Nacre Talisman - MTG Card versions
Howling Mine - MTG Card versions
Essence Bottle - MTG Card versions
Emerald Medallion - MTG Card versions
Scrying Glass - MTG Card versions
Cursed Totem - MTG Card versions
Mask of Intolerance - MTG Card versions
Tsabo's Web - MTG Card versions
Millikin - MTG Card versions
Swiftfoot Boots - MTG Card versions
Ark of Blight - MTG Card versions
Surestrike Trident - MTG Card versions
Demon's Horn - MTG Card versions
Energy Chamber - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dolmen Gate’s unique effect protects creatures as they attack, which can lead to maintaining superior board presence. By safeguarding your aggressive moves, you’re more likely to keep your creatures around to press the advantage in subsequent turns.

Resource Acceleration: By ensuring your creatures survive each assault, Dolmen Gate indirectly accelerates your resources. It retains your creatures as ongoing threats and investments, saving you mana and turns that would otherwise be spent on redeploying.

Instant Speed: While Dolmen Gate itself is not an instant, it influences combat similarly to how instant-speed spells can, capitalizing on the surprise factor and altering the course of battle unexpectedly. Opponents must always consider the Gate’s presence during combat, which can disrupt their strategy.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Dolmen Gate has no direct discard requirement, it’s important to consider the opportunity cost of the card slot it occupies in your deck. Every inclusion must be strategic, and if Dolmen Gate does not synergize well with the rest of your cards, it might lead to an indirect requirement to discard other potentially more useful cards from your hand, especially during tight matches where every card draw counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Dolmen Gate’s casting cost demands two generic mana, which seems versatile, but its effectiveness is largely context-dependent. Decks that are heavy on colored mana might find it challenging to allocate resources for a non-creature artifact that doesn’t immediately impact the board state or may not align well with the deck’s overall strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Investing two mana in an early game to set up defenses can be a steep price for some strategies, especially for aggressive decks that prioritize creature development over preparatory artifacts. In comparison, other cards with similar or lower mana costs might provide immediate impact or acceleration, making Dolmen Gate a less tempting play for those looking to capitalize on speed and tempo.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Dolmen Gate offers protection for your aggressive creatures, allowing them to attack without fear of being destroyed in combat. This trait enables its incorporation into various deck strategies, primarily those that emphasize creature-based attacks.

Combo Potential: With its ability to shield attacking creatures, Dolmen Gate pairs well with cards that trigger upon dealing combat damage to a player. It also synergizes with effects that require creatures to tap, as they can now safely engage in attacks to fulfill such conditions.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where combat interactions are frequent and decisive, Dolmen Gate gains significance. It becomes a powerful tool against decks that rely on combat tricks and blockers to survive, altering the flow of the battle in your favor.


How to Beat Dolmen Gate

Dolmen Gate is a unique artifact in Magic: The Gathering, providing your attacking creatures with the ability to survive combat no matter the damage they take. This makes creatures essentially unkillable in combat on your turn, shifting the game’s dynamics and often catching opponents off-guard.

To counteract Dolmen Gate’s powerful effect, it’s crucial to employ strategies that don’t rely on damage. Removing creatures before they attack is one approach, using cards like Path to Exile that can exile creatures outright, or board wipes such as Wrath of God that clear the battlefield before combat can ever take place. Targeted removal spells that sidestep combat, like Murder, can also be effective. Alternatively, using enchantments like Pacifism to neutralize attacking creatures can negate the advantage provided by Dolmen Gate.

In summary, effectively handling Dolmen Gate involves adapting your tactics to utilize non-combat-based solutions. It’s important to either prevent creatures from attacking or to find alternate means of dealing with them outside of the combat phase, ensuring your opponent’s Dolmen Gate doesn’t become an insurmountable barrier to victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

The Dolmen Gate is a tactical artifact in MTG that can pivot the flow of battle in your favor by protecting your attacking creatures. With its ability to pair well with various strategies and combo potentials, it’s a must-consider for anyone looking to bolster their offensive tactics. Understanding its strengths and how to play against it is key for any player aiming to thrive in the dynamic world of MTG. Start integrating Dolmen Gate into your deck builds and see how it shifts the course of your matches. Dive deeper with us to explore strategies, synergies, and ways to outmaneuver your opponents using Dolmen Gate.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dolmen Gate MTG card by a specific set like Lorwyn and Mystery Booster, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Dolmen Gate and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Dolmen Gate Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2007-10-12 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Richard Sardinha.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12007-10-12LorwynLRW 2562003NormalBlackRichard Sardinha
22019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 15732003NormalBlackRichard Sardinha
32020-09-26The ListPLST LRW-2562003NormalBlackRichard Sardinha

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dolmen Gate has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal