Portcullis
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Magic: The Gathering
Mana cost
StrongholdSTH · #139
- Card type
- Artifact
- Rarity
- Rare
- Indicative price
- 1.20 € · 1.97 $
- Mana value
- 4
- Colour
- Colourless
Card text
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.
Format legality
- CommanderLegal
- DuelLegal
- LegacyLegal
- OathbreakerLegal
- PredhLegal
- PremodernLegal
- VintageLegal
Legalities follow the imported catalogue; check format rules before a tournament.
Data imported on 2026-10-06 (UTC).
Indicative Scryfall prices, updated daily. ★: foil; ★ E: etched foil. EUR and USD represent different markets.
Printing information
- Illustrator
- Kev Walker
- Card language
- English
- Release date
- 1998-03-02
Rulings
Creatures which are phasing in will not trigger this card's ability.
If the creature that triggered Portcullis is no longer on the battlefield when the ability resolves, then it fails to do anything.
You check the count of the number of creatures on the battlefield again during resolution. The creature will not be exiled if the count is 2 or less.
The "when Portcullis leaves the battlefield" ability is set up as part of the ability that exiles the creature. It will trigger when Portcullis leaves the battlefield even if Portcullis has somehow lost its abilities at that time.
The creature does enter, so any other abilities that trigger on it entering trigger. This follows the normal rules for timing triggered abilities: first, the current player puts their abilities on the stack in any order, then each other player in turn order does the same. Portcullis' own ability is included in this, so it could result in the creature being exiled after some abilities have resolved, but before others.