This 4C gates build warrants a playtest within your arsenal of control decks with a beatdown that's bigger than anyone else in the market.

Firsts, a little bit of history. After watching Jeff Hoogland stream to a decent success rate, a few iterations of 4C gates build, I realised just how inconsistent the mana base is in trying to make it work against aggro or the new menace on the block, Mono U Tempo.

Oh, and it was just so frustrating and inconsistent in packing red sorcery removal spells and still making the deck functional. At least until I found Warrant // Warden and never looked back.

It was so difficult to get red mana on curve or regularly, causing you to mulligan aggressively against aggro/tempo decks, but Warrant // Warden solves it as it's so much easier on the manabase to cast on turn 2 regularly and it's instant speed! Have I mentioned how it's also a threat in the mid-game and late-game? Oh, and it 'timewalks' your opponent if ever you resolve it on their attacking creatures in the early turns too! Value, value, value!

MAINDECK

Ok, so the main build is a control shell, that controls the board via Gates Ablaze, Warrant // Warden, Lava Coil (bye bye Rekindling Phoenix) and lets you get ahead via your engine of Guild Summit or Growth Spiral into Circuitous Route into your big spells, where nothing goes bigger than your 18/18 Hydroid Krasis.

Have I mentioned that Gate Colossus returns to the top of your library sometimes too? So don't hesitate to trade them or chip at your opponent's resources.

SIDEBOARD

Your sideboard here is tuned to elevate your game percentages against fellow control decks. Negate helps against Nexus decks, Deputy of Detention helps against stubborn threats that the opp resolves, while Cindervines, Mass Manipulation and Expansion // Explosion are worthy threats against them.

Carnage Tyrant, more Gate Colossus are self explanatory inclusion against control decks -- you want to be the beatdown as much as you can. (And again, this is where Warrant // Warden shines because it warrants a threat in the form of a flying 4/4 vigilant angel!

Banefire is your silver bullet against a Planeswalker that's ticking up, or whenever you feel like pointing an uncounterable giganormous fireball at will. Expansion // Explosion sometimes does the same trick at instant speed, while drawing you cards or decking the opponent!

Against Midrange or Aggro strategies, you have additional Archway Angel and Deafening Clarion to help stem the bleeding or gain some much needed life. I would have loved to pop more of the latter into the sideboard, but R and W mana are a premium, so we'd want to limit our exposure to this mana requirement.

WARDEN OF THE GATES

Aaaaaaaaaaand the last honorary mention goes to Gatebreaker Ram, our willing Warden of the Gates. After much playtesting, I find that I do not need an early Ram that often, and almost never want to have them in the first few turns. They're pretty much only useful when they enter play as a 5/5 or bigger, and allowing only 2 slots means you don't draw them enough to clog your early turns hand. Don't get me wrong, they're good, but not quite great. That privilege goes to Warrant // Warden.

I hope you'll enjoy rocking this deck as much as I do! Cheers!!