Cloakwood Hermit MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeLegendary Enchantment — Background

Key Takeaways

  1. Generates card advantage and enables strategic token play for resource acceleration and varied tactics.
  2. Flash ability allows surprise maneuvers, yet the card’s discard requirement and specific mana cost can be limiting.
  3. Strong in creature-centric metas but consider potential drawbacks like its mana cost and incompatibility with multicolor decks.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cloakwood Hermit MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate and Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, 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 Cloakwood Hermit and other MTG cards:

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Text of card

Commander creatures you own have "At the beginning of your end step, if a creature card was put into your graveyard from anywhere this turn, create two tapped 1/1 green Squirrel creature tokens."

You've always preferred the company of animals to people.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cloakwood Hermit lets you peek at the top four cards of your library and potentially add a new spell to your hand, enhancing your options and keeping your hand filled with actionable plays.

Resource Acceleration: By providing a steady stream of Insect tokens, this card indirectly increases your available resources; these creatures can be used to chump block, fuel sacrifice mechanics, or contribute to swarm strategies.

Instant Speed: With its flash ability, Cloakwood Hermit can be cast at the most opportune moment—whether that’s for a surprise block or simply to safely deploy your creature at the end of your opponent’s turn, maintaining the element of surprise.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Cloakwood Hermit asks for a card to be discarded upon playing, which can hamper your hand if card advantage is crucial in your game strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring a precise blend of green mana can be restrictive, not fitting seamlessly into multicolor decks that might be mana-flexible.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Needing four mana to summon, the Hermit faces stiff competition from other creatures and spells that might present more immediate impact or utility for the same or lower mana investment.


Reasons to Include Cloakwood Hermit in Your Collection

Versatility: The Cloakwood Hermit is adaptable across multiple gameplay strategies. This card suits various green-centric decks, adding value through its ability to create multiple Squirrel tokens which bolster board presence.

Combo Potential: With its token-generating effect, this card is an excellent addition to any deck looking to capitalize on creature-based synergies. It can also feed into sacrifice mechanics or boost the strength of your forces with other creature buffs.

Meta-Relevance: Given its nature, Cloakwood Hermit performs well within a meta filled with creature-focused strategies. It helps establish and maintain a strong board state to counteract both aggressive and control decks.


How to beat

The Cloakwood Hermit is an intriguing creature card that can bring stealth and resilience to your opponent’s deck in Magic: The Gathering. With its shroud ability, it’s impervious to targeted spells or abilities, making it a tough nut to crack. However, ways exist to swing the tide in your favor when this elusive character hits the board. Board wipes, which don’t target individual creatures, can effectively clear the field, including the Hermit. Cards like Wrath of God or Day of Judgment bypass shroud altogether as they don’t require a target.

Another strategy is to manipulate combat to your advantage. Since the Hermit can’t be targeted, it’s not immune to being forced into unfavorable blocks. Utilize cards that dictate how your opponent must block, such as Lure, to maneuver the Hermit into a compromised position. Lastly, think ahead and disrupt your adversary’s game plan. Counterspells used wisely can prevent the Hermit from ever entering play, ensuring you maintain control of the game. Understanding and circumventing the strengths and protections of creatures like Cloakwood Hermit can secure your dominion over the match.


BurnMana Recommendations

Unlocking the full potential of Cloakwood Hermit in your MTG arsenal requires a deep understanding of both its strengths and weaknesses. While the Hermit enriches your deck with versatility and combo potential, it also presents certain strategic drawbacks. By embracing its token-generating power and instant speed play, you can amplify your board presence dramatically. Counterbalancing its mana cost and discard requirement demands foresight and careful planning of your overall deck composition. For those seeking to enhance their gameplay, exploring the strategies enabled by Cloakwood Hermit is an insightful step. Let’s delve deeper into optimizing your deck with these and other valuable MTG cards.


Cards like Cloakwood Hermit

In the realm of creature-based strategy in MTG, Cloakwood Hermit introduces unique dynamics to the game. As a nod to other green creature cards, Cloakwood Hermit can be contrasted with cards like Deep Forest Hermit. While both bring multiple Squirrel tokens into play, Cloakwood Hermit offers the added versatility of flash, allowing players to cast it unexpectedly during an opponent’s turn. Unlike its counterpart, however, it doesn’t boast Deep Forest Hermit’s vanilla boost to Squirrel creatures’ stats.

Looking at Deranged Hermit, we notice similarities with Cloakwood Hermit as they each summon a squadron of Squirrels. Deranged Hermit edges ahead with its echo ability which, although initially costly, can offer a significant power boost to your Squirrel tokens. The Cloakwood Hermit does not provide such power increments but compensates with its suspenseful flash ability, potentially swinging the game’s momentum in critical turns.

Ultimately, for MTG enthusiasts keen on using Squirrel-powered strategies, the choice between these creatures may boil down to a preference between the element of surprise with Cloakwood Hermit’s flash or the raw strength of the alternatives. Each stands out in advancing a deck’s synergistic strategy, ensuring the forest critters are more than just a mere nuisance to opponents.

Deep Forest Hermit - MTG Card versions
Deranged Hermit - MTG Card versions
Deep Forest Hermit - MTG Card versions
Deranged Hermit - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Cloakwood Hermit by color, type and mana cost

Kudzu - MTG Card versions
Wanderlust - MTG Card versions
Thelon's Chant - MTG Card versions
Maddening Wind - MTG Card versions
Cycle of Life - MTG Card versions
Dense Foliage - MTG Card versions
Hall of Gemstone - MTG Card versions
Fecundity - MTG Card versions
Familiar Ground - MTG Card versions
Momentum - MTG Card versions
Ancestral Mask - MTG Card versions
Broken Fall - MTG Card versions
Verdant Field - MTG Card versions
Lure - MTG Card versions
Food Chain - MTG Card versions
Howling Moon - MTG Card versions
The Dragon-Kami Reborn // Dragon-Kami's Egg - MTG Card versions
Squirrel Nest - MTG Card versions
Alpha Status - MTG Card versions
Lifegift - MTG Card versions
Kudzu - MTG Card versions
Wanderlust - MTG Card versions
Thelon's Chant - MTG Card versions
Maddening Wind - MTG Card versions
Cycle of Life - MTG Card versions
Dense Foliage - MTG Card versions
Hall of Gemstone - MTG Card versions
Fecundity - MTG Card versions
Familiar Ground - MTG Card versions
Momentum - MTG Card versions
Ancestral Mask - MTG Card versions
Broken Fall - MTG Card versions
Verdant Field - MTG Card versions
Lure - MTG Card versions
Food Chain - MTG Card versions
Howling Moon - MTG Card versions
The Dragon-Kami Reborn // Dragon-Kami's Egg - MTG Card versions
Squirrel Nest - MTG Card versions
Alpha Status - MTG Card versions
Lifegift - MTG Card versions

Printings

The Cloakwood Hermit Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2022-06-10 and 2022-06-10. Illustrated by Kai Carpenter.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 5142015NormalBlackKai Carpenter
22022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 2212015NormalBlackKai Carpenter

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cloakwood Hermit has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Cloakwood Hermit card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2022-06-10 An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders.
2022-06-10 Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards (or 58 cards in a Commander Draft game) of your deck are shuffled to become your library.
2022-06-10 Choose a Background is a variant of the partner ability. You may have two commanders if one of them is a legendary creature with the choose a background ability and the other is a legendary Background enchantment. Backgrounds and cards with choose a Background do not interact with cards which have any other partner ability.
2022-06-10 If a card refers to a commander creature you own, a Background won't usually be counted or included for that effect. If another spell or ability causes your Background to become a creature, however, it will be included. Any effect that refers to your commander or a commander you own or control without specifying creature will apply to a Background that is your commander, as appropriate.
2022-06-10 If something refers to your commander while you have two commanders, it refers to one of them of your choice. If you are instructed to perform an action on your commander (e.g. put it from the command zone into your hand due to Command Beacon), you choose one of your commanders at the time the effect happens.
2022-06-10 If you control a Background that grants an ability to commander creatures you own, and you own more than one commander creature, each of them will have that ability.
2022-06-10 If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can include only cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders’ combined color identities.
2022-06-10 If your commander loses the choose a Background ability or stops being a Background during the game, as appropriate, it is still your commander.
2022-06-10 Notably, this means that if your commander creature dies and you choose to return it to the command zone from the graveyard, then cast it again the same turn, the ability granted to it by Cloakwood Hermit will trigger at the beginning of that turn's end step.
2022-06-10 Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won’t have to pay an additional the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 combat damage from any one of them, not from both of them combined (although your Background won’t usually be a creature anyway).
2022-06-10 The ability Cloakwood Hermit grants triggers if you control a creature with that ability as the end step begins and a creature card was put into your graveyard from anywhere this turn. This is true even if no creatures had this ability at the time the creature card went to the graveyard or the creature card is no longer in your graveyard as your end step begins.
2022-06-10 You can choose two commanders that are the same color or colors.