Bottled Cloister MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeArtifact

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides card advantage and protection from hand disruption when played effectively within a MTG deck.
  2. Demands careful mana management and poses a risk if removed during an opponent’s turn.
  3. Supports specific deck types, enhancing interaction with cards like Ensnaring Bridge.

Text of card

At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, remove your hand from the game face down. At the beginning of your upkeep, return all cards removed from the game with Bottled Cloister to your hand, then draw a card.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Bottled Cloister provides a unique card draw mechanic, giving you access to additional cards every turn while protecting your hand during your opponent’s turns. This leads to a significant advantage in resources that can turn the tide of the game.

Resource Acceleration: While Bottled Cloister doesn’t directly accelerate resources in traditional manners such as ramping or producing mana, it accelerates your resource availability by effectively increasing your hand size on your turn. This lets you have more options and the ability to play more spells.

Instant Speed: Though Bottled Cloister itself isn’t an instant, it synergizes well with instant speed spells by leaving your hand empty on opponents’ turns. This reduces the vulnerability to discard strategies and spot removal that often target a player’s hand, ensuring your key spells are safely drawn on your turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside of Bottled Cloister is its end-of-turn requirement, which compels you to exile all cards in your hand. This can be particularly detrimental if the artifact is removed during your opponent’s turn because it leads to a significant temporary card loss and can handicap your strategic options.

Specific Mana Cost: Bottled Cloister demands a commitment of four mana including generic and one from a specific category. The specific mana cost can be restrictive if your deck isn’t geared towards generating the right type of mana fluidly or if your mana base is stretched by other cards’ demands.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of four mana, Bottled Cloister’s investment can be substantial compared to other cards in your deck. Although it offers a unique handing off of your cards during your turns, the initial mana cost might not align with the tempo of the game, often seeing players opting for lower-costing cards that allow for more versatile plays or immediate impact on the game state.


Reasons to Include Bottled Cloister in Your Collection

Versatility: Bottled Cloister offers a unique effect that can improve a variety of decks. Its ability to exile your hand during your opponents’ turns protects valuable cards from being discarded or plucked by Thoughtseize-like strategies. Upon your turn, you get the added bonus of extra card draw, which is always useful.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with effects that punish opponents when they have more cards in hand, or with strategies that require a large hand size only during your turn. It can also be used in conjunction with cards like Ensnaring Bridge, helping you to maintain a minimal hand size on opponents’ turns and then draw into options when it’s your time to act.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta full of hand disruption or where maintaining card advantage is crucial, Bottled Cloister could prove to be a valuable asset. It grants resilience against targeted discard, and ensures you have a fresh set of options every round, aligning well with slower, control-oriented playstyles.


How to beat

Bottled Cloister is a unique artifact card in MTG that removes your hand from the game during your opponent’s turns, then returns it to you and draws you an additional card at the beginning of your next turn. Beat this card by targeting the underlying vulnerability during your opponent’s turn. Ensuring you have instant-speed removal or discard effects allows you to deal with the artifact when the player’s hand is inaccessible, therefore disrupting their game plan. Abrupt Decay or Krosan Grip are excellent examples to consider, as they can’t be countered and can catch your opponent off-guard.

Another strategy involves attacking the player’s strategy during their upkeep before they retrieve their hand with Cloister. Cards like Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek played just before the upkeep can disrupt their next turn plans. Keep in mind that Bottled Cloister protects the hand only during the opposing turn, so timing your disruptive plays is crucial. With precise plays and an understanding of your opponent’s vulnerabilities, you can turn the tide against the constraints of Bottled Cloister.


Cards like Bottled Cloister

Bottled Cloister is a unique piece in the deck builder’s arsenal within Magic: The Gathering. It shares its card isolation mechanic with cards like Exile into Darkness and Possessed Portal. Bottled Cloister stands out by removing the player’s hand only during their own turn, whereas Exile into Darkness targets opponents’ cards and Possessed Portal affects all players but at a much higher cost and a broader impact on the game.

Another relative of Bottled Cloister is the Orbs of Warding. Both provide a form of protection — the Cloister shields the player’s hand from disruptive strategies, while the Orbs offer a buffer against direct harm from abilities and spells. Still, they diverge in application and defensive tactics. The Orbs work continuously, while the Cloister cycles the hand only during the owner’s turn.

While assessing these cards, Bottled Cloister can be appreciated for its ability to safeguard a player’s valuable cards during opponents’ turns. This niche effect can be incredibly beneficial in the right deck, setting it apart from the alternatives and making it a compelling choice for players who value strategic hand protection in their MTG gameplay.

Exile into Darkness - MTG Card versions
Possessed Portal - MTG Card versions
Orbs of Warding - MTG Card versions
Exile into Darkness - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Possessed Portal - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Orbs of Warding - Magic Origins (ORI)

Cards similar to Bottled Cloister by color, type and mana cost

Jayemdae Tome - MTG Card versions
Juggernaut - MTG Card versions
Jade Monolith - MTG Card versions
Jade Statue - MTG Card versions
Dancing Scimitar - MTG Card versions
Grinning Totem - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Processor - MTG Card versions
Patagia Golem - MTG Card versions
Lodestone Myr - MTG Card versions
Lich's Tomb - MTG Card versions
Krark-Clan Ironworks - MTG Card versions
Jade Idol - MTG Card versions
Ur-Golem's Eye - MTG Card versions
Jester's Cap - MTG Card versions
Rod of Ruin - MTG Card versions
Gnarled Effigy - MTG Card versions
Scrapbasket - MTG Card versions
Clockwork Condor - MTG Card versions
Magnetic Mine - MTG Card versions
Icy Manipulator - MTG Card versions
Jayemdae Tome - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Juggernaut - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Jade Monolith - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Jade Statue - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Dancing Scimitar - Revised Edition (3ED)
Grinning Totem - Mirage (MIR)
Phyrexian Processor - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Patagia Golem - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Lodestone Myr - Mirrodin (MRD)
Lich's Tomb - Darksteel (DST)
Krark-Clan Ironworks - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Jade Idol - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Ur-Golem's Eye - Commander 2014 (C14)
Jester's Cap - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Rod of Ruin - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Gnarled Effigy - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Scrapbasket - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Clockwork Condor - Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Tezzeret (DDF)
Magnetic Mine - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Icy Manipulator - Ninth Edition (9ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bottled Cloister MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: City of Guilds and Ravnica Remastered, 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 Bottled Cloister and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Bottled Cloister Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2005-10-07 and 2024-01-12. Illustrated by Luca Zontini.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12005-10-07Ravnica: City of GuildsRAV 2562003normalblackLuca Zontini
22024-01-12Ravnica RemasteredRVR 3891997normalblackLuca Zontini
32024-01-12Ravnica RemasteredRVR 2522015normalblackLuca Zontini
42024-01-12Ravnica RemasteredRVR 389z2015normalblackLuca Zontini

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Bottled Cloister has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2006-02-01 Errata’d to make it clear that only the cards you own go into your hand, so if you somehow gain control of the Cloister, your opponent’s cards won’t go to your hand.

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