Cramped Bunker MTG Card
Key Takeaways
- Activating Cramped Bunker at instant speed enables on-the-fly threat response and tempo control.
- Demanding mana requirements and upkeep can impact hand and board presence adversely.
- Its unique mechanics add versatility and potential for meta-relevant combo plays.
Text of card
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, that player moves a permanent he or she controls to touch Cramped Bunker and no other permanents. If he or she can't, destroy each permanent that player controls that isn't touching Cramped Bunker, then sacrifice it.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Cramped Bunker lets you potentially control the nonland permanents that get played each turn, placing you in a vantage position to dictate the pace of the game and outmaneuver your opponents with strategic plays.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly increasing your resources, the card allows for a nuanced form of acceleration by forcing players to choose their permanents wisely, which can lead to resource misallocation on their part, indirectly benefiting your resource management.
Instant Speed: The ability to activate at instant speed gives you the leverage to respond to threats immediately, keep opponents guessing, and fully utilize your mana each turn, thereby maintaining tempo and applying constant pressure on the battlefield.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Cramped Bunker comes with the challenge of requiring players to discard a card every turn just to keep it on the battlefield. This can be severely taxing in game situations where card advantage is crucial, potentially leading to running out of options quicker than your opponent.
Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Cramped Bunker is quite demanding, with a specific need for both colorless and red mana. This can cause consistency issues in multi-colored decks that may not always have the right mana combination at the critical moment you need to cast it.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana value sitting higher than other protective or control spells in MTG, Cramped Bunker can appear less appealing. Players often prefer lower-cost alternatives that allow for a more flexible and responsive game plan, especially in environments where speed is of the essence.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Cramped Bunker is a unique card that complements a variety of playstyles and decks. It serves not just as a defensive measure but also as a way to control the board and dictate the pace of the game.
Combo Potential: This card is a gem for players keen on crafting intricate combos. Its ability to challenge opponents at every upkeep creates opportunities to build around forced choices and capitalize on the results.
Meta-Relevance: With a shifting MTG meta, Cramped Bunker emerges as a clever inclusion in many sideboards. Against opponents who rely heavily on creature strategies, it can serve as a powerful disruptor, making it a timely addition to your collection.
How to beat
Cramped Bunker, a unique enchantment in the world of Magic: The Gathering, pushes players into making challenging decisions every turn. To navigate through this card’s effect, it’s essential to maintain a diverse set of permanents. This ensures that sacrificing a single type won’t completely derail your strategy. Having a plentiful board presence can also prove helpful, as it provides more options for sacrifice and lessens the impact of losing one permanent each turn.
Alternatively, incorporating enchantment removal into your deck is a smart move against Cramped Bunker. Spells like Disenchant or Naturalize give you a direct and cost-efficient way to destroy it. Quick removal is paramount, as the longer Cramped Bunker remains on the battlefield, the more it can disrupt your game plan.
Lastly, focusing on low-cost and expendable permanents can minimize the card’s effect. Since you’ll have to sacrifice something every turn, utilizing cards that leave behind value when they’re gone or have recurrence from the graveyard can help you maintain control. Remember, consistently advancing your board while keeping the Bunker’s sacrifice requirement in check is key to not falling behind.
Cards like Cramped Bunker
Cramped Bunker introduces a unique strategic layer to the battlefield within Magic: The Gathering that isn’t commonly seen. It’s often compared to other protective cards that deter opponents, like Ghostly Prison, which requires opponents to pay mana for each attacking creature towards you. However, Cramped Bunker demands a continuous choice to keep the card on the field, emphasizing player interaction and decision-making.
Another card worthy of comparison is Propaganda, which shares Ghostly Prison’s taxing effect on attacking creatures. While both Propaganda and Ghostly Prison affect all opponents equally, the dynamic nature of Cramped Bunker’s upkeep creates a different tactical scenario each turn. Mystic Barrier also echoes this sentiment as it restricts combat to one direction. Yet unlike Mystic Barrier, Cramped Bunker involves the entire table in a rotating gamble of targeting and choice, thereby altering the combat landscape every round.
Ultimately, Cramped Bunker carves out its own niche through its singular ability to control the game’s tempo and the sustained engagement it elicits from players at the table. This makes it a compelling option for those looking to add an unpredictable and interactive element to their defensive strategies.
Cards similar to Cramped Bunker by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Cramped Bunker MTG card by a specific set like Unstable and The List (Unfinity Foil Edition), 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 Cramped Bunker and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Cramped Bunker Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-12-08 and 2022-10-07. Illustrated by Ben Wootten.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-12-08 | Unstable | UST | 129 | 2015 | Normal | Silver | Ben Wootten | |
| 2 | 2022-10-07 | The List (Unfinity Foil Edition) | ULST | 45 | 2015 | Normal | Silver | Ben Wootten |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Cramped Bunker card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-01-19 | If a token is put in the Cramped Bunker, the object being used to represent the token is what must get in the bunker. You’re not allowed to change what that object is once Cramped Bunker appears. For example, if you’re using a Zombie token card to represent an Angel token (weird, but sure), you can’t suddenly decide you’d rather use a penny. If you create a new Angel token, you can use a penny. |
| 2018-01-19 | You can pick up cards touching Cramped Bunker to tap them if you need to, but then they must end up still in contact with Cramped Bunker and not in contact with any other permanents. |
