Bitter Ordeal MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery
Abilities	Gravestorm
Released	2007-05-04
Set symbol
Set name	Future Sight
Set code	FUT
Number	80
Frame	future
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Daarken

Key Takeaways

Bitter Ordeal enables deck sifting and preemptive threat removal for a considerable strategic edge.
Gravestorm synergy transforms mass removals into opportunities for successive spell casting.
Although potent post-board wipes, its effectiveness is situational, requiring a graveyard-centric play.

Text of card

Search target player's library for a card and remove that card from the game. Then that player shuffles his or her library. Gravestorm (When you play this spell, copy it for each permanent put into a graveyard this turn. You may choose new targets for the copies.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Bitter Ordeal presents a unique opportunity to sift through an opponent’s deck, potentially stripping it of key components and gaining a strategic advantage. This can translate to indirect card advantage by preemptively dealing with multiple threats before they are even drawn.

Resource Acceleration: While this card itself does not accelerate resources, its synergy with grave-based strategies can turn any mass removal into a significant boon, allowing you to cast more spells in succession, especially following a board wipe where many cards are put into graveyards.

Instant Speed: Bitter Ordeal operates at sorcery speed, but its power lies in the aftermath of multiple cards hitting the graveyard in a single turn. Following a sequence of instant-speed interactions that load the graveyard, Bitter Ordeal can significantly disrupt an opponent’s forthcoming plans.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Bitter Ordeal does not directly require discarding, it relies on the ‘gravestorm’ mechanic, which necessitates that cards be put into graveyards that turn to maximize its effect. This can be a downside in scenarios where your deck or game state does not support ample graveyard filling.

Specific Mana Cost: Bitter Ordeal calls for two black mana, making it less flexible for decks that are not heavy on black mana or that operate on a multi-color mana base. Its applicability is thus limited to predominantly black decks or those with sufficient mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, one generic and two black, Bitter Ordeal can seem costly when compared to other cards in the same slot. Considering that the card’s effectiveness is highly situational – dependent on the number of permanents put into a graveyard in a turn – it can be an inefficient choice in the absence of a combo or synergy that supports its gravestorm ability.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Bitter Ordeal card stands out for its flexibility across multiple deck types. Given its ability to search and exile any number of cards from an opponent’s deck, it proves invaluable in disrupting various strategies your opponents may deploy.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks that focus on creating numerous permanents leaving the battlefield in a single turn. Its gravestorm mechanic compounds this effect, allowing for potentially game-ending plays as it removes key components from an opponent’s deck.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta with graveyard-based strategies or combos, Bitter Ordeal can act as a powerful countermeasure. Its targeted exiling effect is crucial for dismantling opponent’s plans, making it an essential card in any collection for competitive play.

How to Beat Bitter Ordeal

Bitter Ordeal presents a unique challenge in Magic: The Gathering due to its Gravestorm ability, which can be devastating for decks that rely on a stocked graveyard. The key to overcoming Bitter Ordeal is proactivity. Running graveyard shuffling effects or cards that can replace graveyard contents, like the Eldrazi Titans with their reshuffling trigger, are effective measures. Additionally, including instant-speed grave hate cards such as Tormod’s Crypt or Bojuka Bog in your deck can significantly disrupt the Gravestorm count when played strategically.

Furthermore, employing countermeasures like counter spells ensures that Bitter Ordeal never resolves, keeping your deck intact. Counterspell and Dissipate offer excellent protection when timing is right. Adopting a strategy that minimizes the number of permanents hitting the graveyard in a single turn also helps in diluting Bitter Ordeal’s impact. Consider adjusting your play style to incrementally deploy threats rather than committing multiple cards to the board at once.

Ultimately, staying ahead of Bitter Ordeal involves a blend of graveyard management, timely counters, and calculated play. With these techniques, you can safeguard your deck and maintain control against the Gravestorm mechanic of Bitter Ordeal.

Cards like Bitter Ordeal

Bitter Ordeal holds a unique position in the pantheon of MTG grave-based strategies. Among cards that manipulate opponents’ decks, Cranial Extraction shines as a parallel, providing a peek-and-pick approach to neutralizing threats before they’re played. Bitter Ordeal diverges with its Gravestorm mechanic, escalating in power as more cards are put into graveyards during a turn, making it exceptionally potent in combo decks or after a board wipe.

Another card that echoes this mill-style tactic is Sadistic Sacrament. Like Bitter Ordeal, it targets an opponent’s deck, excising key components directly from the game. Where Sadistic Sacrament offers upfront knowledge and choice at a fixed number, Bitter Ordeal scales its effect, potentially spiraling to dismantle an entire strategy based on prior plays. Then comes Jester’s Cap, an artifact-driven sibling, trading the repeated scalability of Bitter Ordeal’s Gravestorm for a one-time sure strike. However, it fails to offer the same potential for exponential impact that Bitter Ordeal boasts.

Analyzing these options, Bitter Ordeal proves to be a crucial cog in decks designed around graveyard synergies and mass removal. Its ability to disrupt and dismantle makes it a card of choice for players seeking to leverage the chaos of a full battlefield turned graveyard.

Cards similar to Bitter Ordeal by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bitter Ordeal MTG card by a specific set like Future Sight, 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 Bitter Ordeal and other MTG cards: