@ klauth, This doesn't work with milling cards: for a card to be considered a permanent, it has to be in play, otherwise it's still a spell/card.
And yes, there are plenty of infinite combos with this, and short of instantly winning with this, it can be key in shutting down an opponent's combos. It's also easier to pull off gravestorm than regular storm in early game.
klauth
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
@Ritius: oh w8 haha...I was too hasty in thinking of that combo, it says permanents not permanent cards, so I guess I was wrong, meh well it could've been an overpowering combo...
Lateralis0ne
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(3 votes)
My friend likes to use this card to remove the first thirteen million cards he sees in my deck. It's a game to see if I can hit him for four hundred and fifty trillion before he does that. Unfortunately, his life total can be quite a bit higher than that by turn six if I'm not careful...but it keeps things interesting.
True story. I can't make this stuff up. "Harmful Stranger" vs. "Killing Gentleman". Stories of these decks' exploits will be passed on to Wizards' grandchildren.
I may be low tech... but, I love sacrificing a ton of my little zombies to a fallen angel... attacking then playing this to completely deconstruct anyway they can deal with my inevitable reanimate strategy. Oh, and I love to use pestilence too... may hurt me a bit... but always hurts my opponent more. :} Especially when this follows.
Szyx
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Could this be used in combination with Iname, Death's Aspect? The combo would go as follows;
1. Play Iname, Death's Aspect. Send as many spirit creatures to the graveyard as you can muster. 2. Play Bitter Ordeal right after. Thus allowing you to search your opponent's deck for the same number of cards and exile them.
Would this work? I'm having doubts now, because you guys are saying the permanents referenced on the reminder text only target actual permanents in play. Any help or comments are appreciated.
Hibron
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(4 votes)
M, this card will work with Thopter foundry and sword of the meek, because tokens are put into a graveyard also--they just evaporate as a state based action. sword of the meek enters multiple times, but I think that side works too.
antonima
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Soo, if I grave-cycled a Nether Traitor or an Apprentice Necromancer, would it trigger the gravestorm? Those cards do not stay in the grave permanently. Thats a turn three win with the right cards ^^
djbon2112
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
@Szyx: No, it won't work. "each PERMANENT put into a graveyard" means just that. Card put into your graveyard from your library aren't permanents.
First Damnations then this. Watch your opponents face very closely.
Kirbster
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(7 votes)
Nothing is better than a card that essentially makes your opponent shuffle five or six times in a row.
iSlapTrees
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Combo with annihilator :)
SgtSwaggr
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Does this work with Glimpse the Unthinkable, or is it just from the battlefield?
OboyOriginal
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I use this in my casual Teysa EDH deck, great fun in EDH with all the global destruction and sac outlets.
MrBarrelRoll
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(5 votes)
Since they shuffle with each copy that resolves, including the copies made with gravestorm.....possible synergy with Cosi's Trickster? Sure it's an expensive 3 card combo, but Damnation followed up by the Trickster followed up by this = a very large 1-drop as the only creature on the field.
Or to make that a little easier, maybe use it in some weird deck using Eldrazi Spawns to build up the gravestorm count, which would let you only need the 3 mana to cast the Ordeal during your turn and make the Trickster huge.
I don't know exactly, but I feel like that could be a workable deck.
Gormaol
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Go away Progenitus, you're not wanted here! Shame this card is off-color for traditional Painter's Stone.
Huffytreefolkman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
deal combat damage attack with rakdos.play it
marwinshieldscale
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think this may come back in innistrad dew to the graveyard/victorian theme, it's to soon to judge though
Kitty_the_Kat
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Man, I wonder if Gravestorm will become a keyword in Innistrad..
110.1. A permanent is a card or token on the battlefield. A permanent remains on the battlefield indefinitely. A card or token becomes a permanent as it enters the battlefield and it stops being a permanent as it’s moved to another zone by an effect or rule.
110.4a The term “permanent card” is used to refer to a card that could be put onto the battlefield. Specifically, it means an artifact, creature, enchantment, land, or planeswalker card.
mlanier131
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(5 votes)
This is the tendrils of agony of the new modern format
BlackAlbino
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I wanna break this sooo bad
fullbringer
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(4 votes)
heartless summoning + 2 myr retrievers + this
/troll face
Agent1103
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(4 votes)
To those who think that this does not work off of an infinite token sacrifice combo, you are wrong. Unlike a card such as Bloodchief Ascension, which activates only when a "card" is put into the graveyard, Bitter Ordeal works when a permanent is put into the graveyard. What this means is anything that remains on the battlefield, including tokens (which do not cease to be permanents upon entering the graveyard, but rather cease to be cards, so they trigger any graveyard effects that do not specify "cards"), will trigger Gravestorm. Fear not young Johnny players, your combos are safe.
sarroth
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Without a doubt the mechanic I most want to see in a future set. The only time I liked getting all my lands blown up in Commander was when Obliterate was cast by an opponent with {2}{B} in his mana pool, leading right into this with enough copies to take out two of the three players remaining (myself included). Fun way to lose, I must admit!
NeoKoda
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Will never become a "real" mechanic. Much like Storm itself, it's too easy to break, or be completely useless.
Gravestorm...It sounds promising if ever they make that as a block mechanic (Is the question IF or WHEN?). - I just hope that when/if they do, they don't screw it up like some other abusable mechanics, like in the Urza's block for example...
DarthParallax
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I tried thinking about which color combinations with 'Black' want to do this the most- I decided
Black-Red/Black-Red-X doesn't need this at all, though it could fuel it the best, it's going to kill you with damage to the head, not clever library manipulation tricks.
Black-Blue/-X ah. there's the sweetness! Although milling (if I'm correct) doesn't interact with this in a combo-y way, it DOES have a basic 'works generally well together' theme as you are continuously depriving your opponent of cards from various places- the graveyard, with Extirpate, their hand, with Mind Twist, their library with Glimpse the Unthinkable and this. just go on an Assassin's Spree, finding each card you hate the most and pricking them away forever in a Sadistic Sacrament!
If you wanted to go, for, say Commander- then probably 3 colors is better than 2, and in that case I'd kind of like to see what Hypersonic Dragon can make of this card. Gives you access to Thought Hemorrhage, some very nice destructive to spells to help with fueling it, and you know....well if Hypersonic Dragon is a Dragon, and I've brought up Thought Hemorrhage...I think You Know Who might be my general :3
Probably the second best set of colors to use is R-B-W. with HER, of course O3:)
ThinkOriginal
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Ooo I want to break this with Gravecrawler and Heartless Summoning...another Zombie on the board for the recursion and maybe Liliana of the Dark Realms for the mana? That's a lot of pieces, but dang. "I'll remove this, and this, and this, and this..."
Guest1315610609
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
actually the most fun i have come up with for this card is the following:
Gravecrawler, Rooftop Storm, anything that sacrifices for , this. Could be a nearly uncounterable win condition in a big multiplayer match.
James00086
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Works nicely with Eldrazi spawn.
Ferlord
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
For the love of god, don't use this in an infinite combo, especially one that doesn't require just one other card to win in it.
Since you have to copy the "search and shuffle" aspect of this card, what's stopping your opponent from not saying, "Whatever, I know you're going to win. I'll scoop".
If I lost on turn 1 or 2 to this, I'd say, "Ok, search my deck for a card. Exile it. I'm going to shuffle my library" "Ok, search my deck for a card. Exile it. I'm going to shuffle my library" "Ok, search my deck..."
Just because you should scoop, doesn't mean you have to.
Although at that point literally any storm/gravestorm/come into play/leave play card will scale infinitely and there are probably better options than this card (especially if your opponent doesn't feel like scooping).
funnynuts
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Mmm... Wait till T7 (To make sure there are plenty of lands), tap out all your lands so that your mana is stored in your mana pool. Cast Armageddon, and then cast Bitter Ordeal, and watch as you lose all your friends forever...
Myr Retriever is on the battlefield. Sack for {2}. Use that to put the other on the battlefield. repeat as necessary. Tap a swamp, and boom, 3 mana infinite mill, On top of this, it's better mill as you only need as much as is in their deck. That said, that same combo works for all storm cards as well (and it's only the first of many that popped into my mind..)
XaiviarNightwing
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Swamp-Dark Ritual-Apprentice Necromancer Swamp-Carnival of Souls-Ornothopter-Culling the Weak-Deathgreeter- Bounce the apprentice gain and lose 1 life(repeat ad nauseum)-then play Bitter Ordeal 2 turn win The apprentice hits the grave as many times as you want and the thopter hit once, so that is infinity +1 cards gone from opponents deck, end turn and apologize. Even without the deathgreeter you can still get rid of 20 of his/her lands and low cost cards. Strategically you should win. This is only a 2nd turn strategy that only gets easier and safer as you wait to unleash it.
ignaeon
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
is it just me, or do the people in the art seem familiar? the one on the right looks like a more scantly clad chandra, but I can't place the others.
ViashinoWizard
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card has the goofiest art, god damn.
Raibys
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Supermorbid?
Goatllama
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Super-cool ability and some of the most striking art I've seen on a card.
Zetan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ignaeon: Does every red-haired woman look like Chandra to you? Because her hair and the fact that she's female seems to be the only thing that person has in common with Chandra. :P
StyrofoamKing
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Anyone else suspect that Gravestorm was the prototype version of "Morbid"?
RamenAwesome
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
There is probably a good reason why this is the only gravestorm card ever printed but...man that's a really freaking cool mechanic...
Raexs
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Have fun shuffling your library 12 times...
Salient
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Morbidstorm.
Ektoer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Forget About Insta-milling (even though is pretty awesome), to break this card you just need: Psychogenic Probe you just need aprox. 10 copies of bitter ordeal to play in order to deal damage from shuffling with every copy...
Ligerman30
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Being able to hit multiple opponents is a big deal in EDH. Being able to just crack a Nevinrral's Disk and gravestorm for some arbitrary amount is really strong. If your deck is particularly fragile to a certain card and you don't know if it's in their deck, you can just strip mine someone and hit each opponent once and get a look at their decks. I run this in a mill deck and being able to take the one eldrazi titan out of the equation will often be enough to level the playing field.
Comments (63)
(Tendrils of Agony) is much more exploitable without being broken
This doesn't work with milling cards: for a card to be considered a permanent, it has to be in play, otherwise it's still a spell/card.
And yes, there are plenty of infinite combos with this, and short of instantly winning with this, it can be key in shutting down an opponent's combos. It's also easier to pull off gravestorm than regular storm in early game.
True story. I can't make this stuff up. "Harmful Stranger" vs. "Killing Gentleman". Stories of these decks' exploits will be passed on to Wizards' grandchildren.
1. Play Iname, Death's Aspect. Send as many spirit creatures to the graveyard as you can muster.
2. Play Bitter Ordeal right after. Thus allowing you to search your opponent's deck for the same number of cards and exile them.
Would this work? I'm having doubts now, because you guys are saying the permanents referenced on the reminder text only target actual permanents in play. Any help or comments are appreciated.
Sprouting Phytohydra + Aether Flash + this = exile their deck
Or to make that a little easier, maybe use it in some weird deck using Eldrazi Spawns to build up the gravestorm count, which would let you only need the 3 mana to cast the Ordeal during your turn and make the Trickster huge.
I don't know exactly, but I feel like that could be a workable deck.
I couldn't find any.
110.1. A permanent is a card or token on the battlefield. A permanent remains on the battlefield indefinitely. A card or token becomes a permanent as it enters the battlefield and it stops being a permanent as it’s moved to another zone by an effect or rule.
110.4a The term “permanent card” is used to refer to a card that could be put onto the battlefield. Specifically, it means an artifact, creature, enchantment, land, or planeswalker card.
/troll face
-
I just hope that when/if they do, they don't screw it up like some other abusable mechanics, like in the Urza's block for example...
Black-Green/Black-Green-X didn't quite feel right.
Black-White/Black-White-X is getting closer
Black-Red/Black-Red-X doesn't need this at all, though it could fuel it the best, it's going to kill you with damage to the head, not clever library manipulation tricks.
Black-Blue/-X ah. there's the sweetness! Although milling (if I'm correct) doesn't interact with this in a combo-y way, it DOES have a basic 'works generally well together' theme as you are continuously depriving your opponent of cards from various places- the graveyard, with Extirpate, their hand, with Mind Twist, their library with Glimpse the Unthinkable and this. just go on an Assassin's Spree, finding each card you hate the most and pricking them away forever in a Sadistic Sacrament!
If you wanted to go, for, say Commander- then probably 3 colors is better than 2, and in that case I'd kind of like to see what Hypersonic Dragon can make of this card. Gives you access to Thought Hemorrhage, some very nice destructive to spells to help with fueling it, and you know....well if Hypersonic Dragon is a Dragon, and I've brought up Thought Hemorrhage...I think You Know Who might be my general :3
Probably the second best set of colors to use is R-B-W. with HER, of course O3:)
Heartless summoning + Myr Retrevier + Bitter Ordeal
game sir. its will pretty much be an inf exile.
Since you have to copy the "search and shuffle" aspect of this card, what's stopping your opponent from not saying, "Whatever, I know you're going to win. I'll scoop".
If I lost on turn 1 or 2 to this, I'd say, "Ok, search my deck for a card. Exile it. I'm going to shuffle my library"
"Ok, search my deck for a card. Exile it. I'm going to shuffle my library"
"Ok, search my deck..."
Just because you should scoop, doesn't mean you have to.
Gravecrawler and phyrexian altar is probably a better combo than using rooftop storm and an additional sac outlet.
Although at that point literally any storm/gravestorm/come into play/leave play card will scale infinitely and there are probably better options than this card (especially if your opponent doesn't feel like scooping).
@Dabok
Gravestorm is just as abusable. Think Ashnod's Altar + 2 Myr Retriever
You can activate said infinite combo for {B}.
Myr Retriever is on the battlefield. Sack for {2}. Use that to put the other on the battlefield. repeat as necessary. Tap a swamp, and boom, 3 mana infinite mill, On top of this, it's better mill as you only need as much as is in their deck. That said, that same combo works for all storm cards as well (and it's only the first of many that popped into my mind..)
Swamp-Carnival of Souls-Ornothopter-Culling the Weak-Deathgreeter- Bounce the apprentice gain and lose 1 life(repeat ad nauseum)-then play Bitter Ordeal
2 turn win
The apprentice hits the grave as many times as you want and the thopter hit once, so that is infinity +1 cards gone from opponents deck, end turn and apologize. Even without the deathgreeter you can still get rid of 20 of his/her lands and low cost cards. Strategically you should win. This is only a 2nd turn strategy that only gets easier and safer as you wait to unleash it.