Nicol Bolas: I Really Love Cruel Ultimatum

Commander / EDH

Djr067

Land (37)

• 1x Akoum Refuge
• 1x Arcane Lighthouse
• 1x Blood Crypt
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Crumbling Necropolis
• 1x Dimir Aqueduct
• 1x Dimir Guildgate
• 1x Dismal Backwater
• 1x Dragonskull Summit
• 1x Evolving Wilds
• 1x Exotic Orchard
• 1x Haven of the Spirit Dragon
• 7x Island
• 1x Izzet Boilerworks
• 1x Izzet Guildgate
• 2x Mountain
• 1x Rakdos Carnarium
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Rocky Tar Pit
• 1x Smoldering Marsh
• 1x Steam Vents
• 1x Sunken Hollow
• 3x Swamp
• 1x Swiftwater Cliffs
• 1x Temple of Deceit
• 1x Temple of Epiphany
• 1x Temple of Malice
• 1x Terramorphic Expanse

Enchantment (6)

• 1x Arcane Melee
• 1x Cast Through Time
• 1x Dictate of Kruphix
• 1x Jace's Sanctum
• 1x Price of Knowledge
• 1x Well of Ideas

Sorcery (19)

• 1x Blasphemous Act
• 1x Blatant Thievery
• 1x Clone Legion
• 1x Cruel Ultimatum
• 1x Crux of Fate
• 1x Curse of the Cabal
• 1x Curse of the Swine
• 1x Dark Petition
• 1x Decree of Pain
• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Diabolic Tutor
• 1x Expropriate
• 1x In Garruk's Wake
• 1x Insurrection
• 1x Mystic Retrieval
• 1x Pain's Reward
• 1x Pull from the Deep
• 1x Vandalblast
• 1x Volcanic Vision

Instant (11)

• 1x Brainstorm
• 1x Counterflux
• 1x Crosis's Charm
• 1x Cyclonic Rift
• 1x Dig Through Time
• 1x Dragonlord's Prerogative
• 1x Fact or Fiction
• 1x Hero's Downfall
• 1x Insidious Will
• 1x Spelljack
• 1x Terminate

Planeswalker (2)

• 1x Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
• 1x Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

Commander (1)

Creature (13)

• 1x Arcanis the Omnipotent
• 1x Charmbreaker Devils
• 1x Dragonlord Silumgar
• 1x Goblin Electromancer
• 1x Kaervek the Merciless
• 1x Mizzix of the Izmagnus
• 1x Nightscape Familiar
• 1x Nin, the Pain Artist
• 1x Notion Thief
• 1x Roil Elemental
• 1x Sire of Stagnation
• 1x Stormtide Leviathan
• 1x Vial Smasher the Fierce

Artifact (11)

• 1x Chromatic Lantern
• 1x Commander's Sphere
• 1x Dimir Signet
• 1x Gilded Lotus
• 1x Izzet Signet
• 1x Rakdos Signet
• 1x Sensei's Divining Top
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Thought Vessel
• 1x Thran Dynamo
• 1x Venser's Journal

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This is primarily a Nicol Bolas theme deck. The main goal of this deck is to play lots of really huge effects very easily, the cornerstone of these being cruel ultimatum. I try to look inconspicuous in the early game with mana rocks and draw spells while helping other people out with some symmetrical draw and helping out with control elements. Then, later I can turn the corner and bring a wave of powerful and fun effects... fun for Nicol Bolas, of course. Expensive cards like Curse of the Cabal, Cruel Ultimatum, Insurrection, Clone Legion, In Garruk's Wake, Blasphemous Act are there to control the board and keep it clear. I can take advantage of all of the draw power I lent out earlier in the game with Price of Knowledge and Notion Thief. I can get extra value out of my powerful instants and sorceries with Charmbreaker Devils, Cast Through Time, Pull from the Deep, Mystic Retrieval, and Volcanic Vision. The deck is very fun to play and sits nicely in that sweet spot of "not too oppressive that you get annihilated" and "strong enough to have lots of fun without getting stomped." I'm not a fan of infinite combo; I prefer to take the long road to victory with politics and controlling the game either subtly or dominantly. There are still a fair number of cards I want to try out in this deck. The deck is a lot of fun and lets me act vicariously as Nicol Bolas in a cool flavor of control via Grixis colors.

Date added	7 years
Last updated	7 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	9 - 0 Mythic Rares 46 - 0 Rares 14 - 0 Uncommons 17 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	4.81
Tokens	Boar 2/2 G, Copy Clone, Experience Token