Ulamog, the Defiler

Legendary Creature — Eldrazi

When you cast this spell, target opponent exiles half their library, rounded up.

Ward—Sacrifice two permanents. (Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player sacrifices two permanents.)

Ulamog, the Defiler enters the battlefield with a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to the greatest converted mana cost/mana value among cards in exile.

Ulamog has annihilator X, where X is the number of +1/+1 counters on it. (Whenever this creature attacks, defending player sacrifices X permanents.)

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Historic Brawl	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (4)

TheOfficialCreator on Big Green Stompy

2 months ago

End-Raze Forerunners and Ulamog, the Defiler could be interesting.

YesterdaysGhost on Refreshing Deck Monetary Values?

3 months ago

Good to know it's not just me and I am seeing it "correctly".

Majority of my EDH decks go through regular changes. I guess an easy one is looking at my Fundamentally Loathesome where I just added Ulamog, the Defiler and noticed inside the deck itself certainly shows the value increase but back in Decks it is still has a value hovering around when I input the deck :)

Krugz on The Inevitable Annihilation

3 months ago

Profet93

Really? I think it's about time you create one! There are a bunch of new colorless commanders that might peak your interest (Graaz, Unstoppable Juggernaut and Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate to name a few). I highly suggest you give it a try!

As for the lands in question, that's actually a valid observation. I have specific reasoning behind those lands and I am more than happy to share what I've learned:

Gemstone Caverns - Ulamog, the Defiler's 3rd ability checks not just what it exiled from the 1st cast trigger but everything in exile, including mine. With any of the titans in my opening hand, I get a guaranteed pump to Ulamog even if the exiled library whiffs. The same is true with Ugin's Labyrinth. Now you can argue that card advantage option in colorless is horrendously rare and that's painfully true. But you know, it's a high-risk-high-reward kind of situation.

City of Traitors - Now, this one's a bit tricky. I would almost never keep a Scorched Ruins and City of Traitors as my opening hand unless the other 4 are lands. I treat it as if it's a Lotus Petal, a disposable mana ramp of some sort that I can bank. Turn 1, play a land. Turn 2, play City of Traitors and a 3-drop. Turn 3, float City of Traitors then sac to play a land and a 4-drop like The One Ring or another ramp... Or, it'll just be the last land I'll play. I guess, the deciding factor is your opening hand and how you would invest on your later turns.

Interestingly, this play pattern affects my late game options poorly. Sure, an early Eldrazi titan disrupts the combo decks but in exchange I'm destroying my mana base. And before I know it, other boardstate were already better than mine.

Now that I think about it, Crucible of Worlds is starting to get appealing.

fluffyeel on 50 Shades of Eldrazi

3 months ago

At least formally, Emrakul, the Aeons Torn is not legal for EDH, so it's a strange decision. I would prefer Ulamog, the Defiler, Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger, or Zhulodok, Void Gorger as the commander, given legality issues.

Some other small thoughts:

• Field of the Dead (you can support it), Snow-Covered Wastes, Mikokoro, Center of the Sea, Strip Mine, and Geier Reach Sanitarium are all possibly handy lands.
• Memory Jar, Solemn Simulacrum, Ratchet Bomb, and Everflowing Chalice are possibly handy artifacts. Depending on the playgroup you're in, either Vexing Bauble, Chalice of the Void, and Cursed Totem could also help.