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Commander Nexus
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  3. Ulamog, the Defiler

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Ulamog, the Defiler

Ulamog, the Defiler

Legendary Creature — Eldrazi

Ulamog wants a deck that keeps making its creatures bigger turn after turn. It also works in a deck built around Eldrazi or Library Manipulation.

  • Mana cost10 generic
  • Colorless
  • Power / toughness7 / 7
  • RarityMythic

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

Ward—Sacrifice two permanents.

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

Ulamog has annihilator X, where X is the number of +1/+1 counters on it.

Build a deck with Ulamog Find it in the app

Archetypes

Cards That Fit Ulamog, the Defiler

Picked for what they do in Ulamog's deck. When two cards do the same job, the one with the lower comes first. All of them fit Ulamog's color identity.Mana ValueThe total amount of mana a card costs, all added up. A card costing two generic and one green has a mana value of three. Wizards renamed this from "converted mana cost" in 2021, so older cards and articles may still use the old name.Sol RingOpen the full glossary

plan6

The 6 Cards

plan6

The 6 Cards

Rulings for Ulamog, the Defiler

explain how Ulamog works in tricky situations. They come from Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic.RulingThe official answer to how a card works in a tricky situation. Most rulings are written by Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic, and a few are notes from Scryfall, the card database Magic players use. A ruling explains a card. It does not change what the card says.Open the full glossary

Wizards of the Coast 7 Jun 2024

Annihilator abilities trigger and resolve during the declare attackers step. The defending player sacrifices the required number of permanents of their choice before they declare blockers. Any creatures sacrificed this way won't be able to block.

Wizards of the Coast 7 Jun 2024

If a creature with annihilator is attacking a planeswalker, and the defending player chooses to sacrifice that planeswalker, the attacking creature continues to attack. It may be blocked. If it isn't blocked, it simply won't deal combat damage to anything.

Wizards of the Coast 7 Jun 2024

If Ulamog is entering the battlefield directly from exile, it will see itself when determining which card has the greatest mana value among cards in exile. If that's Ulamog, which seems likely, it will enter with ten +1/+1 counters on it.

Wizards of the Coast 7 Jun 2024

Ulamog, the Defiler has received a minor update to clarify that the target of the first ability exiles the top half of their library. Its updated Oracle text appears above.

Wizards of the Coast 7 Jun 2024

Ulamog, the Defiler's first ability will resolve before Ulamog does. If Ulamog is countered or otherwise leaves the stack in response to its triggered ability, the triggered ability will still resolve as normal.

Wizards of the Coast 7 Jun 2024

Use the number of +1/+1 counters on Ulamog at the time its annihilator ability resolves to determine how many permanents defending player should sacrifice.

6 rulings, all written by Wizards of the Coast. Read the originals on Gatherer ↗

Similar Commanders

Commanders that share the most with Ulamog, and what they share.

Color identityEvery color of mana symbol on a card, in its cost and in its rules text. Your commander's color identity sets the limit for your whole deck: every other card has to fit inside it. A deck led by a green and white commander cannot play a card with any blue in its color identity.Open the full glossary+1/+1 Counters+1/+1 counter decks put small markers on their creatures that make each one permanently bigger, and keep adding more every turn. Each +1/+1 counter adds one to a creature's power (the damage it deals) and toughness (the damage it can take).Open the +1/+1 Counters pageCounter EngineAdds +1/+1 counters over and over rather than once. A counter here is a small permanent marker that raises a creature's power and toughness for good. It is not a counterspell, which is a different thing entirely. Something that adds them every turn makes your whole board bigger and keeps it that way. Hardened Scales, Corpsejack MenaceOpen the Counter Engine page+1/+1 CountersPuts +1/+1 counters on creatures, permanently raising their power and toughness. Unlike a temporary boost that wears off at end of turn, these markers stay put and stack up over a long game. Hardened Scales, The Great HengeOpen the +1/+1 Counters pageLibrary ManipulationCards that let you look at, rearrange or play from the top of your deck, so you control what you draw next.Open the Library Manipulation page