Ulamog's Despoiler MTG Card


Ulamog's Despoiler - Battle for Zendikar
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Eldrazi Processor
Released2015-10-02
Set symbol
Set nameBattle for Zendikar
Set codeBFZ
Power 5
Toughness 5
Number16
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byPeter Mohrbacher

Key Takeaways

  1. Ulamog’s Despoiler leverages opponent’s graveyards, transforming exile into board presence and advantage.
  2. Requires strategic mana planning and synergizes with exile mechanics, posing a substantial in-game threat.
  3. Without innate protection, it’s vulnerable to removals but a game-changer when left unchecked.

Text of card

As Ulamog's Despoiler enters the battlefield, you may put two cards your opponents own from exile into their owners' graveyards. If you do, Ulamog's Despoiler enters the battlefield with four +1/+1 counters on it.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ulamog’s Despoiler allows you to potentially put multiple cards into play from your opponent’s graveyard, dramatically tipping the card advantage in your favor during the mid to late game stages.

Resource Acceleration: The Despoiler can accelerate your board presence significantly. By processing cards from an opponent’s exile into their graveyard, you enable various resource engines that can fuel further gameplay strategies.

Instant Speed: Although Ulamog’s Despoiler itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it can work well in a deck with instant speed interaction, giving you the flexibility to respond to threats and opportunities alike, molding the battlefield before you cast your colossal threat.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Ulamog’s Despoiler demands that you exile two cards from your graveyard to activate its formidable ability. This can deplete important resources and hinder strategies that rely on graveyard interaction.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature requires a significant investment of colorless mana. While this can fit seamlessly in an Eldrazi or artifact-centric deck, it might be difficult to cast in a multi-colored deck without the right mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing six mana to summon, Ulamog’s Despoiler can be challenging to cast early in the game. And while its 5/5 stats with a potential to become a 9/9 are formidable, there are other cards at the same mana threshold that might provide more immediate impact or versatility on the battlefield.


Reasons to Include Ulamog’s Despoiler in Your Collection

Versatility: Ulamog’s Despoiler offers a flexible role in various deck builds, easily sliding into eldrazi-centric or ramp-based strategies. Its ability to process exiled cards gives it a unique advantage in matches where exile plays a significant role.

Combo Potential: This creature synergizes well with exile effects, potentially ballooning in power to become a major threat on the board. Pair it with cards that exile opponents’ resources to maximize its growth and impact during gameplay.

Meta-Relevance: Given the fluctuating meta, Ulamog’s Despoiler can shine in environments heavy with graveyard interactions, as it circumvents typical graveyard strategies by converting exiled cards into power and toughness, validating its place in any thoughtfully curated collection.


How to beat Ulamog’s Despoiler

Ulamog’s Despoiler poses a formidable challenge on the battlefield of Magic: The Gathering. This creature becomes a threat when it capitalizes on its powerful ability to become larger by devouring an opponent’s graveyard. Nevertheless, players can employ several strategies to tackle this behemoth. Interacting with Ulamog’s Despoiler demands a proactive approach, focusing on graveyards.

Consider using graveyard hate cards like Scavenging Ooze or Rest in Peace to keep graveyards empty, thereby preventing Ulamog’s Despoiler from growing. Efficient removal spells are another viable path. Since Ulamog’s Despoiler lacks inherent protection abilities, a well-timed Path to Exile or Murderous Rider can swiftly handle it. Additionally, countering it upon casting with spells like Counterspell or Mana Leak stops the problem before it starts. Lastly, prepare for the worst by incorporating incidental graveyard removal in your deck to mitigate the ongoing risk of an opposing Ulamog’s Despoiler. Balancing these tactics will provide a stable defense against the threat of Ulamog’s Despoiler and keep you one step ahead of the game.


Cards like Ulamog's Despoiler

Ulamog’s Despoiler occupies a unique position within the pantheon of Eldrazi creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Boasting the power to ingest cards and gain additional strength, this formidable force can be likened to Bane of Bala Ged. Both are relentless in their assault, with the latter exiling two permanents the defending player controls, diminishing the resources on their battlefield.

Blight Herder is another creature cut from the same Eldritch cloth, rewarding you for processing exiled cards by creating 1/1 colorless Eldrazi Scion creature tokens. While it offers you a direct way to populate the board and ramp up your mana, Ulamog’s Despoiler focuses more on growing its own presence to towering proportions. Desolation Twin also shares the stage, matching the Despoiler’s scale by creating a 10/10 token upon casting, effectively doubling the threat on board.

Comparatively, Ulamog’s Despoiler presents an intimidating choice for those looking to capitalize on exile-focused decks. Its ability to spiral out of control and turn the tide of a game makes it a card worth considering for any MTG player aiming to harness the raw power of the Eldrazi.

Bane of Bala Ged - MTG Card versions
Blight Herder - MTG Card versions
Desolation Twin - MTG Card versions
Bane of Bala Ged - Battle for Zendikar (BFZ)
Blight Herder - Battle for Zendikar Promos (PBFZ)
Desolation Twin - Battle for Zendikar Promos (PBFZ)

Cards similar to Ulamog's Despoiler by color, type and mana cost

Endbringer - MTG Card versions
Oblivion Sower - MTG Card versions
Scion of Ugin - MTG Card versions
Conduit of Ruin - MTG Card versions
Deathless Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Kozilek's Pathfinder - MTG Card versions
Zhulodok, Void Gorger - MTG Card versions
Clara Oswald - MTG Card versions
Endbringer - Commander Masters (CMM)
Oblivion Sower - Commander Masters (CMM)
Scion of Ugin - The List (PLST)
Conduit of Ruin - Battle for Zendikar Promos (PBFZ)
Deathless Behemoth - Battle for Zendikar (BFZ)
Kozilek's Pathfinder - Oath of the Gatewatch (OGW)
Zhulodok, Void Gorger - Commander Masters (CMM)
Clara Oswald - Doctor Who (WHO)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ulamog's Despoiler MTG card by a specific set like Battle for Zendikar, 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 Ulamog's Despoiler and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ulamog's Despoiler has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ulamog's Despoiler card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2015-08-25 Face-down cards in exile are grouped using two criteria: what caused them to be exiled face down and when they were exiled face down. If you want to put a face-down card in exile into its owner’s graveyard, you must first choose one of these groups and then choose a card from within that group at random. For example, say an artifact causes your opponent to exile their hand of three cards face down. Then on a later turn, that artifact causes your opponent to exile another two cards face down. If you use Wasteland Strangler to put one of those cards into their graveyard, you would pick the first or second pile and put a card chosen at random from that pile into the graveyard.
2015-08-25 If a replacement effect will cause cards that would be put into a graveyard from anywhere to be exiled instead (such as the one created by Anafenza, the Foremost), you can still put an exiled card into its opponent’s graveyard. The card becomes a new object and remains in exile. In this situation, you can’t use a single exiled card if required to put more than one exiled card into the graveyard. Conversely, you could use the same card in this situation if two separate spells or abilities each required you to put a single exiled card into its owner’s graveyard.
2015-08-25 If a spell or ability requires that you put more than one exiled card into the graveyard, you may choose cards owned by different opponents. Each card chosen will be put into its owner’s graveyard.
2015-08-25 You can’t look at face-down cards in exile unless an effect allows you to.

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