Ulamog's Despoiler MTG Card

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.