Ukkima, Stalking Shadow MTG Card


Ukkima, Stalking Shadow - Commander 2020
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Whale Wolf
Abilities Partner,Partner with
Released2020-04-17
Set symbol
Set nameCommander 2020
Set codeC20
Power 2
Toughness 2
Number17
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byDaarken

Key Takeaways

  1. Ukkima ensures card advantage and can significantly pressure opponents by replenishing your hand through damage.
  2. It boosts combo potential, especially when paired with Cazur, making it a sudden game-changer in player battles.
  3. Effective in creature-focused metas, Ukkima can bypass defenders, turning it into a critical, lethal force.

Text of card

Partner with Cazur, Ruthless Stalker (When this creature enters the battlefield, target player may put Cazur into their hand from their library, then shuffle.) Ukkima, Stalking Shadow can't be blocked. When Ukkima leaves the battlefield, it deals X damage to target player and you gain X life, where X is its power.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ukkima Stalking Shadow can be a potent source of card advantage. Having the ability to deal combat damage directly to a player and then pair that with drawing cards guarantees a replenished hand, sure to keep the pressure on your adversaries throughout the game.

Resource Acceleration: Although Ukkima itself may not directly accelerate resources, its potency lies in the speed at which it allows for potential synergies and combos to execute, thus indirectly contributing to acceleration by pressuring resources from your opponents.

Instant Speed: The ability to counteract Ukkima after it has been dealt damage, before it dies, elevates the gameplay, granting you the freedom to be flexible and reactive at crucial moments. While it is not an instant itself, instant-speed synergies in a deck can protect and capitalize on Ukkima’s presence on the battlefield.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Being a potent force on the battlefield, Ukkima Stalking Shadow requires a strategic approach, especially since it mandates the sacrifice of another creature when it hits the graveyard. This necessity can place players in a bind when their creature resources are dwindling or when the game’s dynamics don’t support such a trade-off.

Specific Mana Cost: Ukkima comes with a color-locked mana cost, demanding both blue and black mana. This specific cost narrows down its compatibility, often confining it to only Sultai-themed decks or those heavy in color fixing to accommodate its casting requirements.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a combined cost of three mana, including both colored mana requirements, Ukkima can be a handful to get onto the playing field, especially in games where speed is of the essence. There exist alternatives in the pool that might offer quicker, though perhaps less impactful, plays at a lower mana threshold.


Reasons to Include Ukkima Stalking Shadow in Your Collection

Versatility: Ukkima Stalking Shadow offers a unique role in Commander decks,acting as an unblockable threat that can consistently deal combat damage. Its evasion ensures it fits in strategies focused on player life total reduction, and its pairing with Cazur, Ruthless Stalker, opens up opportunities for growth and protection mechanics.

Combo Potential: With its ability to deal damage when it leaves the battlefield based on its power, Ukkima has become a key component in various combo strategies. When paired with effects that increase power or utilize life exchange, it can turn into a formidable win condition.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta with numerous creature-focused decks, Ukkima’s ability to dodge blockers and potentially deal lethal damage makes it a card that can tip the scales in your favor, especially in games that drag on and where life totals become vulnerable.


How to beat

Ukkima Stalking Shadow offers unique challenges on the battlefield with its ability to evade removal and deal combat damage directly to a player. This card can be a true test of one’s defensive strategy within the MTG gameplay. With Ukkima, its controller is often looking to rack up damage while avoiding interaction, capitalizing on Ukkima’s unblockable nature when partnered with Cazur, Ruthless Stalker.

To counteract this elusive creature, one must be creative and also prioritize permanent removals that don’t rely on targeting, such as board wipes. Wraths or global effects bypass Ukkima’s can’t-be-targeted clause. Cards like Toxic Deluge or Terminus can efficiently handle Ukkima despite its elusive abilities. Similarly, forcing opponents to sacrifice creatures through edict effects, such as Diabolic Edict or Liliana of the Veil’s sacrifice ability, can efficiently remove Ukkima from the game without having to target it directly.

Another strategy involves preventing life loss altogether with cards like Solitary Confinement or the use of hexproof shields for yourself such as Leyline of Sanctity. These methods provide a solid defensive approach. By understanding the mechanics of Ukkima Stalking Shadow and employing a mix of broad removal and strategic defenses, players can effectively mitigate the risks posed by this shadowy predator.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the depth of Magic the Gathering decks and strategies can lead to dynamic and engaging gameplay, particularly with unique cards like Ukkima Stalking Shadow. This creature offers a blend of evasion and potential combo plays that enrich your MTG experience. Take advantage of its unblockability and partner synergy to craft a deck that not only harbors surprises for your opponents but also provides a rewarding playstyle. As you refine your strategies and collection, consider how Ukkima can become a lynchpin in your game plan. For insights into optimal utilization and strategic deck-building, join us and expand your MTG prowess to new horizons.


Cards like Ukkima, Stalking Shadow

In the realm of creature combinations in Magic: The Gathering, Ukkima, Stalking Shadow occupies its own unique niche. Mirroring its stealthy nature, it draws a comparison to Ninja of the Deep Hours. Both cards offer built-in evasion mechanisms – unblockable for Ukkima and Ninjutsu for the Ninja. However, Ukkima introduces partner synergy, allowing it to pair with another creature offering complementary abilities, like Cazur, Ruthless Stalker.

Another creature to consider alongside Ukkima is Thassa, God of the Sea. Thassa provides a reliable way to make a creature unblockable each turn but lacks the direct synergy with a partner creature. Moreover, Thassa’s indestructibility and devotion requirement paint her as a stand-alone heavyweight, unlike Ukkima’s dependency on a partner for optimized gameplay.

In terms of impact and versatility, Invisible Stalker stands out with hexproof and unblockability, similar to Ukkima. While the Stalker firmly holds its ground as a resilient threat, it doesn’t quite match Ukkima’s potential for exponential growth with a partner or its ability to deal damage directly to a player. This situational versatility renders Ukkima, Stalking Shadow a compelling option for players aiming to blend evasion with collaborative creature strategies.

Ninja of the Deep Hours - MTG Card versions
Cazur, Ruthless Stalker - MTG Card versions
Thassa, God of the Sea - MTG Card versions
Invisible Stalker - MTG Card versions
Ninja of the Deep Hours - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Cazur, Ruthless Stalker - Commander 2020 (C20)
Thassa, God of the Sea - Theros (THS)
Invisible Stalker - Innistrad (ISD)

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Master of Death - Murders at Karlov Manor Commander (MKC)
Urborg Emissary - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
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Cemetery Puca - Shadowmoor (SHM)
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Bane Alley Broker - Gatecrash (GTC)
Siren of the Silent Song - Born of the Gods (BNG)
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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ukkima, Stalking Shadow MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2020, 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 Ukkima, Stalking Shadow and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ukkima, Stalking Shadow has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-04-17 A creature with a “partner with” ability can’t partner with any creature other than its designated partner. Losing a partner ability during the game doesn’t cause either to cease to be your commander.
2020-04-17 Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards of your deck are shuffled to become your library.
2020-04-17 If the target player is an illegal target by the time Ukkima’s last ability tries to resolve, the ability won’t resolve. You won’t gain any life.
2020-04-17 If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can only include cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders’ combined color identities. If Haldan and Pako are your commanders, your deck may contain cards with blue, red, and/or green in their color identity, but not cards with white or black.
2020-04-17 If your life total is brought to 0 or less at the same time that Ukkima is dealt lethal damage, you lose the game before the last ability goes on the stack.
2020-04-17 Note that the target player searches their library (which may be affected by effects such as that of Stranglehold) and that the card they find is revealed, even though these words aren’t included in the ability’s reminder text.
2020-04-17 Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won’t have to pay an additional the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 damage from one of them, not from both of them combined. Command Beacon’s effect puts one into your hand from the command zone, not both.
2020-04-17 The second ability represented by the “partner with
-ame]” keyword modifies the rules for deck construction in the Commander variant and has no function outside of that variant. If a legendary creature card with “partner with
-ame]” is designated as your commander, the named legendary creature card can also be designated as your commander.
2020-04-17 The triggered ability of the “partner with” keyword still triggers in a Commander game. If your other commander has somehow ended up in your library, you can find it. You can also target another player who might have that card in their library.
2020-04-17 Use Ukkima’s power as it last existed on the battlefield to determine how much damage it deals and how much life you gain. If that number is negative, it deals no damage and you gain no life.
2020-04-17 “Partner with
-ame]” represents two abilities. The first is a triggered ability: “When this permanent enters the battlefield, target player may search their library for a card named
-ame], reveal it, put it into their hand, then shuffle their library.”

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