Brilliant Ultimatum MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	7
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery
Released	2008-10-03
Set symbol
Set name	Shards of Alara
Set code	ALA
Number	159
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Anthony Francisco

Key Takeaways

Gives a huge card advantage, flipping five cards for powerful, cost-free plays.
Facilitates rapid board development, bypassing hefty mana investments.
Challenges opponents with strategic choices, swaying the game’s outcome.

Text of card

Remove the top five cards of your library from the game. An opponent separates those cards into two piles. You may play any number of cards from one of those piles without paying their mana costs.

Revealing the truth only deepened Tezzeret's curiosity for the secrets still buried.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Brilliant Ultimatum comes with a massive card selection advantage, permitting you to reveal the top five cards of your library and potentially cast any number of nonland cards from among them without paying their mana costs. This can drastically tilt the tide of the game by giving you access to additional resources and powerful effects all at once.

Resource Acceleration: Despite not directly producing mana, the ability of Brilliant Ultimatum to bypass mana costs for multiple cards effectively accelerates your resource deployment. Casting potentially high-cost spells for free can save you turns of mana development and propel you far ahead of your opponents in both tempo and board presence.

Instant Speed: While Brilliant Ultimatum is a sorcery, its impact on the game echoes that of an instant-speed effect due to its unpredictably game-changing nature. The ability to completely change the course of a game in just one main phase can catch opponents off-guard, akin to a powerful spell cast at instant speed when they least expect it.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In the realm of spell casting, Brilliant Ultimatum doesn’t ask for a card to be discarded, but it does require a strategic hand to maximize its potential, which can be a tricky task when your options are limited.

Specific Mana Cost: Tailored for a deck with a heavy shard dedication, Brilliant Ultimatum demands a precise mix of white and black mana. This steep color requirement can be a deck-building hurdle, especially for those looking to cast it on curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of seven mana, including three white and three black, this spell’s power comes with a significant investment. Its mana intensity can sometimes slow you down, allowing opponents to establish their board presence or counter-strategies.

Reasons to Include Brilliant Ultimatum in Your Collection

Versatility: Brilliant Ultimatum shines in decks that leverage choice and flexibility. Its ability to cast multiple spells without paying their mana costs fits seamlessly into control or combo-oriented strategies, giving you an edge in a variety of game situations.

Combo Potential: The card can instantly turn the tide by allowing you to cast an array of powerful spells from your deck. Players can tailor their Brilliant Ultimatum reveal to synergize with on-board permanents or to set up devastating combo finishes.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where late-game power plays dictate victories, Brilliant Ultimatum holds its ground. Its potential to outvalue opponents through smart spell choices and free casts makes it a formidable inclusion against many competitive decks.

How to Beat

Brilliant Ultimatum stands out as a powerful spell in the realm of MTG, challenging players with the tough decision-making it forces upon opponents. This card, reminiscent of the enthralling Cruel Ultimatum, can swing the game drastically by pulling an assortment of cards that can be cast for free, making it a potential game-changer. Its strength lies in the strategic advantage it provides, as opponents grapple with which pile of cards to allow, knowing any choice could be detrimental.

Countering this ultimatum effectively requires a proactive strategy, similar to navigating a chess match where keen foresight and prediction are key. To mitigate its impact, you might consider holding up counter magic, such as Counterspell or Negate, specifically for this threat. Alternatively, disrupting the opponent’s mana base with cards like Blood Moon or Field of Ruin can prevent them from mustering the necessary resources to cast this high-cost spell. Hand disruption through Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek can also be a preemptive strike to remove the ultimatum before it ever reaches the stack.

When facing a card as potent as Brilliant Ultimatum, the key is to anticipate and manage your resources wisely. By taking a proactive approach and employing key disruption tactics, you can navigate around the card’s potential pitfalls and maintain control of the game.

BurnMana Recommendations

Looking to enhance your MTG collection with a game-changer? Brilliant Ultimatum offers a unique blend of strategy and surprise, capable of turning the tables in your favor with its sheer card advantage and resource acceleration. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a newcomer aiming to create unforgettable moments, incorporating Brilliant Ultimatum can redefine your gameplay. Discover decks that harness its potential, explore strategies to maximize its impact, and learn how to counter its threats. Take your knowledge and skill to new heights and reveal the true power of Brilliant Ultimatum in your next duel. Dive into our resources for comprehensive insights and strategies.

Cards like Brilliant Ultimatum

Brilliant Ultimatum stands out in the Magic: The Gathering multiverse as a powerful control card, evocative of other impactful Ultimatums from the Shards of Alara block. For instance, Cruel Ultimatum serves a similar purpose, orchestrating a significant shift in the tide of a game by delivering a combo of damaging effects that target an opponent. While Brilliant Ultimatum focuses on casting spells for free, Cruel Ultimatum aims at resource disruption and advantage.

Analogously, Command the Dreadhorde allows players to select an array of creatures and planeswalkers from any graveyard to bring into play under their control, mirroring the high-stakes, high-reward theme of Brilliant Ultimatum. The key difference is that Command the Dreadhorde requires a life payment equal to the total converted mana cost of the chosen cards, while Brilliant Ultimatum’s cost is six mana plus the careful selection from among the top five cards of the library.

In the realm of spell mastery, Mnemonic Betrayal takes a different approach by giving access to all opponents’ spells in their graveyards for one turn. Although it’s not directly comparable in terms of immediate impact, it similarly leverages an opponent’s resources against them, a thematic echo of Brilliant Ultimatum’s strategic depth in gameplay.

Command the Dreadhorde - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Brilliant Ultimatum MTG card by a specific set like Shards of Alara, 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 Brilliant Ultimatum and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Brilliant Ultimatum has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2008-10-01	If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” you can’t pay any alternative costs. You can pay additional costs, such as conspire costs and kicker costs.
2008-10-01	One of the piles may have zero cards in it if the opponent wishes.
2008-10-01	The cards are exiled face up.
2008-10-01	The cards in the pile that wasn’t chosen remain exiled. Likewise, any cards in the chosen pile that you can’t play or you choose not to play remain exiled.
2008-10-01	You can play a land card from the chosen pile only if it’s your turn (which it probably is, since Brilliant Ultimatum is a sorcery) and you haven’t yet played a land this turn. That means that if there are two lands in the chosen pile, you’ll be able to play a maximum of one of them.
2008-10-01	You play cards from the chosen pile as part of the resolution of Brilliant Ultimatum. You may play them in any order. Timing restrictions based on the card’s type (such as creature or sorcery) are ignored. Other play restrictions are not (such as “Cast -his card] only during combat”). You play all of the cards you like, putting land onto the battlefield and spells on the stack, then Brilliant Ultimatum finishes resolving and is put into your graveyard. The spells you cast this way will then resolve as normal, one at a time, in the opposite order that they were put on the stack.