Ulcerate MTG Card

Magic 2015 (M15)
2014-07-18 - Number 119

Iconic Masters (IMA)
2017-11-17 - Number 112

Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
2022-12-02 - Number 481

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant

Key Takeaways

Ulcerate is an excellent tool against early-game threats and preserves mana for other plays within the same turn.
The life cost associated with Ulcerate requires strategic gameplay, particularly in close matches.
Highly efficient in creature-heavy metagames, Ulcerate offers instant board impact for just one mana.

Text of card

Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn. You lose 3 life.

"If it were merely lethal, that would be sufficient. The art, however, is in maximizing the suffering it causes." —Liliana Vess

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ulcerate stands out as a low-cost, efficient removal spell. While it does not offer direct card draw, its capability to eliminate a threat at a minimal mana expense can maintain your card advantage by forcing opponents to spend more resources on subsequent threats.

Resource Acceleration: Not a direct tool for resource acceleration, Ulcerate’s one mana cost means it preserves your mana pool, allowing you to deploy other cards in the same turn. This effective use of mana can indirectly accelerate your game plan by keeping the board clear and maintaining tempo.

Instant Speed: As an instant, Ulcerate gives players the flexibility to make strategic plays during an opponent’s turn. This can be crucial for disrupting opponent strategies, preserving blockers, or simply using your mana efficiently before the next turn begins.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Ulcerate requires no card discard, players must be cautious of its life loss downside, which can be risky in tight game situations.

Specific Mana Cost: Ulcerate’s cost includes Black mana, which confines it to decks that can generate this type of mana and sometimes complicates its inclusion in multi-color decks that may not favor Black mana availability.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Ulcerate’s three life point cost instead of mana can be an advantage in certain situations, this payment can be detrimental in games where life totals are precariously low, making its cheap mana cost less appealing.

Reasons to Include Ulcerate in Your Collection

Versatility: Ulcerate can be a vital inclusion in decks that require efficient removal options. Its low mana cost allows players to disrupt early threats while developing their board presence.

Combo Potential: Utilizing Ulcerate in a strategy that benefits from sending your own creatures to the graveyard can tactically pave the way for powerful synergies and recursive plays.

Meta-Relevance: In a game dominated by creatures, having access to swift and impactful removal is crucial. Ulcerate provides exactly that, handling significant threats with a minimal mana investment, making it a useful tool in the ever-evolving competitive landscape.

How to beat

Ulcerate is a potent removal option in Magic: The Gathering, known for its efficiency in disposing of creatures at a low cost. What sets Ulcerate apart from other removal spells is the three life it costs to cast. This life loss can be a significant drawback, pushing players to strategize efficiently. To effectively counteract Ulcerate, having creatures with indestructible abilities or ones that can regenerate is your best defense, as these characteristics make them immune to such one-shot destruction spells.

Additionally, leveraging cards that benefit from the death of your creatures can turn the tables on an opponent using Ulcerate. Consider cards that trigger upon creature death for card draw or that replace themselves with tokens to maintain board presence. The key to beating Ulcerate lies in outmaneuvering its life cost drawback and turning your creatures’ weaknesses into strategic advantages on the battlefield.

Remember, while Ulcerate provides an edge by being a one-mana kill spell, it also puts the caster at a life deficit, opening up opportunities for counterplay. Use this to your advantage, ensuring your deck has the resilience to withstand such targeted removal.

Cards like Ulcerate

Ulcerate is a powerful piece of removal in the realm of MTG, offering a cheap and effective way to deal with creatures on the board. When thinking about its closest cousins in card functionality, Disfigure comes to mind first. Both cards cost a single black mana to cast and are instants, suggesting they operate at a similar speed and efficiency. However, while Ulcerate deals three damage to a creature at the cost of 3 life to its controller, Disfigure merely reduces a creature’s power and toughness by two until end of turn, giving Ulcerate the unique position of being able to remove slightly larger threats.

Snuff Out is another comparable card; it also allows players to destroy a creature quickly and without the need for mana, assuming they pay 4 life and control a swamp. This can be an even trade in many scenarios although it offers a more powerful removal at a greater life expense. Lastly, we have Fatal Push, which efficiently takes out creatures with converted mana cost two or less, and it can be improved with its revolt ability. It doesn’t come with a life payment downside, making it preferential in less aggressive, more controlling decks.

Comparing Ulcerate to its alternatives in MTG, its low-cost, high-impact performance is evident. Yet, discerning players weigh its life cost against the immediate board influence, a trade-off that can be critical in tight matches.

Cards similar to Ulcerate by color, type and mana cost

March of Wretched Sorrow - MTG Card versions

Foulmire Knight // Profane Insight - MTG Card versions

Aesthetic Consultation - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ulcerate MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2015 and Iconic Masters, 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 Ulcerate and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ulcerate Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2014-07-18 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Johann Bodin.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2014-07-18	Magic 2015	M15	119	2015	Normal	Black	Johann Bodin
2	2017-11-17	Iconic Masters	IMA	112	2015	Normal	Black	Johann Bodin
3	2022-12-02	Jumpstart 2022	J22	481	2015	Normal	Black	Johann Bodin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ulcerate has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2017-11-17	The loss of life isn’t a cost. If the target creature is an illegal target when Ulcerate tries to resolve, it won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. You won’t lose any life.