Hidden Gems for Ulalek, Fused Atrocity
Welcome to another Hidden Gems, where we savor the casual flavor of the Commander format and look for cards that you might have missed while constructing your deck. Today we explore
If you’re going the route of stuffing your deck with Eldrazi, make sure to include lots of ramp and mana rocks. That’s step one. Adding two colorless mana to copy big spells can be a big ask, but there are more tricks to play, assuming you have enough mana.
You might not notice at first read that Ulalek copies ALL spells and abilities. It just requires an Eldrazi to trigger its ability. This is where flash comes in. If you give all your spells flash with something like
#1. Winding Canyons
Naturally, you’ll want to find ways to give things flash. There are a handful, all of which fit into Ulalek’s color identity. But let me point out Winding Canyons. The opportunity cost for including it is minimal, since it slots into a land slot. It only affects creatures, but most Eldrazi already are creatures. I should note that all three Eldrazi instants should be included, because they’re all playable and help with Ulalek shenanigans.
#2. Dimensional Infiltrator
Not a lot of Eldrazi have flash on their own. Dimensional Infiltrator not only has it, but it has an ability that will let you use it over and over again. This can help you copy non-Eldrazi things, like planeswalker abilities or something like Rise of the Eldrazi. (Assuming you can get to sixteen mana. You can do it! I believe in you!)
#3. Palantir of Orthanc
This is a popular card, but one I was surprised to see missing on Ulalek’s EDHREC page. It comes down early and draws extra cards. Or not, but probably will if your opponents are worried that you might flip a giant Eldrazi. It’s the perfect deck for it. If you can include this card, I highly recommend it.
#4. Abstruse Archaic
This might not be an official Eldrazi, but we can pretend. If we’re copying stuff already, let’s add more to it. Double your pleasure, right? It fits nicely on an Eldrazi curve where we might be top-heavy. It’s as useful as the best ability you have on the board (that’s colorless). And it’s cute, in its own creepy way. Wins across the board!
| Winding Canyons | ||
| Dimensional Infiltrator | ||
| Palantir of Orthanc | ||
| Abstruse Archaic |
That’s all for this edition of Hidden Gems. Don’t forget to check out our Premium Membership for more market insights and entertainment!
Further Reading:
Adam Berg
Adam started playing Magic on his 14th birthday, when Judgment just released and the game's first Gorgon was born (It's a girl!). Since then, he's delved deep into Commander, written for television and film, and learned how to drive. He's published two YA Fantasy novels, Rainbringer and The Broken Pantheon. His favorite card is Repay In Kind, which is really all you need to know.