Ulamog's original title in Rise of the Eldrazi
was, as you recall, the Infinite Gyre, a
reference to William Butler Yeats' poem "The
Second Coming". Now, though, the emphasis seems
to be on his conflict with Gideon, hence the
Ceaseless Hunger epithet; ironically, his
newfound ability to attack the library is more
in line with the ways that insanity (caused by
the loosing of the blood-dimmed tide or other
sources) has been represented in Magic in the
past. Regardless, he is still an all but
unstoppable threat, and it's a testament to how
much Magic has changed in recent years that
hitting ten mana and casting a Great Old One is
a game plan.
I've said it before, including as recently as
Tuesday, but I wish there were still regular
novel releases for the sets. I really want to
know where Emrakul and Kozilek went, and whether
with strange ages even death will die . . .
Today's card of the day is Ulamog, the
Ceaseless Hunger which is a ten mana 10/10
Legendary with Indestructible, requires two
permanents exiled when it is cast, and when it
attacks it exiles the top twenty cards of the
defender's library. Even without Trample
or evasion this can still win the game and be
difficult to stop for decks relying on direct
removal. With the high mana cost using
massive acceleration or summoning tricks are the
best ways to play this and even get around the
exile permanents cost. Overall this plays
very differently from other large Eldrazi as it
threatens the library as much or more than life
points, which gives it a different role and
decks to make use of it.
In Limited the high mana cost makes this very
difficult to get into play, but with forty card
decks it should always win with the first
attack. Barring a goal of a low mana curve
aggressive build this is a top first pick in
Booster and with a higher curve can be played in
any Sealed deck.
