Cruel Ultimatum
Shards of Alara 164 • rare
- Set
- Shards of Alara
- Collector number
- 164
- Rarity
- Rare
- Mana cost
- blue mana blue mana black mana black mana black mana red mana red mana
- Type
- Sorcery
- Colors
- Black · Red · Blue
- Artist
- Ralph Horsley
- Market price
- $0.46
What it does
Target opponent sacrifices a creature of their choice, discards three cards, then loses 5 life. You return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand, draw three cards, then gain 5 life.
There is always a greater power.
Where you can play it
- StandardNot legal
- PioneerNot legal
- ModernLegal
- LegacyLegal
- VintageLegal
- CommanderLegal
- PauperNot legal
- BrawlLegal
- HistoricLegal
- TimelessLegal
- Penny DreadfulLegal
- OathbreakerLegal
Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. Card text via Scryfall. Not approved or endorsed by Wizards. As of the last catalogue refresh.
Where to find one
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Where it came from
Cruel Ultimatum was released in the 2008 Magic: The Gathering set Shards of Alara, representing the essence of the Grixis shard. Designed as a high-cost sorcery, the card was intended to capture the ruthless, soul-draining flavor of a world defined by death and decay. Its complex mana requirement of seven colored mana across three distinct colors reflects the difficulty of wielding such overwhelming power, solidifying its place as a quintessential late-game finisher in control archetypes.
The evocative illustration by Aleksi Briclot depicts a figure engulfed in dark energy, perfectly embodying the card's devastating effect of draining an opponent's resources while bolstering the caster. Upon release, the card was widely celebrated for its immediate impact on the board state, quickly becoming a staple in competitive play. It is frequently cited by players as a gold standard for 'big spell' design, balancing significant tactical power with a steep, fair cost.
Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI
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About Cruel Ultimatum
Cruel Ultimatum is a card in the Magic: The Gathering catalog on collecto.rs. Shards of Alara 164 • rare. Catalog data is sourced from Scryfall. No public cards collectors track this one yet — adding yours would make you the first on collecto.rs.
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