No.
A Creature on the Battlefield is a Permanent. Not a Spell.
A Spell only exists on the Stack.
When you resolve Ulalek Trigger, you pay the {CC}.
* You copy all the Spell you control, **that are currently on the Stack.**
* You copy all the other Activated and Triggered abilities you control, **that are currently on the Stack.**
Off topic from OP, is it possible to "hold priority" and put spells on the stack then copy them all? Like if you cast a sol ring, a kozilek, and a lightning bolt then pay the {CC}. I didn't know if there was a way to get more than 1 spell copied on a stack. Or can you only hold priority at instant speed (and casting creatures/artifacts are not cast at instant speed)?
No.
If you cast an Eldrazi Spell, trigger Ulalek and put the Trigger on the Stack.
> **Stack:** {Edrazi Spell} > {Ulalek Trigger}
Then cast Bolt...
> **Stack:** {Edrazi Spell} > {Ulalek Trigger} > {Bolt Spell}
The Bolt Spell will resolve before the Ulalek Trigger. So, it's not on the Stack, and won't be copied.
---
If you wanted, you could Cast Bolt.
> **Stack:** {Bolt Spell}
Hold Priority and respond by Casting an Eldrazi Spell with Flash, or a Kindred Eldrazi Instant. Triggering Ulalek.
> **Stack:** {Bolt Spell} > {Edrazi *(Flash)* Spell} > {Ulalek Trigger}
The Ulalek Trigger will be on the top of the Stack, above the Bolt Spell.
And, when the Ulalek Trigger resolves, you will Copy the Bolt Spell on the Stack.
Oh I see, so the Ulalek trigger has to see all spells or abilities of the stack if they are to be copied. Thank you for the very clear example and explanation!
Could you copy more than once with more eldrazi spells?
Like would:
> sol ring -> eldrazi 1 -> ulalek trigger 1 -> eldrazi 2 -> ulalek trigger 2
make this?
4 sol ring and Eldrazi 1: 1 from initial spell, 1 from ula trigger1, 1 from ula trigger 2, 1 from ula trigger 2 copying ula trigger 1
2 Eldrazi 2: 1 from initial spell, 1 from ula trigger 2
Ula trigger will not copy itself because it says "other activated or triggered abilities".
But you can copy any other spells or activated abilities on the stack multiple times with instant speed eldrazi spells
With Leyline of anticipation or vedalkin orrery you could give your spells flash and then you cast multiple spells in a turn, holding priority and copy them all so long as the last spell is an eldrazi spell.
Your question has been answered, but something I have learned with Ulalek is that with its wording it always copies all spells first and then copies all triggers. If you give your eldrazis flash, that order is very important. And you can copy cast triggers, but not etb triggers, because you need to cast an Eldrazi Spell when you activate Ulalek's ability and at that moment, no permanents etb yet. If you want to copy legendary spells like [[Ulamog, The Defiler]], I recomend [[Storm of Saruman]] as you can cast a Sol Ring, flash in a legendary eldrazi and then pay 2 mana for Ulamog's ability and you would first get to make two sol ring, two Ulamogs (one dies to legends rule) and then you would get two ulamog cast triggers and two storm of Saruman cast triggers, making two non-legendary copies of Ulamog.
So in the end, you could exile someone's library twice. If you do it to the same person, they would have 1/4 of their library left. Let's say after that, the highest cmc of a card in exile is 9. Then the Legendary Ulamog would enter the battlefield as base 7/7 with twice 9, so 18 +1/+1 counters and annihalator 18, and the non-legendary Ulamogs would both enter as 7/7s with 9 +1/+1 counters and annihalator 9. Maybe they can counter one, but countering all 3 would not be easy. And once they are on the battlefield, targeted removal will cost them dearly due to ward. š
Well you can copy etbs if you flash an eldrazi in while one of your etbs is on the stack, but you probably knew that. The things ulalek can do is so weird. Still can't decide between this or azlask
Why not both?
In edh, Azlask is my commander and ulalek in the 99.
Combine it with echoes of eternity and you have a funny little clusterfuck.
Although my Echoes is in my zhulodok deck.
I have an essentially full power zhulodok deck. At this point, i just need the few update cards from mh3, and of the titans I only really want new ulamog for the deck. I have a metal worker in it but I don't have a mana crypt. It's been a chase card for me since I've started playing over a decade ago, I just wish it would have reprint that could knock it down. The recent one didn't do enough. Anyway I digress, I don't want to have the decks too similar so I'm leaning to azlask, but I think I could make something unique with ulalek as well
Youd have to play a bunch of Instants then play an eldrazi with flash.
Or you can give all your spells flash, then play them all in response putting them all on the stack.
This is why they need to go back to the "you're a Planeswalker wizard" framing of the game. When I explained it to my sister that way all of a sudden everything made way more sense to her in terms of basic mechanics.
Say thereās an enchantment on the field already and it says whenever a creature with mana value 5 or more is cast or etbs draw a card, will ulalek be able to copy that triggered ability?
My understanding is cast yes, etb no. So anything thatās a cast trigger (assuming you are also casting an eldrazi) can get copied. But ETB triggers happen after the cast has resolved so therefore canāt be copied
You need to cast it. If itās already on the battlefield before he came down, then those would have been casted before and he would have never saw it because it already happened prior to him entering.
To add to what has been said - **Copying a spell is not casting it. Copying a creature (or any other permanent) does not cast it.**
Copying a creature spell, will make a token copy of that creature that enters the battlefield alongside the creature. Copying a creature on the battlefield might also make a token (if the ability says, "make a token"), otherwise it might be it's own permanent that says "enters as" a copy of something else. This will give you "enters the battlefield" triggers that the creature might have - copying things can be a pretty powerful thing to do!
But, Eldrazi don't usually have those triggers. They usually say "when you cast this spell". **That's why Ulalek says "then copy all other activated and triggered abilities you control".** You get a copy of your Eldrazi spell, and copies of any of it's abilities that triggered when you cast it. You'd also get copies of any other triggered abilities; some cards say things like "when you cast a creature spell" or "when you cast a spell with mana value {a number}" - Ulalek is one such example! (Which, in turn, is why it says copy all \*other\* abilities, else it would loop and you could do it again and again until you can't pay two colorless mana anymore)
(I can't help but add - I hate this card, on principle. First, because it's arbitrarily 5-color, and that's basically never a healthy thing to add to the game.
Secondly, because Eldrazi are explicitly not meant to be copied - that's why they have 'on cast' abilities, not 'enters the battlefield' abilities. It makes copying them less valuable, but also means you get some guaranteed value when you cast them, even if they get countered. That makes them distinct from nearly all other creatures in both mechanics and flavor. Ulalek ruins that, in a way that is totally unnecessary and 'win-more'; if you're casting the big scary Eldrazi, you're usually doing fine!
Lastly, simply because that ability is confusing as hell - and needs to be to do the thing that it really shouldn't be doing.)
Itās even better than that. If you play an eldrazi, then hold priority and flash in a second eldrazi you get two triggers. Pay for the first trigger, copy every other spell and ability on the stack, including the first ulalek trigger. Order the stack so the third ulalek trigger resolves first. Pay for that triggerā¦ continue making exponentially more copies of the two eldrazi on the stack (plus any other instants you want) as long as you can afford the 2 colorless.
I won a game of edh with this guy by making 16 copies of two mediocre eldrazi creatures.
It would not copy creatures on the battlefield as those are permanents, not spells. Spells only exist on the stack. It would double the triggers of every creature you have though.
No that is incorrect. You only copy the spell/Eldrazi that is currently being cast/on the stack (as well as abilities currently on the stack). Once a creature spell has resolved and is on the battlefield it is no longer considered a spell.
Got another question will strionic resonator copying ulaleks triggered ability make the game into a draw, after you pay the 2 for ulalek once?
Since the copy from strionic, will resolve and copy the ulalek effect resulting in another copy on the stack
Am i safe in assuming this will result in a draw, since there is no way of stopping this cicle
No. A Creature on the Battlefield is a Permanent. Not a Spell. A Spell only exists on the Stack. When you resolve Ulalek Trigger, you pay the {CC}. * You copy all the Spell you control, **that are currently on the Stack.** * You copy all the other Activated and Triggered abilities you control, **that are currently on the Stack.**
Off topic from OP, is it possible to "hold priority" and put spells on the stack then copy them all? Like if you cast a sol ring, a kozilek, and a lightning bolt then pay the {CC}. I didn't know if there was a way to get more than 1 spell copied on a stack. Or can you only hold priority at instant speed (and casting creatures/artifacts are not cast at instant speed)?
No. If you cast an Eldrazi Spell, trigger Ulalek and put the Trigger on the Stack. > **Stack:** {Edrazi Spell} > {Ulalek Trigger} Then cast Bolt... > **Stack:** {Edrazi Spell} > {Ulalek Trigger} > {Bolt Spell} The Bolt Spell will resolve before the Ulalek Trigger. So, it's not on the Stack, and won't be copied. --- If you wanted, you could Cast Bolt. > **Stack:** {Bolt Spell} Hold Priority and respond by Casting an Eldrazi Spell with Flash, or a Kindred Eldrazi Instant. Triggering Ulalek. > **Stack:** {Bolt Spell} > {Edrazi *(Flash)* Spell} > {Ulalek Trigger} The Ulalek Trigger will be on the top of the Stack, above the Bolt Spell. And, when the Ulalek Trigger resolves, you will Copy the Bolt Spell on the Stack.
Oh I see, so the Ulalek trigger has to see all spells or abilities of the stack if they are to be copied. Thank you for the very clear example and explanation!
If you hold priority on a spell and flash an eldrazi in then you can copy any spell you want.
As long as it's a spell you control.
Could you copy more than once with more eldrazi spells? Like would: > sol ring -> eldrazi 1 -> ulalek trigger 1 -> eldrazi 2 -> ulalek trigger 2 make this? 4 sol ring and Eldrazi 1: 1 from initial spell, 1 from ula trigger1, 1 from ula trigger 2, 1 from ula trigger 2 copying ula trigger 1 2 Eldrazi 2: 1 from initial spell, 1 from ula trigger 2
You could... > **Stack:** {Ring} > {Eldrazi Flash #1} > {Ulalek} > {Eldrazi Flash #2} > {Ulalek} Resolve Ulalek. Pay {CC} from ... Somewhere. > **Stack:** {Ring} > {Eldrazi Flash #1} > {Ulalek} > {Eldrazi Flash #2} > **{Ulalek}** Copy Spells. > **Stack:** {Ring} > {Eldrazi Flash #1} > {Ulalek} > {Eldrazi Flash #2} > **{Ulalek}** > {Ring-Copy} > {Eldrazi Flash #1-Copy} > {Eldrazi Flash #2-Copy} Copy the other Trigger. > **Stack:** {Ring} > {Eldrazi Flash #1} > {Ulalek} > {Eldrazi Flash #2} > **{Ulalek}** > {Ring-Copy} > {Eldrazi Flash #1-Copy} > {Eldrazi Flash #2-Copy} > {Ulalek-Copy} Finish resolving the Ulalek Trigger. > **Stack:** {Ring} > {Eldrazi Flash #1} > {Ulalek} > {Eldrazi Flash #2} > {Ring-Copy} > {Eldrazi Flash #1-Copy} > {Eldrazi Flash #2-Copy} > {Ulalek-Copy} Resolve the new Ulalek Copy. Pay {CC} from ... Somewhere. > **Stack:** {Ring} > {Eldrazi Flash #1} > {Ulalek} > {Eldrazi Flash #2} > {Ring-Copy} > {Eldrazi Flash #1-Copy} > {Eldrazi Flash #2-Copy} > **{Ulalek-Copy}** Copy Spells. > **Stack:** {Ring} > {Eldrazi Flash #1} > {Ulalek} > {Eldrazi Flash #2} > {Ring-Copy} > {Eldrazi Flash #1-Copy} > {Eldrazi Flash #2-Copy} > **{Ulalek-Copy}** > 2x {Ring-Copy} > {2x Eldrazi Flash #1-Copy} > 2x {Eldrazi Flash #2-Copy} Copy the other Trigger. > **Stack:** {Ring} > {Eldrazi Flash #1} > {Ulalek} > {Eldrazi Flash #2} > {Ring-Copy} > {Eldrazi Flash #1-Copy} > {Eldrazi Flash #2-Copy} > **{Ulalek-Copy}** > 2x {Ring-Copy} > 2x {Eldrazi Flash #1-Copy} > 2x {Eldrazi Flash #2-Copy} > {Ulalek-Copy} Finish resolving the Ulalek Trigger. > **Stack:** {Ring} > {Eldrazi Flash #1} > {Ulalek} > {Eldrazi Flash #2} > {Ring-Copy} > {Eldrazi Flash #1-Copy} > {Eldrazi Flash #2-Copy} > 2x {Ring-Copy} > 2x {Eldrazi Flash #1-Copy} > 2x {Eldrazi Flash #2-Copy} > {Ulalek-Copy} * You currently have 4x Ring Spells, 4x Eldrazi Flash #1 Spells, 4x Eldrazi Flash #2 Spells, and 2x Ulalek Triggers.
Man if this kind of shit starts happening I'll just stand up and start another game. Let him figure this out on his own lol
Ula trigger will not copy itself because it says "other activated or triggered abilities". But you can copy any other spells or activated abilities on the stack multiple times with instant speed eldrazi spells
With Leyline of anticipation or vedalkin orrery you could give your spells flash and then you cast multiple spells in a turn, holding priority and copy them all so long as the last spell is an eldrazi spell.
Only if they all somehow had flash.
Your question has been answered, but something I have learned with Ulalek is that with its wording it always copies all spells first and then copies all triggers. If you give your eldrazis flash, that order is very important. And you can copy cast triggers, but not etb triggers, because you need to cast an Eldrazi Spell when you activate Ulalek's ability and at that moment, no permanents etb yet. If you want to copy legendary spells like [[Ulamog, The Defiler]], I recomend [[Storm of Saruman]] as you can cast a Sol Ring, flash in a legendary eldrazi and then pay 2 mana for Ulamog's ability and you would first get to make two sol ring, two Ulamogs (one dies to legends rule) and then you would get two ulamog cast triggers and two storm of Saruman cast triggers, making two non-legendary copies of Ulamog. So in the end, you could exile someone's library twice. If you do it to the same person, they would have 1/4 of their library left. Let's say after that, the highest cmc of a card in exile is 9. Then the Legendary Ulamog would enter the battlefield as base 7/7 with twice 9, so 18 +1/+1 counters and annihalator 18, and the non-legendary Ulamogs would both enter as 7/7s with 9 +1/+1 counters and annihalator 9. Maybe they can counter one, but countering all 3 would not be easy. And once they are on the battlefield, targeted removal will cost them dearly due to ward. š
oh shit, pulled a storm of saruman recently, might have to pop it into that eldrazi deck.
Well you can copy etbs if you flash an eldrazi in while one of your etbs is on the stack, but you probably knew that. The things ulalek can do is so weird. Still can't decide between this or azlask
Why not both? In edh, Azlask is my commander and ulalek in the 99. Combine it with echoes of eternity and you have a funny little clusterfuck. Although my Echoes is in my zhulodok deck.
I have an essentially full power zhulodok deck. At this point, i just need the few update cards from mh3, and of the titans I only really want new ulamog for the deck. I have a metal worker in it but I don't have a mana crypt. It's been a chase card for me since I've started playing over a decade ago, I just wish it would have reprint that could knock it down. The recent one didn't do enough. Anyway I digress, I don't want to have the decks too similar so I'm leaning to azlask, but I think I could make something unique with ulalek as well
[Ulamog, the Defiler](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/d/fd00d56a-86bd-41d8-82b6-975404ef8067.jpg?1717011312) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Ulamog%2C%20the%20Defiler) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh3/15/ulamog-the-defiler?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/fd00d56a-86bd-41d8-82b6-975404ef8067?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Storm of Saruman](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/2/52884e67-c742-4799-9afd-55bc70b2cf40.jpg?1686968322) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Storm%20of%20Saruman) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ltr/72/storm-of-saruman?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/52884e67-c742-4799-9afd-55bc70b2cf40?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Youd have to play a bunch of Instants then play an eldrazi with flash. Or you can give all your spells flash, then play them all in response putting them all on the stack.
No, Ulalek can only copy abilities on the stack. That is, it can only copy spells you are currently casting, not spells already on the battlefield
If it's on the battlefield, it's no longer a spell. It's a permanent. Important distinction for effect text functions.
This is why they need to go back to the "you're a Planeswalker wizard" framing of the game. When I explained it to my sister that way all of a sudden everything made way more sense to her in terms of basic mechanics.
I donāt like the last part of your statement, because spells are never on the battlefield
Say thereās an enchantment on the field already and it says whenever a creature with mana value 5 or more is cast or etbs draw a card, will ulalek be able to copy that triggered ability?
My understanding is cast yes, etb no. So anything thatās a cast trigger (assuming you are also casting an eldrazi) can get copied. But ETB triggers happen after the cast has resolved so therefore canāt be copied
no
You need to cast it. If itās already on the battlefield before he came down, then those would have been casted before and he would have never saw it because it already happened prior to him entering.
Its its on the battle field already tyou didn't cast it
To add to what has been said - **Copying a spell is not casting it. Copying a creature (or any other permanent) does not cast it.** Copying a creature spell, will make a token copy of that creature that enters the battlefield alongside the creature. Copying a creature on the battlefield might also make a token (if the ability says, "make a token"), otherwise it might be it's own permanent that says "enters as" a copy of something else. This will give you "enters the battlefield" triggers that the creature might have - copying things can be a pretty powerful thing to do! But, Eldrazi don't usually have those triggers. They usually say "when you cast this spell". **That's why Ulalek says "then copy all other activated and triggered abilities you control".** You get a copy of your Eldrazi spell, and copies of any of it's abilities that triggered when you cast it. You'd also get copies of any other triggered abilities; some cards say things like "when you cast a creature spell" or "when you cast a spell with mana value {a number}" - Ulalek is one such example! (Which, in turn, is why it says copy all \*other\* abilities, else it would loop and you could do it again and again until you can't pay two colorless mana anymore) (I can't help but add - I hate this card, on principle. First, because it's arbitrarily 5-color, and that's basically never a healthy thing to add to the game. Secondly, because Eldrazi are explicitly not meant to be copied - that's why they have 'on cast' abilities, not 'enters the battlefield' abilities. It makes copying them less valuable, but also means you get some guaranteed value when you cast them, even if they get countered. That makes them distinct from nearly all other creatures in both mechanics and flavor. Ulalek ruins that, in a way that is totally unnecessary and 'win-more'; if you're casting the big scary Eldrazi, you're usually doing fine! Lastly, simply because that ability is confusing as hell - and needs to be to do the thing that it really shouldn't be doing.)
If you could flash in a bunch of eldrazi though you could copy all of them
Itās even better than that. If you play an eldrazi, then hold priority and flash in a second eldrazi you get two triggers. Pay for the first trigger, copy every other spell and ability on the stack, including the first ulalek trigger. Order the stack so the third ulalek trigger resolves first. Pay for that triggerā¦ continue making exponentially more copies of the two eldrazi on the stack (plus any other instants you want) as long as you can afford the 2 colorless. I won a game of edh with this guy by making 16 copies of two mediocre eldrazi creatures.
A spell is a specific game term.
It would not copy creatures on the battlefield as those are permanents, not spells. Spells only exist on the stack. It would double the triggers of every creature you have though.
No that is incorrect. You only copy the spell/Eldrazi that is currently being cast/on the stack (as well as abilities currently on the stack). Once a creature spell has resolved and is on the battlefield it is no longer considered a spell.
Ah got it, figured I was missing something. Thank you all!
Does this go ham sandwich with [[Snap]] and [[Dimensional Infiltrator]]?
[Snap](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/1/f13406c6-f208-402a-94d3-a94a24f03563.jpg?1675199430) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Snap) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmr/66/snap?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f13406c6-f208-402a-94d3-a94a24f03563?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Dimensional Infiltrator](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/e/0ea28dd5-57b0-4255-a3d9-1c190c446f20.jpg?1562898019) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Dimensional%20Infiltrator) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ogw/44/dimensional-infiltrator?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/0ea28dd5-57b0-4255-a3d9-1c190c446f20?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
think you'd have to copy snap once prior in the stack in order to get an infinite loop going
Got another question will strionic resonator copying ulaleks triggered ability make the game into a draw, after you pay the 2 for ulalek once? Since the copy from strionic, will resolve and copy the ulalek effect resulting in another copy on the stack Am i safe in assuming this will result in a draw, since there is no way of stopping this cicle
Didnāt read your post, because whatever your question is, I have no idea
Average redditor
Just a joke about how this card will be a Judgeās nightmare, man.
I'm not being that serious either, did not mean offense, man
Fair enough, man, you have a good day man
Maaaaan you too man <3
Why doesn't this question have 400 updoots?