Alex Ullman
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Alex Ullman
@nerdtothecore.com
2.1K followers 250 following 6K posts
God damn it you have to be kind,
Member of the Pauper Format Panel,
Gut it out He/Him/His

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Orvar, the All-Form {3}{U} Legendary Creature — Shapeshifter Changeling Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, if it targets one or more other permanents you control, create a token that’s a copy of one of those permanents. When a spell or ability an opponent controls causes you to discard this card, create a token that’s a copy of target permanent. 3/3 Illustrated by Chase Stone
January 9, 2026 at 7:36 PM
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Birgi, God of Storytelling // Harnfel, Horn of Bounty (Kaldheim #123) Birgi, God of Storytelling {2}{R} Legendary Creature — God Whenever you cast a spell, add {R}. Until end of turn, you don’t lose this mana as steps and phases end. Creatures you control can boast twice during each of your turns rather than once. “This is a tale to make all Kaldheim tremble…” 3/3 Harnfel, Horn of Bounty {4}{R} Legendary Artifact Discard a card: Exile the top two cards of your library. You may play those cards this turn. Like her well of stories, Birgi’s horn never runs dry. Illustrated by Eric Deschamps
January 9, 2026 at 6:59 PM
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Gyatso is cracked...
Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward {4}{W} Legendary Creature — Human Warrior When Abdel Adrian enters, exile any number of other nonland permanents you control until Abdel Adrian leaves the battlefield. Create a 1/1 white Soldier creature token for each permanent exiled this way. Choose a Background (You can have a Background as a second commander.) 4/4 Illustrated by Karl Kopinski Ashnod's Altar {3} Artifact Sacrifice a creature: Add {C}{C}. “If you work at sawing up carcasses, you notice how the joints fit, how the nerves are arrayed, and how the skin peels back.” —Ashnod, to Tawnos Illustrated by Greg Staples
January 9, 2026 at 3:44 PM
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As always, Mod gets the stew going:
Minion Reflector {5} Artifact Whenever a nontoken creature you control enters, you may pay {2}. If you do, create a token that’s a copy of that creature, except it has haste and “At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice this permanent.” To crack a mirror is to provide an opening for the reflection to escape. Illustrated by Mark Tedin Teval's Judgment {2}{B} Enchantment Whenever one or more cards leave your graveyard, choose one that hasn’t been chosen this turn — • Draw a card. • Create a Treasure token. • Create a 2/2 black Zombie Druid creature token. Illustrated by Alix Branwyn Scourge of Nel Toth {5}{B}{B} Creature — Zombie Dragon Flying You may cast this creature from your graveyard by paying {B}{B} and sacrificing two creatures rather than paying its mana cost. “May all the cairns of Jund be toppled.” —Meren of Clan Nel Toth 6/6 Illustrated by Mark Winters
January 8, 2026 at 3:51 PM
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This guy? Only triggers on non-token.
Genesis Chamber {2} Artifact Whenever a nontoken creature enters, if this artifact is untapped, that creature’s controller creates a 1/1 colorless Myr artifact creature token. “As the experimental population grows, so do the number of myr. It’s a perfect equilibrium.” —Memnarch Illustrated by Mark Tedin
January 8, 2026 at 3:39 PM
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Let's build Rakdos Tymaret.

What are you including?
Tymaret, the Murder King {B}{R} Legendary Creature — Zombie Warrior {1}{R}, Sacrifice another creature: Tymaret deals 2 damage to target player or planeswalker. {1}{B}, Sacrifice a creature: Return this card from your graveyard to your hand. His memories remained in the Underworld, but his cruelty crossed the Rivers with him. 2/2 Illustrated by Volkan Baǵa
January 8, 2026 at 3:33 PM
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Got to play with Wildwood Scourge last night in Borborygmos and it got big in a hurry. Highly recommend in a go-wide +1/+1 counter deck:
Wildwood Scourge {X}{G} Creature — Hydra This creature enters with X +1/+1 counters on it. Whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are put on another non-Hydra creature you control, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature. 0/0 Illustrated by Bryan Sola
January 8, 2026 at 1:59 PM
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From a second game with Borborygmos. Deck is a delight.
A convoluted board state but the key card is Champion of Lambholt. Heroic Intervention and Avenger of Zendikar.
January 8, 2026 at 3:54 AM
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It's turn four and I just cast my ancient expensive Commander.
A board state for Magic: the Gathering.
January 8, 2026 at 1:24 AM
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Love a good call back. Looks like I might be building Worm Harvest EDH again...
Worm Harvest {2}{B/G}{B/G}{B/G} Sorcery Create a 1/1 black and green Worm creature token for each land card in your graveyard. Retrace (You may cast this card from your graveyard by discarding a land card in addition to paying its other costs.) Illustrated by Chuck Lukacs
January 7, 2026 at 5:54 PM
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I submit: the bane of Elesh Norn:
Pulling Teeth {1}{B} Sorcery Clash with an opponent. If you win, target player discards two cards. Otherwise, that player discards a card. (Each clashing player reveals the top card of their library, then puts that card on their choice of the top or bottom. A player wins if their card had a greater mana value.) Illustrated by Jim Pavelec
January 7, 2026 at 5:14 PM
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Got to pull this off in a game on Sunday and it helped to win me the game.
Binding Mummy {1}{W} Creature — Zombie Whenever another Zombie you control enters, you may tap target artifact or creature. What the gods decree, the mummies enforce. 2/2 Illustrated by Shreya Shetty Endless Ranks of the Dead {2}{B}{B} Enchantment At the beginning of your upkeep, create X 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens, where X is half the number of Zombies you control, rounded down. With Thraben’s army recalled to its city walls, outlying villages were left to fend for themselves. Illustrated by Ryan Yee
January 7, 2026 at 4:23 PM
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The other suite are two mana cantrip creatures. I love these in any deck that can support them as they keep cards flowing early and can be material for engines late.
Dusk Legion Zealot {1}{B} Creature — Vampire Soldier When this creature enters, you draw a card and you lose 1 life. Once they reached Orazca, the Legion’s explorers ransacked tombs and temples, hunting for the Immortal Sun. 1/1 Illustrated by Winona Nelson Wall of Blossoms {1}{G} Creature — Plant Wall Defender When this creature enters, draw a card. Each flower identical, every leaf and petal disturbingly exact. 0/4 Illustrated by Heather Hudson Spirited Companion {1}{W} Enchantment Creature — Dog When this creature enters, draw a card. She formed a friendship with several playful spirits, and soon “the pack” was known as the source of much mischief in Eiganjo. 1/1 Illustrated by Ilse Gort
January 6, 2026 at 8:21 PM
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These are two broad groups that both fall into the "draw" camp. The first are Deadly Dispute and friends in any deck that generates excess material. Cashing in something for fresh cards and potentially proc-ing a death trigger is great:
Deadly Dispute {1}{B} Instant As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice an artifact or creature. Draw two cards and create a Treasure token. (It’s an artifact with “{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.”) “That’s a pretty ring! Trade you my knife for it.” Illustrated by Irina Nordsol Eviscerator's Insight {1}{B} Instant As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice an artifact or creature. Draw two cards. Flashback {4}{B} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost and any additional costs. Then exile it.) “We’re all just the sum of our parts.” Illustrated by Sam White Village Rites {B} Instant As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice a creature. Draw two cards. The Skelle raise scorn poles in conquered villages—cursed totems of wood and bone that sap survivors of physical strength and the will to fight back. Illustrated by Igor Kieryluk Plumb the Forbidden {1}{B} Instant As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may sacrifice one or more creatures. When you do, copy this spell for each creature sacrificed this way. You draw a card and you lose 1 life. Strixhaven forbade all magic from the Blood Age, so that is where Extus began his research. DailyMTG Story Spotlight Illustrated by Andrey Kuzinskiy
January 6, 2026 at 8:21 PM
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Insidious Roots {B}{G} Enchantment Creature tokens you control have “{T}: Add one mana of any color.” Whenever one or more creature cards leave your graveyard, create a 0/1 green Plant creature token, then put a +1/+1 counter on each Plant you control. The roots of Vitu-Ghazi allowed Trostani to reach every crack and crevice in the city. DailyMTG Story Spotlight Illustrated by Jeremy Wilson
January 6, 2026 at 6:18 PM
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Not my cup of tea but yeah she seems great.
Unstable Amulet {1}{R} Artifact When this artifact enters, you get {E}{E} (two energy counters). Whenever you cast a spell from anywhere other than your hand, this artifact deals 1 damage to each opponent. {T}, Pay {E}{E}: Exile the top card of your library. You may play it until you exile another card with this artifact. Illustrated by José Parodi Shadow of the Goblin {1}{R} Enchantment Unreliable Visions — At the beginning of your first main phase, discard a card. If you do, draw a card. Undying Vengeance — Whenever you play a land or cast a spell from anywhere other than your hand, this enchantment deals 1 damage to each opponent. “It’s time, Harry. Take the mask and avenge me.” Illustrated by Pavel Kolomeyets Lilah, Undefeated Slickshot {1}{U}{R} Legendary Creature — Human Rogue Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.) Whenever you cast a multicolored instant or sorcery spell from your hand, exile that spell instead of putting it into your graveyard as it resolves. If you do, it becomes plotted. (You may cast it as a sorcery on a later turn without paying its mana cost.) 3/3 Illustrated by Andreas Zafiratos Kami of Celebration {4}{R} Creature — Spirit Whenever a modified creature you control attacks, exile the top card of your library. You may play that card this turn. (Equipment, Auras you control, and counters are modifications.) Whenever you cast a spell from exile, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control. 3/3 Illustrated by Milivoj Ćeran
January 6, 2026 at 2:35 PM
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Here's another card you should pick up if you think Blight is going to be your thing.

Also this card should just see more play.
Kulrath Knight {3}{B/R}{B/R} Creature — Elemental Knight Flying Wither (This deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters.) Creatures your opponents control with counters on them can’t attack or block. Mounted cinders circle the blasted peak at Kulrath, hunting the Extinguisher. 3/3 Illustrated by Daarken
January 6, 2026 at 2:12 PM
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Issues with the set aside, Thunder Junction had some really sweet legendary creatures.
Kambal, Profiteering Mayor {1}{W}{B} Legendary Creature — Human Advisor Whenever one or more tokens your opponents control enter, for each of them, create a tapped token that’s a copy of it. This ability triggers only once each turn. Whenever one or more tokens you control enter, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life. 2/4 Illustrated by Andreas Zafiratos Kaervek, the Punisher {1}{B}{B} Legendary Creature — Human Warlock Whenever you commit a crime, exile up to one target black card from your graveyard and copy it. You may cast the copy. If you do, you lose 2 life. (Targeting opponents, anything they control, and/or cards in their graveyards is a crime. Copies of permanent spells become tokens.) 3/3 Illustrated by Cristi Balanescu The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride {3}{B}{G} Legendary Creature — Frog Horror Mount Trample, haste Whenever The Gitrog deals combat damage to a player, you may sacrifice a creature that saddled it this turn. If you do, draw X cards, then put up to X land cards from your hand onto the battlefield tapped, where X is the sacrificed creature’s power. Saddle 1 6/5 Illustrated by Johan Grenier Laughing Jasper Flint {1}{B}{R} Legendary Creature — Lizard Rogue Creatures you control but don’t own are Mercenaries in addition to their other types. At the beginning of your upkeep, exile the top X cards of target opponent’s library, where X is the number of outlaws you control. Until end of turn, you may cast spells from among those cards, and mana of any type can be spent to cast those spells. 4/3 Illustrated by Francis Tneh
January 6, 2026 at 2:04 PM
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I have a feeling this card is going to be in high demand in a few weeks.
Scarscale Ritual {1}{U/B} Sorcery As an additional cost to cast this spell, put a -1/-1 counter on a creature you control. Draw two cards. Some words are too important to trust to something as fragile as memory. Illustrated by Richard Sardinha
January 6, 2026 at 1:43 PM
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Tombstone Stairwell {2}{B}{B} World Enchantment Cumulative upkeep {1}{B} (At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice it unless you pay its upkeep cost for each age counter on it.) At the beginning of each upkeep, if this enchantment is on the battlefield, each player creates a 2/2 black Zombie creature token with haste named Tombspawn for each creature card in their graveyard. At the beginning of each end step and when this enchantment leaves the battlefield, destroy all tokens created with this enchantment. They can’t be regenerated. Illustrated by Dom!
January 5, 2026 at 6:17 PM
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I see a lot of folks stoked about Lorwyn.

I'm here for the Eclipsed.
Sygg, River Cutthroat {U/B}{U/B} Legendary Creature — Merfolk Rogue At the beginning of each end step, if an opponent lost 3 or more life this turn, you may draw a card. (Damage causes loss of life.) “It’s not a matter of deserving. It’s a matter of strength. The power to hold versus the power to take.” 1/3 Illustrated by Jeremy Enecio Sapling of Colfenor {3}{B/G}{B/G} Legendary Creature — Treefolk Shaman Indestructible Whenever Sapling of Colfenor attacks, reveal the top card of your library. If it’s a creature card, you gain life equal to that card’s toughness, lose life equal to its power, then put it into your hand. Her plans may yet bear fruit. 2/5 Illustrated by John Avon
January 5, 2026 at 4:15 PM
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I think there are legitimate quibbles with what makes something Kindred and I think "well it's in this set" doesn't always /feel/ like a good answer.
Fungal Infection {B} Instant Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn. Create a 1/1 green Saproling creature token. To thallids, the whole world is just a pile of mulch to grow saprolings in. Illustrated by Filip Burburan
January 5, 2026 at 3:45 PM
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I'm shocked it's as affordable as it is...
Underworld Hermit {4}{B}{B} Creature — Human Peasant When this creature enters, create a number of 1/1 green Squirrel creature tokens equal to your devotion to black. (Each {B} in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to black.) Some souls yearn to escape death. Others are content to feed the wildlife. 3/3 Illustrated by Jason A. Engle Abhorrent Overlord {5}{B}{B} Creature — Demon Flying When this creature enters, create a number of 1/1 black Harpy creature tokens with flying equal to your devotion to black. (Each {B} in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to black.) At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice a creature. 6/6 Illustrated by Slawomir Maniak
January 5, 2026 at 2:15 PM
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Thinking about Mono-Black Game Objects again...
Keskit, the Flesh Sculptor {2}{B} Legendary Creature — Phyrexian Human Artificer {T}, Sacrifice three other artifacts and/or creatures: Look at the top three cards of your library. Put two of them into your hand and the other into your graveyard. Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.) “Perfection is elusive. Let us try again.” 1/3 Illustrated by Yongjae Choi Nadier, Agent of the Duskenel {5}{B} Legendary Creature — Elf Warrior Whenever a token you control leaves the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on Nadier. When Nadier leaves the battlefield, create a number of 1/1 green Elf Warrior creature tokens equal to its power. Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.) 3/3 Illustrated by Yongjae Choi Lich-Knights' Conquest {4}{B} Sorcery Sacrifice any number of artifacts, enchantments, and/or tokens. Return that many creature cards from your graveyard to the battlefield. In their rotting minds, they still quest for virtue and glory. Illustrated by Denis Zhbankov Braids, Arisen Nightmare {1}{B}{B} Legendary Creature — Nightmare At the beginning of your end step, you may sacrifice an artifact, creature, enchantment, land, or planeswalker. If you do, each opponent may sacrifice a permanent of their choice that shares a card type with it. For each opponent who doesn’t, that player loses 2 life and you draw a card. 3/3 Illustrated by Dibujante Nocturno
January 5, 2026 at 2:04 PM
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Okay rounding out this idea...
Blasting Station {3} Artifact {T}, Sacrifice a creature: This artifact deals 1 damage to any target. Whenever a creature enters, you may untap this artifact. Illustrated by Stephen Tappin Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit {W}{W} Legendary Creature — Spirit Soldier Whenever another nontoken creature you control enters, bolster 1. (Choose a creature with the least toughness among creatures you control and put a +1/+1 counter on it.) Martyred for worshipping her ancestors, she now walks among them. 2/2 Watermark: Dromoka Illustrated by Ryan Yee Anafenza, Unyielding Lineage {2}{W} Legendary Creature — Spirit Soldier Flash First strike Whenever another nontoken creature you control dies, Anafenza endures 2. (Put two +1/+1 counters on it or create a 2/2 white Spirit creature token.) “Kin and clan call to me—and I will always answer.” 2/2 Watermark: Abzan Illustrated by Matt Stewart Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar {1}{G}{W} Legendary Creature — Cat Warrior Your opponents can’t cast spells during your turn. Whenever one or more creatures you control each with power greater than its base power deals combat damage to a player, draw a card. “Invaders in the West Chasm? Give me an hour and they’ll be fungus food.” 3/3 Illustrated by Marie Magny
January 3, 2026 at 3:52 PM