What's really odd about this card, that Ugin is probably going to replace Nicol Bolas in my cube.
I am in a very similar situation. I am definitely going to include Ugin, but I've also been planning to cut Bolas for an easier to cast wedge card for weeks. Eight mana is already not an easy cost, making it three-colored means that only very few decks can cast Bolas. Being colorless is a huge advantage for Ugin, even if he is a little bit weaker. However, running both Ugin and Bolas would be very flavorful... Especially since their ultimates are such nice mirrors. Running one dragon planeswalker but not the other feels kinda wrong to me.
Got in his first test session. Temp cut Karn to test him out.
Performed so good that the most skilled members of my play group are all convinced he's better than karn. I didn't get to see him in action myself... I was on the fence before but more think about it, I'm in the ugin > Karn camp too.
Got in the first test with him playing against it, won the game each time it resolved. Every game it was the card I was the most afraid of. Definitely will stay in the cube.
It still costs one more than Karn. It may be better when it resolves, but you have to count how many times it does. Karn also takes over games. Unless you have an easy time getting to 8 mana in ramp decks and those decks are played regularly, I have a hard time imagining that Ugin is overall better than Karn. (Basically, what PyreDream said above.)
According to the player who drafted him in a control deck Ugin definitely earned a spot in my 540 this week. He ran a control Superfriends build with minimal ramp. He said he typically dropped Ugin, -X'd away the board and then won the game with Ugin. Costing 8 is a ton more than 7 but having any sort of ramp makes it much better but his only ramp was Sol Ring (admittedly awesome but only one card in the deck).
Curious to see how it performs for our next Cube draft on Friday.
Now that its been a little while, I'd just like to say how stellar Ugin has been for me. He is very easy to cast for an 8 drop,which is very important (other 8 drops including Hellkite overord and bolas are much harder). He can sit in hands, thats true, but I haven't seen him resolve and lose a game yet, for reference I eight man draft a 380(360 plus a morph package and DTK testing cards. This is a card that you can spend all your resources stalling for and then have him win, other then emrakul(which you have to stall alot longer for) I can't think of any cards like that. He slots into control decks as well as ramp and sneak and show(eureka and fast mana are popular in these decks too). He looks great on paper and plays even better.
As an aside, playing at the GP, this card makes me glad mythic rares got added in Alara, this card is auto win in limited, more then any other card in the game.
There would have to be a *****load of powercreep for him to ever come out.
I have unfortunately only ran one draft since including him and he got passed around and sat in a sideboard. He was opened in Pack 3 and everyone was pretty firm on their strategies by then apparently and had little to no support for him. Shame. Running one next week, we'll see how he goes then. I ended up cutting Garruk, Apex Predator from my Cube after that. I loved the flavour of him being a Walker killer but 3 Planeswalkers at 7+ all went around and weren't played.
I perhaps need to see if my Cube supports 7+8 mana things that cant be reanimated.
I have unfortunately only ran one draft since including him and he got passed around and sat in a sideboard. He was opened in Pack 3 and everyone was pretty firm on their strategies by then apparently and had little to no support for him. Shame. Running one next week, we'll see how he goes then. I ended up cutting Garruk, Apex Predator from my Cube after that. I loved the flavour of him being a Walker killer but 3 Planeswalkers at 7+ all went around and weren't played.
I perhaps need to see if my Cube supports 7+8 mana things that cant be reanimated.
You run very little artifact ramp relative to other lists of that size. Ugin is definitely not at as his best in your cube fwiw
Garruk, Apex Predatoris very different from ugin, the spirit dragon 1 activation from garruk is usually a 1f1, 1 activation from Ugin is at WORST a 1f1. Ugin is also way easier to cast. I'm running Ugin, Karn, and Bolas(pet card) and they are all way better than Garruk, Apex Predator.
As someone running it at 360 cards, I would say no, I don't consider it a staple. It's just too narrow for that status, IMO. However we made the specific decision to run just ONE card as a dedicated pick for those hard ramp decks that isn't also a Tinker/Reanimation/Sneak Attack/NO target, basically because Ugin is the first one of those that made us really sit up and take notice (Karn wasn't getting it done, and the Eldrazi are just too costly in our environment, despite being more cheatable). Normally we like our big expensive targets to fulfil as many of those criteria as possible. However, Ugin is absolutely devastating when he hits play, is hard to answer off the bat, and is much more hardcastable than the Eldrazi. As a card for that role goes, I couldn't ask for more.
I was lukewarm on him in the beginning but it would take a lot for me to cut him now. I do like him much better than Karn.
Also, him not being a creature has been an advantage many times. Not only does he dodge sweepers and spot (most) removal, he also doesn't get stolen by blue.
The only time I have ever been dissapointed in Ugin's performance was when he was unable to stop a Faerie conclave that I kept animating and attaching a Jitte to every single turn. Aside from that I haven't regretting shelling out the cash for a foil upon release.
Have you considered a colorless section? Jam Ugin in there.
UR Melek, Izzet ParagonUR, B Shirei, Shizo's CaretakerB, R Jaya Ballard, Task MageR,RW Tajic, Blade of the LegionRW, UB Lazav, Dimir MastermindUB, UB Circu, Dimir LobotomistUB, RWU Zedruu the GreatheartedRWU, GUBThe MimeoplasmGUB, UGExperiment Kraj UG, WDarien, King of KjeldorW, BMarrow-GnawerB, WBGKarador, Ghost ChieftainWBG, UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU, GWUDerevi, Empyrial TacticianGWU, RDaretti, Scrap SavantR, UTalrand, Sky SummonerU, GEzuri, Renegade LeaderG, WUBRGReaper KingWUBRG, RGXenagos, God of RevelsRG, CKozilek, Butcher of TruthC, WUBRGGeneral TazriWUBRG, GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
My whole playgroup was fighting over Bolas. So I think I can make room for another 8cmc Dragon walker, at least for now.
Yeah me too, at just 500 cards. I will likely cut All is Dust, despite my love for that card.
Juju Alters - Altered MTG Cards
He looks great for us.
CUBE TOP 10 - Help us vote for the best cards in cube
Performed so good that the most skilled members of my play group are all convinced he's better than karn. I didn't get to see him in action myself... I was on the fence before but more think about it, I'm in the ugin > Karn camp too.
Last Updated 02/07/24
Streaming Standard/Cube on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/heisenb3rg96
Strategy Twitter https://www.twitter.com/heisenb3rg
Curious to see how it performs for our next Cube draft on Friday.
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/3pq
As an aside, playing at the GP, this card makes me glad mythic rares got added in Alara, this card is auto win in limited, more then any other card in the game.
There would have to be a *****load of powercreep for him to ever come out.
thats my cube
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
Draft my cube! (630 cards)
Former DCI L2 Judge
My old Cube podcast on ManaDeprived, with Goodking and artbcnco: http://manadeprived.com/podcasts/mtgin3d/
You can find me on Twitter as well.
I perhaps need to see if my Cube supports 7+8 mana things that cant be reanimated.
Modern: Jund
You run very little artifact ramp relative to other lists of that size. Ugin is definitely not at as his best in your cube fwiw
Last Updated 02/07/24
Streaming Standard/Cube on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/heisenb3rg96
Strategy Twitter https://www.twitter.com/heisenb3rg
thats my cube
If you can get 8 mana, you play ugin.
What Lucidvision said, but also lorewise alone as well.
thats my cube
Best control finisher in cube (upheaval more deck specific) and insane in ramp as well
Last Updated 02/07/24
Streaming Standard/Cube on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/heisenb3rg96
Strategy Twitter https://www.twitter.com/heisenb3rg
On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
Also, him not being a creature has been an advantage many times. Not only does he dodge sweepers and spot (most) removal, he also doesn't get stolen by blue.