Cruel Ultimatum
DDHDuel Decks: Ajani vs. Nicol Bolas/#69/2011RareReprint
Colour IDMV 7
Current paper retail
Card Kingdom$0.69
Cardmarket€0.31
ManaPool$0.18
TCGplayer$0.40
Buylist (dealers pay)
Card Kingdom$0.06
MTGO (Cardhoarder)
retail$0.02 tix
Paper retail history (USD)
3 providers
Latest $0.69High $0.79Low $0.59▲ 16.9%
Market and collecting
Market overview
$0.40TCGplayer, USD, retail, nonfoil
Latest observation: 2026-11-10
7d▲ 2.6%30d▲ 8.1%90d▲ 21.2%
90d high
$0.40
90d low
$0.33
Paper printings priced
7
Currently 3rd
Cheapest paper printing
$0.25
Breaking News
- Up 8.1% over the last 30 days on TCGplayer.
- Trading at or near its 90 day high of $0.40.
- This printing is the 3rd cheapest paper printing currently priced (7 priced in total).
Find this printing on eBayView on TCGplayerAffiliate. MTGPrices may earn from qualifying eBay and TCGplayer purchases.
Collect
Play
Compare printings (7 priced)
Gameplay and rules
Sorcery
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.
Card capabilities
Derived deterministically from card types, Oracle text and keywords. Not a strategic evaluation.
Format legality
Primary formats
Eternal formats
Rulings (4)
wotc12 Apr 2024
If the target opponent is an illegal target as Cruel Ultimatum tries to resolve, it won't resolve and none of its effects will happen. (I'm not going to list them all here because it would just be disappointing to hear all of the things you won't get to do.)
wotc14 Mar 2017
Cruel Ultimatum's only target is an opponent. You don't choose which creature card in your graveyard you'll return to your hand until Cruel Ultimatum resolves.
wotc14 Mar 2017
All of the actions for Cruel Ultimatum are performed sequentially, in the order listed. Earlier actions may affect how you perform later actions. For example, if the opponent sacrifices a creature that they control but you own, it will end up in your graveyard. When Cruel Ultimatum lets you return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand, you can choose that one.
wotc14 Mar 2017
If, as Cruel Ultimatum begins to resolve, your opponent's life total is 5 or less and you have two or fewer cards in your library, the game will result in a draw. Your opponent's life total will drop to 0 or less, but Cruel Ultimatum must finish resolving completely before state-based actions are performed. You'll then be forced to draw three cards and fail to draw one. When state-based actions are finally performed, you and your opponent will both lose the game at the same time, which means the game is a draw.
Similar cardsOpen Card Finder →
Ranked by shared capabilities, colour identity, mana value and type. Never by strategic judgement.
Shares Card draw, Graveyard interaction, SorceryOverlapping colour identity
Shares Card draw, Life gain, SorceryOverlapping colour identity
Shares Card draw, Discard, SorceryOverlapping colour identity
Shares Discard, Graveyard interaction, SorceryOverlapping colour identity
Shares Graveyard interaction, SorceryOverlapping colour identity
Shares Graveyard interaction, SorceryOverlapping colour identity
Shares Card draw, Discard, Graveyard interactionOverlapping colour identity
Shares Graveyard interaction, SorceryOverlapping colour identity
About this card
Cruel Ultimatum
Cruel Ultimatum is a Sorcery, with mana cost {U}{U}{B}{B}{B}{R}{R} (mana value 7). Printed 7 times across MTG sets.
Format legality: Commander: legal, Modern: legal, Standard: not_legal, Pioneer: not_legal, Legacy: legal, Pauper: not_legal.
Current headline price on TCGplayer: $0.40 (up 8.1% over 30 days).
Frequently asked
Cruel Ultimatum FAQ
How much is Cruel Ultimatum worth?
The current TCGplayer USD retail price for Cruel Ultimatum is $0.40. It is up 8.1% over the last 30 days. Over 90 days it has ranged from $0.33 to $0.40.
What is the cheapest printing of Cruel Ultimatum?
The cheapest currently priced paper printing is from Breaking News at $0.25 on TCGplayer.
What is the most expensive printing of Cruel Ultimatum?
The most expensive currently priced paper printing is from From the Vault: Twenty at $0.99 on TCGplayer.
How many printings of Cruel Ultimatum are there?
Cruel Ultimatum has been printed 7 times in English paper sets that MTGPrices tracks.
What set was Cruel Ultimatum first printed in?
The earliest English paper printing that MTGPrices tracks is from ALA #164, released 2008-10-03.
What is the newest printing of Cruel Ultimatum?
The most recent English paper printing that MTGPrices tracks is from OTP #40, released 2024-04-19.
Is Cruel Ultimatum legal in Commander?
Yes, Cruel Ultimatum is currently legal in Commander per Scryfall's legality feed.
Is Cruel Ultimatum legal in Modern?
Yes, Cruel Ultimatum is currently legal in Modern per Scryfall's legality feed.















