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.)
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.
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.
Last observed at $0.19, up from $0.22 thirty days ago. Over the trailing 90 days the price moved between $0.02 and $0.33 across 67 observations. Headline volatility reads high. Cross-checked across TCGplayer, eBay sold, Cardmarket EU, and Star City.
Last observed on Scryfall 19 hours ago at $0.19.
This printing is one of 2 catalogued treatments from OTP — the lineup includes Showcase alongside the standard finish. Across our catalog the Rarix library tracks every variant in the same family so collectors can compare price, scarcity and demand inside a single lineage.
This card belongs to *Breaking News* (released April 2024).
Card #40 in Breaking News.
Rarity tier: rare. Rares occupy the bottom-of-pack rare slot in standard boosters.
Card type: Sorcery. Color identity: black/red/blue. Mana cost: {U}{U}{B}{B}{B}{R}{R} (7 converted).
Legal in Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Commander, Brawl, and Historic.
EDHrec ranks this card #5,573 in Commander, putting it in the niche-pick tier of the format's playable pool.
Illustrated by Michal Ivan. Rarix tracks 101 other cards credited to this artist across the catalog — browse the full gallery to see the body of work.
Search across TCGplayer, eBay sold, Cardmarket EU, and Star City from the marketplace deeplinks above to compare live listings.
Magic: The Gathering · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast · Illus. Michal Ivan
Card data via Scryfall. Rarix is fan-made; not endorsed by the rights holders.
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.
