Ulasht, the Hate Seed

Is Ulasht, the Hate Seed the right Commander for you?

Let's go over some of his pro's and cons as well as look at a deck-building strategy to maximize Ulasht's effectiveness 

Lore:

Who is Ulasht?

Ulasht is a special type of hydra. He is a Hydra, but he is also a Hellion. He resides in the ruins of Ravnica and is revered by the Grull clans as the:

"Embodiment of destruction and mindless rage."-MTG Wiki

Pros:

1. Color Combination:

While some might not consider this a boon. Green and Red have a lot in common in terms of power. Both rely on strength to settle disputes more often than not. With green's natural ability to produce strong creatures, and Red's ability to enhance those monsters to their limits, this color combination can make even the smallest minion into a deadly beast.

2. Flexibility:

Ulasht's ability to come down effectively on turn four is a strength amongst other hydras. Most hydras have 'X' in their casting cost, making the most effective if played in the late game. While Ulsht, can effectively be played in the late game as well, if the deck is optimized for Ulsht, then by turn four he can potentially outclass every other creature on the battlefield. Plus his activated abilities, while not game-breaking allow the player to adapt to a variety of circumstances.

Cons:

1. Double Color:

Yes, while this is a strength it is also a weakness. Having to use multiple colors of mana may not be a huge hindrance to using Ulasht, the Hate Seed (being as its only two colors) but there will be those bad draws that keep you committed to one color versus the two needed to summon Ulsht.

2. Activated ability requires mana: 

This again isn't a huge con, as it is still an instant speed ability. However, when compared to other abilities of this type (Walking Balista: where the removal of a +1/+1 counter is the total cost) this ability feels a bit lackluster. Not only that but it's not efficient. While yes, it is flexible, it isn't efficient. You are essentially either paying twice for a 1/1 token or twice for a single point of damage that is limited to creatures.

*Again, nice to have the option, but if the mana requirement was removed the ability would have been much more viable.

3. No Evasion

While there is huge potential for Ulasht to become...huge. It's not much help if he can be blocked by a puny 0/1. There are tons of ways to nullify this weakness within the colors of red and green, but it's still inherently there, and an obstacle you have to build around.

Deck Building Strategy

So, in order to maximize Ulasht, the Hate Seed as your commander you need to be able to do two things. You need to be able to create as many green/red tokens as possible, and either keep them on the board as long as possible or replace them after they've died. 

Luckily there are plenty of instants and sorceries capable of doing this efficiently. 

The idea would be to play as many of these types of spells throughout the game. That way no matter when you play Ulasht, the Hate Seed, you will be paying a very efficient cost for the amount of power he'll bring to your board. 

Doing this, alongside a classic +1/+1 counter-strategy that works great with most other hydras is a strong way to supplement his abilities as well. 

So!

What are your thoughts on Ulasht? Do you use him as your commander? If you do, what is your strategy to optimize his effectiveness?