Ulalek copying countered spell

Question

If I cast Ulamog, the Defiler and copy it with Ulalek, Fused Atrocity, and then somebody counters the original Ulamog spell, does Ulalek still copy the Ulamog cast trigger on the stack?

Answer 1

Yes. When you cast Ulamog, Ulamog and Ulalek's triggers both go on the stack. Since you control both triggers, you can choose what order they go on. If you put Ulamog's on first, then when Ulalek's resolves, it copies Ulamog's. Once Ulamog's trigger is on the stack, removing its source does nothing.

Note however that if the original Ulamog spell is counter, then while Ulalek copies the Ulamog trigger, it doesn't copy the Ulamog spell. Also, if the Ulamog spell isn't countered and Ulalek counters it, then the copy of the Ulamog spell doesn't trigger the "on cast" ability, because the spell was copied, not cast.

Answer 2

Yes. After casting Ulamog with Ulalek in play, the stack will most likely¹ look like this:

1. Ulalek Trigger
2. Ulamog Trigger
3. Ulamog

If an opponent casts some kind of counterspell at this point, it will go on the stack, pushing the rest down. Assuming it resolves the stack will now be:

1. Ulalek Trigger
2. Ulamog Trigger

Ulalek's ability reads:

Whenever you cast an Eldrazi spell, you may pay . If you do, copy all spells you control, then copy all other activated and triggered abilities you control. You may choose new targets for the copies.

While there are no more spells you control on the stack, there is still one other ability you control on the stack, the cast trigger from Ulamog, this will still be copied if is payed when Ulalek's triggered ability resolves. The stack will then be:

1. Ulamog Trigger
2. Ulamog Trigger

The rule that covers this situation best is 113.7, emphasis mine:

113.7 The source of an ability is the object that generated it. The source of an activated ability on the stack is the object whose ability was activated. The source of a triggered ability (other than a delayed triggered ability) on the stack, or one that has triggered and is waiting to be put on the stack, is the object whose ability triggered. To determine the source of a delayed triggered ability, see rules 603.7d–f.

113.7a Once activated or triggered, an ability exists on the stack independently of its source. Destruction or removal of the source after that time won’t affect the ability. Note that some abilities cause a source to do something (for example, “Prodigal Pyromancer deals 1 damage to any target”) rather than the ability doing anything directly. In these cases, any activated or triggered ability that references information about the source for use while announcing an activated ability or putting a triggered ability on the stack checks that information when the ability is put onto the stack. Otherwise, it will check that information when it resolves. In both instances, if the source is no longer in the zone it’s expected to be in at that time, its last known information is used. The source can still perform the action even though it no longer exists.

Once Ulamog's trigger is on the stack, it's completely independent from the Ulamog spell, removing the spell from the stack has no effect on the cast trigger.

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1. Since both Ulalek's trigger and Ulamog's trigger happen when Ulamog is cast, the player can order them on the stack in whatever order they choose. It's possible to put Ulamog's trigger on stack last, so it resolves before Ulalek, but putting Ulalek's trigger on last is usually the most beneficial way to handle these triggers.