To be or not to be, Rat is the question

Commander / EDH* Aristocrats BUG (Sultai) Combo Rats Theme/Gimmick

Derek_TheWreck

.Lands (39)

• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Choked Estuary
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Contaminated Aquifer
• 1x Drowned Catacomb
• 1x Fetid Pools
• 6x Forest
• 1x Haunted Mire
• 1x Hedge Maze
• 1x Island
• 1x Morphic Pool
• 1x Opulent Palace
• 1x Overgrown Tomb
• 1x Sunken Hollow
• 6x Swamp
• 1x Swamp
• 1x Tainted Isle
• 1x Tainted Wood
• 1x Temple of Deceit
• 1x Temple of Malady
• 1x Undercity Sewers
• 1x Underground Mortuary
• 1x Undergrowth Stadium
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Watery Grave
• 1x Witch's Cottage
• 1x Woodland Cemetery
• 1x Woodland Chasm
• 1x Zagoth Triome

Ramp (10)

• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Bontu's Monument
• 1x Crypt Ghast
• 1x Cultivate
• 1x Dark Ritual
• 1x Farseek
• 1x Herald's Horn
• 1x Jet Medallion
• 1x Kodama's Reach
• 1x Sol Ring

Creatures (29)

• 1x Marrow-Gnawer
• 1x Ogre Slumlord
• 1x Pack Rat
• 1x Piper of the Swarm
• 19x Rat Colony
• 5x Rat Colony
• 1x Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive

Counterspells (3)

• 1x An Offer You Can't Refuse
• 1x Dispel
• 1x Null Brooch

Recovery (3)

• 1x Bloodbond March
• 1x Echoing Return
• 1x Echoing Truth

Protection (2)

• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Swiftfoot Boots

Boardwipe (1)

• 1x Evacuation

Tutor (1)

• 1x Insidious Dreams

Commander (1)

Draw (5)

• 1x Beast Whisperer
• 1x Null Profusion
• 1x Realmwalker
• 1x Recycle
• 1x Skullclamp

Removal (5)

• 1x Assassin's Trophy
• 1x Beast Within
• 1x Deathsprout
• 1x Putrefy
• 1x Return to Nature

Utility (3)

• 1x Aluren
• 1x Golgari Charm
• 1x Thrumming Stone

Rat Doubling (2)

• 1x Doubling Chant
• 1x Secret Salvage

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Maybeboard

To Remove (20)

• 1x Coat of Arms
• 1x Curse of the Swine
• 1x Evolving Wilds
• 1x Flood of Tears
• 1x Forest
• 1x Gravepurge
• 1x Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
• 1x Island
• 1x Kindred Dominance
• 1x Kindred Summons
• 1x Psychic Possession
• 1x Rampant Growth
• 1x Rat Colony
• 1x Reflections of Littjara
• 1x Seat of the Synod
• 1x Swarmyard
• 1x Terramorphic Expanse
• 1x Tree of Tales
• 1x Vanquisher's Banner
• 1x Vault of Whispers

Ramp (4)

• 1x Ashnod's Altar
• 1x Black Market
• 1x Phyrexian Altar
• 1x Zendikar Resurgent

Utility (14)

• 1x Akroma's Memorial
• 1x Clone Legion
• 1x Door of Destinies
• 1x Dream Halls
• 1x Heroic Intervention
• 1x Lifeline
• 1x Manabond
• 1x Mirror Box
• 1x Nantuko Shrine
• 1x Narset's Reversal
• 1x Noxious Revival
• 1x Primal Rage
• 1x Trade Routes
• 1x Whip of Erebos

Creatures (7)

• 1x Ashcoat of the Shadow Swarm
• 1x Chittering Witch
• 1x Earsplitting Rats
• 1x Karumonix, the Rat King
• 1x Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
• 1x Nezumi Graverobber  ^Flip
• 1x Stronghold Rats

Recovery (1)

• 1x Nashi, Moon's Legacy

$$$ (9)

• 1x Cabal Coffers
• 1x Concordant Crossroads
• 1x Cyclonic Rift
• 1x Damnation
• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Exploration
• 1x No Mercy
• 1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
• 1x Volrath's Stronghold

Tutor (8)

• 1x Behold the Beyond
• 1x Diabolic Intent
• 1x Emergent Ultimatum
• 1x Fabricate
• 1x Ratcatcher
• 1x Scheming Symmetry
• 1x Sphinx of the Chimes
• 1x Underrealm Lich

Removal & BWs (7)

• 1x Avoid Fate
• 1x In Garruk's Wake
• 1x Intervene
• 1x Plague Wind
• 1x Sudden Spoiling
• 1x Throat Slitter
• 1x Whelming Wave

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Why choose Damia as a Rat Commander instead of Marrow?

To me, Marrow-Gnawer decks are too linear having Thrumming Stone and Thornbite Staff as their only available combo pieces. In contrat, Damia, Sage of Stone allows me to draw massive amounts of cards, which could allow me to play multiple Rat Colony in the same turn, and also gives me access to Green and Blue which allows for great tools or combo pieces.

Rat Colony over Relentless Rats?

While Relentless Rats's thoughess also scales, in comparison to Rat Colony which only increases its power, Relentless only cares about other Relentless while Colony counts your other rats as well.

Also, the fact Relentless costs {1}{B}{B} in a Sultai ({G}{U}{B}) deck can have me rely too much on Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth or Aluren to be able to play them. And I won't be able to cast as many of them per turn.

Additionally, Rat Colony's constant 1 thoughness can actually be a good thing when you consider cards such as Skull Clamp, as an alternative draw engine in cases Damia get removed too many times and becomes too expensive to cast, and Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive. Though those 2 cards become nearly meaningless if either Vanquisher's Banner and/or Coat of Arms are in play.

Date added	4 years
Last updated	7 months
Exclude colors	WR
Splash colors	UBG
Legality	This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	3 - 0 Mythic Rares 38 - 0 Rares 16 - 0 Uncommons 31 - 0 Commons
Cards	104
Avg. CMC	2.72
Tokens	Beast 3/3 G, Copy Clone, Rat 1/1 B, Treasure