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Dual Deck: Spirit Rats

Casual Exile Rats Spirits WUB (Esper)

Tryptic


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Dual Decks

Dual decks are my attempt to create a series of interesting casual decks, designed to be played against each other. The twist is that each dech is built using two separate creature tribes, and tied together with Maskwood Nexus which gives all creature types to all of your creatures. Each deck aims to show off both the strengths of its tribes, as well as a few famous MtG combo mechanics used in unusual ways. Each Dual deck is 61 cards, with the last card being an Un-card or playtest series card which is added for silliness, and can be removed if you prefer.

You can find my full set of Dual Decks here!

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Summary

Spirit Rats is all about gradual progress, building up Spirits and Rats to power its midgame abilities. Its creatures aren't very strong, but when there are a lot of them, they can turn dangerous all of a sudden.

Opening hands

The deck depends on having 3 mana and needs to Mulligan if it doesn't. Soulherder is a priority since it's part of several combos that give you card draw to keep going.

Combo Mechanic: flickering ETB triggers

Soulherder allows you to repeat your ETB triggers, drawing cards and getting rats. It also allows you to reset Tribute to Horobi  , and trigger constellation such as Archon of Sun's Grace and Doomwake Giant. In the late game, Ghastly Mimicry  does the same.

Combo Mechanic: Proliferating Tribute to Horobi  

Tribute  normally lets your opponents decide whether you get any rats, but you can Proliferate it to force the issue. In a multiplayer game, you can net 3-6 rats on turn 3 to get things started.

Small combo: Agent of Treachery + Tribute to Horobi

Funny story, the rat tokens from Tribute are technically owned by your opponents. Therefore, they're permanents that you control but don't own, and can trigger Agent's card draw (if the game goes that long)

Final Combo: Maskwood Nexus + Soulherder + Twisted Sewer-Witch

After each of your turns, each opponent loses life equal to the number of creatures you control (which grows by 1 rat). Death comes steadily to them all.

Un-card: B.O.B. (Bevy of Beebles)

Playing this with Maskwood Nexus is a bit risky, but it'll get you 4 creatures and you can proliferate it for more. If all goes well, you can win soon after playing it...

Revision 2

The deck was a slightly lower power level than other Dual decks, so I focused on land consistency a bit. Eagles of the North with some new Surveil lands make it easier to get the colors you need, while Malakir Rebirth   and Grateful Apparition add a little sustainability.

Suggestions

Updates Add

Dual Decks are often balanced against each other by powering up or down the lands, however cost is also important. Meticulous Archive has risen from $6 to $20+, so it was swapped out for Irrigated Farmland, which dropped to pennies. A Plains/Island is needed to plainscycle Eagles of the North for blue mana.

Comments

Date added 10 months
Last updated 1 day
Key combos
Legality

This deck is Casual legal.

Rarity (main - side)

1 - 0 Mythic Rares

25 - 0 Rares

16 - 0 Uncommons

5 - 0 Commons

Cards 61
Avg. CMC 3.29
Tokens Beeble 1/1 U, Copy Clone, Illusion */* U, Pegasus 2/2 W, Rat 1/1 B, Rat 1/1 B w/ Can't Block, Rat Rogue 1/1 B, Shapeshifter 2/2 U, Wicked
Folders Dual Decks
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