THEME: Discard mechanic + madness and hellbent
HOW TO PLAY:
Early in the game, try to get as Typhoid Rats onto the board - to set up Deathtouch blockers for later.
In the early and mid game, build out your board with Pack Rat and Stronghold Rats. Don't attack too early; let Rack Pat grow and save at least one Stronghold Rat to set up Ink-Eyes' ninjutsu later. Whenever possible, cast Karumonix to pull rats from your deck efficiently. It's even good to cast Karumonix if it's already on the board: don't worry about the Legendary rule - the main use is to pull rats from your library to your hand quickly. Poison counters may stress your opponent, but they're not the primary win condition.
In the mid-game, look to put Lilian on the battlefield. With Lilian's +1 discard and damage by Stronghold Rats, everyone will quickly discard their entire hand. Then Lilian's +1 will do 3 damage to your opponent each turn, and likely force your opponent to attack Liliana instead of your rats. That's OK - she's buying you turns while setting up your end game. Getting the emblem is just icing on the cake, but absolutely not necessary. Defending Liliana with Typhoid Rats is good as it puts creatures in your opponent's graveyard for Ink-Eyes to take later.
By mid- to late-game, between Liliana's +1 and Stronghold Rats, your opponent should have an empty hand. Cast Shrieking Affliction whenever you can. Your opponent should be losing 3 life per upkeep just from Shrieking Affliction. Then, Stronghold Rats (or any Deathtouch creature) is the perfect creature to set up Ink-Eyes' ninjutsu. Then with Call to the Netherworld, use hellbent to pull creatures from your graveyard back to your hand basically for free.
Once you're down to one card in hand, you should have a good chance of it being Infernal Tutor or Call to the Netherworld. Depending on where you are in the game, tutor Liliana, Ink-Eyes, Stronghold Rats or Shrieking Affliction. Having multiple Infernal Tutors in your hand is a bit annoying. Sometimes if I have an Infernal Tutor early in the game, I'll use it to tutor a Stronghold Rat or Pack Rat, assuming I'll get another Infernal Tutor later in the game.
For the end game, your opponent should have lost between 5 and 10 lives by turn 6 or 7.
It takes between 7 and 11 hands to get your opponent to zero life. Not super strong, but fun to play.
WEAKNESSES:
Stronghold Rats is the engine of this deck - using shadow to consistently deal damage, cause your opponent to discard, and setting up Ink-Eyes' ninjutsu. An opponent's deck with creatures with shadow would be trouble for this deck. In that case, replace Stronghold Rats with Piper of the Swarm, lean more into Liliana, and create lots of rat token creatures.
Creatures with flying could also be trouble. In that case, use Batterfly Swarm instead of Typhoid Rats.
SIDEBOARD:
Delirium Skeins can accelerate discard and Marrow-Gnawer might a strong closer.
Thoughts and comments?
