Ratica Apocalyptica (Commander / EDH MTG Deck)

Ratica Apocalyptica

Commander / EDH Card Draw Matters Combo Discard Infinite Combo Kamigawa Lifegain Mono-Black Rats Sacrifice Tokens

Craeter

Creature (32)

Artifact (15)

Enchantment (8)

Sorcery (4)

Commander (1)

Land (33)

Instant (5)

Planeswalker (2)

Sideboard

Enchantment (1)

1x No Mercy

Artifact (1)

1x Extraplanar Lens

Maybeboard

Creature (27)

Instant (7)

Artifact (13)

Land (3)

Planeswalker (2)

Sorcery (9)

Enchantment (8)

We Shall Inherit

Marrow-Gnawer is my favorite card in MTG and the main reason I started playing back in the day when Champions of Kamigawa came out. Here I've finally incorporated him into a semi-competitive commander deck. The idea of this deck is to spam rat tokens with Marrow-Gnawer's ability and other cards combo off of this by sacrificing rat tokens, removing enemy creatures, increasing your life / decreasing the opponents, and drawing lots of cards.

The general strategy here is pretty straightforward. Try to play on curve and ensure at least 2 other rats are on the battlefield when Marrow-Gnawer comes out on turn 5 / 6. Then the rat doubling begins, and if left unchecked it can quickly snowball by turn 9 or 10.

Primary combos:

Marrow-Gnawer + Thornbite Staff = Infinite Rats. Old school: Plunge into Darkness to sacrifice the rat tokens for infinite life. New school: Ayara, First of Locthwain / Blood Artist / Bastion of Remembrance on the field = infinite life and damage to opponent. I'm aware of the Tutors that could be included to search for Thornbite Staff, I'm just opting to not always go for the infinite combo as a win-con for this deck. Just an occasional win-con.

Lightning Greaves and Cloak and Dagger make Marrow-Gnawer not targetable and can be equipped immediately for free.

Lightning Greaves and Thousand-Year Elixir give Marrow-Gnawer haste for his activated ability.

Mirkwood Bats activates 1 life loss for every rat Marrow-Gnawer creates, potentially game ending as soon as it's played.

Index

{Token Tech}

Marrow-Gnawer, Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal , Ashcoat of the Shadow Swarm, Ayara, First of Locthwain, Blood Artist, Mirkwood Bats, Ogre Slumlord, Old Flitterfang, Pack Rat, Pestilence Rats, Piper of the Swarm, Pitiless Plunderer, Priest of Forgotten Gods, Species Specialist, Attrition, Bastion of Remembrance, Black Market, Grave Pact, Coat of Arms, Eldrazi Monument, Tarrian's Journal , Thornbite Staff, Thousand-Year Elixir, Tragic Slip, Liliana, Dreadhorde General, Chittering Witch, Karumonix, the Rat King, Lord Skitter's Butcher, Lord Skitter, Sewer King, Nezumi Bone-Reader, Persistent Marshstalker, Swarm of Rats, Voracious Vermin, Revenge of the Rats

{Draw}

Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal , Ashcoat of the Shadow Swarm, Ayara, First of Locthwain, Priest of Forgotten Gods, Ratcatcher, Species Specialist, Phyrexian Arena, Skullclamp, Vanquisher's Banner, Deadly Dispute, Reckoner's Bargain, Village Rites, Liliana, Dreadhorde General, Increasing Ambition <-- Only tutor card in deck War Room, Lord Skitter's Butcher

{Life Gain / Loss}

Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal , Ayara, First of Locthwain, Blood Artist, Crypt Ghast, Mirkwood Bats, Old Flitterfang, Priest of Forgotten Gods, Bastion of Remembrance, Virtue of Persistence, Bontu's Monument, Reckoner's Bargain, Nezumi Prowler, Painful Quandary, The Meathook Massacre

{Ramp}

Crypt Ghast, Black Market, Bontu's Monument, Liliana of the Dark Realms, Cabal Coffers, Cabal Stronghold

{Power}

Marrow-Gnawer, Ashcoat of the Shadow Swarm, Swarm of Rats, Pestilence Rats, Persistent Marshstalker, Akroma's Memorial, Coat of Arms, Door of Destinies, Eldrazi Monument, Toxic Deluge <--- Only board wipe in deck

{Removal}

Attrition, Grave Pact, Virtue of Persistence, Nevinyrral's Disk, Oblivion Stone, Defile, Tragic Slip, Liliana of the Dark Realms, Liliana, Dreadhorde General, Toxic Deluge, Piper of the Swarm, Priest of Forgotten Gods, Throat Slitter, Chittering Witch, Crypt Rats, Nezumi Prowler, The Meathook Massacre, Crippling Fear, Swarmyard Massacre

{Recursion}

Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni, Virtue of Persistence, Ghost Lantern, Ashcoat of the Shadow Swarm, The Tomb of Aclazotz , Revenge of the Rats

{Discard}

Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal , Chittering Rats, Nezumi Shortfang , Nezumi Bone-Reader, Ravenous Rats, Painful Quandary

{Flying}

Eldrazi Monument, Akroma's Memorial, Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal , Old Flitterfang, Mirkwood Bats

The sideboard for the deck is intended for use with Hexapod's Ban List in their casual high-power multiplayer games. Sol Ring and Grave Pact are banned and to be replaced by the sideboard cards.

Edit 8/18/24 - After playtesting a few times, I feel the following changes enhance the decks overall survivability and power while losing only situational boons. Add: Tarrian's Journal , Old Flitterfang, Priest of Forgotten Gods, Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal , Crypt Ghast, Liliana of the Dark Realms, Ghost Lantern, Consuming Corruption, Vanquisher's Banner, Cloak and Dagger, Mirkwood Bats, Door of Destinies

Remove: Oversold Cemetery, Patriarch's Bidding, Twilight's Call, Gray Merchant of Asphodel, Temple of the False God, Altar's Reap, God-Eternal Bontu, Consuming Vapors, Rend Flesh, Whispersilk Cloak, Skullclamp, Hero's Downfall

Suggestions

Updates Add

Foundations Update — Nov. 9, 2024

Edit

In: Revenge of the Rats Out: Pitiless Plunderer

Reasoning: The Plunderer hasn't seemed to be very impactful, typically only one sac per turn is only one Treasure. If board wiped that could be good, unless it's wiping everything. The new Sorcery serves a similar comeback role, but it is not reliant on the type of wipe (except Exile) and is the same converted mana cost. It will also help come back giving more fodder for Marrow-Gnawer to start doubling again, and it can even be used twice.

Also added Swarmyard Massacre replacing Valley Rotcaller

Reasoning: Valley Rotcaller has a good effect for this deck, however its creature type does not synergize, and in order for it to get value from its effect, it has to attack and will most likely die while doing so since it does not benefit from Marrow-Gnawer's Fear. Swarmyard Massacre is an amazing card for this deck that I initially overlooked since it creates two Squirrel tokens. However the board wipe effect is even better than Crippling Fear - for 1 more mana and with only 1 rat on the board it has the same effect. If there is a swarm of rats then it effectively board wipes enemy creatures only. It seems like it could be better in general, so going to try it out.

Oct. 22, 2024

Edit

Sept. 11, 2024

Edit

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Revision 28 See all

(6 days ago)

Commander's Plate

maybe

Top Ranked	Achieved #7 position overall 3 months ago Achieved #6 position in Commander / EDH 3 months ago Achieved #2 position in Commander / EDH Card Draw Matters 3 months ago Achieved #2 position in Commander / EDH Discard 1 month ago
Date added	2 years
Last updated	6 days
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	10 - 1 Mythic Rares 30 - 1 Rares 21 - 0 Uncommons 12 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.25
Tokens	Bat 1/1 B, Copy Clone, Emblem Liliana of the Dark Realms, Food, Human Soldier 1/1 W, Mercenary 1/1 R, On an Adventure, Rat 1/1 B, Rat 1/1 B w/ Can't Block, Squirrel 1/1 G, Treasure, Zombie 2/2 B
Folders	Commander/EDH, Copies, favorites, zIdeas, Carini, rat pack, Other Peoples decks to use for ideas
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