Pack Rat in BG/x?
Modern forum
Posted on March 5, 2015, 10:30 a.m. by mattr2013
Hi EverybodyI've recently started playing BG/x in Modern, but I've been a fan of the deck for a long time. I think Pack Rat might have a place in the deck, but I'm curious what other people think.
The case for Pack Rat:-- Like Tarmogoyf, Scavenging Ooze and others, Pack Rat is capable of winning a game all on its own. It does need something to discard to it, but that can actually be an advantage (I'll discuss why I think that in a moment.) Unlike 'Goyf and Scooze, however, Pack Rat is less susceptible to 1 for 1 removal in the mid/late game. The number of cards that deal with this effectively are limited, and in the mirror it's essentially only Maelstrom Pulse.
--Pack Rat does a spectacular job of making your draws consistent. Drawing an Inquisition of Kozilek, Thoughtseize, or land on turn 7 is way worse than drawing any of those on turn 1 or 2. With an active Rat, any of those draws are just another Pack Rat. Drawing discard spells late in the game is a persistent issue in my experience of BG/x, which Rat helps to mitigate
The case against Pack Rat: --Pack Rat is slow. You don't want to play this on turn 2 against Zoo or Burn.
--Pack Rat is mana intensive. Activating Rats against Twin is non-trivial.
--Pack Rats is worse on turn two than other two drops in BG/x
I don't subscribe to the idea that Rats are a 4 or none kind of deal, and currently the number I've been imagining is two--low enough that you're unlikely to find it until turns 5+ when it's at its best. Thoughts? Have I missed any arguments for or against Pack Rat that I should be considering? If I play Rats it would be in a competitive BG/x shell, so although I recognize the possibility I'm not interested in any Training Ground shenanigans.
Thanks for your help!
ChiefWannaHacka says... #3
Pack Rat used to be a sweet SB card in BGx for the Pod match-up. Now there doesn't really feel like a match up where you'd want it except maybe game 1 in the mirror, but then you're giving up soooo much more in other match-ups.
March 5, 2015 10:47 a.m.
ChiefBell I think you raise some valid points. However, I would counter that many of the sweepers you mention are sideboard cards, so Pack Rat in game one is likely to be relatively safe. Maelstrom Pulse currently is a 1 of in most Abzan builds, and Damnation is only a 2 of in the side. Even UWR typically only runs 1-2 Supreme Verdict in the main, and sometimes not even that (it's fairly regularly omitted in more creature heavy midrange builds).
Also, cards like Pyroclasm and Drown in Sorrow are actually pretty bad against the rest of the deck. Goyf and Siege Rhino are unimpressed by either Pyroclasm or Anger of the Gods, so if they are boarding into answers for the Pack Rat Plan, plan A of discard into enormous single threats is still perfectly viable.
March 5, 2015 10:49 a.m.
APPLE01DOJ says... #5
Pack Rat is just not fun to play it's the most boring strategy there is. I do like the card for its effectiveness and think one day it'll have a much higher price tag.
March 5, 2015 10:52 a.m.
I was playing 4 Mutavault and 4 Pack Rat for quite some time in B/G. It was hilarious to watch Pod struggle keeping up with you making a Rat turn after turn. However this was before the printing of Siege Rhino.
March 5, 2015 10:57 a.m.
Pyroclasm is fairly commonly seen in Tron main board. It's not TOO unusual.
I realise they're not great against the rest of the deck but my argument mainly is that it's not a sure bet and that many of the other cards are better and require less mana investment.
Let me ask this - what would you take out of the deck to include Pack Rat?
March 5, 2015 11:01 a.m.
APPLE01DOJ says... #8
Word, I just remembered about Pack Rat rock. http://www.mtgtop8.com/event?e=8110&d=246723&f=MO
March 5, 2015 11:02 a.m.
I think that's the million dollar questionChiefBell, and unfortunately I'm not sure. I'm not sure about correct numbers for Tasigur, the Golden Fang or Scavenging Ooze in the main, and given the increased prevalence of Rhino and Tasigur, I'm not sure that Abrupt Decay is an auto-4-of in the main anymore. It'll come down to heaps of testing whether I shave any of those for Rats, but those are the slots I'm currently toying with.
March 5, 2015 11:11 a.m.
Taz is 1-2. Scooze is 2-4. Abrupt decay is 3-4.
However to replace those lost cards we now have 3-4 Path to Exile, and 3-4 Lingering Souls
March 5, 2015 11:15 a.m.
APPLE01DOJ says... #12
I think the deck needs to move back words to move forward. Any one else agree?
March 5, 2015 11:51 a.m.
Nope. Games are over too quickly for him to matter, and he's dead in multiple matchups (Burn, Affinity). He's also completely unplayable with Taz.
March 5, 2015 12:11 p.m.
For me, the worst thing about Pack Rat has always been that in the event of a late boardwipe, you feel like you've wasted a million mana and discarded your entire freaking deck for absolutely nothing. The activation cost is too steep for something that can fall apart so easily.
I've tried the Training Grounds + tons of card draw strategy some time ago and had decent success with it (in a semi-competitive environment, I should mention), but as APPLE01DOJ said, it gets boring as hell - and Supreme Verdict still beats it no matter how much protection you're running. So, I just dropped it altogether.
ChiefBell says... #2
Pack rat lets you turn your dead draws into more rats, and that's great. The problem is the mana investment is absolutely huge. You pay 3 mana and discard a card and you have 2 2/2s. That's awful.
He's answered by Pyroclasm, Maelstrom Pulse, Anger of the Gods, Supreme Verdict, Damnation, and Drown in Sorrow - and these aren't unusual cards. They're pretty commonly found.
Honestly - Siege Rhino can block successfully even when you have 4 rats out and requires only a fraction of the mana. Tasigur does too. Pack rat is therefore left to flounder.
March 5, 2015 10:34 a.m.