Pack Rat...

Standard forum

Posted on Dec. 16, 2013, 10 p.m. by thanapathos

So I've just recently started playing mtg, and have delved into MTGO as well so I can get some more playtime and knowledge. Long story short, I've faced countless packrat decks and there is nothing I can do against them with any of my mid range priced decks. Considered detention sphere, but that is an expensive card. Is there any other way to deal with pack rats besides losing flat out turn 5?

Apoptosis says... #2

Detention Sphere , Supreme Verdict , Anger of the Gods are all good options. Killing them as soon as they land are good options too.

December 16, 2013 10:08 p.m.

gufymike says... #3

depends on the deck you're playing with. But killing them with fire asap is the best solution, don't let them grow or run your own set of pack rats.

Supreme Verdict is just a stop gap, as soon as they play Whip of Erebos , you're back in the fray, so exiling them is always the best option, especially when they are tapped out or don't have 3 mana available, if you don't have a sweeper.

December 16, 2013 10:14 p.m.

gufymike says... #4

kill it with fire
December 16, 2013 10:15 p.m.

thanapathos says... #5

My main decks are heroic white/blue enchants or sliver green + white. I can provide links to them, but they are from deckstats.

December 16, 2013 10:15 p.m.

If you're playing U/W Creatures, Detention Sphere is your best bet by far. Maybe Cyclonic Rift in response to their activated effect, but that's not really a good solution...

My idea; Save up for Detention Sphere . Do some trading or whatever you have to man, but I see that as the best bet.

December 16, 2013 10:26 p.m.

gufymike says... #7

consider Last Breath in the side. you need to do this early/before they have 3 mana or cards in hand to pay Pack Rat cost to copy itself.

Cyclonic Rift is another option, use the overload. (I would main this in u/w enchants).

for g/w, Last Breath again and there isn't much more that works that well, there, that I can think of, Scavenging Ooze , Polukranos, World Eater , Arbor Colossus , monstrous the last two. ooze for when Pack Rat hits the grave. I know ooze isn't a sliver, but it is a great card.

December 16, 2013 10:32 p.m.

Apoptosis says... #8

gufymike, If you kill the rats with Supreme Verdict you need to be ready to counter or Detention Sphere the whip, otherwise... yes the rats could come back to get you.

December 16, 2013 10:37 p.m.

PITHING NEEDLE!!!

Pithing Needle

Totally goes in any deck :D I love me some hate

December 16, 2013 10:39 p.m.

robrone9 says... #10

Ratchet Bomb is cheaper and works great too.

December 17, 2013 12:06 a.m.

harrydemon117 says... #11

In order for them to successfully "Whip a rat" they have to have the Whip of Erebos out and 7 mana untapped to keep the rat around

Pithing Needle is GREAT vs monoblack as you can name Mutavault , Whip of Erebos , Pack Rat , or the land that Underworld Connections enchants to stop them from using any of them. Pithing Needle s are cheap and if your local meta game is full of these decks then running 3 in the sideboard should help out

December 17, 2013 10:04 a.m.

I think I'm just gonna run 2 Pithing Needle s mainboard in the Junk deck I'm working on, and 1 Side-Board, just because Hate is my play style, haha.

December 17, 2013 11:20 a.m.

Apoptosis says... #13

Just remember Ratchet Bomb needs two counters to get the rats and token copies...

December 17, 2013 11:26 a.m.

Ratchet Bomb would definitely be in my side board! Help get ride of a number of mean little buggers.

Can't Ratchet Bomb get ride of the tokens produced by Master of Waves without adding a counter?

December 17, 2013 11:33 a.m.

harrydemon117 says... #15

@cestdesconneries: Yes, but using removal on Master of Waves is the better play as you get ALL of their threats taken away. If you are working on Junk, then use Golgari Charm to "board wipe" against that particular threat and his "minions"

December 17, 2013 1:54 p.m.

That's true, I guess in my head, the scenario involved Master Biomancer + Master of Waves for some bigger creatures, but nobody in my meta is doing that, so Golgari Charm should be awesome, especially since it helps against Control match-ups. Regeneration and all

December 17, 2013 2:07 p.m.

harrydemon117 says... #17

Yep. It's one of my "all star" cards vs the top tier 1 decks right now :) Ryan Hipp from TCGPlayer.com wrote an article about this a week or so ago. You should go and read it. VERY enlightening and he runs 2 of them main board!

December 17, 2013 2:13 p.m.

This discussion has been closed