Potential rat deck 4? by sbanders

Format: Commander

Commander: Marrow-Gnawer

Bracket: 4

DeckCheck Threat Index: 48

Deck overview

This Marrow-Gnawer list is an aggressive mono-black Rat typal deck operating at the intersection of swarm aggro, aristocrats attrition, and combo. The primary game plan seeks to ramp into Marrow-Gnawer and assemble an infinite loop using Thornbite Staff, which untaps Marrow-Gnawer every time a sacrificed Rat dies to create endless Rat tokens and trigger lethal life drain through Ayara, Blood Artist, Zulaport Cutthroat, or Mirkwood Bats. As an alternative path to victory, the deck leverages asymmetric board locks like Contamination and Grave Pact, starving opponents of mana and board presence while swarming with unblockable Fear-imbued Rats amplified by Coat of Arms and Ashcoat of the Shadow Swarm. Strong mono-black ramp from Cabal Coffers and Nykthos, paired with premier tutors like Demonic Tutor and Vampiric Tutor, ensures consistent transitions from early setup to game-ending turns.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Ashcoat of the Shadow Swarm
  • 1 Ayara, First of Locthwain
  • 1 Black Market
  • 1 Blood Artist
  • 1 Bojuka Bog
  • 1 Bolas's Citadel
  • 1 Bontu's Monument
  • 1 Burglar Rat
  • 1 Cabal Coffers
  • 1 Cabal Stronghold
  • 1 Cavern of Souls
  • 1 Chittering Witch
  • 1 Coat of Arms
  • 1 Contamination
  • 1 Crashing Drawbridge
  • 1 Crypt Ghast
  • 1 Crypt Rats
  • 1 Culling the Weak
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Deadly Dispute
  • 1 Deadly Rollick
  • 1 Demonic Tutor
  • 1 Diabolic Intent
  • 1 Feed the Swarm
  • 1 Gnat Miser
  • 1 Grave Pact
  • 1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
  • 1 Grim Tutor
  • 1 Herald's Horn
  • 1 Imp's Mischief
  • 1 Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
  • 1 Jet Medallion
  • 1 Karumonix, the Rat King
  • 1 Kindred Dominance
  • 1 Lightning Greaves
  • 1 Lord Skitter's Butcher
  • 1 Lord Skitter, Sewer King
  • 1 Marrow-Gnawer
  • 1 Mirkwood Bats
  • 1 Nashi, Moon Sage's Scion
  • 1 Nezumi Graverobber // Nighteyes the Desecrator
  • 1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
  • 1 Ogre Slumlord
  • 1 Pack Rat
  • 1 Patriarch's Bidding
  • 1 Persistent Marshstalker
  • 1 Pestilence Rats
  • 1 Phyrexian Arena
  • 1 Phyrexian Tower
  • 1 Piper of the Swarm
  • 1 Rat Colony
  • 1 Ratcatcher
  • 1 Relentless Rats
  • 1 Sign in Blood
  • 1 Skullclamp
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Species Specialist
  • 24 Swamp
  • 1 Swarm of Rats
  • 1 Swarmyard
  • 1 Swarmyard Massacre
  • 1 Swiftfoot Boots
  • 1 Tangled Colony
  • 1 The Meathook Massacre
  • 1 Thornbite Staff
  • 1 Three Tree City
  • 1 Throat Slitter
  • 1 Thrumming Stone
  • 1 Typhoid Rats
  • 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
  • 1 Valley Rotcaller
  • 1 Vampiric Tutor
  • 1 Vanquisher's Banner
  • 1 Village Rites
  • 1 Voracious Vermin
  • 1 Zulaport Cutthroat