RATS by Zerramox

Format: Commander

Commander: Marrow-Gnawer

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 34

Deck overview

This mono-black deck executes an aggressive tribal aggro-combo strategy powered by 21 copies of Rat Colony and commanded by Marrow-Gnawer. The primary game plan curves out multiple low-cost Rats early to build critical mass, then deploys Marrow-Gnawer to grant universal fear and double the swarm each turn cycle. The scaling power of Rat Colony turns even a modest board into a lethal combat force, while aristocrat payoffs like Ayara, First of Locthwain and Valley Rotcaller translate token production directly into life drain. For explosive finishes, Thrumming Stone ripples the majority of the deck's creatures onto the battlefield in a single turn, and Thornbite Staff forms an instant infinite token combo with the commander. Draw engines like Skullclamp and Species Specialist convert sacrificed tokens into fresh cards, while mass recursion pieces ensure rapid recovery from sweepers. The deck's main vulnerabilities lie in its exposure to damage-based board wipes and its complete absence of stack interaction.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Ashcoat of the Shadow Swarm
  • 1 Ayara, First of Locthwain
  • 1 Bojuka Bog
  • 1 Bolas's Citadel
  • 1 Bontu's Monument
  • 1 Cabal Coffers
  • 1 Cabal Stronghold
  • 1 Culling the Weak
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Deadly Dispute
  • 1 Defile
  • 1 Echoing Return
  • 1 Feed the Swarm
  • 1 Foul-Tongue Shriek
  • 1 Gruesome Fate
  • 1 Haunted One
  • 1 Herald's Horn
  • 1 Infernal Grasp
  • 1 Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
  • 1 Jet Medallion
  • 1 Karumonix, the Rat King
  • 1 Lord Skitter, Sewer King
  • 1 Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire
  • 1 Marrow-Gnawer
  • 1 Mirror Box
  • 1 Morbid Opportunist
  • 1 Nashi, Moon Sage's Scion
  • 1 Ogre Slumlord
  • 1 Pack Rat
  • 1 Patchwork Banner
  • 1 Patriar's Seal
  • 1 Patriarch's Bidding
  • 1 Phyrexian Altar
  • 1 Phyrexian Tower
  • 1 Piper of the Swarm
  • 1 Plumb the Forbidden
  • 21 Rat Colony
  • 1 Rat King, Pale Piper
  • 1 Rat King, Verminister
  • 1 Secret Salvage
  • 1 Skullclamp
  • 1 Skullsnatcher
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Species Specialist
  • 28 Swamp
  • 1 Swarmyard
  • 1 Swarmyard Massacre
  • 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
  • 1 Thornbite Staff
  • 1 Thrumming Stone
  • 1 Valley Rotcaller
  • 1 Village Rites