TIER 2 // MARROW GNAWER // “Ratman” — [Tribal, Tokens, Aristocrats] // MONO BLACK by partick

Format: Commander

Commander: Marrow-Gnawer

Bracket: 3

Deck overview

This is a mono-black Rat tribal deck built around Marrow-Gnawer's exponential token production. The core plan is to establish one or two early Rats, cast Marrow-Gnawer, and then repeatedly tap him - sacrificing a single Rat to create a swarm equal to the current rat count - while untap pieces (Illusionist's Bracers, Staff of Domination, Patriar's Seal, Manifold Key) multiply activations per turn. Fear gives the whole army effective evasion, and force-multipliers like Coat of Arms, Ashcoat of the Shadow Swarm, and Caged Sun turn the hoard lethal. A compact engine pairing Thornbite Staff with Marrow-Gnawer plus drain outlets (Blood Artist, Ayara, First of Locthwain, Mirkwood Bats, Ashnod's Altar) can close the table on the spot. Maskwood Nexus and Conspiracy functionally turn every creature into a Rat, supercharging lords, toxic, and Coat of Arms, while a small reanimation package (:Victimize, Revenge of the Rats]) provides a secondary recovery layer. The deck is a mid-speed swarm/combo hybrid - explosive once the commander sticks, but reliant on natural draws to find its lines.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Ashnod's Altar
  • 1 Ayara, First of Locthwain
  • 1 Black Market
  • 1 Blood Artist
  • 1 Bontu's Monument
  • 1 Bubbling Muck
  • 1 Burglar Rat
  • 1 Chittering Witch
  • 1 Coat of Arms
  • 1 Conspiracy
  • 1 Corrupted Conviction
  • 1 Crypt Rats
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Deadly Dispute
  • 1 Ellie's Rage
  • 1 Feed the Swarm
  • 1 Go for the Throat
  • 1 Grave Venerations
  • 1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
  • 1 Illusionist's Bracers
  • 1 Imp's Mischief
  • 1 Infernal Grasp
  • 1 Jet Medallion
  • 1 Karumonix, the Rat King
  • 1 Kaya's Ghostform
  • 1 Lightning Greaves
  • 1 Lord Skitter's Butcher
  • 1 Lord Skitter, Sewer King
  • 1 Magewright's Stone
  • 1 Manifold Key
  • 1 Marrow-Gnawer
  • 1 Maskwood Nexus
  • 1 Mirkwood Bats
  • 1 Morbid Opportunist
  • 1 Nezumi Prowler
  • 1 Night's Whisper
  • 1 No Mercy
  • 1 Not Dead After All
  • 1 Nyx Lotus
  • 1 Ogre Slumlord
  • 1 Orcrist, Goblin-cleaver
  • 1 Ornithopter of Paradise
  • 1 Pack Rat
  • 1 Patriar's Seal
  • 1 Persistent Marshstalker
  • 1 Piper of the Swarm
  • 1 Pull from the Grave
  • 1 Rat King, Pale Piper
  • 1 Rat King, Verminister
  • 1 Revenge of the Rats
  • 1 S.H.I.E.L.D. Spy Satellite
  • 1 Secret Tunnel
  • 1 Sign in Blood
  • 1 Skullclamp
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Species Specialist
  • 1 Splinter of the Shadows
  • 1 Staff of Domination
  • 34 Swamp
  • 1 The Darkness Crystal
  • 1 The Platinum Chip
  • 1 Thornbite Staff
  • 1 Undercity Dire Rat
  • 1 Unearth
  • 1 Valley Rotcaller
  • 1 Victimize