Overview:

This Rat tribal deck leverages token generation, sacrifice synergies, and explosive combo potential around Wick, the Whorled Mind. The core strategy focuses on flooding the board with Rats, creating massive Snails through Wick's triggers, and converting them into game-ending damage or card advantage via Wick's activated ability. Secondary win conditions include aristocrat damage (Impact Tremors, Mirkwood Bats) and combo loops with Intruder Alarm/Ashnod's Altar.

Primer:

Core Strategy:

1. Token Flood: Generate Rat tokens through cards like Piper of the Swarm, Totentanz, and Marrow-Gnawer.
2. Snail Buffing: Use Wick's ETB triggers to create or grow a Snail token, often amplified by Roaming Throne (naming Rat) or Conspiracy/Leyline of Transformation to maximize triggers.
3. Sacrifice Payoffs: Convert Snails into massive damage/draw with Wick's activated ability, supported by sacrifice outlets (Goblin Bombardment, Phyrexian Altar).
4. Combo Lines:
   • Intruder Alarm + Rat generator (e.g., Piper of the Swarm) + Phyrexian Altar = Infinite mana/Rats, enabling a Torment of Hailfire or Wick activation kill.
   • Ashnod's Altar + Persist/Undying Rat + Sacrifice Engine = Infinite death triggers.

Mulligan Priorities:

• 3+ lands (prioritize Cabal Coffers/Nykthos in slow metas).
• Early Rat generators (Piper of the Swarm, Voracious Vermin) or combo enablers (Intruder Alarm).
• Avoid hands without token production or ramp.

Key Tips:

• Delay Wick until you have protection (Swiftfoot Boots) or a guaranteed Snail trigger.
• Use Skullclamp on 1/1 Rats for explosive card draw.
• Save free counterspells (Fierce Guardianship) to protect combo turns.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Relies on easily removed combo pieces (Intruder Alarm, Ashnod's Altar).
• No graveyard protection – Patriarch's Bidding/Reanimate folds to Rest in Peace.

Moderate

• Slow recovery from board wipes – Limited mass recursion outside Patriarch's Bidding.
• Mana base fragility – Heavy reliance on Cabal Coffers/Nykthos.

Minor

• Vulnerable to flyers – Limited reach outside Crypt Rats.

Most Important Cards:

• Intruder Alarm
• Phyrexian Altar
• Conspiracy
• Roaming Throne
• Skullclamp
• Ashnod's Altar
• Torment of Hailfire
• Impact Tremors
• Patriarch's Bidding
• Mirkwood Bats

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10
Theoretical T5-6 wins with Intruder Alarm combos or massive Snail sacrifices, but requires setup.

Resilience: 5/10
Free protection spells (Fierce Guardianship) and recursion (Malakir Rebirth), but key combos are fragile.

Consistency: 6/10
10+ tutors (Demonic Tutor, Diabolic Intent) and redundancy in Rat generators, but combo lines lack backup.

Interaction: 7/10
S-Tier counters (Mana Drain, Fierce Guardianship) and pinpoint removal (Dismember, Deadly Rollick).

Rating Justification:

This deck has high combo potential and strong tutors but lacks the speed/protection of true cEDH builds. Its reliance on creature-based synergies and vulnerability to stax place it in the optimized casual range.

Power level: 5.5 - 6.5