Help with making Rat Colony work?
Modern Deck Help forum
Posted on March 21, 2018, 10:36 a.m. by ellie-is
So um, I really like rats. And I'm very excited for Rat Colony. I'm trying to build the best deck I can out of it.
Two things that I should point out right away is that 1- I'm on a budget. I can't really buy any awesome expensive cards like Collective Brutality (though I really wish I could), and 2- though I want this to be both strong and modern legal, I'm mostly going to be playing it casually, so I don't worry if it's not really up to the meta or if it's unable to face top-tier decks. I just want it to be fun and as strong as it can be given those two points.
Now for the deck itself. This is what I have so far, and it's main thing, besides the rat colony, is to interact with the graveyard and recast rats, while also being able to cast Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive, who makes all the Rat Colony unblockable.
What I'm having the most trouble right now is figuring out how many to use of Rat Colony, the graveyard interaction cards, and to figure out whether or not there's any really great cards that synergize well with all this that I'm missing. Also struggling to decide on whether or not to add more utility cards and removal.
If anyone could take a look and tell me if they have any suggetions, I'd REALLY appreciate it! I want to get all the cards for this as soon as Dominaria is out and it would be great to have figured out how to make this as strong as possible by then.
skoobysnackz says... #3
Here's the list I wrote up not long ago: The Plague. I think the key to making rats work is to have:
Pack Rat as a 4-of, non-negotiable.
Something, actually, lots of things to make your opponent discard. I would start with Ravenous Rats and Rotting Rats if Inquisition of Kozilek, and Thoughtseize are out of budget, and would probably still add one of them even if they are.
Something to bring back discarded/dead rats. Return to the Ranks and Immortal Servitude seem like the best options to me. Note: Swarmyard can also be game over to an overeager opponent who doesn't pay attention to the lands you're playing.
I think if you have this covered, the rest of the deck should build itself pretty easily. My deck runs 12 Rat Colonys, I think more would be a little risky in case your opponent has Maelstrom Pulse or Echoing Truth.
Some other cards to consider are Marrow-Gnawer, Ogre Slumlord, and Ratcatcher. I know Marrow-Gnawer is a little expensive, but if you can afford it, he's probably the most efficient finisher you can get for this deck. Just the fact that he gives all rats fear should be enough in most situations, his other effect is just the cherry on top. Ogre Slumlord also puts a wrench in many opponents' plans by giving all your rats deathtouch. If Marrow-Gnawer is not in your budget, I would go with Ogre Slumlord as the finisher.
Lastly sorry for the long post, and sorry if I'm suggesting cards you already have in your list, I was pretty excited when I saw someone else was also interested in a rat deck so I just threw all the suggestions I had before even looking at your list.
March 21, 2018 11:49 p.m.
skoobysnackz says... #4
Oops just realized, my deck is this one The Plague not the one linked in the previous post.
ellie-is says... #2
For sure! Won't hurt to have more rats. I do like the Whip of Erebos suggestion, too. Bad moon does have the big downside of working on both sides of the board, but I'll think about that as well. Thanks for the comments!
March 21, 2018 2:33 p.m.