Ruin Rat MTG Card
2017-07-14 - Number 75
2019-11-07 - Number 759
2021-08-26 - Number 381
2020-09-26 - Number HOU-75
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Rat |
| Abilities | Deathtouch |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Key Takeaways
- Ruin Rat disrupts strategies by exiling cards from opponents’ graveyards upon its death.
- Its deathtouch ability levels the field, trading with larger threats efficiently.
- While mana specific, Ruin Rat’s strategic use can impact multi-deck strategies.
Text of card
Deathtouch When Ruin Rat dies, exile target card from an opponent's graveyard.
From every shadow came the dull scratch of teeth on bones.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Ruin Rat offers a unique form of card advantage by enabling graveyard disruption. When it dies, you can exile a card from an opponent’s graveyard, potentially removing key pieces from their strategy.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly influencing mana, Ruin Rat can accelerate your resource advantage by trading with more expensive creatures thanks to its deathtouch ability, effectively leveling the playing field no matter the size of the threat it blocks or attacks.
Instant Speed: Although Ruin Rat itself is not an instant, its deathtouch ability serves as a deterrent that can disrupt an opponent’s tactics at any phase of the game. The threat of activation makes Ruin Rat a flexible defender and a strategic piece during the most critical moments, maintaining tempo and control.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One limitation players face with Ruin Rat is its prerequisite to meet certain conditions for its ability. Unlike other creatures that can simply be played, Ruin Rat requires a level of strategic forethought or turn sequencing to maximize its potential, making it less straightforward compared to more flexible cards.
Specific Mana Cost: Tailoring a deck to accommodate Ruin Rat necessitates a dedication to its speficic mana requirements. This calls for a commitment to not only ensuring the mana is available but also that it aligns with broader deck strategies, which might not always prove ideal especially in multi-color decks where mana efficiency is crucial.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When analyzing the mana investment against the overall impact of Ruin Rat on the board state, its cost may seem steep relative to other alternatives. In the landscape of MTG, where many cards vie for a slot in your deck, Ruin Rat’s benefits might not always justify its place over creatures with more immediate impact or lower mana demands.
Reasons to Include Ruin Rat in Your Collection
Versatility: Ruin Rat serves as a flexible inclusion for decks that capitalize on creature control and graveyard manipulation. Its ability to fit into multiple deck archetypes makes it a useful tool in a range of strategies.
Combo Potential: When paired with cards that generate benefits from creature death or utilize graveyard contents, Ruin Rat’s death trigger becomes significantly more impactful, enabling strategic plays and unexpected combos.
Meta-Relevance: Given the prevalence of graveyard-based decks in the current meta, Ruin Rat can act as a disruption piece, exiling key cards from opponents’ graveyards and potentially swinging the game in your favor.
How to beat Ruin Rat
Ruin Rat is a nifty little creature that can pose a subtle threat in Magic: The Gathering, especially when it lurks in decks that exploit its death-trigger ability. This deathtouch rat not only takes down any blocker or attacker regardless of size, but it also brings graveyard disruption to the table by exiling a card from an opponent’s graveyard upon death.
Overcoming this rascally rodent requires strategic play. Instead of engaging in direct combat, consider using removal spells that bypass its deathtouch ability—spells like Shock or Abrade allow you to handle the rat at a safe distance. In addition, evasion tactics such as flying creatures can soar over it, avoiding the confrontation altogether. It’s also advised to manage your graveyard wisely, holding off on important creature cards until the Rat is off the field, minimizing its secondary ability’s impact.
Ultimately, Ruin Rat can be a pest if left unchecked, yet with proper planning and a bit of cunning, it becomes little more than a minor hurdle in the grander scheme of your MTG strategy.
Cards like Ruin Rat
Ruin Rat, a nifty creature in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, finds its kin in a host of similar low-cost creatures that excel at controlling the battlefield. When we consider cards like Vampire Nighthawk, its comparison comes naturally. While Ruin Rat offers the utility of exiling a card from an opponent’s graveyard on death, Vampire Nighthawk brings flying and lifelink to the table, presenting a different kind of threat and value to the player.
Burglar Rat stands as another relative, demanding each opponent to discard a card when it enters the battlefield. This disruption parallels Ruin Rat’s mission to affect the opponent’s resources but in a different aspect of the game. Then there’s Nezumi Bone-Reader, which, although not exiling cards, enables repeatable targeted discard at the cost of sacrificing a creature, arguably giving the player more control over the timing and impact of the ability.
Each of these creatures shares the capacity to tamper with the opponent’s game plan, albeit in varied ways. Ruin Rat, with its unique graveyard interaction, undeniably earns its place in decks preoccupied with resource and graveyard manipulation in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Ruin Rat by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ruin Rat MTG card by a specific set like Hour of Devastation and Mystery Booster, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Ruin Rat and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Ruin Rat Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2017-07-14 and 2021-08-26. Illustrated by Shreya Shetty.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-07-14 | Hour of Devastation | HOU | 75 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Shreya Shetty | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 759 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Shreya Shetty | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | HOU-75 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Shreya Shetty | ||
| 4 | 2021-08-26 | Jumpstart: Historic Horizons | J21 | 381 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Shreya Shetty |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ruin Rat has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ruin Rat card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-07-14 | If Ruin Rat dies at the same time as another creature, most likely because they were in combat together, its triggered ability can exile that other card. |
