Karumonix, the Rat King MTG Card
2023-02-03 - Number 439
2023-02-03 - Number 98p
2023-02-03 - Number 307
2023-02-03 - Number 282
2023-02-03 - Number 98
2023-02-03 - Number 98s
2023-02-03 - Number 70
| Card sets | Released in 7 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Phyrexian Rat |
| Abilities | Toxic |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
Toxic 1 (Players dealt combat damage by this creature also get a poison counter.) Other Rats you control have toxic 1. When Karumonix enters the battlefield, look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal any number of Rat cards from among them and put the revealed cards into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
Cards like Karumonix, the Rat King
Karumonix, the Rat King, stands out in Magic: The Gathering for its unique abilities, much like its counterparts in creature-focused strategies. It draws parallels to other influential legendary creatures such as Marrow-Gnawer. Marrow-Gnawer also empowers the rat tribe in MTG, granting all rats the ability to increase their ranks through its token-creation ability. While Karumonix, the Rat King, provides a different set of advantages by offering immediate value upon entering the battlefield or dying.
Another card worth mentioning is Pack Rat, which shares the theme of rats breeding power. However, Pack Rat’s ability is closely tied to the number of cards a player has in hand, allowing for the creation of copies but at the cost of discarding valuable resources. In contrast, Karumonix doesn’t necessitate such sacrifices to manifest its influence.
Considering these comparisons, Karumonix, the Rat King, exhibits a versatile tactical edge for players seeking to build around this commanding rodent. Its balanced amalgamation of power, resilience, and strategic depth indeed marks its place within the MTG legendary creature roster, particularly in rat-themed decks.
Cards similar to Karumonix, the Rat King by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Karumonix, the Rat King. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Orzhov Greasefang | Pioneer | Orzhov Greasefang | Pioneer Preliminary 2023-12-19 (1) |
 | Mono-Black Discard | Pioneer | Mono-Black Discard | Pioneer League 2023-11-02 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Karumonix, the Rat King shines when it comes to filling your hand with options. Each time a player casts a noncreature spell, you get the chance to create a 1/1 black Rat creature token, which can then become a valuable card in hand if you utilize abilities or spells to draw based on the number of creatures you control.
Resource Acceleration: Karumonix isn’t just about swarming the board; it’s about amassing power. The Rat tokens you accumulate can serve as a formidable resource acceleration by enabling sacrifice mechanics or boosting the delivery of powerful spells that depend on the number of creatures you command.
Instant Speed: With the ability to interact at instant speed, Karumonix, the Rat King can turn your opponent’s spells into your advantage discretely and unexpectedly. Each noncreature spell they cast can immediately result in another Rat joining your ranks, prepared to pounce or contribute to your strategic maneuvers right then and there, keeping you one paw ahead of your rivals.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Karumonix, the Rat King requires you to discard a card to activate its potent abilities. This can sometimes work against you, particularly if your hand is already running thin and every card counts towards your late-game strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: Crafting your deck to accommodate Karumonix means you’ll need to have the right mana available. The card demands a stringent mana setup which can be challenging to achieve at times, especially if you are running a multicolored deck that strains your mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in with a mana cost that’s on the higher side, Karumonix competes with other impactful cards in the same bracket. This can sometimes lead to tough decisions during deck construction, weighing up whether the Rat King’s abilities justify the significant mana investment required to bring him into play.
Reasons to Include Karumonix, the Rat King in Your Collection
Versatility: Karumonix, the Rat King is a versatile powerhouse, capable of slotting into a variety of deck builds. Its ability to spawn Rat tokens makes it an asset for token strategies and deck themes centered around creature swarms.
Combo Potential: The card holds immense combo potential, as it synergizes with mechanics that capitalize on creature count, such as sacrifice fodder or anthem effects that boost an army of small creatures to overwhelming sizes.
Meta-Relevance: Given the card’s unique capabilities, it could adapt well to shifting metas, providing value in environments where resilient, recurring board presence is key to outmaneuvering opponents’ strategies.
How to beat
Karumonix, the Rat King emerges from the dark corners of MTG as a daunting challenge for many players. As a creature boasting an ability to amass an army of rats, Karumonix can overwhelm opponents if left unchecked. To shut down this regal rodent, successful strategies often involve removing it from the battlefield as soon as it makes its grand entrance. Spot removal spells like Murder or Path to Exile can dispatch Karumonix efficiently before its rat-summoning ability triggers a verminous victory.
Another strategy is to employ board wipes such as Damnation or Wrath of God, which can clear out Karumonix along with its burgeoning horde of whiskered warriors. Players may also consider utilizing cards that can exile or lock down the Rat King, preventing it from using its abilities. Cards like Ixalan’s Binding or Cast Out are excellent at keeping Karumonix at bay. The key is to act swiftly and decisively, keeping the pressure on the Rat King and never giving it the chance to establish a dominating board presence.
In sum, whether through targeted removal, strategic exiling, or comprehensive board wipes, players can navigate around the challenges posed by Karumonix, the Rat King, and maintain control over the game state.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Karumonix, the Rat King MTG card by a specific set like Phyrexia: All Will Be One and Phyrexia: All Will Be One Promos, 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 Karumonix, the Rat King and other MTG cards:
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- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
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- MTG Mint Card
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- ABU Games
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Printings
The Karumonix, the Rat King Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2023-02-03 and 2023-02-03. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-02-03 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One | ONE | 439 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Flavio Girón | |
| 2 | 2023-02-03 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One Promos | PONE | 98p | 2015 | Normal | Black | Helge C. Balzer | |
| 3 | 2023-02-03 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One | ONE | 307 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Flavio Girón | |
| 4 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One Art Series | AONE | 70 | 2015 | Art series | Borderless | |||
| 5 | 2023-02-03 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One | ONE | 282 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jason A. Engle | |
| 6 | 2023-02-03 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One | ONE | 98 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Helge C. Balzer | |
| 7 | 2023-02-03 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One Promos | PONE | 98s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Helge C. Balzer |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Karumonix, the Rat King has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Karumonix, the Rat King card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-02-04 | A player with ten or more poison counters loses the game. This is a state-based action and doesn't use the stack. In other words, it happens immediately and players can't respond to it, just like a player losing the game due to having 0 or less life. |
| 2023-02-04 | Any other effects of that damage, such as life gain from lifelink, still apply. |
| 2023-02-04 | Conversely, replacement effects that apply to the number of counters put on a player can modify the counters placed this way. For example, Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider's last two abilities can apply to counters placed this way. |
| 2023-02-04 | Damage dealt by a creature with toxic grants the same number of counters regardless of how much damage is dealt. Notably, if a replacement effect modifies the damage in some way (such as that of Gratuitous Violence), the number of counters given remains unchanged. |
| 2023-02-04 | If a creature with toxic deals combat damage to a creature or planeswalker, or if it deals noncombat damage, toxic has no effect and no player gets poison counters. |
| 2023-02-04 | Multiple instances of toxic are cumulative. For example, if a creature has toxic 2 and gains toxic 1 due to another effect, combat damage that creature deals to a player will cause that player to get 3 poison counters. |
| 2023-02-04 | Toxic doesn't change the amount of combat damage a creature deals. For example, if a 2/2 creature with toxic 1 deals combat damage to a player, that creature will deal 2 damage. The results of that damage are the player loses 2 life and gets a poison counter. |