Rats' Feast MTG Card
2002-05-27 - Number 71
2005-08-22 - Number A44
2005-08-22 - Number A55
2006-01-01 - Number 44
2006-01-01 - Number 55
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery |
Text of card
Remove X target cards in a single graveyard from the game.
"That does it—I quit!" —Cabal grave robber
Cards like Rats' Feast
Diving into the enticing world of graveyard utilisation, Rats’ Feast from MTG gleefully stands amid a niche family of cards that control the dead. Much akin to Tormod’s Crypt, Rats’ Feast serves a vital function by exiling cards from graveyards, a strategy to disrupt your opponent’s gameplay. Yet, while Tormod’s Crypt needs no mana to activate, Rats’ Feast asks for a single black mana, offering a more targeted yet repeatable approach.
Another relative in this category is Nihil Spellbomb, which also purges graveyards and has the added bonus of drawing a card when exiled with a mana cost. It imposes a different strategy compared to Rats’ Feast, as it sweeps the entire graveyard at once but at the expense of not being repeatable. Bojuka Bog enters the stage as a non-spell alternative, being a land that can exile graveyards upon entering the battlefield, combining utility with land drops. However, it lacks the flexibility and repeatability of Rats’ Feast.
While each card offers a unique angle on graveyard control, Rats’ Feast excels for players looking for a cost-effective, repeatable tool, making it a sneakily powerful arsenic in the battle against graveyard-dependent decks within the MTG realm.
Cards similar to Rats' Feast by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Rats’ Feast stands out as it can significantly shrink an opponent’s graveyard, which in the right matchup, translates into a form of card advantage. Removing key pieces from an opponent’s graveyard can disrupt their plans and give you the upper hand in the game’s progression.
Resource Acceleration: While this card itself might not directly provide resource acceleration, its ability to disrupt an opponent’s resources can lead to a more advantageous position, allowing you to cast your spells with more efficiency. By pacing the game in your favor, Rats’ Feast can contribute to a form of indirect resource acceleration.
Instant Speed: The instant speed nature of Rats’ Feast offers flexibility, allowing you to strategically decide the most opportune moment to cast it. Whether that’s on your opponent’s end step or in response to a graveyard-based ability, this timing control is a significant strategic advantage.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: To activate Rats’ Feast, a player must discard a card, which might deplete valuable hand options and can be detrimental during the late game phases when hand resources are crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: Rats’ Feast requires black mana, which constrains its integration strictly to decks that run black mana sources, potentially limiting its versatility across various deck archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana cost, Rats’ Feast can be considered steep for the effect it provides, especially when evaluating the card against others that offer similar graveyard disruption or removal benefits at a lower cost.
Reasons to Include Rats’ Feast in Your Collection
Versatility: Rats’ Feast is a robust card that can adapt to a variety of deck strategies, particularly those aiming to control an opponent’s graveyard. It’s a great fit for black decks focused on disrupting the opponent’s game plan.
Combo Potential: This card presents excellent synergy within decks that benefit from the graveyard depletion of opponents. It can be a pivotal piece in combos that rely on diminished graveyard resources, potentially neutering threats before they can be leveraged with reanimation tactics.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where graveyard strategies are prevalent, Rats’ Feast shines by countering popular decks that rely on bringing creatures back from the graveyard or leveraging their size and effects from this zone.
How to beat
Rats’ Feast is a unique card in the MTG realm that can be both a bane and a boon to players. Its strength lies in its ability to exhaust an opponent’s graveyard, removing those cards from the game. Savvy players may compare its mechanic to other graveyard management spells such as Surgical Extraction or Tormod’s Crypt, but Rats’ Feast’s distinctive feature is its potential for repeat use due to its cipher ability, which enables encoding it on a creature to cast it again when that creature deals combat damage to a player.
To counter Rats’ Feast, players should consider cards that offer graveyard protection or that can quickly refill the graveyard. Cards such as Leyline of Sanctity can provide immunity to targeted spells, while cards like Elixir of Immortality can replenish your graveyard by shuffling it back into your library. Additionally, utilizing instant-speed cards that can respond to Rats’ Feast’s casting or creatures with hexproof can stymie its disruptive power. The key is to anticipate the graveyard sweep and have measures in place to either protect your graveyard or benefit from the cards being targeted before they’re exiled.
Ultimately, Rats’ Feast requires strategic forethought to defeat. Players must weigh the timing and protection of their graveyard resources to outmaneuver an opponent utilizing this persistent exile tool. By planning ahead and choosing the right counters, you can mitigate the impact of Rats’ Feast and maintain control over the course of the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Rats' Feast MTG card by a specific set like Judgment and Salvat 2005, 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 Rats' Feast and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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
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Printings
The Rats' Feast Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2002-05-27 and 2006-01-01. Illustrated by Bob Petillo.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2002-05-27 | Judgment | JUD | 71 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Bob Petillo | |
| 2 | 2005-08-22 | Salvat 2005 | PSAL | A44 | 2003 | Normal | White | Bob Petillo | |
| 3 | 2005-08-22 | Salvat 2005 | PSAL | A55 | 2003 | Normal | White | Bob Petillo | |
| 4 | 2006-01-01 | Hachette UK | PHUK | 44 | 2003 | Normal | White | Bob Petillo | |
| 5 | 2006-01-01 | Hachette UK | PHUK | 55 | 2003 | Normal | White | Bob Petillo |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Rats' Feast has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |