Thriving Rats MTG Card

It can provide card advantage and synergize with +1/+1 counter strategies for more powerful plays. Its indirect resource acceleration impacts the game and complements specific deck archetypes. Though it has a discard drawback, it offers tactical advantages that shape the battlefield.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Rat
Released	2016-09-30
Set symbol
Set name	Kaladesh
Set code	KLD
Power	1
Toughness	2
Number	102
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Tom Babbey

Text of card

When Thriving Rats enters the battlefield, you get (two energy counters). Whenever Thriving Rats attacks, you may pay . If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on it.

In Ghirapur, even the lowliest residents live in lavish surroundings.

Cards like Thriving Rats

Thriving Rats brings unique dynamics to the field of creature cards within Magic: The Gathering. When looking at counterparts, rats such as Pack Rat offer a pushing force by empowering themselves with each rat card you own. Although Thriving Rats does not directly replicate this mechanic, it boosts itself with a +1/+1 counter each time you declare an attack and through mana investment, a slow but steady growth aspect.

Burglar Rat stands out with its entrance effect, forcing an opponent to discard a card, differing from Thriving Rats’ focus on the offensive. Then there’s the Piper of the Swarm, providing a more aristocratic angle by generating more rat minions and offering control over your opponent’s creatures. Though neither shares the attacking synergy of Thriving Rats, they each present alternative strategies for rat-themed decks.

Comparing its utility, Thriving Rats serves as a reliable addition for any player keen on a long-term strategy where gradual advantages accumulate to overpower opponents, showcasing its strategic merit among MTG’s multifaceted rat cards.

Cards similar to Thriving Rats by color, type and mana cost

Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Thriving Rats offers a unique form of card advantage, especially in decks that capitalize on +1/+1 counters. When it enters the battlefield, not only do you add a creature to your side, but you also get to place a +1/+1 counter on it when it attacks. This synergizes with mechanics that care about the number of counters on the field, potentially drawing you into powerful interactions and engine pieces.

Resource Acceleration: While the Thriving Rats itself doesn’t directly produce additional mana, its presence in a black deck can often lead to indirect resource acceleration. By pressuring opponents or synergizing with other effects that reward you for creature presence or +1/+1 counters, it can pave the way for explosive turns. Furthermore, in a deck that values creature quantity, such as with sacrifice effects or cards like Crypt Ghast, it can be a valuable asset.

Instant Speed: Although Thriving Rats doesn’t operate at instant speed, its relevance lies in the threats it presents during your combat phase. The ability to grow in power with each attack necessitates instant-speed responses from your opponent. Therefore, it tactically influences the pace of the game and forces your opponent to play at a disadvantage, reserving mana and spells to deal with the increasing threat of a simple two-drop creature.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Thriving Rats demands that you discard another card to activate its ability, a tough decision when your hand size is dwindling and every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring one black mana for casting, Thriving Rats is best suited for mono-black or dual-colored decks, potentially restricting its inclusion in more diverse deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value set above what some early game creatures may require, it competes for a spot with other impactful two-drops, which could offer immediate board presence or other valuable effects without additional costs.

Reasons to Include Thriving Rats in Your Collection

Versatility: Thriving Rats brings diversity to your deck with its scalable power. As a two-drop creature, it can be played early on and continues to grow with each subsequent energy counter, making it adaptable to various situations in a game.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with mechanics that revolve around +1/+1 counters and energy. Combining Thriving Rats with proliferate effects or energy-generating cards, you can quickly enhance its presence on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: Due to its mechanism of incrementing counters, Thriving Rats holds relevance in metas that favor long-term value and interaction with counters. It’s an asset in decks where incremental advantage is key to overwhelming the opponent.

How to beat

Thriving Rats presents an intriguing challenge in Magic: The Gathering as a creature that not only grows stronger with each attack but also helps players refine their mana base. When it deals combat damage, you get to add a counter and gain access to more mana of any one color. Overlooking such a card on the battlefield might give your opponent a subtle, yet powerful advantage.

Dealing with Thriving Rats requires early intervention. Engage them with cost-effective removal spells before they can build momentum and improve your opponent’s mana situation. Spells like Shock or Fatal Push are excellent for quickly dispatching this pesky creature. Additionally, employing blockers with a high toughness can stonewall Thriving Rats, preventing it from ever getting through. It’s vital to control them quickly, as their utility in mana-fixing can pivot a simple board state into a complex and advantageous one for your adversary.

Remember, ignoring Thriving Rats can lead to a tricky situation where your opponent capitalizes on both growing threats and an enhanced mana pool, making your path to victory significantly more daunting. Therefore, stay vigilant and proactive in countering this unique creature card.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Thriving Rats MTG card by a specific set like Kaladesh, 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 Thriving Rats and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Thriving Rats has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Thriving Rats card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2017-02-09	Energy counters are a kind of counter that a player may have. They're not associated with specific permanents. (Other kinds of counters that players may have include poison and experience.)
2017-02-09	Energy counters aren't mana. They don't go away as steps, phases, and turns end, and effects that add mana “of any type” to your mana pool can't give you energy counters.
2017-02-09	If an effect says you get one or more , you get that many energy counters. To pay one or more , you lose that many energy counters. Any effects that interact with counters a player gets, has, or loses can interact with energy counters.
2017-02-09	Keep careful track of how many energy counters each player has. You may do so by keeping a running count on paper, by using a die, or by any other clear and mutually agreeable method.
2017-02-09	Some triggered abilities state that you “may pay” a certain amount of . You can't pay that amount multiple times to multiply the effect. You simply choose whether or not to pay that amount of as the ability resolves, and no player may take actions to try to stop the ability's effect after you make your choice.
2017-02-09	You can't pay more energy counters than you have.
2017-02-09	is the energy symbol. It represents one energy counter.