Graf Rats // Chittering Host MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Rat
Abilities Meld
Power 2
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Melding Graf Rats with Midnight Scavengers creates a powerful creature that can shape the game’s outcome.
  2. Starting as a low-cost creature, Graf Rats accelerates your board state and resource deployment effectively.
  3. Graf Rats // Chittering Host adds tactical depth, with the meld occurring during your upkeep for strategic play.

Text of card

At the beginning of combat on your turn, if you both own and control Graf Rats and a creature named Midnight Scavengers, exile them, then meld them into Chittering Host.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: When Graf Rats is combined with Midnight Scavengers, it melds into Chittering Host, offering players an ambitious leap in board presence with a formidable creature that comes with additional bodies. This transition from two separate creatures to one larger entity can suddenly tip the scales in your favor, representing a unique form of card advantage not commonly found in most MTG strategies.

Resource Acceleration: Graf Rats on its own is an inexpensive creature that can quickly hit the board. By accelerating your resource deployment, you bolster your board state early in the game, paving the way for a smoother meld into Chittering Host. This creature’s innate ability to potentially transform harnesses the concept of resource acceleration uniquely, turning a modest investment into a powerful offensive asset.

Instant Speed: Although Graf Rats and its Chittering Host meld do not operate at instant speed, the mechanic itself provides a strategic advantage. Since the meld occurs at the beginning of your upkeep, this allows you to keep mana available for other plays during your turn and leaves opponents uncertain of your full capabilities, adding a level of tactical depth to your match.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To initiate the meld into Chittering Host, you must possess both Graf Rats and Midnight Scavengers, so any disruption to your hand could hinder this process, especially when facing decks that target your resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Graf Rats has a casting cost that requires a commitment to black mana and might not easily slot into multi-colored decks without potentially compromising mana consistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: To fully benefit from the meld ability and transform into Chittering Host, you must expend a significant amount of mana over two turns. This investment can be risky, especially if your opponents can counter or remove your creatures before they merge.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Graf Rats // Chittering Host brings unique flexibility to your deck building. As a card that melds, it can start as a modest creature and transform into a more formidable threat, fitting seamlessly into various strategies that appreciate multifaceted cards.

Combo Potential: This card opens up numerous combo possibilities, particularly in decks focused on the meld mechanic or exploiting creature synergies. With the right enablers, it can swiftly become Chittering Host, a powerful game-changer, and center of a strategy.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where opponents often overlook the necessity to prepare against such mechanic-specific threats, Graf Rats // Chittering Host can give you an unexpected edge. It’s especially potent if the battlefield is dense with creatures, allowing its transformed state to disrupt and dominate games effectively.


How to beat

Graf Rats // Chittering Host presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. At its core, Graf Rats is a modest creature, but when melded with Midnight Scavengers, it becomes the formidable Chittering Host. This transformation can give opponents a significant advantage with its ability to render creatures unable to block and to weaken an opponent’s defense. To counter this, strategic removal is key. Cards that can target creatures at instant speed disrupt the meld mechanic, ensuring Graf Rats or Midnight Scavengers never join forces.

Using board wipes effectively clears the path, hindering the opponent’s strategy. It’s essential to time these sweeps after the opponent plays Graf Rats but before they can complete the meld. Furthermore, graveyard manipulation spells can exile Graf Rats or Midnight Scavengers from the game, preventing the combination altogether. Another approach is applying pressure early in the game, focusing on reducing the opponent’s life before they can stabilize and execute their game plan. By deploying these tactics, players can neutralize the threat of Graf Rats // Chittering Host and maintain control of the game.


Cards like Graf Rats // Chittering Host

In Magic: The Gathering, Graf Rats melds with another card named Midnight Scavengers to form the formidable Chittering Host. When looking at this unique combo, Whispering Madness springs to mind, involving a discarding mechanism that disrupts the hands of each player. However, it does not offer the melding feature or creature benefits that Chittering Host provides, making the latter a standout.

Analogous to Graf Rats in its creature type is Pack Rat, with its ability to exponentially increase its presence by creating token copies of itself. While Pack Rat can potentially dominate the board by itself, Chittering Host necessitates a partnership with Midnight Scavengers for its full potential. On the flip side, Chittering Host grants an immediate impact upon entering the battlefield, something Pack Rat’s tokens need time to match.

In summary, Graf Rats and the combined might of Chittering Host offer a unique angle on MTG gameplay. Although similar in some respects to other cards, the inherent synergy of the meld pairs offers a nuanced strategy and board presence that is uniquely theirs, signifying a niche within creature-based tactics.

Chittering Host - MTG Card versions
Whispering Madness - MTG Card versions
Pack Rat - MTG Card versions
Chittering Host - Eldritch Moon (EMN)
Whispering Madness - Gatecrash (GTC)
Pack Rat - Return to Ravnica (RTR)

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Nezumi Graverobber // Nighteyes the Desecrator - Commander Anthology Volume II (CM2)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Graf Rats // Chittering Host MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon and Shadows over Innistrad Remastered, 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 Graf Rats // Chittering Host and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Graf Rats // Chittering Host Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by Jason Felix.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-07-22Eldritch MoonEMN 912015meldblackJason Felix
22023-03-21Shadows over Innistrad RemasteredSIR 115a2015meldblackJason Felix

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Graf Rats // Chittering Host has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2016-07-13 For more information on meld cards, see the Eldritch Moon mechanics article (https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/eldritch-moon-mechanics-2016-06-27).
2016-07-13 The set of creatures affected by Chittering Host’s triggered ability is determined as the ability resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won’t get +1/+0 or gain menace.

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