Plague Rats MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 13 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Rat
Power *
Toughness *

Key Takeaways

  1. Plague Rats strengthen with numbers, promising a potent force as you summon more onto the battlefield.
  2. Mono-black deck focus needed due to specific mana cost, potentially limiting strategic versatility.
  3. Offers surprise strength in metagames favoring creatures, scaling up with each additional rat.

Text of card

The Xs below are the number of Plague Rats in play, counting both sides. Thus if there are 2 Plague Rats in play, each has power and toughness 2/2.

"Should you a Rat to madness tease Why ev'n a Rat may plague you..." —Samuel Coleridge, "Recantation"


Card Pros

Card Advantage: As you summon multiple Plague Rats, their power and toughness bolster each other, offering a cumulative advantage with each additional rat you bring onto the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: Although Plague Rats themselves don’t directly offer an acceleration of resources, their growing strength could pressure your opponent, indirectly speeding up the pace of the game as more creatures of the same name join the fray.

Instant Speed: While Plague Rats don’t have an instant speed ability, their usefulness grows with each rat played, presenting a progressively potent threat with every turn that passes in the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Plague Rats’ effectiveness relies heavily on the number you control. Without a steady flow of these creatures in hand, its power wanes, potentially clogging your draws and diminishing your board presence.

Specific Mana Cost: Each rat requires black mana. This restricts deck-building to mono-black or color-splashed systems, which might not align with broader strategies or mana-fixing capabilities.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite their synergetic approach, the more Plague Rats you’re aiming to deploy, the more mana you will need upfront. Other creatures at a similar cost might provide immediate benefits or have lower cumulative costs over time, increasing your deck’s efficiency.


Reasons to Include Plague Rats in Your Collection

Versatility: Plague Rats offers flexibility as it becomes more powerful with each copy you have on the battlefield. This trait allows it to fit into various strategies that focus on creature numbers or black mana-heavy decks.

Combo Potential: This card thrives in synergy-driven decks, particularly when combined with mechanics that duplicate creatures or benefit from high creature counts. Its combo potential can be a game-changer in the right setup.

Meta-Relevance: Given the current trend towards creature-based strategies, Plague Rats can serve as a formidable force against many popular decks. Its scaling power can surprise opponents unprepared for an onslaught of identical creatures.


How to beat

Overcoming a swarm of Plague Rats in MTG can be a unique challenge given their ability to grow stronger with each additional rat on the battlefield. The key strategy is to disrupt their accumulating power. Board wipes such as Wrath of God or Damnation can reset the board and eliminate all Plague Rats in a single move, nullifying their strength in numbers.

Single-target removals, although less efficient, can work if timed correctly. Spot removal spells like Swords to Plowshares or Doom Blade can keep the rat population in check. However, because Plague Rats rely on comradeship, targeting the player’s resources with land destruction or discard effects can preemptively prevent a horde of rats from ever materializing. A card like Mind Rot can erode the player’s hand, potentially discarding Plague Rats before they’re played.

Finally, utilizing creatures with protection from black, such as Knights of Stromgald, ensures your defenders stand firm against Plague Rats regardless of their numbers. Remember, staying apace with the swarm’s potential growth is crucial in maintaining control of the game.


Cards like Plague Rats

Plague Rats holds a unique place in the world of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. This card shines in decks that revolve around sheer numbers, drawing parallels to the likes of Relentless Rats. Both cards grow stronger with every copy present on the battlefield. However, where Plague Rats requires a commitment to monoblack, Relentless Rats breaks this constraint, allowing for more flexible deck-building.

Another card that echoes this swarm strategy is Pack Rat. The ability to duplicate itself by discarding a card offers a dynamic twist, creating a formidable army as the game progresses. While it lacks the simplicity of Plague Rats, where each rat automatically amplifies the power and toughness of its kin, the tactical depth of Pack Rat gives it an edge in versatility.

Assessing these analogous cards, Plague Rats certainly earns its reputation for its straightforward and menacingly scalable nature in MTG. It is a testament to the strategic diversity offered by creature cards, each with its strengths that cater to different playstyles within the game.

Relentless Rats - MTG Card versions
Pack Rat - MTG Card versions
Relentless Rats - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Pack Rat - Return to Ravnica (RTR)

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

Nettling Imp - MTG Card versions
Royal Assassin - MTG Card versions
El-Hajjâj - MTG Card versions
Frozen Shade - MTG Card versions
Scathe Zombies - MTG Card versions
Sorceress Queen - MTG Card versions
Wall of Bone - MTG Card versions
Lost Soul - MTG Card versions
Mindstab Thrull - MTG Card versions
Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions
Strongarm Thug - MTG Card versions
Razortooth Rats - MTG Card versions
Ghastly Remains - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Undead - MTG Card versions
Deepwood Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Dross Prowler - MTG Card versions
Nim Lasher - MTG Card versions
Nim Abomination - MTG Card versions
Nantuko Husk - MTG Card versions
Vesper Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Nettling Imp - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Royal Assassin - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
El-Hajjâj - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Frozen Shade - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Scathe Zombies - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Sorceress Queen - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Wall of Bone - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Lost Soul - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Mindstab Thrull - Masters Edition (ME1)
Mischievous Poltergeist - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Strongarm Thug - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Razortooth Rats - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Ghastly Remains - Legions (LGN)
Lord of the Undead - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Deepwood Ghoul - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Dross Prowler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Lasher - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Abomination - Darksteel (DST)
Nantuko Husk - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Vesper Ghoul - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Plague Rats MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Plague Rats and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Plague Rats Magic the Gathering card was released in 12 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by Anson Maddocks.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-08-05Limited Edition AlphaLEA 1211993normalblackAnson Maddocks
21993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 1221993normalblackAnson Maddocks
31993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 1221993normalwhiteAnson Maddocks
41993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 1221993normalblackAnson Maddocks
51993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 1221993normalblackAnson Maddocks
61994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 1231993normalblackAnson Maddocks
71994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 1231993normalwhiteAnson Maddocks
81994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 1231993normalwhiteAnson Maddocks
91995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 1541993normalwhiteAnson Maddocks
101995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 1541993normalblackAnson Maddocks
111997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 1881997normalwhiteAnson Maddocks
122022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 4151997normalblackAnson Maddocks
132022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 1182015normalblackAnson Maddocks

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Plague Rats has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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