Mad Ratter MTG Card

Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
2019-10-04 - Number 130

Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
2022-12-02 - Number 570

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number ELD-130

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Goblin
Power	1
Toughness	2

Key Takeaways

Mad Ratter excels in decks built for drawing numerous cards, regularly refilling your hand.
The card’s demanding mana cost can restrict its inclusion in certain deck archetypes.
Pairing with card draw effects maximizes Mad Ratter’s token-generation capability on the battlefield.

Text of card

Whenever you draw your second card each turn, create two 1/1 black Rat creature tokens.

"Gather round and tell me all from the courts and castles."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Mad Ratter enables consistent card draw when you draw a second card each turn, effectively refilling your hand and helping you pull ahead of your opponents.

Resource Acceleration: Each card drawn can synergize with strategies that benefit from the number of cards in hand or cards played, which indirectly accelerates your resources by unlocking other card abilities.

Instant Speed: While Mad Ratter itself isn’t an instant, it works well with instant-speed draw spells that enable its effect during your opponent’s turn, ensuring you’re not missing out on any chances to generate more card advantage.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For the Mad Ratter to provide its full value, the player needs to draw multiple cards in a single turn. In situations where card draw is scarce or the player’s hand is running low, activating Mad Ratter’s ability becomes increasingly difficult. This requirement can be a major drawback in decks that aren’t specifically built to accommodate such a mechanism.

Specific Mana Cost: The Mad Ratter’s casting cost demands two red mana symbols, which might constrain deck building options. This particular mana requirement can create a challenge in multicolored decks where red mana sources are limited or hold a minor presence.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, Mad Ratter finds competition in other four-mana slot creatures or spells that offer immediate impact without additional conditions. Its mana cost is steep for a creature that doesn’t have an immediate effect on the board state and requires further setup to become beneficial.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Mad Ratter has the unique ability to generate multiple creature tokens under the right conditions, making it a powerful tool in decks designed around token generation or those that capitalize on having many creatures on the battlefield.

Combo Potential: When paired with card draw mechanics or effects that allow you to draw multiple cards per turn, Mad Ratter can quickly flood the board with tokens, which can then be used for various synergies or as fodder for other card interactions.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the dynamic environment of MTG, a card that thrives on consistent card draw can become essential in a meta where drawing cards and playing numerous spells each turn is prevalent. Mad Ratter rewards such strategies, making it a significant inclusion for players looking to capitalize on this aspect of the game.

How to Beat Mad Ratter

Mad Ratter functions as an engine that can quickly overwhelm opponents with creature tokens. Its potential lies in its ability to churn out a steady stream of 1/1 Rat creatures each time you draw your second card each turn, playing into strategies abundant with card draw. However, its strength is also its vulnerability.

When dealing with Mad Ratter, timing and disruption are key. Whether through spot removal or counterspells, targeting Mad Ratter as soon as it hits the battlefield can prevent an infestation of Rat tokens. Moreover, since Mad Ratter thrives on card draw, limiting that ability through hand disruption or by denying draw triggers can stifle its effectiveness.

Taking everything into account, it’s clear that while Mad Ratter can build an endless army if unchecked, its dependency on specific triggers and a window of opportunity to counteract make it manageable. Efficient removal and denying the card draw engine are straightforward tactics in squelching the Mad Ratter’s madness and keeping the swarm at bay.

Cards like Mad Ratter

Mad Ratter presents a unique addition to creature cards that enable card drawing in Magic: The Gathering. It compares notably to a card like Chasm Skulker, which also grows its potential upon drawing multiple cards. However, Mad Ratter excels by directly creating tokens, increasing battlefield presence each time you draw multiple cards in a turn.

Another analogous card is The Locust God, which similarly rewards card draw with creature tokens. While The Locust God produces flying insects, Mad Ratter offers a stable stream of non-flying creatures, creating a different strategic advantage. The Locust God, although more expensive mana-wise, gives each token flying and haste, which can be crucial for aggressive strategies.

Altogether, when comparing Mad Ratter to its peers, it stands out due to its ability to consistently populate the board, a feature beneficial to decks that capitalize on drawing many cards and maintaining a strong board presence. With the right setup, Mad Ratter could be the cornerstone of an unstoppable token-generating strategy in Magic: The Gathering.

Cards similar to Mad Ratter by color, type and mana cost

Krark-Clan Engineers - MTG Card versions

Shimatsu the Bloodcloaked - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mad Ratter MTG card by a specific set like Throne of Eldraine and The List, 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 Mad Ratter and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Mad Ratter Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2019-10-04 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Johann Bodin.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2019-10-04	Throne of Eldraine	ELD	130	2015	Normal	Black	Johann Bodin
2	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST	ELD-130	2015	Normal	Black	Johann Bodin
3	2022-12-02	Jumpstart 2022	J22	570	2015	Normal	Black	Johann Bodin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Mad Ratter has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2019-10-04	If a spell or ability causes you to put cards into your hand without specifically using the word “draw,” it's not a card drawn.
2019-10-04	If an effect instructs you to draw multiple cards, the ability triggers after you draw whichever is the second one for the turn. You choose a target (if any) for the ability after you've drawn and looked at all of the cards and finished resolving the spell or ability that caused you to draw them.
2019-10-04	The triggered ability can trigger only once each turn. It doesn't matter whether the permanent with that ability was on the battlefield when the first card was drawn. If it's not on the battlefield when the second card is drawn, the ability can't trigger at all that turn. It won't trigger when the third or fourth card is drawn.