Edited: Took some advice, I think it is still a bit rocky but I playtested this version and it seemed to do pretty well. Aether Vial really seems to help pack rat as having it almost always allows me to have the extra mana after playing a card to still put out another copy. Every time I have gotten the Phyrexian Obliterator out on the field I have won the game due to my opponents not having anything in hand to deal with him but I took it down to *1 because an early obliterator seems like a wasted card in my hand. The main source of damage, however seems to come from the addition of Shreiking Affliction and The Rack.
The deck is mostly discard with the occasional Pack Rat and Obliterator finishing the game.
The Playtesting I have done so far seems to be more successful than my last deck. It seems to be mildly inconsistent still. I just don't know what to change from here.
I still need a sideboard. (which I am very bad at making because I don't have a super firm grasp on the meta still.
P.S - Liliana of the Veil is unfortunately not an option for me at this time.
It'd help if you put the quantity of each card to make it look more like a deck. I love a good rat deck. I'm sure you'll find mutavault and swarmyard are worth their weight in gold.
My only opinion is I think you need to pick a strategy for winning the game. Whether beat down or discard is your main strategy.
If Discard is your main strategy I'd recommend more of an 8-rack take on the deck with the rack and shrieking affliction. Then keep in the rats which support the discard strategy. I've found if there is no penalty for having an empty hand, your opponent will just use all spells and keep an empty hand so you can't force them to discard to liliana's caress.
Or if Beat down is your main strategy you should get creatures which compliment pack rat. Mainly: typhoid rats. The problem with pack rat is, unless you get it going, all your other rats really aren't going to do much. Let's face it pack rat is the only scary creature.
Right now the deck seems kinda on the fence. like your going to do some discarding, and hopefully you can get pack rat going. But in practice if pack rat doesn't get huge, the 1/1 beat down really isn't going to work and most likely your opponents are going to keep empty hands vs your discard since there is no penalty on them from having an empty hand. So discard after turn 5 probably isn't going to do any damage unless your vs a control deck.
stronghold rats is the rat-equivalent to liliana. And it's budget friendly.
I don't see the point of having a vial in this deck. Your guys are cheap enough already.
If you are insisting on using vial then may I recommend Crystal Shard if you set it up properly an opponent with no cards in hand is shut off from drawing spells for the rest of the game. Plus it can save your little guts from removal and make thumping so much better.
The Vial is basically just to free up mana to play my pack rat ability, or on turn 4 to drop a free obliterator after making my opponents discard anything that can kill him. in most games obliterator has seen a tremendous amount of success in this deck and has avoided removal for 12 games in a row so far (of the games I got him out)
You didn't ask but this is my Rat-based discard deck. I have alot of fun with it. It's not budget friendly though.
I used to experiment with Aether vial but I found I had too many non-creature cards that it didn't really work in practice for me. I'm not sure how much you like it but with so many discard cards you may want to consider dropping it just because you aren't getting as much value out of it as all-creature decks.
I'll mess around with removing the Vial but I think i'll definately keep in the Phyrexian Obliterator because it hasn't failed me yet (except 1 time vs my friends white deck he got a clutch swords to plowshares but most of the time it doesn't get removed.
Aether Vial really seems to help pack rat as having it almost always allows me to have the extra mana after playing a card to still put out another copy. Every time I have gotten the Phyrexian Obliterator out on the field I have won the game due to my opponents not having anything in hand to deal with him but I took it down to *1 because an early obliterator seems like a wasted card in my hand. The main source of damage, however seems to come from the addition of Shreiking Affliction and The Rack.
The deck is mostly discard with the occasional Pack Rat and Obliterator finishing the game.
3xAether Vial
3xPack rat
4xChittering Rats
1xPhyrexian Obliterator
4xRavenous Rats
4xRaven's Crime
4xThe Rack
4xInquizition of Kozilek
4xThoughtseize
4xDark Confidant
4xStronghold Rats
Lands
4xMutavault
4xSwarmyard
4xUrborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
8xSwamp
The Playtesting I have done so far seems to be more successful than my last deck. It seems to be mildly inconsistent still. I just don't know what to change from here.
I still need a sideboard. (which I am very bad at making because I don't have a super firm grasp on the meta still.
P.S - Liliana of the Veil is unfortunately not an option for me at this time.
My only opinion is I think you need to pick a strategy for winning the game. Whether beat down or discard is your main strategy.
If Discard is your main strategy I'd recommend more of an 8-rack take on the deck with the rack and shrieking affliction. Then keep in the rats which support the discard strategy. I've found if there is no penalty for having an empty hand, your opponent will just use all spells and keep an empty hand so you can't force them to discard to liliana's caress.
Or if Beat down is your main strategy you should get creatures which compliment pack rat. Mainly: typhoid rats. The problem with pack rat is, unless you get it going, all your other rats really aren't going to do much. Let's face it pack rat is the only scary creature.
Right now the deck seems kinda on the fence. like your going to do some discarding, and hopefully you can get pack rat going. But in practice if pack rat doesn't get huge, the 1/1 beat down really isn't going to work and most likely your opponents are going to keep empty hands vs your discard since there is no penalty on them from having an empty hand. So discard after turn 5 probably isn't going to do any damage unless your vs a control deck.
stronghold rats is the rat-equivalent to liliana. And it's budget friendly.
If you are insisting on using vial then may I recommend Crystal Shard if you set it up properly an opponent with no cards in hand is shut off from drawing spells for the rest of the game. Plus it can save your little guts from removal and make thumping so much better.
I used to experiment with Aether vial but I found I had too many non-creature cards that it didn't really work in practice for me. I'm not sure how much you like it but with so many discard cards you may want to consider dropping it just because you aren't getting as much value out of it as all-creature decks.
14 swamp
4 swarmyard
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2 Fatal Push
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Thoughtseize
4 Raven's Crime
4 Shrieking Affliction
3 The Rack
4 Nezumi shortfang
4 Pack Rat
4 Ravenous Rats
4 Dismember
4 Liliana of the Veil
What does your sideboard look like?
-
View User Profile
-
View Posts
-
Send Message
StaffMTGO/MTGA: Tyclone
My Primers ~ GWx Vizier Company ~ Knightfall ~ RG Eldrazi ~ Green's Sun's Zenith
More Brews ~ Modern Four Horsemen ~ Gitrog Dredge