EDH Optimizer
Rats Commander decks
Rats is a kindred archetype: the deck is built around one creature type and the cards that pay you for having many of them. It is mostly played in black. Its most characteristic cards are Pack Rat, Piper of the Swarm, Ogre Slumlord: not the most-played cards in the format, but the ones that appear in these decks far above what is normal for the same colors.
Cards that define the archetype
Ranked by how much MORE they are played inside the archetype than in the rest of Commander. Generic staples (Sol Ring, Arcane Signet…) fall out for exactly that reason: they are played everywhere equally.
| Card | Commanders | Avg. inclusion | Excess |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pack Rat | 12 | 60% | +100 pts |
| Piper of the Swarm | 12 | 69% | +100 pts |
| Ogre Slumlord | 12 | 66% | +99 pts |
| Karumonix, the Rat King | 11 | 61% | +92 pts |
| Marrow-Gnawer | 11 | 66% | +91 pts |
| Swarmyard | 11 | 55% | +91 pts |
| Lord Skitter, Sewer King | 11 | 60% | +91 pts |
| Persistent Marshstalker | 10 | 42% | +83 pts |
| Lord Skitter's Butcher | 8 | 52% | +66 pts |
| Typhoid Rats | 8 | 42% | +66 pts |
| Tangled Colony | 7 | 50% | +58 pts |
| Revenge of the Rats | 7 | 42% | +58 pts |
| Valley Rotcaller | 7 | 42% | +58 pts |
| Voracious Vermin | 7 | 51% | +58 pts |
| Skullclamp | 8 | 49% | +57 pts |
| Rat Colony | 6 | 66% | +50 pts |
| Crypt Rats | 6 | 47% | +50 pts |
| Ashcoat of the Shadow Swarm | 6 | 45% | +50 pts |
| Village Rites | 8 | 46% | +48 pts |
| Bontu's Monument | 8 | 53% | +48 pts |
| Burglar Rat | 6 | 50% | +46 pts |
| Rat King, Verminister | 5 | 43% | +42 pts |
| Ratcatcher | 5 | 39% | +42 pts |
| Swarmyard Massacre | 5 | 40% | +42 pts |
| Herald's Horn | 5 | 47% | +41 pts |
| Ayara, First of Locthwain | 6 | 42% | +34 pts |
| Mudflat Village | 4 | 41% | +33 pts |
| Vanquisher's Banner | 4 | 35% | +33 pts |
| Kindred Dominance | 4 | 36% | +33 pts |
| Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni | 4 | 41% | +33 pts |
Commanders for Rats
Ranked by how central this archetype is to their decks and by how played each commander is.
Paste your list and we tell you whether the deck actually does what it wants to do: curve, ramp, interaction and a 10,000-game simulation.
🛠️ Build a deck like this 📥 Analyze my deckFrequently asked questions
What is the best commander for a Rats deck?
The most-built commanders for this archetype are Vren, the Relentless, Wick, the Whorled Mind, Karumonix, the Rat King. EDH Optimizer has the full list of 18 commanders with their recommended cards, ranked by how central Rats is to their decks.
Which cards are must-haves in a Rats deck?
The three most characteristic are Pack Rat, Piper of the Swarm, Ogre Slumlord. They are not the most-played cards in the format, but the ones that appear far more inside this archetype than in the rest of Commander — which is what actually makes them essential here.
What colors is Rats played in?
The most common color identities are Black. The "By color identity" section groups the commanders and links to the best cards for each combination.
How much does a Rats deck cost?
It depends on the price cap PER CARD you set. Each commander page lists the best cards in three tiers (up to €2, up to €10 and no cap), and the optimizer only suggests swaps that fit the cap you pick.