EDH Optimizer
Karumonix, the Rat King
Legendary Creature — Phyrexian Rat · 1BB
Color identity: Black
Karumonix, the Rat King is black: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Toxic 1 (Players dealt combat damage by this creature also get a poison counter.)
Other Rats you control have toxic 1.
When Karumonix enters, look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal any number of Rat cards from among them and put the revealed cards into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
Reference price of the card: €0.40
Average lands in decks for Karumonix, the Rat King: 35
RatsInfectRat ColonyRelentless RatsTokensAggroProliferateDiscard
Build your Karumonix, the Rat King deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Karumonix, the Rat King 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Karumonix, the Rat King deck starts over 4,000 games
The list people actually play (the 99 most-included cards, with its average land count), simulated with the EDH Optimizer engine: hands, mulligans, lands, curve and commander. It does not model opponents; it measures whether the plan gets going.
Deck health of the average list: B (66/100)
- Consistency58
- Speed75
- Interaction37
- Resilience75
- Closing65
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (12 nonbasic, 23 Swamp)
Piper of the Swarm · Sol Ring · Blightbelly Rat · Marrow-Gnawer · Ogre Slumlord · Pack Rat · Ichor Rats · Lord Skitter, Sewer King · Infectious Inquiry · Typhoid Rats · Vraska's Fall · Dark Ritual · Rat Colony · Rancid Rats · Drown in Ichor · Lord Skitter's Butcher · Tangled Colony · Crypt Rats · Septic Rats · Bontu's Monument · Jet Medallion · Burglar Rat · Arcane Signet · Voracious Vermin · Whisper of the Dross · Persistent Marshstalker · Herald's Horn · Ashcoat of the Shadow Swarm · Gnat Miser · Stronghold Rats · Revenge of the Rats · Phyresis Outbreak · Village Rites · Chittering Skitterling · Ratcatcher · Feed the Swarm · Cover of Darkness · Necrogen Communion · Phyrexian Arena · Defile · Rat King, Verminister · Skullclamp · Swarm of Rats · Wave of Rats · Rat King, Pale Piper · Crippling Fear · Pestilence Rats · Chittering Witch · Vanquisher's Banner · Glistening Sphere · Grim Affliction · Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni · Sign in Blood · Vraska, Betrayal's Sting · Contagion Clasp · Go for the Throat · Patriarch's Bidding · Changeling Outcast · Nezumi Prowler · Ruin Rat · Kindred Dominance · Rat Out · Engine Rat · Nezumi Informant · Swarmyard · Karn's Bastion · Bojuka Bog · Cabal Coffers · Rogue's Passage · Mudflat Village · Path of Ancestry · Witch's Cottage · Cabal Stronghold · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Mortuary Mire · Reliquary Tower
🃏 Recommended cards for Karumonix, the Rat King
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Karumonix, the Rat King, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Blightbelly Rat | 77% | +74% |
| Piper of the Swarm | 81% | +74% |
| Marrow-Gnawer | 75% | +71% |
| Pack Rat | 73% | +67% |
| Ogre Slumlord | 75% | +65% |
| Ichor Rats | 68% | +65% |
| Lord Skitter, Sewer King | 67% | +60% |
| Infectious Inquiry | 60% | +58% |
| Typhoid Rats | 60% | +57% |
| Vraska's Fall | 59% | +55% |
| Rancid Rats | 55% | +53% |
| Rat Colony | 57% | +52% |
| Lord Skitter's Butcher | 54% | +52% |
| Septic Rats | 53% | +51% |
| Tangled Colony | 54% | +51% |
| Drown in Ichor | 54% | +51% |
| Swarmyard | 55% | +49% |
| Crypt Rats | 53% | +49% |
| Voracious Vermin | 48% | +45% |
| Whisper of the Dross | 46% | +43% |
| Persistent Marshstalker | 45% | +42% |
| Karn's Bastion | 43% | +39% |
| Burglar Rat | 50% | +39% |
| Ashcoat of the Shadow Swarm | 42% | +39% |
💰 The best cards for your Karumonix, the Rat King deck, by budget
Three tiers based on the maximum price PER CARD you are willing to pay. Paste your list and hit Optimize: you pick that cap and the AI only suggests swaps that fit under it.
Tier 1 · Budget up to €2/card
The most value for almost nothing. Coming from a precon? Start here.
- Blightbelly Rat
- Piper of the Swarm
- Pack Rat
- Ogre Slumlord
- Ichor Rats
- Infectious Inquiry
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Lord Skitter, Sewer King
- Rat Colony
- Swarmyard
- Karn's Bastion
- Ashcoat of the Shadow Swarm
- Herald's Horn
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Marrow-Gnawer
- Phyresis Outbreak
- Glistening Sphere
- Three Tree City
- Species Specialist
- Coat of Arms
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Karumonix, the Rat King
- Sanguine Bond + Exquisite Blood → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose + Exquisite Blood → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose + Bloodthirsty Conqueror → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Sanguine Bond + Bloodthirsty Conqueror → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Exquisite Blood + Enduring Tenacity → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Enduring Tenacity + Bloodthirsty Conqueror → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
👥 Community decks with Karumonix, the Rat King
Full decklists published by players on EDH Optimizer, with their analysis, bracket and health. Clone them to your account and optimize them for free.
🎬 Videos and guides about Karumonix, the Rat King
The written version of our videos (in Spanish): deck checks, mulligans, duels and precon upgrades.
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Karumonix, the Rat King's color identity?
Karumonix, the Rat King is black: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones. Color identity comes from every mana symbol on the card, including those in the rules text, not just the casting cost.
What turn does Karumonix, the Rat King come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Karumonix, the Rat King deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.1 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 100 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 34 % of the time and floods 6 %. Deck health: B (66/100).
How many lands should a Karumonix, the Rat King deck run?
Real Karumonix, the Rat King decks run 35 lands on average. That is a starting point, not a rule: a lower curve can shave one or two, big-mana builds want more. The EDH Optimizer simulator tells you, over 10,000 games, how often you get mana screwed or flooded with your exact count.
What are the best cards for Karumonix, the Rat King?
The three highest-synergy cards are Blightbelly Rat, Piper of the Swarm, Marrow-Gnawer. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Karumonix, the Rat King decks.
What combos does Karumonix, the Rat King have?
Karumonix, the Rat King has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Sanguine Bond + Exquisite Blood. Note that two-card combos raise your deck's bracket, so it is worth knowing which ones you are running before you sit down.
How much does a Karumonix, the Rat King deck cost?
You can start cheap: Blightbelly Rat, Piper of the Swarm, Pack Rat are under €2 each. The "Level up" section on this page splits the best cards into three price caps PER CARD (up to €2, up to €10 and no cap), and the optimizer only suggests swaps that fit the cap you pick.