Rodents of Unusual Sovereignty

This deck was a little inspired by the ROUSs (Rodents of Unusual Size) from The Princess Bride—and those sleeves are just too iconic to resist! I've also been wanting to make a Standard rat deck for a while now, and with Feed the Swarm back in rotation, I decided to give it a shot. It’s more of a jank deck, but I’ve won my fair share of games with it. The deck swarms opponents and recovers well from board wipes. With enough 1/1 rats on the battlefield, those Gnawing Crescendo plays become excellent win conditions.

The Creatures:

Gnawing Vermin: A fantastic one-drop. While the mill doesn’t do much for you besides preventing your opponent from drawing their next nasty threats, the -1/-1 effect can take out early creatures if timed well.
Harried Spearguard: While not technically a rat, it makes one when it dies. Plus, its 1/1 haste body can sneak in some early damage and provides a handy sacrificial creature when needed.
Persistent Marshstalker: This is your sneaky win condition. It’s big, it will die fast, but its strength lies in its ability to return from the graveyard in the late game. Swinging out of the graveyard for a major hit—and being able to do so repeatedly—makes this a serious threat.
Tangled Colony: Another creature with a death trigger, this one creates more rats upon its demise. Swing freely with this card—it’s always worth the trade-off if your opponent blocks.
Karumonix, the Rat King: This card is phenomenal. Not only does it give you a backup plan by sneaking in poison counters if your heavy hitters can’t get through, but it also digs up more rats for your hand. This is a key piece for ensuring the deck doesn’t stall out.
Lord Skitter, Sewer King: Lord Skitter brings consistent rat production every turn, but more importantly, it exiles cards from the graveyard. This ability is invaluable in a meta full of reanimator decks.

The Spells:

Rat Out: Great for early game removal of small creatures, or for tipping combat in your favor. Worst-case scenario, use it just to get an extra body on the board the turn before a big swing.
Song of Totentanz: An excellent use for all that late-game mana, or a cheap way to give your rats haste when needed. Sometimes, it’s both!
Feed the Swarm: This card offers solid removal, albeit at a cost. The ability to remove enchantments as well as creatures is something black doesn’t get to do often.
Go for the Throat: Reliable removal is always a great inclusion, and this card remains a staple in Standard.
Gnawing Crescendo: The perfect finisher. When your opponent thinks they can afford to take hits from a bunch of 1/1 rats, this instant can end the game on the spot.

 
The Gameplan:

Your goal is simple: flood the battlefield with as many rats as you can. If you suspect a board wipe, hold a few creatures in reserve to recover more effectively. Card draw is a weak spot here, so Karumonix, the Rat King will be doing most of the heavy lifting in that department. I’ve added a Bitter Reunion to the sideboard for some additional draw and utility, but always try to keep one rat in reserve for insurance.

Big blockers can be a problem, so choose your attacks carefully. When the opportunity arises, swarm your opponent with overwhelming numbers and capitalize on your instant-speed finishers like Gnawing Crescendo.

I hope you enjoy this deck as much as I do! Feel free to reach out if you’d like to see more of my builds, and don’t forget to tag me if you give this one a try. Happy gnawing!