Here is another edition of the deck brews for Return to Ravnica Standard. In this build, it focused on a particular creature, specifically a vermin called Pack Rats. At first I was quite disappointed on getting this on a booster pack, but later on realized its potential. This got reinforced when I read about GP Philadelphia last weekend wherein undefeated sealed decks on Day One ran Pack Rats in their lists. With its power in limited, I am pretty sure it would not be far behind in constructed formats.

Here is my initial list:

Junk Rats v. 1
Maindeck
Lands
2 Sunpetal Grove
2 Woodland Cemetery
4 Isolated Chapel
1 Gavony Township
2 Vault of the Archangel
6 Swamp
6 Plains

Creatures
4 Pack Rat
4 Ravenous Rats
3 Deathrite Shaman
2 Typhoid Rats
2 Drainpipe Vermin
2 Bloodline Keeper

Spells
4 Lingering Souls
2 Midnight Haunting
2 Garruk Relentless
2 Growing Ranks
4 Intangible Virtue
2 Rootborn Defenses
2 Faith’s Shield
2 Sign in Blood

This is more like a mix of a tokens deck with a Rats deck. I’ve added Ravenous Rats and other critters of that type to help boost Pack Rat as it comes into the battlefield. Though after checking the reference lists of this archetype, I’ve decided that the other Rats in the list are unnecessary and redundant and so I removed them.

Here is version 2 of Junk Rats:

Junk Rats v. 2
Maindeck
Lands
2 Sunpetal Grove
3 Woodland Cemetery
4 Isolated Chapel
1 Gavony Township
1 Vault of the Archangel
6 Swamp
5 Plains
2 Evolving Wilds

Creatures
4 Pack Rat
4 Deathrite Shaman
3 Geist-Honored Monk

Spells
2 Garruk Relentless
2 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
2 Liliana of the Veil

4 Lingering Souls
2 Midnight Haunting
4 Intangible Virtue
2 Rootborn Defenses
2 Appetite for Brains
3 Tragic Slip
2 Duress

This current list is more on setting up for your big spells while disrupting your opponent with discards and cheap removals. The Deathrite Shamans act on multiple purposes which can ramp you on mana, gain you life and act as a pseudo-Grim Lavamancer. I think he can be fully utilized on this list.

As for pack rats, well, he can go to multiply depending on situation like discarding excess lands or Lingering Souls for a cheaper cost. It is not that of a game winner but we will still consider in the list.

Let me know if you have any similar brew for this one. Just comment on the form below.

Until next post.