Ruin Rat
Creature — Rat
Deathtouch
When this creature dies, exile target card from an opponent's graveyard.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $0.29
- EDHREC rank
- #12663
Ruin Rat puts a deathtouch body on the board and exiles a card from an opponent's graveyard on the same trigger — relevant disruption stapled to a tribe-playable creature. In Karumonix, the Rat King builds specifically, that's not a bonus; it's the point.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Karumonix, the Rat King
Karumonix, the Rat King counts every Rat you control for its poison trigger, and Ruin Rat is a cheap, on-tribe body that also handles graveyard recursion threats — two relevant functions for one mana slot.
Marrow-Gnawer
Marrow-Gnawer wants a critical mass of Rats to fuel its sacrifice-and-flood ability, and Ruin Rat fills that count while providing deathtouch as a deterrent on the early board.
Ashcoat of the Shadow Swarm
Ashcoat of the Shadow Swarm cares about low-power Rats entering and leaving the battlefield, and Ruin Rat's graveyard exile trigger gives the deck incidental interaction without spending a dedicated removal slot.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Ruin Rat earns its slot exclusively in Rat tribal decks — outside that tribe, a 1/1 deathtouch with an enters trigger isn't competing for a 99-card slot. In Pauper, deathtouch on a one-drop is genuinely playable, and the graveyard exile is relevant against flashback and delve strategies. Ruin Rat is legal in Modern, Pioneer, and Legacy, but doesn't see meaningful play in any of them — more efficient deathtouch creatures and dedicated graveyard hate exist at every price point in those formats.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.29 bulk tier
At $0.29, Ruin Rat is bulk — pick it up without a second thought if you're building Rat tribal. Bulk commons and uncommons at this price point don't move much; it'll stay in this range unless a new Rat commander spikes demand overnight.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.