Rat Colony

Rat Colony was released in the 2018 set Dominaria, a return to Magic: The Gathering's foundational plane. The card was designed to function as a spiritual successor to the iconic Relentless Rats, allowing players to bypass the standard deck-building restriction of four copies per card. This design choice was intended to facilitate a specific, swarm-based archetype that rewards players for accumulating multiple copies on the battlefield, creating a rhythmic and oppressive play style that defines the card's utility.

The artwork was created by Suzanne Helmigh, who focused on emphasizing the claustrophobic and overwhelming nature of a vermin infestation. Her illustration utilizes dark, visceral tones to depict a sea of rats, effectively capturing the chaotic movement associated with the creature type. Upon release, the card was well-received by the player base for its nostalgic appeal and its ability to turn a common-rarity creature into a viable, engine-building centerpiece for casual and limited play.