Relentless Rats

Relentless Rats first debuted in the 2004 Tenth Edition base set, though its origins trace back to the Darksteel expansion. The card was designed as a unique mechanical experiment by Wizards of the Coast, breaking the fundamental rule of Magic: The Gathering that restricts players to only four copies of a single card in their deck. By including the text 'a deck can have any number of cards named Relentless Rats,' the designers created a parasitic strategy that rewards players for filling their deck with identical cards to exponentially increase the creatures' power and toughness.

The card was illustrated by Kev Walker, whose gritty and dark aesthetic helped define the visual identity of the game during the mid-2000s. Walker depicted a swarming mass of vermin, capturing the overwhelming and relentless nature of the card's namesake. Upon its release, it became a cult favorite among casual players who enjoyed the novelty of building 'rat-themed' decks, and it has since been reprinted across various supplemental products, including 'The List,' ensuring its continued presence in the game's expansive secondary market.