Rats Swarm Magic: The Gathering with New Crossover Cards

From Nezumi to Rat King, the rodent invasion continues in Magic's latest expansion.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 7:41pm

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An abstract, minimalist composition of bold, jagged black silhouettes against a stark red and white background, conceptually representing a swarm of rats.The latest Magic: The Gathering expansion brings a new wave of rat-themed cards, expanding the iconic creature type's presence in the game.NYC Today

Magic: The Gathering's latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover has brought a swarm of new rat-themed cards to the game, including iterations on characters like Master Splinter and the Rat King. Rats have been a part of Magic since the beginning, with over 100 cards featuring the 'rat' creature type. These cards often focus on generating lots of weaker creatures and tokens to sacrifice, taking advantage of the rat's affinity for black mana.

Why it matters

Rats have long been a staple in Magic: The Gathering, with strategies revolving around swarming the board with weak creatures and sacrificing them for value. The new TMNT crossover has expanded the rat tribal archetype, giving players more options to build around this iconic creature type.

The details

The March 2026 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universes Beyond crossover introduced several new rat-themed cards, including versions of Master Splinter and the Rat King. These join the existing 118 cards that feature the 'rat' creature type, many of which focus on generating tokens and sacrificing them. Rat strategies often revolve around filling the graveyard and leveraging effects that trigger from having a lot of weaker creatures.

  • The TMNT crossover set was released in March 2026.
  • Magic: The Gathering has featured rats since the beginning of the game.

The players

Nezumi

A humanoid rat species native to the plane of Kamigawa in Magic: The Gathering.

Nashi

A legendary Nezumi creature that appears on several cards.

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What they’re saying

“One rat is nothing. A swarm in Magic: The Gathering is terrifying.”

— Corey Plante, Author

The takeaway

Rats have long been a staple in Magic: The Gathering, and the new TMNT crossover has expanded the options for players looking to build around this iconic creature type, with a focus on swarming the board and sacrificing weaker creatures for value.