⚠ The ULTIMATE Modern Goblins Primer ⚠

Modern

rorofat

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Welcome to the Modern Goblins Primer!

Mad at chiefbell for not including goblins in his modern-format-primer? Need the ultimate resource for your goblin exploring? Look no further! After 2 years of careful goblin study (including a GP), I have compiled this as the be-all end-all of goblin decks and strategies.

Let's begin!

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What is Goblins?

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Goblins is a variation on the typical mono-red burn/red-deck-wins archetype. It focuses on playing cheaply costed, aggressive creatures alongside cards like Goblin King to provide massive bonuses. Most goblin decks can consistently kill turn 4-5 when put up against no opposition, and the deck's resiliency makes it a good game one choice against most decks.

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Building your Goblin Deck

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Part 1: Selecting Your Colors

When beginning with your goblin deck, one of the crucial elements is settling on a color scheme. Goblins are mainly red, so is a must-include. From there, you can branch out into RW (Boros), BR (Rakdos), RG (Gruul) or even three colors! The most popular variants are mono- and BR (Rakdos).

Part 2: Goblin Deck Staples

For the most part, goblin decks have a relatively high number of set cards for any goblin build. Next to each card, I'll rate it 1-5, 5 being a 4-of in most lists, 1 being a fringe card.
Goblin Chieftain: 5 - This is one of those cards you need to win. It's extremely powerful, and is generally a 4-of in any goblin list. Why is it powerful? It's a 2/2 hasty guy for 3 that pumps the rest of your team, as well as giving them haste. The damage that this little guy can pack is enormous, and drawing two usually means you win.
Lightning Bolt: 5 - Any deck that plays red plays Lightning Bolt, and goblins is no exception. Actually, Lightning Bolt excels here, as it doubles as removal for their pesky blockers, as well as a 3 punch to the face.
Goblin Guide: 5 - One of the most influential red one-drops, Goblin Guide sees play across multiple formats. Stack that on top next to the fact that he synergizes incredibly with our other cards, and he is a must have. (See budget section for alternatives).
Legion Loyalist: 4.5 - All three abilities are extremely relevant in modern (particularly the tokens bit), and triggering him is easy. Trample and first strike come into play a lot when up against any deck that uses blockers, and the tokens clause navigates around two of the goblin deck's worst nightmares: Lingering Souls and Timely Reinforcements.
Goblin Bushwhacker: 4 - One of the most aggressive goblins. Some lists play 2-3, but in my testing, 4 is the most powerful and consistent. He generally serves as Goblin Chieftain 5-8, but can sometimes do time as Goblin Grenade fodder for the win, or just a 1/1 for 1 when we're lagging behind. Incredibly versatile, and worth playing.
Goblin Grenade: 4 - 5 damage for one mana is an incredible deal, especially with a deck that operates as fast as goblins. I have heard arguments that it 'hurts my board state too much', or 'it isn't an instant, so it doesn't circumnavigate removal', but fundamentally, this chips away 1/4th of your opponent's life total. And that is exactly what goblins wants to be doing.
Foundry Street Denizen : 3.5 - The more 1 drops you play, the better he gets, and he works incredibly well with cards like Mogg War Marshal and Krenko's Command. The slower your deck, the less you want to be running him, as he becomes less satisfying the less creatures you play. Although he does work wonders with Krenko, Mob Boss, who we'll get to later.

Mogg War Marshal: 3 - Krenko's Command with a bonus is never bad, plus, he synergizes with Goblin Grenade, making him relatively powerful. I've found that you generally want to run the full four, but some people believe that he doesn't provide enough value. I disagree on the grounds that he works incredibly well with a lot of cards in a normal goblin list, and he is a great chumper.
Krenko's Command/Dragon Fodder: The traditional 2 for 2 creature spell. I think it's considerably worse than Mogg War Marshal, but some prefer the sorcery aspect of it. One of the more competitive lists I've seen (mentioned later on) plays four of this, as well as four Mogg War Marshal, and it does an incredible job of 'going wide', or overwhelming your opponent with hordes of goblins.
Goblin Piledriver - One of the newer additions from legacy into modern, he works similarly to a Goblin Rabblemaster, but he's faster and more lightweight. Most goblin decks will want to run 2-4 in the main deck, depending on your meta (more removal means he's less good) and your deck style. He works great in wide decks (lots of creatures) to provide a tall (high damage one creature) alternate.

Part 3: Staples in Other Colors

A lot of goblin decks end up splashing or for powerful options outside of just .
For the color splash, we gain access to:
Boros Charm: Probably the most convincing reason to splash white, as all three modes are fast and relevant. The indestructible protects our horde from board wipes, as well as keeping our key creatures safe and sound; the 4 damage mode is incredibly aggressive, and serves as Goblin Grenade 5-8; and the last mode can pump a lone Foundry Street Denizen or Goblin Rabblemaster for the kill.
Lightning Helix: One of the best burn spells, and is essentially a 6 life swing for 2 mana. Unlike most aggressive decks, goblins actually cares about their life total, as when matched up against other aggro decks, we prefer to relax and build up an army rather than try to race the opponent.
For the color splash, we gain access to:
Spike Jester : One of the most aggressive goblins out there. You get to trade a low toughness for lightning speed, which is generally preferable in aggressive decks.
Jund Hackblade : Similar to above, but much harder to trigger, making it slightly worse than Spike Jester . Once again, a 3 power creature for 2 is good value, and for goblins, these are our best options.
Mad Auntie : One of the few goblin lords, auntie is at her best in a slower goblin shell. She doesn't have haste, doesn't give haste, and doesn't do anything to help attacking goblins. (Apart from the buff). 99% of the time, Goblin Chieftain or Goblin King will be a better option.
Earwig Squad: A 5/3 for 3 is pretty good, but he is relatively slow, and the prowl bonus is only worthwhile occasionally. Generally a sideboard card (see sideboarding section for more).
Rakdos Charm: One of the best charms for your sideboard, and overall a great tool. I won't go so far as to say it's better than Boros Charm, but it's up there.
Gained from splashing both and ?
Pretty much only Mardu Ascendancy , but it's tough on the mana. It does protect from Anger of the Gods, etc. though.

Part 4: Your Mana Base

Casting your spells is one of the most important parts of magic, which means that having the right mana at the right time is crucial. When sticking to one color, your mana base is relatively simple. When you branch out into other colors, it gets harder. Let's take a look at this sample mono- mana base:

13 Mountain
4 Cavern of Souls
2 Mutavault

This mana base is perfect for a creature-based, relatively aggressive deck. It works particularly well in a control-heavy meta, but can be a tad inconsistent. Imagine drawing a Mutavault and a Cavern of Souls in your opener. At first glance, this may seem great, but you have to take into account how many non-creature spells you run. If I ran 4 Goblin Grenade and 4 Lightning Bolt, this could be acceptable. But if I try to add more burn/planeswalkers, our mana base can be inconsistent. This land base includes 19 lands, which I find to be the most consistent for an aggressive goblin deck. If you run more three drops and a few four drops, 20 or (gasp) 21 lands may be better. If you only run Goblin Chieftain as your only card above 3, you may want to go as low as 17 or 18. If you wanted a slower, more spell-manageable mana base, I'd do something like this:

16 Mountain
2 Cavern of Souls
2 Mutavault

If you run a lot of one drops, Teetering Peaks is a nice and aggressive land. For a hyper-aggressive deck, I'd do something like:

10 Mountain
1 Cavern of Souls
2 Mutavault
3 Teetering Peaks

In the above list, we've dropped Cavern of Souls down to 1. This is because the faster the list, the more consistent we want it to be. Also, we don't need the uncounterability as much as we do with a slower deck, as our control matchup is significantly better, due to our much more aggressive strategy.
Next, let's take a look at the following multicolored mana base:

6 Mountain
2 Cavern of Souls
4 Blood Crypt
1 Swamp
2 Mutavault
4 Bloodstained Mire

This is an optimal list for a medium-aggressive list, with a higher creature count and a few spells. Our lone Swamp is there for opposing Blood Moons (or our own, depending on what you play), and the two Mutavaults are somewhat standard in your goblin deck. A nice set of budget alternatives would be something along the lines of:

10 Mountain
3 Blackcleave Cliffs
2 Dragonskull Summit
4 Auntie's Hovel

We've eliminated the mutavaults and Cavern of Souls, as well as the shocks and fetches in order to cut the cost down considerably. Auntie's Hovel is a great (and quick) land for goblins, but the information can be dangerous. One of the best uses of it is to cast it on turn one, revealing your one drop, then casting said one drop.

Another option when looking into multiple colored mana bases are the filter lands like Cascade Bluffs. They don't require life, which is nice, but they have the same problem as Mutavault. If you only have one in your hand (and no other lands), it isn't good at all.

Part 5: The Perfect Curve

The power of aggressive decks comes from their ability to curve out perfectly. Goblins is a tad different. Traditionally, a nice curve goes 1 drop - 2 drop - 3 drop - win. The goblin curve can vary a bit more. Casting a 1 drop - two 1 drop - 2 drop and 1 drop is considered fine, but so is the traditional curve. Setting up your deck to take advantage of all your spells is crucial, so let's get to work.
Optimally, you want to be playing a 1 drop on turn 1 100% of the time. This means that playing less than 8 one drops isn't a great idea. I find the optimal number to be between 10 and 16. Remember that cards like Goblin Bushwhacker may cost one mana, but you ideally want to be casting him for two mana. I generally count 1 bushwhacker as 1/2 a one drop, and 1/2 a two drop. Here's a sample set of one drops:

4 Goblin Guide
4 Legion Loyalist
4 Foundry Street Denizen

This gives us the most leeway in what we will be doing the first few turns. In this same list, I'd run:

4 Goblin Bushwhacker
4 Mogg War Marshal

This would form a nice set of two drops for our list. One could play some combination of Krenko's Command and Dragon Fodder to round out the two drops, but I find this simple set to be the most effective. For three drops, we want to play:

4 Goblin Chieftain
0-4 Goblin King

At the moment, I don't run any Goblin King , as I find my set of four chieftains to be more than enough.

Part 6: Mono Sample Lists

This is one of my favorite lists. It's creature heavy, and very consistent.

4x Foundry Street Denizen 4x Goblin Bushwhacker4x Goblin Chieftain4x Goblin Guide2x Goblin Rabblemaster3x goblin piledriver1x Krenko, Mob Boss4x Legion Loyalist4x Mogg War Marshal4x Lightning Bolt2x Stoke the Flames4x Goblin Grenade1x Koth of the Hammer17x Mountain2x Mutavault Sideboard 1x Aggressive Mining2x Blood Moon2x Combust3x Dismember2x Grafdigger's Cage2x Shattering Spree2x Smash to Smithereens1x Sword of War and Peace

For another great list, take a look at this more spell heavy version:

 

Or this more token oriented version:

4x Foundry Street Denizen4x Goblin Guide4x Legion Loyalist2x Mogg War Marshal2x Dragon Fodder2x Krenkos Command1x Goblin King4x Goblin Chieftain3x Goblin Wardriver4x Lightning Bolt4x Goblin Grenade3x Stoke the Flames2x Krenko, Mob Boss2x Mutavault19x Mountain

Part 7: Budget Alternatives

I've compiled a list of all fringe goblins as well as budget alternatives for those who like to think outside the box (or are on a budget). Here you go:

1 Akki avalanchers1 emberwilde augur1 frenzied goblin1 goblin arsonist1 goblin cohort1 goblin fireslinger1 goblin shortcutter1 goblin wardriver1 mardu scout1 boggart ram-gang1 mogg fanatic1 mogg flunkies1 mogg sentry1 shared animosity1 raging goblin1 spikeshot elder1 tattermunge maniac1 vexing shusher1 warren instigator1 war-torch goblin1 mardu scout1 zo-zu, the punisher

Part 8: Sample Budget Lists

Traditional Mono-Red Aggro

4x akki avalanchers4x foundry street denizen4x goblin bushwhacker4x goblin chieftain4x goblin cohort4x goblin grenade4x legion loyalist4x lightning bolt4x mogg-war marshal20x mountain4x raging goblin

Mono-Red Goblin Horde (Tokens)

4x akki avalanchers4 krenko's command4x foundry street denizen4x goblin bushwhacker4x goblin chieftain2x goblin cohort3 goblin wardriver4x goblin grenade4x legion loyalist4x lightning bolt4x mogg-war marshal19x mountain

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Goblin Sideboard

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Sideboard Staples

Blood Moon: One of the classic red sideboard cards. Generally, we board this in against Scapeshift decks, UWR control (Anything that runs Celestial Colonnade), and junk/jund decks. Blood Moon serves a specific purpose here, as not only does it shut down the opponent's main win con, it also stalls, allowing us to build up a board presence.
Combust : One of the best cards we have access to against UWR control, twin, and delver/UR/x tempo. It basically allows us to remove any creature they play, for two mana, and they can't stop it. I like to run 2-3, but some metas force goblin decks to go all the way up to 4.
Dismember: The life tradeoff is miniscule compared to the upsides. This gets rid of Tarmogoyf, problem affinity cards, and any other creatures we don't like. Similar to above, I like 2-3, but occasionally you have to go up to 4.
Shattering Spree: Extremely good artifact removal, does a great job of removing problem affinity cards. The downside is that it's a sorcery, so it can't hit Inkmoth Nexus or Blinkmoth Nexus . That brings us to:
Smash to Smithereens : Instant speed artifact removal with a bolt attached. This brings in the damage, as well as removing problem cards. I prefer a 2-2 split of this and Shattering Spree, but if there's more 8-rack in your meta, you could go 3-2, 3-1, 4-1, or 4-0. It's really up to you :)
Torpor Orb/Grafdigger's Cage: These were at their finest when pod was legal, but with the recent bannings, they have become a little lackluster. Torpor Orb does a great job at shutting down twin, but unless you expect a lot of twin, I'd stick to Combust .
Shatterstorm /Vandalblast: Mass artifact removal. I'd only play these if you expect a lot of affinity. Vandalblast can function as spot artifact removal to, but don't underestimate the difference 1 mana can make. Also, Vandalblast can be hit by Inquisition of Kozilek, while Shatterstorm cannot.
Goblin Assault: One of the best budget options against UWR control. It is essentially a hard-to-remove Goblin Rabblemaster.

Sideboarding Strategies against Popular Decks

BG/x or Rock

This is one of your better matchups, as their deck is slow and clunky. Spot removal isn't particularly good against you, but make sure to hold a few things back in case they have a blowout. Your main strategy game one is flood the board as quickly as possible, while using Lightning Bolts! and goblin grenades to clear out their blockers. Cards to look out for include: Tarmogoyf, Courser of Kruphix, Slaughter Pact, Abrupt Decay and Phyrexian Obliterator. During sideboarding, you generally want to bring in your removal (not Combust ), and your Blood Moons, if any. Then, use the same strategy as game one to slam them hard. Cards to watch out for post-sideboarding include: Damnation, Slaughter Pact, Drown in Sorrow, and Lingering Souls. Your best bet against a Lingering Souls is to get a successful Legion Loyalist on the field.

Scapeshift

This is a very easy matchup game one. You simply overwhelm them with sheer power, as their deck is designed to kill on turn 5-7. They run very few creatures, and don't maindeck a lot of removal. The only card to look out for in game one is Cryptic Command. In sideboarding, you generally want to bring in Blood Moon and any engines you may have (like Goblin Assault). Generally, you want to play more conservatively in game 2, as they will have access to cards like Engineered Explosives, Anger of the Gods or Chalice of the Void.

Burn

One of your better matchups. Just be as aggressive as you can, and you will probably win. In game two, they usually bring in Dragon's Claw. This means you generally want to bring in half of your artifact disruption, as Dragon's Claw is a great card against you. There isn't much to look out for, as their deck is very redundant.

Living End

See above, except you need to be more suicidal in your playstyle, as having a few goblins in your graveyard when they combo off is usually a great idea. If you sideboard more burn spells, bring those in.

UW/x Control

This is a tough matchup. You usually win 30-40% of the time. Game one, you want to be conservative, yet aggressive. Watch out for Path to Exile, Cryptic Command, Mana Leak, Restoration Angel and Snapcaster Mage. You usually lose game one, as their deck maindecks mass removal. In game two, you want to bring in any engines you have, any removal you have, and any Blood Moons you have. Game two/three, your primary strategy is to wear them down until you can slowly kill them with an engine card. Watch out for Timely Reinforcements post board.

8-Rack

This is your most varying matchup. Some games they win, some games you win. Your goal in this match is to be as fast as possible. Burn is your best friend, as Ensnaring Bridge shuts you down game one. Generally, you want to board in all your artifact hate, as Ensnaring Bridge is amazing against you. If you have burn, board that in too. TIP: Once you have 3-4 lands out, hold the rest of your lands in your hand, as it can trick them into Thoughtseize ing into nothing. Basically Shocking themselves. Also, it provides discard fodder to Liliana of the Veil.

Gifts Ungiven

Board in all your burn, then just be as aggressive as possible against them. Your strength lies in applying enough pressure that they are forced to destroy your creatures instead of combo. In game one, watch out for Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite. If you run Grafdigger's Cage, board them all in. I'd put the odds of winning at 25%.

Storm

This is a OK matchup. You generally want to aggro them out, forcing them to deal with your threats instead of you. Grafdigger's Cage is your best sideboard card against them. There isn't much to say about this matchup, as it is relatively simple.

Affinity

Whoever's faster wins. Game one is usually 45-55%, and is very close. Board in all your artifact hate, as well as Blood Moon to deal with their man-lands. Cards to watch out for in both rounds include: Galvanic Blast and Cranial Plating.

Merfolk

Oddly enough, the other tribal deck in modern is one of your easier matches. In general, you can put them on a back foot and stick them into sticky blocking situations with a combination of Legion Loyalist and bolt. For side boarding, bring in extra removal and maybe 1 or 2 artifact removal spells to deal with Aether Vial. The only time they usually get an edge on you is when they can power out 2 or more lords by turn 3.

ELDRAZI!!!

Since theres so many versions of eldrazi running around, Ill just say this: Its not good. Winnable, but not good. The hardest part of it is their Chalice of the Void on one as well as their massive guys. A few notes for you: Hold onto lands and Goblin Grenades until you can get the killing blow, because sometime its important to be able to knock out a Reality Smasher before it kills you.

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Branching into Multiple Colors

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The list of the best multicolored goblin cards is available under Building your Goblin Deck > Part 3 - Staples in Other Colors.

Branching into another color can be a great way to expand sideboard options and improve speed and consistency. When deciding whether or not to splash into another set of colors, it's important to analyze these five things:
- What does it gain me? - Can my budget/land base support it? - What matchups will it improve? - What matchups will it make worse? - Are alternatives available in my main colors?
The most effective color to splash for goblins is usually . This gives you access to some great sideboard options, as well as cards like Spike Jester for the maindeck. Splashing is also an option, but it is generally better to go with . With the printing of Atarka's Command and Collected Company, green has also become particularly viable.
This article has already covered what can be gained from splashing another color, as well as how to set up the land base to support it, so check those out. This section will focus mainly on sideboarding replacements and options in other colors, as well as providing two sample lists.

Sideboard Cards in Other Colors

Rakdos Charm: Perhaps one of the most convincing reasons to splash. This is one of the most versatile sideboard options available to us. It is good against affinity, twin, storm, and tokens, as well as being playable against 8-rack. If you decide to put this in your sideboard, the best things to replace are your anti-twin cards. I don't mean the Combust s or anything, just the cards SPECIFICALLY there for twin. Like Torpor Orb. The reason? This card basically wins by itself against twin. By playing this, you actually WANT them to combo off, as it will win YOU the game.
Earwig Squad: Great card against scapeshift, plus a 5/3. Generally, you'd rather be playing something like Slaughter Games , which we'll get to later.
Slaughter Games : One of the best combo-hosers. Personally, I think this is a great reason to splash into other colors. What to replace? Just like Rakdos Charm, you'd want to replace the cards there specifically for combo matchups, as generally, this does a better job of destroying combo decks.
Black Draw: Another good reason to splash is for refueling your hand.

The main reason to splash is for maindeck options like Boros Charm. Check out the white maindeck cards under Building your Goblin Deck > Part 3 - Staples in Other Colors.

For a sample list, take a look at:

3x blood crypt4x bloodstained mire4x boros charm4x foundry street denizen4x goblin bushwhacker4x goblin chieftain4x goblin grenade4x goblin guide4x legion loyalist4x lightning bolt4x mogg war marshal3x mountain1x mutavault2x rakdos charm2x sacred foundry4x spike jester1x swamp4x wooded foothillsSideboard2x blood moon2x dismember3x lightning helix2x rakdos charm2x shatterstorm2x smash to smithereens2x sword of feast and famine

Or this swaggy green red atarka's command variant:

4x Foundry Street Denizen 4x Goblin Bushwhacker 4x Goblin Chieftain 4x Goblin Guide 4x atarka's command 2x Krenko, Mob Boss 4x Legion Loyalist 4x Mogg War Marshal 4x Lightning Bolt 2x roast 7x Mountain2 bloodstained mire1x forest4x wooded foothills2x stomping ground2 cavern of souls 2x Mutavault 4x Goblin Grenade 1x Koth of the HammerSideboard 2x Blood Moon 3x Combust 2x Dismember 1x Shattering Spree2x autumn's veil 3x destructive revelry 2x Sword of War and Peace

Collected Company is a bit of a weird card. At first glance it seems amazing, however if you want to include it in your list you have to change it up a little. CoCo goblins is a powerful deck, however it lacks the speed of the original goblin variant as some of your maindeck cards like Goblin Bushwhacker get cut for cards higher on the curve (usually Goblin Rabblemaster and some more lords like Goblin King ).

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Playing out different hands!

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One of the most crucial parts of any magic deck is the big decision Do I mulligan?. This section will give you lots of information regarding keeping/mulliganing, which creature to play first, and overall how to sequence your draws to get the most of your deck.

Sample Hand #1

1 Auntie's Hovel
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Blood Crypt
1 Jund Hackblade
1 Spike Jester
1 Tattermunge Maniac
1 Goblin Grenade

Keep/Mulligan?

To most people, this is an obvious keep, and I'm no different :) I think that it is a relatively strong hand, though a bit suicidal. IF your opponent has 2 or more removal spells, he can slow you down a lot, but I think that if you are playing against an unknown opponent, it's an obvious keep. HOWEVER! If you are on the draw against an opponent that has already sideboarded and you know their playing a lot of removal, I might consider mulling to 6.

Sequencing

This hand is very important to sequence correctly, so here we go. Obviously, you have to lead with a tattermunge, as he's the only one drop you have. The second turn you have a multitude of options. Let's assume you draw a land. You now have the choice between Spike Jester and Jund Hackblade . If your opponent is leaving up a mana, I'd go with Spike Jester , as if they kill your tattermunge, you lose a lot of momentum off a hackblade. Whearas if you go with Spike Jester , you're guaranteed at least 2 damage. Plus, if you go hackblade on turn 3, it's more difficult for them to slow you down.

Sample Hand #2

3 Mountain
1 Goblin Grenade
1 Goblin Piledriver
2 Atarka's Command

Keep/Mulligan?

Now we get to the more interesting stuff. A few things to note for this hand are: A. You lack a one drop and B. You don't have access to green mana. For now let's assume you're playing nine green sources in your deck, putting the odds at drawing a green land on your next draw step at about 17 percent. Personally I think that chance is too low, and this hand lacks the speed which makes goblins scary. In any circumstance, this is a mulligan. I'd equate this to drawing an infect hand with Inkmoth Nexus as your only card. You've got the cards to make it happen, but the odds of it working are low.

Sequencing

For now lets assume you kept it and talk about sequencing. Evidently you have to lead with a mountain, then pass. If you draw a green source, I think the correct play is hold up an Atarka's Command for eot burn and put a land into play (if they try to gain life, burn and stop them from gaining, as this hand has very little chance of overcoming something like Feed the Clan). The reason I avoided piledriver on turn two is he does very little without a bunch of buddies, and I think the best way to get damage out of him is cast + Goblin Grenade in the same turn. On turn three, we'll do the aforementioned thing and cast + Goblin Grenade, hopefully putting our opponent at around ten. Now the best we can do is hope to draw more burn spells.

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Lists of Cards (With Ratings)

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Rated on 1-10. 10 being an auto include in any goblin deck, period, 1 being dont play me at all, ever. 5 is playable, but not the absolute best card (usually).

List of ALL Modern Legal Goblins

Disclaimer: Im not going to do ratings on every card, as theres almost 200 modern legal goblins, so if you have a specific question, let me know in comments.

Adder-Staff Boggart : 3

Akki Avalanchers :5

Akki Blizzard-Herder : 4

Akki Coalflinger : 1

Akki Drillmaster : 2

Akki Lavarunner : 2

Akki Raider : 4

Akki Rockspeaker : 4

Akki Underling : 3

Akki Underminer: 1

Ankle Shanker: 3

Arms Dealer : 1

Auntie's Snitch: 6-7

Battle-Rattle Shaman : 2

Bazaar Trader : 0

Ben-Ben, Akki Hermit : 1

Blackcleave Goblin : 1

Blisterstick Shaman : 1

Bloodcrazed Goblin : 2

Bloodmark Mentor : 6

Bloodshot Trainee : 2

Boartusk Liege: 5

Bog Hoodlums : 0

Boggart Arsonists : 1

Boggart Brute : 3

Boggart Forager : 3

Boggart Harbinger : 5

Boggart Loggers : 1

Boggart Mob : 4

Boggart Ram-Gang : 5

Boggart Sprite-Chaser : 2

Boros Recruit : 1

Caterwauling Boggart : 3

Chasm Guide : 2

Crazed Goblin : 0

Dragonlord's Servant: 0

Dragon's Herald: 0

Earwig Squad: 6

Ember Hauler : 5

Emberwilde Augur : 4

Exiled Boggart : 0

Facevaulter : 5

Feral Animist : 4

Festering Goblin : 3

Fire Juggler : 1

Firefright Mage : 4 (works with piledriver/rabblemaster well)

Flamewave Invoker : 1

Foundry Street Denizen : 8

Frenzied Goblin : 7

Frogtosser Banneret : 6

Goatnapper : 0 (WTF?)

Goblin Archaeologist : 0

Goblin Arsonist : 5

Goblin Artillery : 1

Goblin Balloon Brigade: 3

Goblin Bangchuckers : 2

Goblin Battle Jester : 1

Goblin Brawler : 0

Goblin Brigand : 1

Goblin Bushwhacker: 9

Goblin Chariot : 1

Goblin Chieftain: 10

Goblin Cohort: 5

Goblin Dark-Dwellers: 4 (only good if you have a really slow token deck)

Goblin Deathraiders : 6

Goblin Diplomats : 1

Goblin Electromancer: 1 (its a good card, but not playable in goblin tribal)

Goblin Elite Infantry : 1

Goblin Fire Fiend : 0

Goblin Fireslinger : 4

Goblin Flectomancer: 3

Goblin Freerunner : 5 (rating subject to change)

Goblin Furrier : 1

Goblin Gaveleer: 3

Goblin Glider : 2

Goblin Glory Chaser: 3

Goblin Guide: 10

Goblin Heelcutter : 4

Goblin Kaboomist : 1

Goblin King : 7

Goblin Mountaineer : 1

Goblin Outlander : 3

Goblin Piker : 1

Goblin Piledriver: 8

Goblin Rabblemaster: 6-7

Goblin Raider : 1

Goblin Razerunners : 5

Goblin Replica : 1

Goblin Rimerunner : 1

Goblin Roughrider : 1

Goblin Ruinblaster : 6

Goblin Shortcutter : 5

Goblin Sky Raider : 0

Goblin Skycutter : 1

Goblin Snowman : 1000 (actually 1, but that flavor though)

Goblin Spelunkers : 1

Goblin Striker : 2

Goblin Test Pilot : 1

Goblin Tunneler : 5 (synergies with rabblemaster and piledriver)

Goblin Wardriver : 6

Grotag Siege-Runner : 1

Guttersnipe: 4

Hatchet Bully : 4

Hearthfire Hobgoblin : 4

Hellraiser Goblin : 3

Hobgoblin Dragoon : 1

Horde of Boggarts : 2

Hornet Harasser : 1

Hungry Spriggan : 3

Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician : 4

Intimidator Initiate : 5

Ishi-Ishi, Akki Crackshot : 1

Jeering Instigator : 5

Jund Hackblade : 6-7

Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker: 2

Kill-Suit Cultist : 3

Knucklebone Witch : 5

Krark-Clan Engineers : 0

Krark-Clan Grunt : 1

Krark-Clan Shaman : 1

Krark-Clan Stoker : 2

Krenko, Mob Boss: 6

Krenko's Enforcer: 1

Lavafume Invoker : 1

Lavastep Raider : 2

Legion Loyalist: 8

Lightning Crafter: 5

Lobber Crew : -1

Mad Auntie : 6

Mardu Scout : 5

Mogg Fanatic : 4

Mogg Flunkies : 4-5

Mogg Sentry : 3 (better when twin was a deck)

Mogg War Marshal: 6

Mudbrawler Cohort : 2-3

Mudbrawler Raiders : 1

Mudbutton Clanger : 4

Mudbutton Torchrunner : 1

Murderous Redcap: 1

Okk : 4 (maybe try with Ball Lightning ?)

Outrage Shaman : 3

Oxidda Daredevil : 1

Ponyback Brigade : 1

Prickly Boggart : 3

Pyrewild Shaman : 5

Quill-Slinger Boggart : 1

Rabble-Rouser : 1

Raging Goblin: 5

Reckless Bushwhacker: 7 (I need to do more testing to be sure)

Riot Piker : 1

Rummaging Goblin : 1

Rustrazor Butcher : 1

Scuzzback Marauders : 2

Scuzzback Scrapper : 2

Sensation Gorger : 4

Shambling Goblin : 4

Siege-Gang Commander: 5

Skinbrand Goblin : 3

Skirk Shaman : 1

Slavering Nulls : 2-3

Slobad, Goblin Tinkerer: 1

Spiderwig Boggart : 1

Spike Jester : 6

Spikeshot Elder: 5-6

Spikeshot Goblin : 3-4

Squeaking Pie Grubfellows : 1

Squeaking Pie Sneak: 3

Squee, Goblin Nabob : 2

Steamflogger Boss : 1 (10 for weirdness)

Stingscourger: 4-6 (very unique effect)

Stinkdrinker Bandit: 3-4

Stinkdrinker Daredevil : 1

Stream Hopper : 4

Subterranean Scout : 4

Swirling Spriggan : 1

Tar Pitcher : 2

Tattermunge Duo : 2

Tattermunge Maniac : 5-6

Tattermunge Witch: 3-4

Thick-Skinned Goblin : 2-4 (needs specific deck)

Tin Street Hooligan : 3-5

Torch Slinger : 2

Tuktuk Grunts : 0

Tuktuk Scrapper : 1

Tuktuk the Explorer : 4

Utvara Scalper : 1

Vexing Shusher: 3 (better when twin was a deck)

wandering goblin: 1

Warren Instigator: 4-6 (great in slow builds, meh in faster ones)

Warren Pilferers : 2

War-Torch Goblin : 1

Weirding Shaman : 3-4

Wort, Boggart Auntie : 4-5

Wort, the Raidmother : 3-4

Zada, Hedron Grinder: 2-3

Zada's Commando: 1

Zo-Zu the Punisher: 3

Support Cards

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Conclusion

Goblins is a fun, cheap, and powerful variant on RDW. It's versatile, easy to build and play, and extremely customizable. I hope that this article helped you in some way, and if you have any suggestions, feel free to comment below. I put a lot of time and energy into making this, so if you enjoyed it at all, please Upvote.
Once again, thanks for reading!
Remember to Keep strong and goblin on!

Top Ranked	Achieved #3 position overall 10 years ago
Date added	10 years
Last updated	9 years
Legality	This deck is not Modern legal.
Cards	0
Folders	Deck ideas, Modern, Boros, a, Welcome to Nilbog, Ruin Life, gob, modern format layout, Check Out, stuff I like that is cheap