Premodern Goblins Deck Guide (2026)
Premodern Goblins is a red tribal aggro deck: Goblin Lackey cheats in Goblin Piledriver, Goblin Warchief speeds it up, and most lists splash green. It was the third most played deck at about 7 percent of the MTGDecks metagame in the 60 days to mid-September 2026 (322 decks), with a 50 percent win rate over 2,846 recorded matches between March 18 and September 14, 2026. The reference list is the red-green build Matthew Strand played to the top eight of the 125-player Buckeye Brawl II on September 12, 2026; Neal Sacks' mono-red list, top four at the 41-player ELD Open the same day, is the main alternative. Since September it has been the fifth most played deck on MTGTop8, at about 6 percent of the lists (123 of 1,931), behind Stiflenought, Enchantress, Sligh and Terrageddon. Marek Szymański took the red-green build to the top eight of the 218-player European Championship in Gdańsk on September 5, 2026, Tomáš Koten finished second with mono-red Goblins at the 185-player Czech Nationals on September 26, and Vittorio Piatti reached the top four of the 139-player Bogardan War II in Bologna a day later.
How the deck wins
- Goblin Lackey cast on turn one attacks on turn two, and when it deals damage to a player you may put a Goblin from your hand onto the battlefield: Piledriver, Siege-Gang Commander or Ringleader. With four copies you open with Lackey in about 40 percent of games on the play. Goblin Warchief gives your Goblins haste, so the ones you cast later can attack right away.
- Goblin Piledriver gets +2/+0 for each other attacking Goblin and has protection from blue, so blue creatures can't block it. Siege-Gang Commander brings three 1/1 tokens, and for {1}{R} and a sacrificed Goblin it deals 2 damage to any target. Rishadan Port taps a land in the opponent's upkeep and Wasteland destroys a nonbasic land, which buys the turns the swarm needs.
- When the rush stalls, Goblin Matron tutors the Goblin for the situation, Goblin Ringleader reveals the top four cards and keeps every Goblin, and Gempalm Incinerator cycles for {1}{R} to deal damage to a creature equal to the number of Goblins on the battlefield. Goblin Tinkerer destroys artifacts, and in the green lists main-deck Naturalize handles artifacts and enchantments.
Core cards
- 4 Goblin Lackey
- 4 Goblin Piledriver
- 4 Goblin Warchief
- 4 Goblin Matron
- 4 Goblin Ringleader
- 4 Mogg Fanatic
- 4 Gempalm Incinerator
- 3 Siege-Gang Commander
- 1 Goblin Sharpshooter
- 1 Goblin Tinkerer
- 1 Skirk Prospector
- 2 Naturalize
- 3 Rishadan Port
- 3 Wasteland
- 4 Karplusan Forest
Key cards
- Goblin Lackey: A one-mana 1/1 without haste. Whenever it deals damage to a player, you may put a Goblin permanent card from your hand onto the battlefield, so a turn-one Lackey that connects on turn two puts Piledriver, Siege-Gang Commander or Ringleader into play for free. With Warchief out it attacks the turn you cast it.
- Goblin Piledriver: A two-mana 1/2 with protection from blue that gets +2/+0 for each other attacking Goblin: with two other Goblins attacking it hits for 5. Blue creatures can't block it and blue spells can't target it on the battlefield, though Hydroblast or Blue Elemental Blast can still counter it while it is being cast.
- Goblin Warchief: Goblin spells cost {1} less and your Goblins have haste. With two Warchiefs out, Goblin Matron costs one red mana; Gempalm Incinerator's cycling stays at {1}{R}, because cycling is not a spell.
- Goblin Matron: A three-mana 1/1 that, when it enters, puts any Goblin card from your library into your hand. Get Sharpshooter or Gempalm Incinerator against creatures, Siege-Gang Commander for reach, Goblin Tinkerer against artifacts, Ringleader to refuel or Skirk Prospector for a burst turn. A Matron put in by Lackey still searches.
- Goblin Ringleader: A four-mana 2/2 with haste that, when it enters, reveals the top four cards of your library: every Goblin goes to your hand, the rest to the bottom. It is why lists run 30 or more Goblins (34 in the reference list), and why every non-Goblin card makes the deck a little weaker.
- Gempalm Incinerator: A three-mana 2/1 that you usually cycle for {1}{R}: draw a card and deal damage equal to the number of Goblins on the battlefield to target creature. From a wide board it kills almost any creature.
- Goblin Sharpshooter: Taps to deal 1 damage to any target. It doesn't untap in your untap step, but it untaps whenever a creature dies, so against Elves, Rebels or 1/1 tokens every kill reloads it, and sacrificing Goblins to Siege-Gang Commander or Skirk Prospector keeps it firing. Most lists run one for Matron to find.
- Siege-Gang Commander: A five-mana 2/2 that brings three 1/1 Goblin tokens, so one card gives you four bodies. For {1}{R} and a sacrificed Goblin it deals 2 damage to any target, which gives you reach at the end of the game and clears blockers.
- Goblin Tinkerer: {R}, tap: destroy target artifact, which deals damage equal to its mana value to the Tinkerer. As a 1/2 it survives killing Phyrexian Dreadnought, Black Vise or Cursed Scroll and dies killing anything that costs two or more, such as Powder Keg, Sphere of Resistance or Tangle Wire. It is in about 85 percent of main decks.
- Rishadan Port: {1}, tap: tap target land. Used in the opponent's upkeep, that land stays tapped for their turn, which hurts most against two- or three-land starts. Against Stasis, tap their Island before their upkeep instead: nothing untaps under Stasis, while during the upkeep they tap the land for mana in response and still pay. Port itself makes only colorless mana, so count your red sources.
Mulligan guide
Keep
- Two or three lands with at least one red source (Rishadan Port and Wasteland make only colorless mana), plus Goblins that curve over turns one to three.
- Goblin Lackey with other Goblins to put in with it, or Goblin Warchief with cheap Goblins.
- Hands with Goblin Matron or Ringleader and bodies, even without Lackey: the deck has a strong long game.
Ship
- Lands with no early plays.
- One-land hands, and hands without a red source.
- Five-mana Siege-Gangs and four-mana Ringleaders with no turn-one or turn-two play.
Don't over-mulligan hunting for Lackey: with 34 Goblins, most seven- and six-card hands curve out.
Play tips and sequencing
- Cast Goblin Lackey on turn one when you hold a Goblin worth putting in, and on turn two clear a one-toughness blocker with Mogg Fanatic or Gempalm Incinerator.
- Cast Goblin Warchief before the other Goblins you cast that turn: they then attack right away, and those that cost two or more cost one less.
- Use Rishadan Port in the opponent's upkeep on their most important land or on the only source of the color they need, so that land stays tapped for their whole turn.
- Point Wasteland at the land that matters most: Serra's Sanctum, Gaea's Cradle, Forsaken City, Glacial Chasm, Mishra's Factory, Treetop Village, an Urza land, or the City of Brass or painland that fixes their colors.
- Keep Mogg Fanatic on the battlefield until it has a job: clearing a blocker for Lackey, killing a mana elf or Hermit Druid, or dealing the last point of damage.
- Against Pyroclasm, Earthquake, Sickening Dreams, Wrath of God and Pernicious Deed, cast only the Goblins you need to keep up the pressure, and hold Goblin Ringleader or Siege-Gang Commander back to rebuild after the sweeper.
- Against an active Standstill, attack with what is on the table and put Goblins in with Lackey instead of casting them: Lackey's trigger, Gempalm Incinerator's cycling and the abilities of Mogg Fanatic, Siege-Gang Commander, Rishadan Port and Wasteland are not spells, so they don't break it.
- Many decks bring in Engineered Plague naming Goblin after boarding, so keep Naturalize, Tranquil Domain or Goblin King available when you can.
Matchups
- Stiflenought (slightly unfavorable): Race them with Rishadan Port on their Islands, and use Pyroblast and Red Elemental Blast on Stifle, Foil and Counterspell, and keep {1} spare against Daze, main deck in almost every list, when you can. Stifle counters Goblin Lackey's and Goblin Matron's triggers and Port activations, Powder Keg at one counter sweeps Lackey, Mogg Fanatic and Skirk Prospector, and they board Hydroblast, Blue Elemental Blast and Essence Flare. Phyrexian Dreadnought is colorless, so blasts can't touch it and it can block Piledriver, but Goblin Tinkerer, Naturalize and Overload destroy it, unless they phase it out in response with Vision Charm, main deck in almost every list, or Stifle the Tinkerer's activation. MTGDecks: 45 percent over 360 matches.
- Sligh (even): Goblin Ringleader refuels you after their burn runs out, but Lightning Bolt, Grim Lavamancer and Seal of Fire pick off Goblin Lackey and Goblin Warchief, and Mogg Fanatic kills Lackey. Many Sligh lists run Pyrostatic Pillar or Earthquake in the main deck, and half bring in Earthquake after boarding, so don't overextend into it. Price of Progress, main deck in about a third of their lists and in more than half of the sideboards, deals 2 damage for each Rishadan Port, Wasteland and Karplusan Forest you control. In the green lists, main-deck Naturalize answers Sulfuric Vortex, Cursed Scroll and Black Vise. MTGDecks: 50 percent over 210 matches.
- Enchantress (slightly favorable): Win before Solitary Confinement, Parallax Wave, Opalescence and Elephant Grass lock the board: Grass makes each of your attackers cost {2}, and Confinement prevents all damage to the Enchantress player. Wasteland and Port their Serra's Sanctum, and point main-deck Naturalize at Sterling Grove first. After boarding, Tranquil Domain destroys every non-Aura enchantment without targeting, so Grove's shroud doesn't matter; mono-red lists bring Anarchy. Karmic Justice, in about half their sideboards, lets them destroy one of your permanents for each noncreature permanent of theirs you destroy, Karmic Justice itself included, so a Tranquil Domain on a full board can cost you several lands or Goblins. MTGDecks: 55 percent over 172 matches.
- Mono Black (even): Smother and Cursed Scroll pick off key Goblins, but one-for-one answers can't keep up with Ringleader, so race their discard and removal. After boarding they bring Engineered Plague naming Goblin and Powder Keg, and some lists Plaguebearer or Plague Spitter; answer Plague with Naturalize or Tranquil Domain, and Goblin King offsets its -1/-1 for your other Goblins. MTGDecks: 47 percent over 177 matches.
- Landstill (even): Outlast one-for-one removal like Swords to Plowshares with Goblin Ringleader, and don't overcommit into Wrath of God or Powder Keg. Humility, main deck in about half their lists, turns every creature into a 1/1 without abilities, which shuts off Lackey's trigger, Warchief's haste and what Ringleader, Matron and Siege-Gang Commander do when they enter, so keep Naturalize, Tranquil Domain or, in mono-red lists, Anarchy for it. Pyroblast and Red Elemental Blast answer Counterspell, Mana Leak and Fact or Fiction, but casting one into an active Standstill gives them three cards; Lackey triggers, Gempalm cycling, Port and Wasteland don't. After boarding they bring Blue Elemental Blast, Hydroblast and Circle of Protection: Red, which Tranquil Domain or Naturalize destroys. MTGDecks: 54 percent over 142 matches.
- Terrageddon (unfavorable): Terravore and Elephant tokens outsize almost every Goblin, Nimble Mongoose has shroud against Sharpshooter, Siege-Gang and Gempalm Incinerator, and once they stabilize Armageddon strands Ringleader and Siege-Gang. Your window is a fast Lackey or Piledriver start backed by Rishadan Port and Wasteland, before their board comes online, though every Wasteland you use puts two land cards into graveyards and gives Terravore +2/+2. About a third of their lists already play Earthquake or Pyroclasm in the main deck and nearly nine in ten bring Pyroclasm after boarding, so don't overcommit your X/1s and X/2s. Most also bring Zuran Orb, whose sacrificed lands gain them life and grow Terravore. MTGDecks: 27 percent over 125 matches, the worst of Goblins' common matchups.
- Replenish (unfavorable): A Replenish that returns Opalescence and Parallax Wave takes over the board, and Wave exiles your best attackers. Swords to Plowshares, in almost every list, handles your best attacker, and Abeyance, main deck in about two thirds of their lists since September, stops your Port, Wasteland and Gempalm activations and your instants for the turn they cast it. Race, use Wasteland and Rishadan Port on their mana, and bring Tormod's Crypt and Tranquil Domain after boarding, or Anarchy in mono-red lists; Pyroblast and Red Elemental Blast counter Intuition and Frantic Search. They board Hydroblast, Blue Elemental Blast and, in about a quarter of the lists, Sphere of Law. MTGDecks: 40 percent over 130 matches.
- Oath of Druids (unfavorable): Sphere of Resistance taxes every Goblin, Oath of Druids puts Terravore onto the battlefield in their upkeep because you control more creatures, and Wasteland, Rishadan Port, Winter's Grasp and Thermokarst attack your mana. Destroy Oath with Naturalize or Tranquil Domain and Sphere with Overload; mono-red lists have no clean answer to Oath. Expect Pyroclasm and Cursed Totem after boarding. MTGDecks (Oath Ponza): 35 percent over 68 matches.
- Psychatog (unfavorable): Counterspell and Foil stop Goblin Warchief and Goblin Ringleader, Smother, Sickening Dreams and, in about a third of their lists, Powder Keg kill small Goblins, and a pumped Psychatog blocks anything except Goblin Piledriver, which has protection from blue. Pyroblast and Red Elemental Blast fight their counters and destroy Psychatog. They board Hydroblast, Blue Elemental Blast and Engineered Plague. MTGDecks: 40 percent over 48 matches.
- The Rock (slightly favorable): Speed plus Goblin Ringleader card advantage pressures their one-for-one removal, but Pernicious Deed sweeps a board of cheap Goblins, and Wall of Blossoms and Ravenous Baloth, main deck in most lists, block well, so don't overextend. After boarding they bring Engineered Plague naming Goblin; keep Naturalize or Tranquil Domain for Plague. MTGDecks: 55 percent over 75 matches.
- Elves (favorable): Goblin Sharpshooter and Gempalm Incinerator wreck their board of 1/1 mana elves, and every elf that dies untaps Sharpshooter. Kill Deranged Hermit itself, because its Squirrels get +1/+1 only while it is on the battlefield, and Priest of Titania before it makes mana. Tutor for Sharpshooter with Matron. Masticore, main deck in most lists, kills an X/1 Goblin for each {2} and regenerates for {2}, so go after it with Goblin Tinkerer, Naturalize, kicked Overload or Pyrokinesis only while they are tapped out. MTGDecks: 58 percent over 59 matches.
- Full English Breakfast (even): A fast Goblin Lackey start outraces the combo, and Mogg Fanatic, Goblin Sharpshooter and Gempalm Incinerator kill Hermit Druid before it activates. Slower hands give them time, and Wall of Roots blocks your 2/2s. Their five-color nonbasic mana base meets your Rishadan Port and Wasteland; expect Pyroclasm, Ghitu Slinger and Swords to Plowshares after boarding. Triskelion, in every list, kills three of your X/1 Goblins once they reanimate or cast it. MTGDecks: 48 percent over 56 matches.
- UG Madness (even): Wild Mongrel, Basking Rootwalla and Arrogant Wurm block the ground, Wonder in their graveyard lets their creatures fly over yours, and Circular Logic and Daze counter your key Goblins. Goblin Ringleader wins a long game, and Pyroblast and Red Elemental Blast answer Circular Logic and Aquamoeba after boarding. They bring Chill, Hydroblast and Blue Elemental Blast. MTGDecks (Madness): 54 percent over 37 matches, limited data.
- Reanimator (unfavorable): Reanimate or Exhume on turn one or two puts Akroma, Angel of Wrath or Phantom Nishoba onto the battlefield. Akroma has protection from red, so your Goblins can't block it or damage it, and Nishoba takes no damage: each time it would be dealt damage it loses one +1/+1 counter instead, however big the hit, and they gain that much life whenever it deals damage. Bring in Tormod's Crypt and mulligan toward fast Lackey starts. Sickening Dreams, main deck in most of their lists (21 of 23 since September), already kills every X/1 Goblin with X = 1 and can discard their reanimation target at the same time; a few lists add Powder Keg after boarding. MTGDecks: 35 percent over 34 matches, limited data.
- Aluren (slightly favorable before boarding, close afterward): Aluren is symmetrical, so once it resolves Goblin Lackey, Piledriver, Warchief, Matron and Sharpshooter are free for you too. A Sharpshooter cast that way cannot tap immediately without haste, but one already on the battlefield can. Shooting their loop creatures rarely stops the loop, though: Cavern Harpy returns to hand for 1 life, and under Aluren they can recast it at instant speed to return a targeted Man-o'-War or Raven Familiar as well. Pyroblast or Red Elemental Blast on Harpy as it is cast is the cleaner answer. Naturalize or Tranquil Domain on Aluren works best in response to a Harpy spell, because with Harpy in hand or on the battlefield they can run the whole loop in response. Game one is a race against Spike Feeder's unlimited life; after board expect Hydroblast, Blue Elemental Blast or Engineered Plague naming Goblin, and Tsabo's Web for your Rishadan Port. MTGDecks: 59 percent over 17 matches, limited data.
- Deadguy Ale (favorable): A Goblin Lackey that connects puts more onto the battlefield than their one-for-one removal can keep up with, Goblin Ringleader wins the long game, and their game one has no true sweeper. Their Exalted Angel, in almost every list, is the card to beat: turned face up on turn four, it blocks and gains life, so press the attack before it flips. After boarding, Engineered Plague naming Goblin, Circle of Protection: Red and Warmth help them a lot, but a Deadguy hand that waits for a turn-three Plague is usually too slow. MTGDecks: 80 percent over 5 matches, very limited data.
- Zombies (even before boarding, unfavorable afterward): Game one is an even race between two tribal decks: Lackey on turn one and Ringleader in the long game match up well against 2/2s like Carnophage and Lord of the Undead, and their Shepherd of Rot only matters once the board stalls. After boarding their Engineered Plague naming Goblin is close to a lock, so keep Lackey out of a blind Cabal Therapy and answer Plague with Naturalize or Tranquil Domain; a Goblin King also keeps your X/1 Goblins alive through it. No match data.
- MUD (favorable): Lackey and Warchief pressure them before the lock matters, Mogg Fanatic, Goblin Sharpshooter and Gempalm Incinerator kill Goblin Welder, and your Rishadan Port plus their own Ancient Tomb damage help the race. Watch for Sphere of Resistance, Winter Orb, Tangle Wire, Ensnaring Bridge, Triskelion and, in about half their lists, Masticore, and for Pyroclasm, Chill, Powder Keg and Rejuvenation Chamber after boarding. Goblin Tinkerer kills Winter Orb at the cost of itself; kicked Overload handles Tangle Wire and Bridge. MTGDecks (Tinker Welder): 77 percent over 13 matches, limited data.
- Stasis (slightly unfavorable): Goblin Lackey, Goblin Warchief and Goblin Piledriver have to deal the damage before the lock is in place. Piledriver's protection from blue stops Hydroblast once it is on the battlefield, and Rishadan Port taps the Island they are saving for the Stasis payment before their upkeep. After boarding they bring Chill, Cursed Totem, Hydroblast and Blue Elemental Blast. Naturalize, main deck in about half your lists since September, destroys Stasis or Black Vise at instant speed. Pyroblast and Red Elemental Blast destroy Stasis and Chill, Tranquil Domain in red-green builds destroys both at once, and Overload or Mogg Salvage, which is free against their Islands unless their Chill adds {2}, handles Cursed Totem and Black Vise. MTGDecks: 44 percent over 79 matches.
- Clerics (unfavorable): Game one is a race you can win, though Rotlung Reanimator, in every list, gives them a 2/2 Zombie for each Cleric that dies, including the ones you kill. After boarding, Engineered Plague naming Goblin is close to a lock, so keep Naturalize or Tranquil Domain for it. MTGDecks: 33 percent over 9 matches, very limited data.
- The Solution (even): Swords to Plowshares, Meddling Mage and a face-down Exalted Angel answer your first threats, but a fast Goblin Lackey start and Port pressure on their three-color mana base still win games. After boarding they bring Circle of Protection: Red and Warmth, which Tranquil Domain destroys, and Pyroclasm and Hydroblast. MTGDecks: 58 percent over 12 matches, limited data.
- Tron (even): Rishadan Port and Wasteland attack their Urza lands before Wrath of God, Masticore or Decree of Justice come online. After boarding expect Circle of Protection: Red, Hydroblast and Blue Elemental Blast; Tranquil Domain destroys the Circle. No meaningful match data.
- Dromar Control (even): Swords to Plowshares and Meddling Mage, in almost every list, slow you down, so win before a flipped Exalted Angel takes over, and use Port on their three-color mana. After boarding expect Engineered Plague naming Goblin, Hydroblast, Circle of Protection: Red and Warmth. No match data.
- White Weenie (even): Silver Knight and Soltari Priest have protection from red: your Goblins cannot block or burn them, and Silver Knight blocks any one Goblin without taking damage. Your edge is card advantage from Goblin Ringleader and Gempalm Incinerator's cycling, plus reach from Siege-Gang Commander. Mogg Fanatic and Goblin Sharpshooter kill their Savannah Lions and Soltari Monks, and Mother of Runes while she is summoning sick or tapped; otherwise she gives herself or the target protection from red in response. Exalted Angel, in most of their lists, blocks and gains life once it is turned face up. After boarding, your Pyrokinesis splits 4 damage among their creatures without protection from red, and Anarchy, in about half your sideboards, destroys every white permanent, Silver Knight and Soltari Priest included; expect Absolute Law, Warmth, Circle of Protection: Red and, in about a third of the lists, Cursed Totem from them. MTGDecks: 46 percent over 24 matches.
- BW Control (favorable): A turn-one Goblin Lackey or a Warchief and Piledriver turn deals most of the damage before Wrath of God or a flipped Exalted Angel arrives on turn four, and Goblin Ringleader and Siege-Gang Commander refill after it. Rishadan Port and Wasteland hit Caves of Koilos and Dust Bowl, and their Duress has few targets. After boarding expect Engineered Plague naming Goblin, Circle of Protection: Red, Warmth and, in about a third of the lists, Infest. MTGDecks: 64 percent over 39 matches.
- Gro-a-Tog (even): Their Fire // Ice kills two of your one-toughness Goblins at once, Swords answers Piledriver, and Pyroclasm and Engineered Plague naming Goblin come in after boarding. Your Rishadan Port and Wasteland hit City of Brass and Gemstone Mine, their only sources for most colors, and Gempalm Incinerator or Goblin Sharpshooter kills Quirion Dryad before it grows. MTGDecks: 53 percent over 32 matches.
- Pit Rack (even): Goblin Lackey gets creatures down before their discard matters, and Ringleader and Matron refill a hand that The Rack would punish. Bottomless Pit, main deck in most of their lists, makes each player discard a card at random in their upkeep, which costs you little once your hand is empty. Their Funeral Charm, Smother and Cursed Scroll kill Lackey. After boarding, Engineered Plague naming Goblin and, in about a quarter of the lists, Plague Spitter take the swarm apart; holding Goblins back doesn't help, because Plague also shrinks the ones you cast later, so keep Naturalize or Tranquil Domain for Plague and Bottomless Pit. MTGDecks: 46 percent over 28 matches.
- Rebels (slightly favorable): Goblin Sharpshooter and Gempalm Incinerator kill Ramosian Sergeant, Defiant Falcon and, while she is summoning sick or tapped, Mother of Runes before their searches add up, and Rishadan Port and Wasteland keep them off the mana those searches need. Defiant Vanguard kills whatever it blocks and Whipcorder taps Goblin Piledriver, so attack wide. Expect Absolute Law and Circle of Protection: Red after boarding. No match data.
- Contamination (even): Each hit from Goblin Lackey puts a Goblin onto the battlefield without mana, which Contamination cannot stop. Once Contamination is out, the Goblins you cast, Gempalm Incinerator's cycling and Naturalize need red or green mana your lands no longer make, so empty your hand early; Skirk Prospector, in most lists, still makes {R} by sacrificing a Goblin. Their Powder Keg on one counter kills Lackey and Mogg Fanatic, and they bring Engineered Plague naming Goblin after boarding, while some lists already play it in the main deck. Limited data: 50 percent over 12 matches.
- Turbo Lands (even): Glacial Chasm prevents all damage that would be dealt to them, so Wasteland is your key card: destroy Chasm when it lands and Rishadan Port their green source in their upkeep. Naturalize answers Horn of Greed, Exploration or Seismic Assault, and Goblin Tinkerer destroys Horn at the cost of itself. Their Seismic Assault kills a Goblin for every spare land, and Cursed Totem comes in after boarding to stop Siege-Gang Commander and Goblin Sharpshooter. No match data.
- Fluctuator (even): You have the faster clock, and Wasteland and Rishadan Port hit every land they own: Polluted Mire and Dromar's Cavern are their only black sources, so Port one in their upkeep on the kill turn. Naturalize destroys Fluctuator, and so does Goblin Tinkerer at the cost of itself. After boarding, Overload does it for one mana, and Tormod's Crypt exiles their graveyard in response to Songs of the Damned. Pyroblast and Red Elemental Blast cannot hit Fluctuator, which is colorless. No match data.
- RG Zoo (slightly favorable): Like Sligh, Zoo has Seal of Fire, Grim Lavamancer and Lightning Bolt for Goblin Lackey and Goblin Warchief, Mogg Fanatic for Lackey, and bigger bodies: Elephant tokens, Treetop Village and a grown Quirion Dryad block your Goblins well. Goblin Sharpshooter and Gempalm Incinerator pick off Jackal Pup, Mogg Fanatic, Grim Lavamancer and a small Dryad, and Rishadan Port and Wasteland hit their Karplusan Forests and Treetop Villages. After boarding expect Simoon, which kills every Goblin with one toughness, and Ravenous Baloth; bring Pyrokinesis. MTGDecks: 55 percent over 71 matches.
Sideboard guide
- vs Stiflenought, Landstill and Psychatog: Red Elemental Blast, Pyroblast. These plans use Matthew Strand's red-green 75, which plays two Naturalize, one Goblin Sharpshooter, one Goblin Tinkerer and one Goblin King next to the core. Goblin Lackey, Goblin Piledriver, Goblin Warchief, Goblin Matron, Goblin Ringleader and the lands always stay, and every plan keeps at least 30 Goblins for Ringleader. Against all three, in: all four Red Elemental Blast; out: three Gempalm Incinerator and Goblin Sharpshooter, which have few targets. The Blasts counter Counterspell, Stifle, Foil, Mana Leak and Fact or Fiction or destroy Psychatog. Don't cast one into an active Standstill, which would give them three cards. Many lists play Pyroblast instead, which does the same against blue spells. Naturalize and Goblin Tinkerer stay for Phyrexian Dreadnought, Powder Keg, Humility and Circle of Protection: Red.
- vs Stasis: Red Elemental Blast, Tranquil Domain. In: three Red Elemental Blast and two Tranquil Domain. Out: three Gempalm Incinerator, Goblin Sharpshooter and a Naturalize, since they play no creatures. The Blasts counter Stasis as it is cast or destroy it and Chill, and Tranquil Domain destroys both at once at instant speed. The other Naturalize stays for Black Vise and Cursed Totem, which also shuts off Goblin Tinkerer.
- vs UG Madness, Gro-a-Tog, Aluren and The Solution: Red Elemental Blast. Against all four, in: all four Red Elemental Blast. Against UG Madness, out: both Naturalize, Goblin Tinkerer and a Siege-Gang Commander, since they play no artifacts or enchantments before boarding; the Blasts counter Circular Logic and destroy Aquamoeba and Waterfront Bouncer. Against Gro-a-Tog, out: Goblin Tinkerer, a Naturalize and two Siege-Gang Commander, because Armageddon, main deck in most of their lists, punishes five-drops; the other Naturalize stays for Engineered Plague, and the Blasts counter Counterspell and destroy Psychatog. Against Aluren, out: two Siege-Gang Commander, Goblin King and a Mogg Fanatic; the Blasts counter Cavern Harpy as it is cast, and Naturalize stays for Aluren and Tsabo's Web. Against The Solution, out: Goblin Tinkerer, two Siege-Gang Commander and a Mogg Fanatic; the Blasts counter their counterspells and destroy Meddling Mage and Lightning Angel, which are blue.
- vs Dromar Control and Replenish: Red Elemental Blast, Tranquil Domain, Tormod's Crypt. Against Dromar Control, in: all four Red Elemental Blast and two Tranquil Domain; out: both Naturalize, Goblin Tinkerer, Goblin Sharpshooter and two Gempalm Incinerator. The Blasts counter Counterspell, Fact or Fiction and Hydroblast and destroy Meddling Mage, and Tranquil Domain destroys Engineered Plague, Circle of Protection: Red and Warmth at once. Against Replenish, in: both Tormod's Crypt, two Tranquil Domain and two Red Elemental Blast; out: three Gempalm Incinerator, Goblin Sharpshooter and both Naturalize. Exile their graveyard with Tormod's Crypt in response to Replenish, and counter Intuition or Frantic Search with the Blasts. Tranquil Domain destroys the lock, but the enchantments go back to their graveyard, so keep a Crypt for the next Replenish.
- vs Enchantress and Oath of Druids: Tranquil Domain. Against Enchantress, in: all four Tranquil Domain; out: Goblin Tinkerer, Goblin Sharpshooter and two Gempalm Incinerator. Tranquil Domain destroys every non-Aura enchantment without targeting, so Sterling Grove's shroud doesn't matter. Karmic Justice, in about half their sideboards, lets them destroy one of your permanents for each noncreature permanent of theirs you destroy, so cast it when it breaks the lock, not as soon as you can. Wasteland their Serra's Sanctum, but remove a sideboard Sacred Ground first, because it returns lands you destroy. Against Oath of Druids, in: all four Tranquil Domain; out: three Gempalm Incinerator and Goblin Sharpshooter. Tranquil Domain and Naturalize destroy Oath of Druids. Goblin Tinkerer stays for Sphere of Resistance, though it dies doing it, and Naturalize also handles Cursed Totem, which stops Tinkerer's ability.
- vs BW Control, Deadguy Ale, Mono Black, Pit Rack, Contamination, The Rock and Tron: Tranquil Domain, Goblin King. Against BW Control and Deadguy Ale, in: all four Tranquil Domain; out: Goblin Tinkerer, Goblin Sharpshooter and two Gempalm Incinerator. Tranquil Domain destroys Engineered Plague, Circle of Protection: Red and Warmth at once. Against Mono Black, in: two Tranquil Domain; out: Goblin Sharpshooter and a Siege-Gang Commander, whose tokens die to Plague. Against Pit Rack and Contamination, in: two Tranquil Domain; out: two Siege-Gang Commander, which are hard to keep against discard and to cast under Contamination. Tranquil Domain also destroys Bottomless Pit and Contamination, but cast it before Contamination is out, since it needs green mana. Against The Rock, in: two Tranquil Domain; out: Goblin Sharpshooter and Goblin Tinkerer. Against Tron, in: two Tranquil Domain for Circle of Protection: Red; out: Goblin Sharpshooter and a Gempalm Incinerator. Plague naming Goblin gives every Goblin -1/-1; Goblin King's +1/+1 cancels it for your other Goblins, and some lists keep a second King in the sideboard.
- vs Clerics, Zombies and White Weenie: Tranquil Domain, Pyrokinesis. Against Clerics and Zombies, in: two Tranquil Domain and two Pyrokinesis; out: Goblin Tinkerer, Goblin Sharpshooter and two Siege-Gang Commander, whose tokens die to Engineered Plague. Pyrokinesis splits 4 damage among their 2/2s, though Rotlung Reanimator gives Clerics a 2/2 Zombie for each Cleric that dies. Against White Weenie, in: all three Pyrokinesis and two Tranquil Domain; out: both Naturalize, two Siege-Gang Commander and Goblin King. Pyrokinesis can't target Silver Knight or Soltari Priest, which have protection from red, but kills Mother of Runes, Savannah Lions and Soltari Monks; include Mother among the targets, since she can protect only one creature in response. Tranquil Domain destroys Absolute Law, Warmth and Circle of Protection: Red.
- vs Sligh, RG Zoo, Elves, Rebels and Terrageddon: Pyrokinesis, Caller of the Claw. Against all five, in: all three Pyrokinesis, which deals 4 damage divided among any number of creatures and costs no mana if you exile a red card from your hand. Against Sligh, out: two Siege-Gang Commander, whose tokens die to Earthquake, and a Gempalm Incinerator; both Naturalize stay for Sulfuric Vortex, Cursed Scroll and Black Vise. Against RG Zoo, out: both Naturalize and Goblin Tinkerer, which have no targets. Against Elves, out: a Naturalize, Goblin Tinkerer and a Siege-Gang Commander; the other Naturalize stays for Masticore, which can regenerate for {2}. Against Rebels, out: a Naturalize, Goblin Tinkerer and a Siege-Gang Commander; the other Naturalize stays for Absolute Law or Circle of Protection: Red. Against Terrageddon, out: Goblin Sharpshooter, which can't target Nimble Mongoose, and two Gempalm Incinerator; Pyrokinesis kills Elephant tokens, Werebear and a Terravore while few lands are in the graveyards, and Naturalize and Goblin Tinkerer stay for Zuran Orb. Some green builds add Caller of the Claw, which has flash: cast it after Wrath of God, Pyroclasm, Earthquake or Pernicious Deed resolves for a 2/2 Bear for each nontoken creature of yours that died that turn.
- vs Reanimator and Full English Breakfast: Tormod's Crypt. Against both, in: both Tormod's Crypt; out: Goblin Tinkerer and a Siege-Gang Commander. Tormod's Crypt is in almost every Goblins sideboard: exile their graveyard in response to Reanimate, Exhume or Animate Dead, or after a Hermit Druid activation. Naturalize stays, because destroying Animate Dead makes them sacrifice the creature on it.
- vs MUD, Fluctuator and Turbo Lands: Naturalize, Tranquil Domain, Tormod's Crypt. Against MUD, in: both Naturalize; out: two Siege-Gang Commander, which Sphere of Resistance and Winter Orb make hard to cast. Naturalize destroys Winter Orb, Tangle Wire or Ensnaring Bridge at instant speed, and Masticore unless they pay {2} to regenerate it. Against Fluctuator, in: both Naturalize and both Tormod's Crypt; out: Goblin Sharpshooter, two Gempalm Incinerator and a Siege-Gang Commander; Crypt exiles their graveyard in response to Songs of the Damned. Against Turbo Lands, in: two Tranquil Domain and both Naturalize; out: three Gempalm Incinerator and Goblin Sharpshooter. Tranquil Domain destroys Exploration, Seismic Assault and a sideboard Oath of Druids or Sacred Ground at once, and Naturalize destroys Horn of Greed.
- vs Mono-red lists: Red Elemental Blast, Anarchy, Overload, Mogg Salvage, Goblin Goon, Pyrokinesis, Tormod's Crypt. Neal Sacks' 15 from the ELD Open: a second Goblin Goon, two Anarchy, Mogg Salvage, two Overload, three Pyrokinesis, three Red Elemental Blast and three Tormod's Crypt; his main deck has Goblin Goon, Skirk Prospector and a second Goblin Tinkerer instead of the green cards. Against Stiflenought and Stasis, in: the three Blasts, both Overload and Mogg Salvage; out: three Gempalm Incinerator, Goblin Sharpshooter and, against Stiflenought, Skirk Prospector and a Siege-Gang Commander, against Stasis two Siege-Gang Commander. Overload destroys Phyrexian Dreadnought, Powder Keg, Black Vise and Cursed Totem for one mana, and Mogg Salvage is free against their Islands unless Chill adds {2}. Against Landstill, in: the three Blasts and both Anarchy, which destroys Circle of Protection: Red, Humility and Exalted Angel; out: three Gempalm Incinerator, Goblin Sharpshooter and Skirk Prospector. Against Psychatog, in: the three Blasts; out: two Gempalm Incinerator and Goblin Sharpshooter. Against UG Madness and Gro-a-Tog, in: the three Blasts; out: both Goblin Tinkerer and a Siege-Gang Commander. Against Aluren, in: the three Blasts; out: a Goblin Tinkerer and two Siege-Gang Commander. Against The Solution, in: the three Blasts and both Anarchy; out: both Goblin Tinkerer, two Siege-Gang Commander and Skirk Prospector. Against Dromar Control, in: the same five cards; out: both Goblin Tinkerer, two Gempalm Incinerator and Goblin Sharpshooter. Against Replenish, in: all three Crypts, both Anarchy and a Red Elemental Blast; out: three Gempalm Incinerator, both Goblin Tinkerer and Goblin Sharpshooter. Anarchy destroys Opalescence and Parallax Wave, which Replenish returns unless a Crypt has emptied their graveyard. Against Enchantress, in: both Anarchy; out: both Goblin Tinkerer. Against BW Control and Deadguy Ale, in: both Anarchy and the second Goblin Goon; out: both Goblin Tinkerer and Goblin Sharpshooter. Against Tron, in: both Anarchy; out: Goblin Sharpshooter and a Gempalm Incinerator. These lists have no Naturalize or Tranquil Domain for Engineered Plague, so against Mono Black, in: the second Goblin Goon, which survives Plague as a 5/5, and all three Pyrokinesis; out: Skirk Prospector, Goblin Sharpshooter and two Siege-Gang Commander. Against Pit Rack, in: Goblin Goon and both Overload for The Rack and Cursed Scroll; out: Skirk Prospector and two Siege-Gang Commander. Against The Rock, in: Goblin Goon; out: Goblin Sharpshooter. Against Contamination, in: both Overload for Powder Keg and Phyrexian Furnace; out: two Siege-Gang Commander. Against Oath of Druids, in: both Overload for Sphere of Resistance and Cursed Totem; out: Goblin Sharpshooter and a Gempalm Incinerator. Against Clerics, Zombies and RG Zoo, in: all three Pyrokinesis; out: both Goblin Tinkerer and Skirk Prospector. Against Sligh, in: the three Pyrokinesis; out: two Siege-Gang Commander and a Gempalm Incinerator. Against Elves, in: the three Pyrokinesis; out: a Goblin Tinkerer and two Siege-Gang Commander. Against Terrageddon, in: the three Pyrokinesis; out: Goblin Sharpshooter and two Gempalm Incinerator. Against White Weenie, in: both Anarchy and the three Pyrokinesis; out: two Siege-Gang Commander, Goblin Goon, Skirk Prospector and a Goblin Tinkerer. Against Rebels, in: the three Pyrokinesis and both Anarchy; out: both Goblin Tinkerer, two Siege-Gang Commander and Goblin Goon. Against Reanimator, in: all three Crypts and both Anarchy, which destroys a reanimated Akroma or Phantom Nishoba; out: both Goblin Tinkerer, two Siege-Gang Commander and Skirk Prospector. Against Full English Breakfast, in: the three Crypts; out: both Goblin Tinkerer and a Siege-Gang Commander. Against MUD, in: both Overload and Mogg Salvage, which costs three mana there; out: two Siege-Gang Commander and Skirk Prospector. Against Fluctuator, in: both Overload and the three Crypts; out: three Gempalm Incinerator, Goblin Sharpshooter and a Siege-Gang Commander. Against Turbo Lands, in: both Overload, kicked against Horn of Greed; out: Goblin Sharpshooter and a Gempalm Incinerator.
Budget and upgrades
Typical cost: $500–$1,430. The red-green reference 75 costs about $1,430 at the Premodern-era printings tracked here, and Neal Sacks' mono-red 75 about $1,100. Most of that is the mana: Wooded Foothills costs about $121 a copy, Rishadan Port about $105 and Wasteland about $46. The Goblins are cheaper, led by Goblin Sharpshooter, Goblin Piledriver and Goblin Lackey at about $24 to $39 each.
- Start mono-red with Mountains instead of Rishadan Port and Wasteland: that 75 costs about $500 and keeps every Goblin.
- Add Rishadan Port and Wasteland next; they are the biggest upgrade in the deck.
- The green splash itself is cheap (Karplusan Forest costs about $5), but the Wooded Foothills that make it smooth are the most expensive cards in the list.
Every deck that costs under $500 with reprints is on our budget decks page, priced from a real tournament list.
Goblins is one of five decks in our guide to your first Premodern deck.
