"They poured from the Skirk Ridge like lava, burning and devouring everything in their path"
So Standard Goblins looks even more amazing since we've had this badboy reprinted
Like many others I have built a Goblin Deck for Standard and decided to do a little intro behind the deck as I am looking for ideas to make the deck better and more consistent.
Below is my run through of the different pieces in the deck and my thoughts on each one and reasoning's for including them.
Breakdown
We obviously want as many Goblins as we can manage here, so below are some of the best (if not THE best) Goblins in Standard once Origins is released.
This guy is our most efficient 1-drop, we definitely want to be running 4 of him. We can easily have swung for up to 7 damage with him by turn 3, which makes it an incredibly powerful 1-drop.
Our other 1-drop creature for the deck. Although he won't be dealing large amounts of damage his ability to shut down a blocker makes him relevant even in the late game.
We don't want a complete set here, as his ability is not always very effective.
Our final one drop, bringing us up to 9 in total, is this new Goblin from Origins. Although he is less relevant in the late game compared to our other guys, his renown ability is very good and he can pair well with Subterranean Scout to ensure we gain menace.
This brand new 2-drop from Origins is an absolute must for this deck. His ability to make a Goblin Piledriver or Goblin Rabblemaster unblockable before going to combat let's us smash face for huge amounts without fear of losing our most powerful creatures.
As with Frenzied Goblin, the ability to be unblockable, although powerful, is not always relevant. Running 3 here feels smart.
Here he is, the big guy himself. This reprint, originally from Onslaught, turns Goblins from a fun deck into something with a serious competitive edge.
His low toughness is an issue, especially now we have Wild Slash and Fiery Impulse in the format, but his upside is so powerful we don't really care! This guy is an obvious 4 of in the deck.
This guy needs no introduction at this point, so we'll get straight to it. Makes a Goblin every turn, super synergy with Goblin Piledriver, can attack for loads, fits on our curve brilliantly.
You just can't oversell this card, left on his own he will dominate games. Another obvious 4 off.
These are included under the creature section as they make us Goblins. Not much needed to explain these cards. On curve, efficient, synergy. Can't ask for much for.
The numbers on these spells can vary, it all depends on your personal choice and what you feel fits the deck best.
I feel 4 Stoke the Flames is a definite at least.
Our staple 3 damage spell. Kills pesky blockers and hits directly for the last point of damage. Sweet and simple.
Our main burn spell in the deck. This works so well with all our cheap creatures, so convoking it out for nothing can happen very often. Always feel good to leave up blockers and being able to tap this out on our opponents turn.
This card turns our team into a huge powerhouse instead of a group of weenie guys. We can see this being played as early at turn 3 and is a game winner if we have a strong board presence already.
Giving a Goblin Piledriver haste can be a nightmare for a open opponent and the +1/+1 is nothing to be sneezed at either. This card helps our deck increase its speed and even provides some evasion as a bonus.
Lets us cast our spells. Need I say more?
This guy comes into the deck due to his dash ability allowing us to skirt around board wipes and his ability to halt a blocker can potentially win us games.
We only run 2 as he is on the more expensive side and we don't always need his ability.
This new card from Origins has me interested. It seems important against the control decks out there at the moment when it comes to the late game, but it's sorcery speed, and this is a large downside for me.
I'm running 2 here as a test, I'm not sure about this card for us so far.
Great to bring in on Khans against any more grindy match ups. The extra card advantage is a big deal. We can also bring this in on Dragons if we expect our opponent to play a board wipe.
We run 4 of these because Siege Rhino is a thing.
Great against the mirror and other token decks. Also looks to be solid against GB Elves and any other low toughness weenie deck.
If those blockers are causing you issue we can bring this in for extra removal and reach. Be wary which pieces you are brining out in exchange. No one wants to get left with one of these in hand.
There isn't a huge amount to say here. Play Goblins, hit the red zone, win if your opponent can't recover.
What is important is how you sequence your plays. Knowing when to play Hordeling Outburst is a good example. T2 Dragon Fodder into T3 Hordeling Outburst SEEMS great, until your opponent Bile Blights your tokens!
Once I've done some more testing I will provide more detailed reports on match ups.