Goblin Polka Band MTG Card


Goblin Polka Band - Astral Cards
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeSummon Goblin
Released1997-04-01
Set symbol
Set nameAstral Cards
Set codePAST
Power 1
Toughness 1
Number4
Frame1997
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byQuinton Hoover

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides a notable increase in creatures, complementing aggressive goblin strategies effectively.
  2. Offers creature-based resource acceleration, echoing and enhancing goblin swarm tactics.
  3. Its untap ability indirectly adds versatility, but at the cost of discarding cards.

Text of card

, , Pay for each target: Tap any number of random target creatures. Goblins tapped in this way do not untap during their controllers' next untap phases.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Goblin Polka Band offers distinct opportunities for multiplying the number of creatures on the battlefield. By tapping the group of Goblins, players can reap the benefits of simultaneous attacks, securing an edge during combat phases. This potentially has a cumulative effect, as the presence of more goblins means more music—metaphorically and literally speaking—paving the way for an enhanced goblin army to establish control over the game.

Resource Acceleration: This mischievous ensemble accelerates game resources, albeit in an unconventional manner. Instead of traditional mana-based acceleration, it promotes creature-focused resource expansion. As the band plays on, each tap enables a potential growth in goblin count, continuously fueling the tribe’s notorious swarm strategy. Such momentum can be pivotal in outpacing opponents through shear creature quantity, an important aspect in the game’s tribal synergies.

Instant Speed: While Goblin Polka Band doesn’t operate at instant speed itself, its ability to untap all creatures you control at the end of a turn provides indirect instant speed advantages. This reactive capability ensures your goblins remain vigilant and ready to respond with untapped potential – quite literally – allowing them to partake in blocks or to capitalize on other abilities that might require them to be untapped, always keeping your opponents guessing.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Goblin Polka Band’s activation demands discarding a card, potentially depleting your hand when you need to maintain options.

Specific Mana Cost: Its cost includes red mana exclusively, requiring a heavy commitment to red which might not synergize with multicolor strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that’s on the upper end for its offered effects, it faces stiff competition from other goblin synergistic cards that may provide more impact for less investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Goblin Polka Band card offers a unique flexibility, seamlessly integrating into an array of goblin-themed decks. Its ability to affect multiple opponents encourages creative plays in multiplayer formats.

Combo Potential: This card thrives in synergy-rich environments, pairing well with effects that capitalize on tapping or untapping creatures, leading to potentially unlimited goblin antics.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state teeming with creature-heavy decks, Goblin Polka Band’s crowd control can disrupt opponents’ tactics while you build your board presence.


How to Beat Goblin Polka Band

The Goblin Polka Band may seem like a whimsical card, adding a quirky spin to your Magic: The Gathering games. With its ability to control opponents’ blocks, it can be a tricky card to counter without the right strategy. To effectively beat the Goblin Polka Band, it is crucial to disrupt its rhythm by removing it from the field quickly. Removal spells that don’t target, like “Wrath of God” or “Damnation”, are excellent because they bypass any protective measures. Alternatively, countering it before it hits the battlefield with spells like “Counterspell” or “Mana Leak” ensures you don’t have to deal with its pesky ability at all.

Another strategy is to use “Silence” type effects that keep the band from ever getting to play their tune, ensuring your creatures can block as needed. Cards like “Linvala, Keeper of Silence” can stifle their music, leaving them just an ensemble of goblins without an audience. If Goblin Polka Band has already established control, focus on creating overwhelming board presence or utilizing effects that grant your creatures unblockable or flying abilities to evade what the goblins dictate on the ground. In short, timing and control are key in turning the tables on the Goblin Polka Band.


Cards like Goblin Polka Band

Goblin Polka Band delivers a unique flavor to the realm of creature-based strategies in Magic: The Gathering. It bears some resemblance to cards like Goblin Warchief, which also aims to bolster Goblin creatures. However, Goblin Polka Band introduces a quirky twist; it grants your Goblins the ability to dodge blockers at the cost of having to tap two untapped Goblins. Goblin Warchief, in contrast, provides a cost reduction for Goblin spells and haste, without the direct evasive capabilities.

Looking at cards such as Goblin Tunneler, we find a similar evasion aid, allowing a smaller creature to become unblockable. Although it only targets creatures with power 2 or less, it involves a lower resource commitment than Goblin Polka Band. Then there’s Madblind Mountain, which somewhat aligns with the evasion theme by shuffling your library to potentially disrupt opponent’s knowledge of the top card. However, it serves a more subtle role and doesn’t actively interact with Goblin synergy in the same manner.

Ultimately, Goblin Polka Band’s unconventional approach to evasion makes it a card with a niche role in MTG, especially for those who enjoy Goblin tribal decks with a touch of whimsical tactics.

Goblin Warchief - MTG Card versions
Goblin Tunneler - MTG Card versions
Madblind Mountain - MTG Card versions
Goblin Warchief - MTG Card versions
Goblin Tunneler - MTG Card versions
Madblind Mountain - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Goblin Polka Band MTG card by a specific set like Astral Cards, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Goblin Polka Band and other MTG cards:

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