Goblin Razerunners MTG Card
2009-02-06 - Number 64
2017-10-24 - Number 47
2018-06-08 - Number 179
2022-02-18 - Number 106
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Goblin Warrior |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Key Takeaways
- Goblin Razerunners enables board control through growth with land sacrifice, becoming an ever-looming threat.
- Offers tactical flexibility, as its damage ability can be activated at instant speed for strategic plays.
- While powerful, it requires careful play to balance land sacrifice with mana curve and deck synergy.
Text of card
, Sacrifice a land: Put a +1/+1 counter on Goblin Razerunners. At the end of your turn, you may have Goblin Razerunners deal damage equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on it to target player.
Finding themselves in a new and unexplored world, they immediately set it on fire.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Goblin Razerunners offers indirect card advantage by threatening board presence, compelling your opponent to deal with it instead of developing their own strategy. Its ability to potentially grow larger with each land you sacrifice can turn it into a formidable force that can clinch the game if left unchecked.
Resource Acceleration: While not providing direct resource acceleration, Goblin Razerunners synergizes well with land-centric decks that ramp quickly. Its ability to capitalize on extra lands translates into increased power and damage output, essentially converting excess lands into a valuable offensive resource.
Instant Speed: Although Goblin Razerunners itself is not an instant, its ability to deal damage to any target can be activated at instant speed. This flexibility allows you to wait until the most tactically advantageous moment to strike, be it disrupting an opponent’s combo or removing a key creature during combat.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Goblin Razerunners require sacrificing a land to activate one of its key abilities. This action can set you back in terms of land development, especially during critical moments in the game when mana availability is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a very specific mana investment of two red and two generic mana. It’s not flexible, which could be restrictive for multi-color decks or those that rely on a smoother mana curve.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, there are competing creatures and spells in the four-cost slot that might provide more immediate impact on the board or offer more versatile abilities at a lower opportunity cost.
Reasons to Include Goblin Razerunners in Your Collection
Versatility: Goblin Razerunners offers flexibility, integrating well into decks that thrive on increasing creature power and executing direct damage. Its ability to grow with landfall and act as a damage dealer makes it a dual-threat on the battlefield.
Combo Potential: This card has excellent synergy with strategies revolving around sacrifice and land play. When combined with cards that allow you to drop multiple lands or return lands to hand, you can quickly escalate its power and utilize its ability to eliminate key threats or close games.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creatures reign supreme, the ability to use Goblin Razerunners as both a scalable threat and a removal option can be incredibly valuable. It can disrupt opponent plays by threatening to take out high-value targets, making it a timely addition to your arsenal.
How to beat
Goblin Razerunners serve as a formidable force in any MTG match, with the capacity to grow in strength every time a land enters the battlefield. Its power level can skyrocket over the course of a game, making it a target that demands a quick and efficient response. To prevail against this card, one should consider removal spells that can eliminate it regardless of its size. Spells like Path to Exile or Murder can dispatch it before the counters grow out of control.
Another strategy involves limiting the Razerunners’ capacity to accumulate counters. Hand disruption methods such as Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek can remove the Razerunners from the equation before it even enters the field. Counter spells are also highly effective; making sure your opponent never gets a chance to cast it can ensure the Razerunners never become a threat. Additionally, land destruction can indirectly weaken this card’s potential by hindering the landfall trigger.
Ultimately, the key to overcoming this card is not letting it establish dominance. Whether that means taking it out early, disrupting your opponent’s hand, or countering its summoning, a proactive approach is essential in preventing Goblin Razerunners from taking over the game.
Cards like Goblin Razerunners
Goblin Razerunners is a unique creature card that offers both aggressive and utility dimensions to MTG decks. In the same family of monster cards, we can look at Siege-Gang Commander as another goblin-focused card that offers a similar impact on the board. It creates multiple goblin tokens upon entry and can also sacrifice goblins to deal damage.
Escorting the Razerunners is Krenko, Mob Boss, who excels at rapidly increasing a goblin army. While Krenko doesn’t direct damage upon sacking creatures, the exponential growth of the goblin tokens can be overwhelming for opponents. Both cards leverage the swarm strategy emblematic to goblin decks, but Goblin Razerunners allows for direct damage as a bonus.
Skirk Prospector also shares the sacrifice-for-benefit theme, providing mana acceleration as a trade for goblin lives. Though it doesn’t increase board presence or deal damage like Goblin Razerunners, the mana gained from Skirk Prospector can be invaluable for playing high-cost spells sooner. Each card’s merits shine in different scenarios, making Goblin Razerunners a formidable creature in Magic: The Gathering when used strategically in sync with your deck’s objectives.
Cards similar to Goblin Razerunners by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Goblin Razerunners MTG card by a specific set like Conflux and Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. Goblins, 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 Razerunners and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Goblin Razerunners Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2009-02-06 and 2022-02-18. Illustrated by Raymond Swanland.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2009-02-06 | Conflux | CON | 64 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland | |
| 2 | 2017-10-24 | Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. Goblins | DDT | 47 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland | |
| 3 | 2018-06-08 | Battlebond | BBD | 179 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland | |
| 4 | 2022-02-18 | Neon Dynasty Commander | NEC | 106 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Goblin Razerunners has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Goblin Razerunners card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2009-02-01 | If Goblin Razerunners leaves the battlefield after its ability triggers but before it resolves, the amount of damage it deals is equal to the number of +1/+1 counters that were on it as it last existed on the battlefield. |
| 2009-02-01 | You don't count how many +1/+1 counters are on Goblin Razerunners until its triggered ability resolves. |
