Goblin Chirurgeon MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Goblin Shaman
Power 0
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Goblin Chirurgeon safeguards goblins, turning losses into strategic defensive maneuvers on the battlefield.
  2. The card’s ability to regenerate at instant speed makes it a valuable asset in responsive play during combat.
  3. It may restrict deck building to goblin-focused or red-inclusive strategies due to specific mana requirements.

Text of card

: Sacrifice a Goblin to regenerate a target creature.

The Chirurgeons patched up their fallen comrades with a gruesome mix of twisted limbs and mangled flesh.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: This nifty creature offers a powerful advantage by saving essential goblins from potential threats. Playing Goblin Chirurgeon can feel like expanding your army since it effectively prevents the loss of your key goblin pieces.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly impacting mana resources, the Chirurgeon can indirectly accelerate your board presence. By sacrificing one goblin, you keep another, potentially more valuable goblin in the game. This maintains pressure and momentum, possibly leading to faster victories.

Instant Speed: Goblin Chirurgeon’s ability to regenerate other goblins at instant speed is a strategic asset. You can respond to your opponent’s actions, making it a formidable tool for protecting your goblins from surprise removals or unfavorable blocks during combat.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Goblin Chirurgeon is the necessity to sacrifice another Goblin creature to activate its ability. This prerequisite can deplete your board presence, especially in scenarios where your Goblin population is sparse, hampering your offense and board development.

Specific Mana Cost: Goblin Chirurgeon requires red mana for its activation which makes it less flexible outside mono-red or red-inclusive decks. While this cost aligns with its tribe’s identity, it does mean that the card might not be a viable option for decks that operate on a wider color spectrum.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Goblin Chirurgeon itself is cheap to cast, the cost of continually using its ability can be high over time. Consistently sacrificing creatures as a cost to regenerate others might save key pieces but can leave you at a disadvantage in terms of maintaining a formidable presence to pressure the opponent.


Reasons to Include Goblin Chirurgeon in Your Collection

Versatility: Goblin Chirurgeon offers a useful ability to protect valuable creatures on the battlefield. Its sacrifice mechanic serves as an effective shield against removal spells or combat casualties, blending into strategies that can easily replenish or make use of the sacrificed goblins.

Combo Potential: Within decks that capitalize on the death of creatures or the generation of tokens, Goblin Chirurgeon can be a linchpin. It allows for controlled activation of death triggers while keeping key creatures in play, potentially leading to powerful chain reactions.

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, the ability to safeguard pivotal creatures becomes increasingly crucial. In metas where control and removal are prevalent, Goblin Chirurgeon’s presence deters opponents from targeting your important goblins, making it a resilient addition to various deck builds.


How to Beat Goblin Chirurgeon

Goblin Chirurgeon stands out in MTG as a low-cost creature with a unique ability to protect your other creatures. Its singular skill allows players to sacrifice another Goblin to regenerate a different creature. This means that it can effectively make your key creatures almost indestructible as long as you control another Goblin to sacrifice.

To effectively counter it, one should consider removal spells that don’t destroy but rather exile or bounce creatures to their owner’s hand. Directly targeting the Chirurgeon with such a spell can bypass the regeneration capability. Additionally, spells that apply a wide-reaching effect, such as board wipes or those that prevent activations like Cursed Totem or Linvala, Keeper of Silence, can be extremely effective. Utilizing these strategies will prevent your opponent from leveraging the regenerative advantage that Goblin Chirurgeon provides, shifting the battlefield in your favor.

By adapting your deck to include targeted exile spells or global disruptions, you can efficiently tackle the resilience that the Goblin Chirurgeon brings to the table and maintain control of the game. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of key cards is crucial, and in this case, disabling the ability or removing the threat entirely is the key to success.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG requires not just knowledge of your cards, but also an understanding of how to counteract them. Goblin Chirurgeon offers a distinctive edge in gameplay, saving crucial goblins and utilizing sacrifice strategies effectively. However, knowing its vulnerabilities can be just as important. As you refine your collection and deck strategies, consider how cards like Goblin Chirurgeon can impact your game plan and the ways to defend against them. Dive deeper into the art of MTG with us, explore diverse tactics, and discover how to elevate your deck’s performance. Enhance your gameplay journey—learn more and outplay the competition.


Cards like Goblin Chirurgeon

Goblin Chirurgeon is a unique fixture in the tapestry of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. It shares some conceptual ground with other protective creatures like Mogg Raider, which also allows you to sacrifice a Goblin to give another creature a temporary boon. Yet, Goblin Chirurgeon stands out with its ability to regenerate any target creature in exchange for sacrificing a Goblin, a mechanism providing a strong defense against removal spells.

Looking at Skirk Prospector, we notice it too permits the sacrifice of Goblins, but for a burst of mana rather than creature regeneration. Such an exchange can be crucial for accelerating gameplay, but doesn’t offer the same protective strategy as Goblin Chirurgeon. Meanwhile, Goblin Sledder operates similarly to Mogg Raider, allowing the sacrifice of a Goblin to beef up another creature, a simple yet effective tactic in the heat of battle.

Comparing these options, Goblin Chirurgeon excels in its role as a guardian within Goblin-themed decks, its ability to prevent key creatures from hitting the graveyard offering a distinct and robust defense mechanism that can be pivotal in the course of a game.

Mogg Raider - MTG Card versions
Skirk Prospector - MTG Card versions
Goblin Sledder - MTG Card versions
Mogg Raider - Tempest (TMP)
Skirk Prospector - Onslaught (ONS)
Goblin Sledder - Onslaught (ONS)

Cards similar to Goblin Chirurgeon by color, type and mana cost

Goblin Balloon Brigade - MTG Card versions
Hurr Jackal - MTG Card versions
Primordial Ooze - MTG Card versions
Gorilla Shaman - MTG Card versions
Goblin Swine-Rider - MTG Card versions
Mons's Goblin Raiders - MTG Card versions
Orcish Conscripts - MTG Card versions
Mountain Goat - MTG Card versions
Roc Hatchling - MTG Card versions
Jackal Pup - MTG Card versions
Flailing Soldier - MTG Card versions
Branded Brawlers - MTG Card versions
Scarred Puma - MTG Card versions
Mogg Fanatic - MTG Card versions
Grim Lavamancer - MTG Card versions
Kessig Wolfrider - MTG Card versions
Goblin Guide - MTG Card versions
Skirk Prospector - MTG Card versions
Crazed Goblin - MTG Card versions
Akki Avalanchers - MTG Card versions
Goblin Balloon Brigade - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Hurr Jackal - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Primordial Ooze - Chronicles (CHR)
Gorilla Shaman - Alliances (ALL)
Goblin Swine-Rider - Visions (VIS)
Mons's Goblin Raiders - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Orcish Conscripts - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Mountain Goat - Portal (POR)
Roc Hatchling - Weatherlight (WTH)
Jackal Pup - The List (PLST)
Flailing Soldier - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Branded Brawlers - Prophecy (PCY)
Scarred Puma - Invasion (INV)
Mogg Fanatic - Tenth Edition (10E)
Grim Lavamancer - Torment (TOR)
Kessig Wolfrider - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
Goblin Guide - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Skirk Prospector - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Crazed Goblin - Darksteel (DST)
Akki Avalanchers - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Goblin Chirurgeon MTG card by a specific set like Fallen Empires and Fallen Empires, 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 Chirurgeon and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Goblin Chirurgeon Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1994-11-01 and 2007-09-10. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11994-11-01Fallen EmpiresFEM 54a1993normalblackDaniel Gelon
21994-11-01Fallen EmpiresFEM 54c1993normalblackDan Frazier
31994-11-01Fallen EmpiresFEM 54b1993normalblackPhil Foglio
42007-09-10Masters EditionME1 941997normalblackDan Frazier

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Goblin Chirurgeon has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Goblin Chirurgeon card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2004-10-04 Can sacrifice itself.
2007-09-16 Can also regenerate itself. If it sacrifices itself in an attempt to regenerate itself, the ability won’t resolve for having an illegal target.

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