Goblin MTG Card

Goblins accelerate resources, enabling faster play and overwhelming board presence through synergy and number. Mana specificity and discard effects are downsides, potentially limiting deck diversity and depleting hand resources. Goblin cards add versatility and combo potential to any MTG collection, being a stable force in various metas.
Card setsReleased in 58 setsSee all
TypeToken Creature — Goblin
Power 1
Toughness 1
Un-set :-)This card is part of an Un-set

Cards like Goblin

Goblin cards hold a unique place in the Magic: The Gathering universe, often recognized for their aggressive play style and synergistic tribal mechanics. A card like Goblin Guide stands out among its peers for its early game dominance, offering a hasty attack and a potential drawback for its controller that gives the opponent land advantage. This creature compares to the likes of Monastery Swiftspear, which while lacking the goblin synergy, brings prowess into play, rewarding players for casting noncreature spells.

Looking at tribal synergy, Legion Loyalist is another card often weighed against goblins. It’s an early drop like Goblin Guide, but it packs a different punch with battalion, giving your creatures first strike and trample if you attack with enough of them. Lastly, we can’t discuss goblins without mentioning the quintessential Goblin King. This lord elevates the entire tribe, giving other Goblin creatures a much-needed boost in power and the sometimes-clutch benefit of mountainwalk, making them unblockable as long as the opponent has mountains.

Individual strengths and the interplay between these cards solidify the position of goblin cards as central pieces in aggressive MTG decks, shining both in tribal formats and in decks that capitalize on fast, synergistic play styles.

Goblin Guide - MTG Card versions
Monastery Swiftspear - MTG Card versions
Legion Loyalist - MTG Card versions
Goblin King - MTG Card versions
Goblin Guide - MTG Card versions
Monastery Swiftspear - MTG Card versions
Legion Loyalist - MTG Card versions
Goblin King - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Goblin cards often enable drawing extra cards or efficient looting, giving players the upper hand by increasing their available options.

Resource Acceleration: Many Goblin cards tap for mana or reduce the cost of other Goblin spells, propelling you ahead by ramping up your available resources rapidly.

Instant Speed: Some Goblin spells or abilities can be used at instant speed, allowing for strategic plays during an opponent’s turn and providing unexpected surprises that can swing the game in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Some goblin cards necessitate discarding other cards, which can deplete your hand and reduce your options, especially if your strategy depends on a full grip of cards.

Specific Mana Cost: Goblins often require red mana. This limits their integration in decks that don’t focus on red or aren’t designed to produce multiple mana colors efficiently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Certain powerful goblin cards come with a steep mana cost. This can slow down your gameplay since you may have to wait longer to summon these creatures compared to other tribes with lower mana requirements.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Goblin cards offer a broad spectrum of effects that can adapt to numerous play styles, ranging from aggressive red swarm strategies to disruptive means of control. Their low mana cost also allows them to be easily included in various decks.

Combo Potential: Goblins are famed for their synergistic relationships with other cards. They can enhance strategies revolving around massive board presence or sacrifice mechanics, making them the linchpin for explosive plays.

Meta-Relevance: Given their speed and ability to quickly overwhelm opponents, Goblin cards persist as a formidable force across different metas. They excel in an environment rich with slower, less interactive decks, allowing players to clinch games early on.

How to beat

Within the dynamic world of Magic: The Gathering, goblin cards often strike by swarming opponents with numbers and overwhelming them with rapid, aggressive plays. Tackling such tactics requires a specific strategy. A proficient approach to disrupt the goblin momentum is to employ early board wipes, such as ‘Sweltering Suns’ or ‘Anger of the Gods’, eradicating multiple goblin creatures in a single stroke. Cards like ‘Essence Scatter’ can counter key goblin spells, preventing them from ever hitting the battlefield.

Another tactic is to use removal spells that excel against creatures with low toughness. ‘Fatal Push’ and ‘Lightning Bolt’ efficiently dispose of individual goblins before they can pose a greater threat. Furthermore, exploiting their general lack of card advantage, it’s beneficial to pace yourself and manage resources effectively. This means holding back until you can play threats they cannot easily answer or match, such as bigger creatures with superior stats or abilities that dwarf the menacing goblin hordes.

In essence, patience and the right removal arsenal are your best weapons against the onslaught of a goblin deck in MTG. Containing their early game and keeping the board clear is key; once you’ve stabilized, the goblins often struggle to reclaim the lead.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Goblin MTG card by a specific set like Unglued and Magic Player Rewards 2003, 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 and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Goblin Magic the Gathering card was released in 55 different sets between 1998-08-11 and 2024-06-14. Illustrated by 26 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-08-11UngluedUGL 41997TokenSilverPete Venters
22003-01-01Magic Player Rewards 2003P03 51997TokenBlackDarrell Riche
32007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 42003TokenBlackDave Kendall
42007-11-16Duel Decks: Elves vs. GoblinsDD1 T32003TokenBlackDave Kendall
52008-10-03Shards of AlaraALA 72003TokenBlackBrandon Kitkouski
62009-07-17Magic 2010M10 42003TokenBlackDave Kendall
72010-10-01Scars of MirrodinSOM 32003TokenBlackGoran Josic
82011-04-01Duel Decks: Knights vs. DragonsDDG 12003TokenBlackBrandon Kitkouski
92011-05-13New PhyrexiaNPH 22003TokenBlackJaime Jones
102012-07-13Magic 2013M13 62003TokenBlackKarl Kopinski
112012-10-05Return to RavnicaRTR 62003TokenBlackChristopher Moeller
122013-06-07Modern MastersMMA 102003TokenBlackDave Kendall
132014-07-18Magic 2015M15 82015TokenBlackKarl Kopinski
142014-09-05Duel Decks: Speed vs. CunningDDN 822015TokenBlackKarl Kopinski
152014-09-26Khans of TarkirKTK 72015TokenBlackKev Walker
162014-11-07Commander 2014C14 172015TokenBlackDave Kendall
172014-12-05Duel Decks Anthology: Elves vs. GoblinsEVG 32015TokenBlackDave Kendall
182015-03-27Dragons of TarkirDTK 62015TokenBlackMike Bierek
192015-07-17Magic OriginsORI 62015TokenBlackBrandon Kitkouski
202016-06-10Eternal MastersEMA 102015TokenBlackDave Kendall
212016-08-26Conspiracy: Take the CrownCN2 82015TokenBlackJason A. Engle
222016-11-11Commander 2016C16 122015TokenBlackWayne Reynolds
232016-11-25Planechase AnthologyPCA 112015TokenBlackBrandon Kitkouski
242017-03-17Modern Masters 2017MM3 82015TokenBlackBrandon Kitkouski
252017-03-31Duel Decks: Mind vs. MightDDS 32015TokenBlackDave Kendall
262017-10-24Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. GoblinsDDT 32015TokenBlackKarl Kopinski
272017-12-08UnstableUST 122015TokenSilverDave Allsop
282018-03-16Masters 25A25 92015TokenBlackMike Bierek
292018-04-27DominariaDOM 92015TokenBlackKev Walker
302018-06-08Commander Anthology Volume IICM2 92015TokenBlackDave Kendall
312018-07-13Core Set 2019M19 112015TokenBlackFilip Burburan
322018-10-05Guilds of RavnicaGRN 42015TokenBlackMark Zug
332018-11-02GRN Guild KitGK1 62015Double Faced TokenBlackMark Zug
342018-11-02GRN Guild KitGK1 42015Double Faced TokenBlackMark Zug
352018-11-02GRN Guild KitGK1 32015Double Faced TokenBlackHideaki Takamura
362019-01-25Ravnica AllegianceRNA 42015TokenBlackSvetlin Velinov
372019-02-15RNA Guild KitGK2 62015TokenBlackCarl Critchlow
382019-05-03War of the SparkWAR 142015TokenBlackMark Behm
392019-06-14Modern HorizonsMH1 102015TokenBlackKev Walker
402019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 2192015TokenBlackBrandi Milne
412020-02-29UnsanctionedUND 22015TokenBlackDave Allsop
422021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 82015TokenBlackThomas M. Baxa
432021-06-18Modern Horizons 2MH2 82015TokenBlackKarl Kopinski
442021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten RealmsAFR 122015TokenBlackOriana Menendez
452022-02-18Neon Dynasty CommanderNEC 52015TokenBlackMark Behm
462022-04-01Challenger Decks 2022Q07 T122015Double Faced TokenBlackOriana Menendez
472022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 342015TokenBlackWayne Reynolds
482022-09-09Dominaria UnitedDMU 122015TokenBlackNestor Ossandon Leal
492023-01-13Dominaria RemasteredDMR 72015TokenBlackThomas M. Baxa
502023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be One CommanderONC 112015TokenBlackGoran Josic
512023-04-21March of the Machine CommanderMOC 242015TokenBlackKev Walker
522023-06-23Tales of Middle-earth CommanderLTC 82015TokenBlackZoltan Boros
532023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 272015TokenBlackKarl Kopinski
542023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine Japanese Promo TokensWWOE 42015TokenBlackJim Nelson
552024-01-12Ravnica RemasteredRVR 82015TokenBlackMark Zug
562024-01-12Ravnica RemasteredRVR 92015TokenBlackCarl Critchlow
572024-02-09Murders at Karlov ManorMKM 62015TokenBlackJ.P. Targete
582024-06-14Modern Horizons 3 CommanderM3C 132015TokenBlackKev Walker