Goblin Fireleaper MTG Card
2023-06-23 - Number 133
2023-06-23 - Number 584
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Goblin Warrior |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Key Takeaways
- Goblin Fireleaper’s instant speed and damage-dealing abilities offer strategic combat and timing advantages.
- It’s a versatile card, fitting well in aggressive strategies and rapid damage-based decks in MTG.
- While strong, its discard requirement and specific mana cost can limit your deck-building flexibility.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Goblin Fireleaper MTG card by a specific set like The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth and The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, 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 Fireleaper 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
Text of card
: Goblin Fireleaper gets +1/+0 until end of turn. When Goblin Fireleaper dies, it deals damage equal to its power to target creature an opponent controls.
"Let us hope that fire now lies between us and pursuit. Come! There is no time to lose." —Gandalf
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Goblin Fireleaper boasts a remarkable ability to tweak the field to your favor. With its potential to deal damage to either the opponent or their creatures, it can set the stage for gaining card advantage. Additionally, if the card belongs to a deck that synergizes with goblins or direct damage, the Fireleaper can be a cornerstone for assembling the pieces needed for an overwhelming board presence.
Resource Acceleration: One of the more understated elements of the Goblin Fireleaper is its ability to contribute to resource acceleration. Although not directly providing additional mana, its low casting cost and potential for dealing damage to players can lead to faster activation of spectacle or bloodthirst, propelling you ahead by enabling higher cost spells sooner than usual, or leveraging cost-reduction mechanics that depend on life total.
Instant Speed: The utility of Goblin Fireleaper extends to its timing flexibility. Its activated ability can be employed at instant speed, thus allowing you strategic advantages during the combat phase or at the end of your opponent’s turn. This instant speed interaction means you’re never at a loss for options, being able to adapt to on-board threats accordingly or bluff having other responses in hand, keeping your adversaries guessing.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Goblin Fireleaper necessitates discarding a card, which can be detrimental when you’re struggling to maintain card advantage or when each card in hand is pivotal for your strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: This card’s mana cost requires red mana, which can be restrictive for multicolored decks that need a more flexible mana base to operate efficiently.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that’s significant for the effect provided, the Goblin Fireleaper could be considered less mana-efficient compared to other options within the same mana range that might bring more power or versatility to the battlefield.
Reasons to Include Goblin Fireleaper in Your Collection
Versatility: The Goblin Fireleaper brings flexibility to any deck, fitting seamlessly into aggressive strategies as well as providing an early threat that can escalate if not addressed.
Combo Potential: Thanks to its ability to deal damage when it leaps, this creature can synergize with decks that capitalize on direct damage or creature-based strategies, enhancing your board presence and pressure on the opponent.
Meta-Relevance: In gameplay where swiftness can outpace more cumbersome setups, the Goblin Fireleaper shines, potentially disrupting your opponent’s early game plans and adapting well to fast-paced metagames.
How to beat
The Goblin Fireleaper makes a splash in the realm of aggressive creatures in Magic: The Gathering, offering quick damage potential. Yet, despite its prowess, overcoming this card is a matter of strategic planning. Start by recognizing its weakness in toughness. Often, a simple removal spell or a creature with enough toughness to withstand its initial assault can neutralize the threat. Another tactic is to engage in favorable trades during combat, taking advantage of the fact that the Fireleaper can’t withstand much damage.
Ensnaring this hasty adversary could also stem from utilizing instant-speed interaction spells that disrupt its ability to leap into the fray effectively. Alternatively, playing defensively by putting up creatures with “reach” or those that can block flying creatures negates the Fireleaper’s airborne advantage, ensuring your life total stays secure. If you’re looking to sidestep direct confrontation, employing life-gain strategies can also outpace the damage this goblin inflicts, leaving your opponent’s aggressive strategy starved for momentum.
Overall, while the Goblin Fireleaper can catch players off-guard, adapting your play to include solid blocking creatures, efficient removal, or life-gain elements allows you to often come out unscathed and maintain the upper hand against this fiery adversary.
Cards like Goblin Fireleaper
The Goblin Fireleaper brings a unique blend of agility and damage to the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. Its parallels can be drawn with other goblin cards like the Foundry Street Denizen, which also thrives on the presence of fellow goblins to boost its power. Goblin Fireleaper, however, boasts an innate ability to leap over blockers and strike directly, setting it apart from the ground-bound Denizen.
Exploring further within the goblin card pool, we encounter the Raging Goblin. It’s a comparable one-drop creature that matches the Fireleaper in haste but falls short in its inability to evade defenders. Meanwhile, Goblin Guide stands as a premium creature with similar haste attributes but brings additional utility by providing potential land cards to your opponent, a strategic element absent in the Fireleaper’s straightforward assault.
Each of these cards caters to different strategies within MTG’s goblin archetypes, yet Goblin Fireleaper’s distinctive direct-hitting feature provides players with a specific answer to a board filled with blockers. Its role in aggressive goblin decks emphasizes speed and evasion, carving a niche that few other goblins can duplicate.
Cards similar to Goblin Fireleaper by color, type and mana cost
Printings
The Goblin Fireleaper Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-06-23 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by Javier Charro.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 133 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Javier Charro | |
| 2 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 584 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Javier Charro |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Goblin Fireleaper has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Goblin Fireleaper card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-06-16 | To determine the amount of damage it deals, use Goblin Fireleaper's power as it last existed on the battlefield, not its power in the graveyard. |