Goblin Heelcutter MTG Card

The card disrupts opponents by preventing blocks, which can be seen as an indirect form of card advantage. Dash ability provides instant-speed play, ensuring flexibility and surprising turns in gameplay. Mana cost considerations are crucial; the card favors decks with a heavy red mana source.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Goblin Berserker
Abilities	Dash
Released	2015-01-23
Set symbol
Set name	Fate Reforged
Set code	FRF
Power	3
Toughness	2
Number	102
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jesper Ejsing

Text of card

Whenever Goblin Heelcutter attacks, target creature can't block this turn. Dash (You may cast this spell for its dash cost. If you do, it gains haste, and it's returned from the battlefield to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.)

Cards like Goblin Heelcutter

Goblin Heelcutter is a dynamic force in the array of aggressive creatures within Magic: The Gathering. It echoes the pulse of cards like Ember Hauler with its aggressive stance, yet it stands out with its unique ability to temporarily negate an opponent’s blocker for a turn with its dash cost, creating immediate pressure. While Ember Hauler offers a different kind of utility with its damage dealing death trigger, Goblin Heelcutter ensures critical unblocked attacks.

Another similar creature card is Raging Goblin, which, like our Heelcutter, is valued for its haste feature, allowing for quick hits. However, what makes Goblin Heelcutter preferable is its larger body and the aforementioned disruptive ability, giving it more than just raw speed. Then there’s the comparison with Frenzied Goblin, and while both belong to the same family, Goblin Heelcutter provides a broader control by affecting the opponent’s entire line-up versus Frenzied Goblin’s target-specific influence.

Ultimately, in the realm of goblin aggro, Goblin Heelcutter asserts its position by blending speed with tactical board control, a combination that can be pivotal in turning the tides of a match in Magic: The Gathering.

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Goblin Heelcutter doesn’t traditionally provide direct card drawing abilities but instead offers a strategic edge by disrupting your opponent’s plans. By preventing a blocker from engaging, this could translate into a form of card advantage by maintaining your board presence and potentially eliminating an opponent’s creature through combat.

Resource Acceleration: While the Goblin Heelcutter itself doesn’t directly ramp your mana resources, its ability to make your opponent’s creature unable to block can lead to faster games. This indirect acceleration may result in preserving your resources and spells for decisive turns, thus giving you a better position in the race to deploy threats.

Instant Speed: The dash ability allows you to play Goblin Heelcutter at instant-speed levels of interaction. You can keep your mana open for other instant-speed interactions and choose to play the Heelcutter only if it’s optimal during the combat phase, catching opponents off guard and maximizing your turn efficiently.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For Goblin Heelcutter, while there is no literal discard cost, there’s an indirect one. Utilizing its Dash ability means you’re effectively ‘discarding’ it from the battlefield back to your hand at the end of turn, losing any additional investments made during the turn such as buffs or equipment.

Specific Mana Cost: Goblin Heelcutter requires both generic and red mana to play, with its Dash cost demanding purely red mana. This can hinder deck-building flexibility as it requires a commitment to red mana sources, potentially restricting its inclusion to mono-red or two-color decks where red is heavily emphasized.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a mana value of 3 for its main effect, and an additional red mana each turn for its Dash ability, Goblin Heelcutter’s cost is relatively steep. Considering other creatures or spells with impactful battlefield presence or immediate damage-dealing effects might provide greater value or versatility for the same or less resource investment.

Reasons to Include Goblin Heelcutter in Your Collection

Versatility: Goblin Heelcutter is a flexible choice that can be incorporated into a variety of aggressive red decks. Its dash ability allows you to surprise opponents with an additional attacker when they least expect it.

Combo Potential: Thanks to its ability to prevent a creature from blocking, this card pairs well with strategies emphasizing unblocked attackers. This can be quite powerful when combined with cards that trigger upon dealing combat damage to a player.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where tempo plays a crucial role, Goblin Heelcutter’s ability to disrupt an opponent’s defense can turn the tide in your favor, making it particularly useful in a meta with creature-based decks.

How to beat

Goblin Heelcutter is a card that commands attention on the battlefield with its formidable ability to disrupt your opponent’s defenses in Magic: The Gathering. Its dashing ability makes it a flexible threat, capable of swooping in unexpectedly and disabling an opponent’s creature from blocking for a turn.

Despite its strengths, overcoming this card is indeed feasible. Key strategies involve keeping a tight control over the board with removal spells ready to eliminate the Heelcutter before it declares an attack. Countering it on-cast with spells like Negate can also prevent it from affecting the battlefield at all. Additionally, ensuring a surplus of blocking creatures can offset the disadvantage of one being rendered unable to block. Creatures with vigilance are particularly effective, as they’re always on guard regardless of whether they’ve attacked.

Remember, while Goblin Heelcutter can shift the tides in a single combat phase, its impact can be mitigated with careful planning and by maintaining board control. The game often hinges on smart tactical decisions, and preparing for threats like the Heelcutter is a testament to a player’s foresight and adaptability in MTG.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Goblin Heelcutter MTG card by a specific set like Fate Reforged, 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 Heelcutter and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Goblin Heelcutter has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2014-11-24	If a creature enters the battlefield as a copy of or becomes a copy of a creature whose dash cost was paid, the copy won’t have haste and won’t be returned to its owner’s hand.
2014-11-24	If you choose to pay the dash cost rather than the mana cost, you’re still casting the spell. It goes on the stack and can be responded to and countered. You can cast a creature spell for its dash cost only when you otherwise could cast that creature spell. Most of the time, this means during your main phase when the stack is empty.
2014-11-24	If you pay the dash cost to cast a creature spell, that card will be returned to its owner’s hand only if it’s still on the battlefield when its triggered ability resolves. If it dies or goes to another zone before then, it will stay where it is.
2014-11-24	You don’t have to attack with the creature with dash unless another ability says you do.