Goblin Racketeer MTG Card

Goblin Racketeer can give you card advantage by depleting opponent’s resources during combat. Activation requires card discard, potentially risking valuable hand options and board presence. While mana-intensive, it holds promise for synergy and disruptive potential in red decks.

Goblin Racketeer - Conspiracy: Take the Crown

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Goblin Rogue
Abilities	Goad
Released	2016-08-26
Set symbol
Set name	Conspiracy: Take the Crown
Set code	CN2
Power	4
Toughness	2
Number	53
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Zoltan Boros

Text of card

Whenever Goblin Racketeer attacks, you may goad target creature defending player controls. (Until your next turn, that creature attacks each combat if able and attacks a player other than you if able.)

"It, uh, fell off a cart?"

Cards like Goblin Racketeer

Goblin Racketeer is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering with its own distinctive quirks. It bears a resemblance to other goblin cards like Goblin Piker, both featuring the same mana cost and power/toughness ratio. However, Goblin Racketeer ups the ante with its built-in coin flip mechanism, offering the chance for unpredictability in gameplay.

Another card to consider alongside Goblin Racketeer is Goblin Arsonist. The Arsonist is less expensive, but it also offers a guaranteed effect upon death, dealing damage to any target. This is in contrast to Racketeer’s coin flip that may or may not provide the desired outcome. Mogg Fanatic is a classic comparison, allowing for direct damage without any gambling, though it sacrifices itself in the process.

Ultimately, Goblin Racketeer invites a playstyle that can be both exhilarating and risky, setting it apart from its more predictable cousins in the broader goblin family. It’s a card that may not always deliver consistent results but can potentially swing the game with its chance-based ability.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Goblin Racketeer ensures you stay ahead by often forcing the opponent to discard, effectively dwindling their resources while bolstering your tactical position.

Resource Acceleration: Upon landing a successful hit, this crafty creature lets you pilfer through your library, potentially drawing you into more mana sources or key spells to accelerate your game plan.

Instant Speed: Its conniving ability can be triggered during the combat phase, making it a powerful tool for disrupting your rival’s strategy at pivotal moments and keeping them guessing about your next move.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Goblin Racketeer asks players to discard a card as part of its activation, potentially depleting valuable hand options, particularly when in a tight spot.

Specific Mana Cost: Fixated on a distinct combination of mana, it demands a dedicated deck build to accommodate its red mana needs, which may not fit into a multicolored strategy smoothly.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment needed to bring Goblin Racketeer into play can be steep in comparison to other options in the meta, potentially slowing down your game pace and affecting your mana curve.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Goblin Racketeer offers nuanced plays in various deck builds, pairing well with aggressive strategies or acting as a useful piece in controlling the board and disrupting opponents.

Combo Potential: This card excels in combinations, exploiting the coin flip mechanic to manipulate outcomes, which can turn the tide when paired with effects that double triggers or affect probability.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where small, impactful creatures are key, Goblin Racketeer can shine, especially when early-game decisions have ripple effects throughout a match.

How to beat

The Goblin Racketeer card has made noise in the MTG community as a tricky addition to decks focusing on creating mischief and leveraging the chaos of battle. Its ability to flip coins and potentially turn the tide of a battle is both thrilling and unpredictable. To emerge victorious against this card requires a strategy that mitigates randomness and focuses on control. One effective tactic is implementing removal spells that can directly target and dispose of Goblin Racketeer before its coin flipping ability can impact the game. Another approach is to employ creatures with high toughness, which serve as reliable blockers against Goblin Racketeer’s attacks.

Additionally, preventing the Goblin Racketeer’s coin-flipping trigger by countering the card when it’s played can be a game-changer. Decks with access to blue spells have a suite of counterspells at their disposal, which can ensure that Goblin Racketeer never hits the field. Cards that grant hexproof to your creatures or shroud can also safeguard your board from being affected by its ability. By following these strategies and maintaining a sense of control over the board state, players can dull the mischief of Goblin Racketeer and keep the game in their favor.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Goblin Racketeer MTG card by a specific set like Conspiracy: Take the Crown, 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 Racketeer and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Goblin Racketeer has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2016-08-23	Attacking with a goaded creature doesn’t cause it to stop being goaded. If there is an additional combat phase that turn, or if another player gains control of it before it stops being goaded, it must attack again if able.
2016-08-23	Being goaded isn’t an ability the creature has. Once it’s been goaded, it must attack as detailed above even if it loses all abilities.
2016-08-23	If a creature you control has been goaded by multiple opponents, it must attack one of your opponents that hasn’t goaded it, as that fulfills the maximum number of goad requirements. If a creature you control has been goaded by each of your opponents, you choose which opponent it attacks.
2016-08-23	If the creature doesn’t meet any of the above exceptions and can attack, it must attack a player other than the controller of the spell or ability that goaded it if able. It the creature can’t attack any of those players but could otherwise attack, it must attack an opposing planeswalker (controlled by any opponent) or the player that goaded it.
2016-08-23	If, during a player’s declare attackers step, a creature that player controls that’s been goaded is tapped, is affected by a spell or ability that says it can’t attack, or hasn’t been under that player’s control continuously since the turn began (and doesn’t have haste), then it doesn’t attack. If there’s a cost associated with having a creature attack a player, its controller isn’t forced to pay that cost, so it doesn’t have to attack in that case either.