Goblin Dark-Dwellers MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Goblin
Abilities Menace
Power 4
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Delivers remarkable card advantage by granting a free instant or sorcery cast from the graveyard.
  2. Indirectly accelerates resources, saving mana that can be utilized to advance the game.
  3. Demands a significant red mana investment, which can challenge deck construction flexibility.

Text of card

Menace When Goblin Dark-Dwellers enters the battlefield, you may cast target instant or sorcery card with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard without paying its mana cost. If that spell would be put into your graveyard, exile it instead.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: When Goblin Dark-Dwellers enters the battlefield, you may cast target instant or sorcery card with a converted mana cost of 3 or less from your graveyard without paying its mana cost. This ability offers a substantial upside by potentially generating a two-for-one, allowing you to benefit from a previously played card once again without any additional cost.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing resource acceleration like the creation of Treasure tokens, Goblin Dark-Dwellers can indirectly accelerate your resources. By recasting a ramp spell for free, you’re effectively saving mana that can be used elsewhere, thus speeding up your game plan and outpacing your opponent.

Instant Speed: While Goblin Dark-Dwellers itself doesn’t have flash, the ability to cast an instant from your graveyard at no cost as it enters the battlefield can give you an unforeseen edge. This opens up strategies where you can disrupt your opponent’s plays during their turn, provided the right instant is in the graveyard ready to be unleashed.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Goblin Dark-Dwellers don’t have an innate discard requirement but its synergy with discard-driven decks might tempt players to offload valuable cards. This can be particularly problematic if your deck lacks sufficient draw power or recursion strategies to mitigate the loss.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature requires a precise red mana commitment within its casting cost. Having three red mana symbols in its cost can be restrictive for multi-colored decks, often necessitating a heavier investment in red mana sources or fixing cards to ensure its playability on curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, Goblin Dark-Dwellers comes at a point in the game where players will expect a high impact play. Despite its potential to provide value by casting an instant or sorcery from the graveyard without paying its mana cost, there are other options in this mana range that may offer more immediate board presence or have lower casting requirements.


Reasons to Include Goblin Dark-Dwellers in Your Collection

Versatility: Goblin Dark-Dwellers bring flexibility to red-based decks. With their ability to cast an instant or sorcery card with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard without paying its mana cost, they can adapt to various game situations. This can mean anything from a well-timed removal spell to another opportunity to draw cards or disrupt opponents’ plans.

Combo Potential: They have great synergy with cards that benefit from casting spells. Whether it’s triggering prowess on creatures or reaping the rewards from cards like Young Pyromancer, Goblin Dark-Dwellers can generate significant value and turn the tide of a game when combined with the right deck components.

Meta-Relevance: As the game’s landscape constantly shifts, Goblin Dark-Dwellers remain a solid choice in many red or multicolor decks. Their inherent card advantage can overpower control decks, and their respectable 4/4 body with menace makes them a threat against other midrange decks, keeping them relevant in an ever-changing meta.


How to beat

Goblin Dark-Dwellers present an intriguing challenge on the battlefield. This card, known for its ability to cast an instant or sorcery card from your graveyard without paying its mana cost, can turn the tide of the game if not addressed promptly. To gain the upper hand, consider using graveyard disruption tactics that can remove potential targets before Goblin Dark-Dwellers even enter the battlefield. Cards like Scavenging Ooze are a perfect fit for this strategy, as they can selectively exile important cards from the opponent’s graveyard.

Additionally, counterplay during combat can significantly weaken the value of Goblin Dark-Dwellers. Instant-speed removal spells that can take care of the creature before the triggered ability resolves, like Path to Exile, are essential. This ensures that you won’t be facing the repercussions of a replayed high-impact spell. It’s also worth noting that Goblin Dark-Dwellers cannot cast spells with higher converted mana cost, so playing around this limitation can also be advantageous. Strategic planning and proactivity are key in mitigating the card’s potential impact.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastery in MTG is a craft of understanding each card’s potential. Goblin Dark-Dwellers, for instance, require strategic deck building to optimize their ability to cast key instants or sorceries for free from your graveyard, thus presenting an opportunity for a tactful advantage. If you’re fascinated by the nuances of red-based or multicolored decks and intrigued by the ways to maximize card synergy to control the game’s flow, Goblin Dark-Dwellers could significantly enhance your strategy. We invite you to delve deeper into the strategic uses of this compelling card and continue to refine your deck’s performance. Come learn more and bring new depth to your MTG gameplay.


Cards like Goblin Dark-Dwellers

Goblin Dark-Dwellers are a powerful presence on the battlefield, carving out their own niche in MTG’s vast array of creatures. They parallel the utility of Snapcaster Mage in their ability to grant a second life to your sorceries and instants. While the latter allows you to target a broader range of spells due to its lower casting cost, Goblin Dark-Dwellers make up for this with their formidable 4/4 body, ready to tackle opponents.

Another card that echoes this revisitation of the graveyard is Torrential Gearhulk. This artifact creature brings instants back into play with flash, providing a surprise element in your strategy. It is more expensive mana-wise but also rewards players with a larger 5/6 creature. Conversely, Goblin Dark-Dwellers’ potential casting cost reduction through mechanics like emerge gives it a unique angle in deck-building approaches.

Assessing the suite of options for recasting strategies, Goblin Dark-Dwellers stands out for their balanced blend of aggressive stats and strategic recasting potential. In decks that leverage graveyard synergy and appreciate a solid creature, Goblin Dark-Dwellers often fits seamlessly, bringing spells and strength to the table in equal measure.

Snapcaster Mage - MTG Card versions
Torrential Gearhulk - MTG Card versions
Snapcaster Mage - Innistrad (ISD)
Torrential Gearhulk - Kaladesh (KLD)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Goblin Dark-Dwellers MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Oath of the Gatewatch Promos, 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 Dark-Dwellers and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Goblin Dark-Dwellers Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2016-01-22 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 596732015normalblackKarl Kopinski
22016-01-22Oath of the Gatewatch PromosPOGW 1102015normalblackKarl Kopinski
32016-01-22Oath of the GatewatchOGW 1102015normalblackSteven Belledin
42016-01-22Oath of the Gatewatch PromosPOGW 110s2015normalblackSteven Belledin
52020-04-17Commander 2020C20 1532015normalblackSteven Belledin
62021-08-26Jumpstart: Historic HorizonsJ21 4572015normalblackSteven Belledin
72023-06-23Tales of Middle-earth CommanderLTC 2192015normalblackYuriy Chemezov

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Goblin Dark-Dwellers has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2016-01-22 If an instant or sorcery card you cast this way goes to a zone other than exile or a graveyard, perhaps because one of its abilities says to put it into its owner's hand, it won't be exiled. This is true even if the card would be put into a graveyard later that turn.
2016-01-22 If an instant or sorcery card you cast this way is countered, it will be exiled.
2016-01-22 If the instant or sorcery card has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as its value.
2016-01-22 If you can't cast the target instant or sorcery card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, or if you choose not to cast it, it will remain in your graveyard.
2016-01-22 If you cast a card "without paying its mana cost," you can't pay alternative costs such as surge costs. You can pay additional costs. If the card has mandatory additional costs, you must pay those.
2016-01-22 You cast the card during the resolution of the enters-the-battlefield ability, not later in the turn. If it's a sorcery card, ignore the timing restrictions based on it being a sorcery card. Other timing restrictions, such as "Cast
-his card] only during combat," must be followed.

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