Goblin Taskmaster MTG Card

Onslaught (ONS)
2002-10-07 - Number 210

Goblin Taskmaster - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)

World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
2003-08-07 - Number we210

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Goblin
Abilities	Morph
Power	1
Toughness	1

Key Takeaways

Boosts goblin creatures creating a formidable force and indirect card advantage through maintained board presence.
Enables faster gameplay with goblins, offering instant-speed plays and resource acceleration in red-centric decks.
While mana cost and color specificity may limit use, its impact in goblin combos and meta-relevant strategies is significant.

Text of card

o1o R: Target Goblin gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Morph o R (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for o3. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)

For some reason, goblin fighting school isn't as crowded on day two.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Goblin Taskmaster itself doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, its ability to boost your goblin army can lead to an indirect card advantage by maintaining a strong board presence that is harder to wipe out.

Resource Acceleration: As a facilitator in goblin decks, Goblin Taskmaster can increase the efficiency of your creatures, allowing you to accelerate resource utilization. Though it doesn’t produce mana or tokens, its ability to enhance other creatures can result in a faster buildup, putting pressure on opponents.

Instant Speed: Although Goblin Taskmaster’s power lies in its static ability, it helps enable instant-speed plays by giving your goblins a necessary buff during either player’s turn through tribal synergies, enhancing your responsive play potential.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While not directly linked to the Goblin Taskmaster itself, some goblin-oriented strategies might demand a discard, serving a tactical purpose but potentially depleting your hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Goblin Taskmaster can only be activated with red mana, which could restrict its inclusion only in mono-red or red-centric decks, limiting versatility in multicolored deck construction.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: In relation to other one-drop goblins, the Taskmaster’s mana cost is on the higher side for its stat line and the provided tribal boost, potentially slowing down the aggressive goblin strategy.

Reasons to Include Goblin Taskmaster in Your Collection

Versatility: Goblin Taskmaster is a solid choice for aggressive decks, particularly those that focus on the goblin tribal theme. Its ability to boost other goblins makes it a flexible addition that can turn a modest board of goblins into a formidable force.

Combo Potential: With the Taskmaster’s ability to grant other goblins a +1/+0 boost, it works well with cards that produce a large number of goblin tokens, creating a synergy that can overwhelm opponents quickly. It also pairs well with sacrifice effects for additional benefits.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors creature-based strategies, the Goblin Taskmaster shines by empowering your goblin swarm. It’s a card that can adapt to various meta shifts, maintaining relevance as it can be both an aggressive early play and a useful buff in the later stages of a game.

How to beat

Goblin Taskmaster is a notable card for commanders seeking to strengthen their goblin army in Magic: The Gathering. As a creature booster, it holds the potential to shift power dynamics in goblin-focused decks. Similar in intent, yet versatile in application, is a card like Goblin Chieftain, which offers not just a power and toughness boost but also the added advantage of granting haste to your goblin creatures. This immediacy can be crucial in swarming the board and overwhelming the opponent.

When squaring off against Goblin Taskmaster, consider strategies that involve removal spells or board wipes to mitigate the benefit of its pumping ability. Cards like Doom Blade or Wrath of God can prove decisive, erasing the Taskmaster’s influence and setting your opponent back. Moreover, controlling the battlefield early on is essential, as it prevents the Taskmaster from tipping the scales with its tribal enhancements. Decks emphasizing control or direct damage spells are therefore particularly effective in containing goblin threats before they can amass a critical mass and exploit the Taskmaster’s full potential.

In essence, decisively managing the board state and strategic use of removal holds the key to beating Goblin Taskmaster. By disrupting your opponent’s game plan and maintaining control, you nullify the Taskmaster’s potential and keep the tribal tide at bay.

Cards like Goblin Taskmaster

Goblin Taskmaster is an intriguing creature that plays a supportive role in red decks particularly oriented towards goblins. It aligns with other MTG cards like Goblin Warchief, offering a buff to other goblin creatures. While Goblin Taskmaster provides a modest boost in power with its ability to give another goblin +1/+0 until end of turn, Goblin Warchief also reduces the mana cost of goblin spells and grants haste to all other goblins, widening the gap between utility and power.

Goblin Chieftain is another parallel, granting all goblins not only +1/+1 but also haste, amping up the aggression in a goblin swarm strategy. This creates a clear contrast with Goblin Taskmaster, which has a focused, yet less collective impact. Skirk Prospector is a different yet comparable goblin, allowing the conversion of goblins into mana, unlike the Taskmaster’s combat focus. This versatility can be crucial in goblin decks for explosive plays or ramping into more significant threats sooner.

Each of these goblin-centric cards serves a distinct role within their archetype. Although Goblin Taskmaster doesn’t provide the sweeping benefits of some of its kin, its targeted ability can be pivotal in certain situations, making it a card worth considering in goblin-themed decks that prioritize direct combat manipulation.

Cards similar to Goblin Taskmaster by color, type and mana cost

Goblin Balloon Brigade - MTG Card versions

Mons's Goblin Raiders - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Goblin Taskmaster MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught and World Championship Decks 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 Taskmaster and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Goblin Taskmaster Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2002-10-07 and 2003-08-07. Illustrated by Trevor Hairsine.