Goblin Hero MTG Card

The Dark (DRK)
1994-08-01 - Number 66

Fifth Edition (5ED)
1997-03-24 - Number 235

Goblin Hero - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)

Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
1999-04-21 - Number 184

Starter 1999 (S99)
1999-07-01 - Number 103

Card sets	Released in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Goblin
Power	2
Toughness	2

Key Takeaways

Goblin Hero enhances board presence, contributing to strategic card advantage in goblin-based decks.
It leverages synergies for rapid board development, despite lacking direct resource acceleration.
Though valuable, Goblin Hero’s specific mana needs and discard mechanic may limit deck diversity.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Goblin Hero card is a key player in the red zone for drawing enemy fire away from your more valuable goblins. Its presence helps maintain your board presence, keeping your hand stocked with feisty goblins. When packed with card draw spells or abilities, this goblin can definitely aid in sustaining a crucial card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Although the Goblin Hero itself may not directly provide resource acceleration, it often plays well in decks focused on ramping up quickly. Synergies with goblin-centric artifacts and sorceries allow you to muster an overwhelming force before your opponent is ready, paving the way for a tide of quick and devastating attacks.

Instant Speed: While Goblin Hero doesn’t operate at instant speed, its low mana cost means you can keep your options open. This allows you to deploy other instant speed interactions on your opponent’s turn without significantly setting back your board development, knowing you can still summon a sturdy goblin warrior once it’s your turn to shine.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Goblin Hero demands that you discard a card to activate its abilities. This prerequisite can deplete your hand and may not always be an ideal play, especially if you’re holding key pieces you need for later turns.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both red mana and generic mana, Goblin Hero’s cost may not seamlessly fit into multi-colored decks. This need for a specific mana type can restrict the card’s versatility across various deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Goblin Hero comes with a mana cost that could be considered steep for its offered stats and abilities. When building your deck, you might find other creatures or spells that provide more value or strategic advantages for a similar or lesser investment of mana resources.

Reasons to Include Goblin Hero in Your Collection

Versatility: Goblin Hero stands out for its ability to seamlessly integrate into various tribal decks, particularly those designed around goblins which are popular in multiple formats of the game.

Combo Potential: This card works well with other goblins, enabling synergies that lead to powerful combo plays, like accelerating board state with additional goblins for a more aggressive game strategy.

Meta-Relevance: In environments that favor aggressive tactics, Goblin Hero could serve as a reliable creature, adding to the dynamics and strength of red deck strategies that dominate such metas.

How to beat

Goblin Hero, a classic creature from Magic: The Gathering, brings strength to the horde with its notable power. As a card that has stood the test of time in various goblin decks, overcoming it requires a strategic approach. To effectively counter Goblin Hero, consider utilizing removal spells that can target creatures with its power level, ensuring it’s off the board before its numbers become overwhelming.

Board wipes are particularly useful against Goblin Hero, as they clear away multiple creatures at once, including any goblin tokens that may have been generated. Spot removal also comes in handy, with spells like Path to Exile and Fatal Push offering low-cost solutions to dealing with such threats. It’s also beneficial to control the pace of the game by limiting the goblin synergy that cards like Goblin Hero thrive on, thereby reducing their impact. Remember, anticipating the play and having the right answers in your hand can make all the difference when you’re up against the artful aggression of goblin decks.

In multiplayer games, forming temporary alliances can also tip the balance in your favor, sharing the burden of taking down the Goblin Hero. Proper deck preparation and card choice are key to ensure you have the upper hand when facing this iconic MTG card.

Cards like Goblin Hero

Goblin Hero stands as a classic creature within the vast universe of Goblin-themed cards in Magic: The Gathering. As a simple creature, it shares common ground with the likes of Goblin Raider, another vanilla creature that offers straightforward aggression without any additional abilities. Both provide the ease of casting and reliable creature stats that some decks are built around.

However, looking at the larger Goblin card pool, comparable picks like Goblin Berserker offer a slightly different twist with the menace ability, making it harder to block and potentially more threatening in the right situations. Goblin Hero’s lack of special abilities can sometimes be seen as a downside compared to other options.

When evaluating Goblin Hero against its kin, cards like Raging Goblin exemplify how speed can be crucial, being a 1/1 with haste, able to swing in much earlier in the game. Despite this, Goblin Hero’s stronger stats could make it a better choice in matchups where early-game board presence is key. Ultimately, Goblin Hero finds its position in MTG as a solid, if not particularly flashy, member of the Goblin tribe, fitting well into certain strategies that value a more sturdy early-game creature.

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

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Balduvian Barbarians - MTG Card versions

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Mudbutton Torchrunner - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Goblin Hero MTG card by a specific set like The Dark and Fifth Edition, 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 Hero and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Goblin Hero Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 1994-08-01 and 1999-07-01. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1994-08-01	The Dark	DRK	66	1993	Normal	Black	Mark Tedin
2	1997-03-24	Fifth Edition	5ED	235	1997	Normal	White	Pete Venters
3	1999-04-21	Classic Sixth Edition	6ED	184	1997	Normal	White	Pete Venters
4	1999-07-01	Starter 1999	S99	103	1997	Normal	White	Pete Venters