Goblins are the characteristic creature type of , meaning they show up in just about every set with a wide variety of creatures available each appearance. They've been a part of Magic's history since Alpha, though not necessarily exactly as they always were.

Goblin KingGoblin King wasn't initially a Goblin but rather a Lord, a now-defunct creature type that got phased out in the Grand Creature Type Update. However, unlike something like Dinosaurs which phased in and out of the creature type pool over the years, there were other Goblins in Alpha. And they've never left the game since.

For the entirety of the game's history, these diminutive yet numerous buggers have been running rampant across the battlefield. Often blowing up everything in their path, friend or foe.

With how common they are throughout the multiverse and Magic's sets, they splash into every color, but primarily and . Goblins in particular have their own subtype called boggarts, which while still considered Goblins do have their own internal synergies and subtype expectations revolving around sacrifice and regeneration.

Goblins Are a Resource

Goblin decks are exceptional at flooding the battlefield with creatures. Most importantly, they're cheap and numerous, meaning a given deck can have many different Goblins within it and be limited only by card draw.

Not to mention the various ways Goblins can create other Goblins.

In effect, Goblins are a resource. They're attackers and blockers, sure, but most importantly they are there to be bodies to fuel whatever machine you're trying to run. And Goblins sure do have a large amount of machines to play with.

Artifacts

Goblins are known mechanics, artificers, and tinkerers. Masters of artifacts, both their creation and destruction.

Being so aligned with , Goblins have many in-color support cards that destroy artifacts. But Goblins also have multiple means of destroying, taking, and creating their own artifacts. They even have ways of altering the board state for other opponents' artifacts, like Goblin WelderGoblin Welder swapping an artifact on the battlefield with one from the graveyard.

Easy Fodder

Goblins possess stats that rarely exceed 2/2 or 3/3, with their power in particular being notably low. However, this lends itself towards any strategies that involve a power maximum requirement, such as Raid BombardmentRaid Bombardment.

Further, it reinforces the mentality that each individual Goblin is ultimately expendable. The value of each Goblin pales in comparison to the built-up damage over time they communally can inflict, often at the cost of sacrificing their own.

Them being so low-statted allows for there to be a very easy cost-benefit in terms of deciding which to sacrifice and which to keep.

Meek, Not Mighty

Goblins struggle to gain high power levels, outside of a few notable exceptions. They have a tendency towards 1/1 and 2/1 stat-lines, with a majority of their presence coming from 1/1 Goblin tokens. This sometimes works towards their advantage and there are many ways to increase a Goblin's stats, but you need to work to get them up to a formidable strength.

This, however, is tied to the fact that most Goblins are incredibly inexpensive. Just as they rarely have powers exceeding three, many of them don't have costs exceeding three mana value (MV).

Even though their stats are on the lower side, that's a byproduct of the fact that the vast majority of Goblins aren't designed to be solid combatants. They prefer swarm tactics, aided by their affordability.

All or Nothing

Should Goblins be unable to establish a solid presence in the early game or should they be board wiped in the mid game, there's really not much built-in recovery for them. Certainly, having the mana to play multiple Goblins per turn will allow you to recover, but Goblins thrive off of having too many Goblins, not just enough Goblins.

You'll find the best way to get around this is to hold onto one or two Goblin-generating cards at a time so that you can always bounce back into a small force. And for the early game, allow your Goblins to die and be aggressive but make sure to keep at least a few around. They're not blockers; you can take the early-game swings directly.

They're so your "number of Goblins" remains a healthy number for certain commanders.

Krenko, Mob BossKrenko, Mob Boss

Krenko, Mob BossKrenko, Mob Boss is the fifth most-played commander at the time of this guide's writing. And the reason for that is simple: Krenko produces an obscene amount of Goblins.

Krenko can tap to make X 1/1 Goblins, where X is the number of Goblins you control. This doesn't cost mana. It scales with itself, since every Goblin created increases the value of X. The only major weakness of this is that it creates 1/1s, but Goblins don't care about high stats; they care about volume.

Goblins are a resource and Krenko is one of your most valuable producers of that resource.

Zada, Hedron GrinderZada, Hedron Grinder

Zada, Hedron GrinderZada, Hedron Grinder is a tricky commander, since it's reliant on having a base of Goblins that it can't contribute towards the creation of.

Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery targeting only Zada, you copy that spell for each other creature you control that is a valid target and afflict each of them as well. This means that something as simple as a Storm StrikeStorm Strike might turn Zada and nine 1/1 creatures into Zada and nine 2/1 creatures with first strike.

The value of Zada is maximized when you can build an army of Goblins that then can be pushed forward by key spells.

has no shortage of useful spells to capitalize off of this feature, though this can be pushed further should you run Zada under a multicolored commander. A dip into grants Gift of the ViperGift of the Viper, meaning all of those Goblins suddenly gain deathtouch. Or Adamant WillAdamant Will in to make them all indestructible for the turn.

Wort, Boggart AuntieWort, Boggart Auntie

Wort, Boggart AuntieWort, Boggart Auntie has the now-depreciated keyword fear, meaning it can only be blocked by creatures and artifact creatures. Despite the fact Wort is only a 3/3, that means it can swing unimpeded against a fair few opponents!

However, Wort's largest contribution is the ability to return a Goblin from your graveyard to your hand each upkeep on your turn.

Not only are Goblins easy to kill, you're more than likely going to be sacrificing your Goblins yourself. This means you get more fuel for the fire. And with how cheap they are, you'll be able to play the returned Goblin the same turn it enters your hand.

But also, this means you can reclaim the various centerpiece Goblins that tie all your rabble together, should they be targeted.

Muxus, Goblin GrandeeMuxus, Goblin Grandee

Muxus, Goblin GrandeeMuxus, Goblin Grandee enters the battlefield (ETB) with quite the procession, where you look at the top six cards of your library and put all Goblins with MV of five or less on the battlefield. You don't pay anything, they're not tapped, they just come out for free. And most Goblins will be five MV or less!

Even at his comparatively pricey cost of , with how many Goblins you can include in a deck that will be incredible value. And that's before addressing the main reason Muxus is so useful: every time it attacks, it gets +1/+1 for every other Goblin you control.

This is the "tall" counterpart Krenko's "wide" strategy, where you want to maximize your board presence in order to ensure Muxus gets great bonuses. It's only temporary increases and it has no in-built protection, but that just means your other Goblins are that much more primed to slip your opponents' notice.

Purphoros, God of the ForgePurphoros, God of the Forge

Purphoros, God of the ForgePurphoros, God of the Forge is a God, not a Goblin. Not even a God of Goblins. But certainly a God over what the Goblins hold dear: killing things blisteringly quickly.

Purphoros isn't considered a creature unless your devotion to is five or greater, meaning you need to have at least five symbols in the mana costs of your various permanents. Purphoros itself already has one, so you only need four more.

While the active ability to spend is useful, particularly for your swarm of cheap Goblins where quantity is superior to quality, the real benefit of Purphoros is the ETB effect. Every other creature you have gains an ETB effect where Purphoros deals two damage to each opponent. This hits everyone equally and can repeat multiple times, meaning your rapid-deployment of a Goblin brigade can whittle down even Lifegain decks.

General Kreat, the BoltbringerGeneral Kreat, the Boltbringer

General Kreat, the BoltbringerGeneral Kreat, the Boltbringer is a very flexible commander, in that it both supports its own ability while not being reliant upon it.

Whenever one or more Goblins you control attack, including General Kreat, create a 1/1 Goblin tapped and attacking. And whenever another creature you control enters the battlefield, such as the aforementioned Goblin, General Kreat deals one damage to each opponent.

You have Goblins to play regularly and much like Purphoros this just adds a pinging damage ETB to all of them. It also gives you the ability to ensure you're at least getting a small bit of damage every attack and assists in applying just a bit more pressure with each swing. All for a reasonably-costed commander who you can lose multiple times before it gets too expensive.

Krenko, Tin Street KingpinKrenko, Tin Street Kingpin

Krenko, Tin Street KingpinKrenko, Tin Street Kingpin rides the line of being a "tall" and "wide" commander, given it's reliant both on its own power as well as how many Goblins you have.

It's a classic self-strengthening creature, getting a +1/+1 counter every time it attacks and then creating a number of 1/1 Goblin tokens equal to its power. The first attack that's two 1/1s, then three, then four and so on assuming you don't supplement Krenko's growth with any other power-boosters.

And so long as you cast them before declaring your attack, even temporary power-boosts will affect how many tokens Krenko can make!

There's certainly a pressure to invest a lot into Krenko to maximize Goblin production, but ultimately it's an easy target and doesn't scale quite fast enough to be a solitary Goblin producer without significant support. Focus on building your army around Krenko and enjoy having at least one larger creature while you can hold onto it.

Grenzo, Dungeon WardenGrenzo, Dungeon Warden

Grenzo, Dungeon WardenGrenzo, Dungeon Warden leans into the chaos of Goblins by having an ability that's nearly a gamble. As a part of its costs, you can give it +1/+1 counters. Then for , you can put the bottom card of your library in the graveyard. But if its a creature with power less than or equal to Grenzo's, it goes on the battlefield instead.

With how many Goblins that have less than three power, even casting Grenzo for would pay off handsomely. Of course, having your commander stronger isn't a bad thing, so you should feel comfortable paying as much as you'd like for X.

Just remember that it's diminishing returns for Goblins in particular, so cheaping out on Grenzo is more than acceptable.

Mad AuntieMad Auntie

Mad AuntieMad Auntie gives all of your Goblins +1/+1, which pairs wonderfully with other Goblins such as Goblin ChieftainGoblin Chieftain with the same or similar effects. But the thing that makes Mad Auntie so interesting is the ability to regenerate another Goblin.

Your Goblins are going to die constantly, oftentimes by your own hand. While you can't regenerate creatures you sacrifice, you can absolutely regenerate creatures you purposely send to die in combat. Or alternatively, your centerpiece Goblins such as Krenko or Muxus who get targeted by your opponents.

Grumgully, the GenerousGrumgully, the Generous

Grumgully, the GenerousGrumgully, the Generous gives all of your non-Humans, including Goblins, a +1/+1 counter upon ETB. This simple effect ends upon creating fantastic value for you over time, as most other Goblin support effects grant +1/+1 so long as the source is on the field.

Doubling the power and toughness of your entire board state even should Grumgully be removed from the battlefield is a safe investment.

Much like Kobolds, Goblins attempt to kill their opponents via a death by a thousand cuts. Grumgully and all of the other creatures that increase your Goblins by +1/+1 at a time add and turn a rabble into a raiding party.

Munitions ExpertMunitions Expert

Munitions ExpertMunitions Expert has an ETB to deal damage to a creature or planeswalker equal to the number of Goblins you control. This is great for shutting down an opponent's commander or preventing them from using a planeswalker's ultimate loyalty ability. And given that it has flash, you don't need to play it during your turn.

Goblins really enjoy dealing direct damage to opponents, and most of their free-targeted damage caps at one damage - usually at the cost of sacrificing a Goblin which, while easy, isn't free. Munitions Expert gives you a cheap way to deal high, targeted damage to clear out a threat. Then, you have one more Goblin!

Hazoret's MonumentHazoret's Monument

Hazoret's MonumentHazoret's Monument reduces all of your creature spells by . This is almost always useful, though for Goblins it tends to ride the line of necessity. Goblins don't desperately need cost-reduction in the same way other creature types do, where some would even find no value from it, such as Goblin ArsonistGoblin Arsonist. But with the sheer quantity of Goblins you'll be playing, it's still a nice-to-have.

The Monument also gives you the ability to discard a card to draw a card each time you cast a creature spell. With how many creatures spells you'll be casting, you can cycle your hand easily. And with how cheap most of your creatures are, you should be able to play just about anything you draw without issue.

Thornbite StaffThornbite Staff

Thornbite StaffThornbite Staff grants the ability to deal one damage to a creature or player alongside the ability to untap whenever a creature is put into the graveyard from play. While this unfortunately doesn't trigger upon your Goblin tokens being sacrificed, you'll be losing Goblins often enough that you should get great mileage out of this.

Though the Staff is rather expensive to equip at , any time a Shaman enters it may attach to them for free.

Goblins don't have a monopoly on the Shaman class, but it's certainly a common pair to Goblin. Grumgully, the GenerousGrumgully, the Generous is one such example, meaning if it's your commander then the Staff is a great inclusion to give your passive commander an activated ability.

Goblin CharbelcherGoblin Charbelcher

Goblin CharbelcherGoblin Charbelcher allows you to reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a land and then deal damage equal to the number of nonland cards revealed to target creature or player. If that land is a Mountain, the damage is doubled.

Not only are Goblins -aligned, meaning drawing a Mountain as your land is likely, your deck is filled with Goblins! With how cheap Goblins are, you can afford to have a lower concentration of lands in your deck than other creature types. That means you're less likely to draw a land, increasing the damage dealt.

And with any amount of damage amplification, a single activation of the Charbelcher can swing far above its weight class.

Shared AnimosityShared Animosity

Shared AnimosityShared Animosity grants each of your attacking creatures +1/+0 for every other creature that shares a creature type with it. X Goblins attacking, therefore, would each receive a bonus to their power of X-1.

With how easy it is to get a staggering amount of Goblins on the field and how willing you should be to sacrifice them, this will rapidly convert your board into the most immediate threat at the table. This can be shut down a number of ways, but ideally you have enough Goblins at the time of playing Shared Animosity that you can preemptively hit your opponents where it hurts.

Boggart ShenanigansBoggart Shenanigans

Boggart ShenanigansBoggart Shenanigans deals damage to your opponents as a result of your Goblins being put in the graveyard from the battlefield. And yes, this includes when your token creatures die, though those tokens will cease to exist in the graveyard.

Quest for the Goblin LordQuest for the Goblin Lord

Quest for the Goblin LordQuest for the Goblin Lord gains quest counters every time a Goblin enters under your control. Once it's at five quest counters, which at the pace of Goblin production should rarely be more than a turn, all of your creatures get +2/+0.

For only and relying entirely on the core strategy that all Goblins are built around, that's not bad at all! Any ability to grant your Goblins first strike or otherwise allow them to bypass blockers will just enhance the power they receive.

Battle HymnBattle Hymn

Battle HymnBattle Hymn is an instant that costs and adds for each creature you control. With how many Goblins you'll have, that can easily get you a double-digit number of .

This should allow you to comfortably cast as many Goblins as you need from your hand or invest in some large spell such as Commune with LavaCommune with Lava.

Krenko's CommandKrenko's Command

Krenko's CommandKrenko's Command and similar cards like Dragon FodderDragon Fodder are just a two-for-one special on 1/1 Goblins. Their intention is to allow you to cast a single spell and gain two creatures from it.

They don't have any abilities or keywords, but that's not the point. They are intended as additions to the "number of Goblins" you have on the field and contribute towards more important creatures such as Krenko or Muxus.

Goblin War StrikeGoblin War Strike

Goblin War StrikeGoblin War Strike deals direct damage to an opponent equal to your number of Goblins. This can be coupled with a damage booster such as Torbran, Thane of Red FellTorbran, Thane of Red Fell to hit even harder and only gets more dangerous the longer the game goes on.

As a sorcery, it's best used to finish off an opponent you couldn't overrun during combat or as a swing at an opponent you aren't focused on attacking yet. While it can be used to damage an opponent before you attack, that then gives them the ability to react to you and make informed decisions. Should you wait until after attacking, you might lose some Goblins but might be able to play around any defenses they had due to them thinking they would survive.

Xenagos, the RevelerXenagos, the Reveler

Xenagos, the RevelerXenagos, the Reveler is primarily included in Goblin decks due to the incredible mana production it can grant you. By increasing its loyalty by one, you gain X combination of and , where X is the number of creatures you control.

The abilities to create a 2/2 Satyr with haste or placing creatures and lands from the top of your library on the battlefield are nice, but that's not central to a Goblin deck. Being able to produce far more mana than you have any right to is not only on-theme for Goblins but also allows you to engage in your preferred strategy without restriction.

The largest hurdle you'll come across is card draw, which Xenagos' ultimate can compensate for.

Castle EmberethCastle Embereth

Castle EmberethCastle Embereth is a nonbasic land that doesn't enter tapped if you control a Mountain, which is a very low bar to entry. It then can be tapped with to grant creatures you control +1/+0 for the turn.

As with most of the bonuses your Goblins are getting, this isn't impressive by itself, but it doesn't need to be. Due to Goblins' ties to and their genuine reliance on Mountains at times, this Castle is effectively a strict improvement over a basic land.

It also gives a sink for any excess mana you might have once you're in the mid-late game and your Goblin production is more about tokens than casting.

Den of the BugbearDen of the Bugbear

Den of the BugbearDen of the Bugbear is an odd one, where it enters tapped if you control two or more other lands. This would imply it's a land that prefers to be played early, but its main effect costs . This is more of a limiter on its activated ability than an indication of when it should be played, though an early Den isn't a bad thing.

Its ability to become a 3/2 Goblin that creates an attacking 1/1 Goblin when it attacks is the star. A 3/2 is a useful thing to have in your back pocket, though the main benefit comes from getting one more way to generate Goblin tokens and trigger any of your ETB effects.

Then anything that increases the strength of your Goblins will automatically apply to this attacking token, increasing both the pressure and value of this land's activation.

Goblins want to win early, which is part of why they cost so little.

Even Krenko, Mob BossKrenko, Mob Boss or Muxus, Goblin GrandeeMuxus, Goblin Grandee want to wrap the game up quickly, which is why Goblin Aggro tends to be more successful in 60-card formats than Commander. That said, Goblins can be extremely successful even if you aren't swinging every chance you have.

Early in the game, you need to decide how much of a problem you'll be. You can apply pressure faster and more consistently than most other opponents, and most of your damage comes in additive pings over time. So if you want to win that way, you'll need to be willing to accept the fact that you'll be seen as the largest threat in the early game.

Alternatively, you can focus on amassing an army of Goblins that you only start acting aggressively with towards the mid game. This is risky, as you'll only start engaging with opponents that have had the opportunity to build up their defenses and likely haven't taken that much damage.

However, this means you can build up a large number of Goblins and perhaps even a few individual creatures. This requires the patience to not strike before you're ready alongside the force to back up the threat you're promising.

Goblins have a focus on swarm tactics and direct damage, though they have a fantastic synergy with . Particularly with spellslinging, prioritizing instants and sorceries over creatures.

Ovika, Enigma GoliathOvika, Enigma Goliath gives Goblin generation as a result of casting noncreature spells while Mizzix of the IzmagnusMizzix of the Izmagnus reduces the cost of instants and sorceries. Combined together, this leads to cheaper and cheaper instants and sorceries, each of which net you a gaggle of Goblins to act as a defensive wall while you ping your opponents.

Or you could go Goblin AnarchomancerGoblin Anarchomancer if you want to prioritize rapid-growth or token generation with .

With Goblins' orientation around artifacts, they could easily lean into a Breya, Etherium ShaperBreya, Etherium Shaper build and prioritize Thopter support or lean further into the artifact destruction with Osgir, the ReconstructorOsgir, the Reconstructor. Goblin WelderGoblin Welder alone can allow for tricks and misdirects to further a completely non-Goblin win condition.