<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss|jmp|339" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko, Mob Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://karlkopinski.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karl Kopinski</a></em></p>
<p>No creature type in <em>Magic</em> better epitomizes the phrase “just a little guy” than Goblins. But rest assured, where there’s just a little Goblin, a lot more are hiding nearby, waiting to make a splash on the game in the most humorous and painful way possible.</p>
<p>According to the <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/kindred" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EDHREC stats</a>, Goblins are the 7th most popular creature type across all data-scraped deck building sites, with over 35,000 decks built. They've been part of <em>Magic</em> since the beginning, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mons&#039;s Goblin Raiders" href="#" target="_blank">Mons&#039;s Goblin Raiders</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as part of the "<a href="https://mtg.fandom.com/wiki/Sligh#:~:text=The%20philosophy%20of%20the%20%22Sligh,utilize%20all%20of%20its%20mana." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sligh Principle</a>" red decks that revolutionized the way players look at deck lists, introducing the concept of a mana curve. Goblins have been featured in Duel Decks and Starter Decks, as an integral part of introducing new players to <em>Magic</em> and the color red.</p>
<p>It seems like Goblins are all over the multiverse, with each set adding to their ranks. Goblins love to go wide and go boom, and our build for this deck tech will do both!</p>
<h2>Notable Goblins for Commander Decks</h2>
<p>Like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-a-dragon-commander-deck-with-the-ur-dragon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last week</a>, our commander this week, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko, Mob Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, does one thing and does it well. He adds to our board exponentially, challenging the limits of our creativity and our ability to represent an accurate board state. Each turn, our board gets wider and wider. There are creatureless builds, highlighting how quickly Krenko alone gets out of hand, as well as combo builds, as Krenko can easily go infinite and make a quality cEDH commander. As a typal commander, however, Krenko presents a repeated must-answer threat that can easily snowball out of control.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko, Mob Boss"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stadium Headliner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Underfoot Underdogs"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shock Brigade"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Devoted Duelist"></div></div></p>
<p>We want our creatures to hit the ground running, so there are a couple of ways to do that: make multiple bodies or enable the casting of multiple spells. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skirk Prospector" href="#" target="_blank">Skirk Prospector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> turns our excess bodies into mana, enabling massive turns and powering out our larger threats. One of the stranger aspects of newer Goblin builds, especially with a lightning rod for a commander, is that they're growing more and more hungry for mana. Cool Goblins keep getting printed, and there’s a tendency to cut lands for them, but it’s better to build in ramp without committing slots to dead cards.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Warchief"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Howlsquad Heavy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skirk Prospector"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Chieftain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pashalik Mons"></div></div></p>
<p>One of the key elements of go-wide strategies is the presence of lords - creatures who provide boosts and/or keywords for those that fit certain criteria. There are lots of Goblin lords. Some provide haste, some provide a generic cost reduction, but only <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Trashmaster" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Trashmaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets us blow up artifacts.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hobgoblin Bandit Lord"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brightstone Ritual"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Trashmaster"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin King"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conspicuous Snoop" href="#" target="_blank">Conspicuous Snoop</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides some interesting nuance to Goblin decks. At the highest levels of play, topdeck manipulation can set up infinite win cons. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skirk Prospector" href="#" target="_blank">Skirk Prospector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a key Goblin with an activated ability, as is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Chirurgeon" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Chirurgeon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can protect key parts of our board.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko&#039;s Command"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Conspicuous Snoop"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Chirurgeon"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Instigator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Muxus, Goblin Grandee"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mogg War Marshal" href="#" target="_blank">Mogg War Marshal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an unassuming piece of cardboard, but it’s secretly the perfect role player for a deck like this. It brings a buddy along with it, and, if the echo isn’t paid, it brings another. Two 1/1s for two mana is a solid rate, and the more lords we have, the better the rate gets, especially when our commander can turn those two bodies into four!</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warren Instigator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Legion Warboss"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Battle Cry Goblin"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beetleback Chief"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mogg War Marshal"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Lackey" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Lackey</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been a key card in Goblin decks across formats, from Legacy to EDH to cEDH, and everything in between. If little red guys are being played, there are few better turn-one plays.</p>
<p>You may notice that this deck eschews <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. How can we get away with that? Well, as good as a turn-two Krenko is, a turn-one <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Lackey" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Lackey</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is even better. True, the returns diminish as boards develop, but the Lackey is also a solid play after a board wipe, which could otherwise be backbreaking for a deck like this.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Lackey"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Piledriver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goro-Goro, Disciple of Ryusei"></div></div>
<h2>Complementary Cards for Goblin Decks</h2>
<p>With Goblins, speed is the name of the game. We want to take opponents out before they get a chance to get fully set up, before we even have to resort to the combat step, if need be. After all, why risk bodies in combat when we can threaten to overwhelm opponents with numbers? Well, because of board wipes. So, how do we win during this phase, before the wipe hits? Keep direct damage coming with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects, and going with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Bombardment" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Bombardment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shocking Sharpshooter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Bombardment"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Impact Tremors"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin War Strike"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Witty Roastmaster"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin War Strike" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin War Strike</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a hard-hitting card. Its damage scales with the number of Goblins we control, so it’s best used pre-combat, after activating Krenko, before attacking. That way, our army of Goblins will be at its largest when it hits. It also enables us to alpha strike with reckless abandon (the best kind) on the turn we intend to win.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Purphoros, God of the Forge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Siege-Gang Commander"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Siege-Gang Lieutenant"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin War Strike"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="General Kreat, the Boltbringer"></div></div></p>
<h2>Goblin Draw Spells and Card Advantage</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Recruiter" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Recruiter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a key part of the higher-level Goblin decks. Since it puts any Goblins we want on top of our library, we can set up <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conspicuous Snoop" href="#" target="_blank">Conspicuous Snoop</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for any number of combinations. We can also combine it with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to draw into whatever cards we put there. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be an issue if we have lords out with no ways to sacrifice creatures, as we can find ourselves in the strange position of needing help to get our creatures killed.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skullclamp"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rundvelt Hordemaster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Recruiter"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Ringleader"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moria Marauder"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Outpost Siege" href="#" target="_blank">Outpost Siege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a draw engine that doubles as a source of repeatable direct damage…or it would, if we didn’t have to pick a side. Luckily, we can take the perspective that it will either find what we want or be what we want. Thankfully, both options are relevant in a deck like this.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark-Dweller Oracle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Matron"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moggcatcher"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rummaging Goblin"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Outpost Siege"></div></div></p>
<h2>Removal Spells for Goblin Decks</h2>
<p>Being in mono-red, our removal options are somewhat limited. Our best options are also Goblins, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Sharpshooter" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Sharpshooter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Cratermaker" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Cratermaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The Sharpshooter can mow down opposing creatures, including untapping off of creatures that would be dying anyways, to get in extra pings. The Cratermaker is primarily there to ping small creatures or blow up artifacts, but we can live the dream occasionally, blowing up an Eldrazi with a little explosives expert. He might die, but what a way to go!</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Sharpshooter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Cratermaker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tibalt&#039;s Trickery"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Abrade"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Untimely Malfunction"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gempalm Incinerator" href="#" target="_blank">Gempalm Incinerator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might just be the most exciting singular card in the deck. Not only does it cycle to draw a card, but it smacks a creature hard when it does. As an activated ability, it isn’t being cast, so it's difficult to counter. It doesn’t even stop at the Goblins we control, however, as it smacks for an amount equal to the total number of Goblins on the field. If we can hit an opponent’s <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stuffy Doll" href="#" target="_blank">Stuffy Doll</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we can have a lot of fun!</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reverberate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Return the Favor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mogg Salvage"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flare of Duplication"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gempalm Incinerator"></div></div></p>
<h2>Krenko, Mob Boss Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Krenko, Mob Boss Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Krenko, Mob Boss
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Battle Cry Goblin
*1 Beetleback Chief
*1 Conspicuous Snoop
*1 Dark-Dweller Oracle
*1 Devoted Duelist
*1 Gempalm Incinerator
*1 General Kreat, the Boltbringer
*1 Goblin Chieftain
*1 Goblin Chirurgeon
*1 Goblin Cratermaker
*1 Goblin Instigator
*1 Goblin King
*1 Goblin Lackey
*1 Goblin Matron
*1 Goblin Piledriver
*1 Goblin Recruiter
*1 Goblin Ringleader
*1 Goblin Sharpshooter
*1 Goblin Trashmaster
*1 Goblin Warchief
*1 Goro-Goro, Disciple of Ryusei
*1 Hobgoblin Bandit Lord
*1 Howlsquad Heavy
*1 Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin
*1 Legion Warboss
*1 Mogg War Marshal
*1 Moggcatcher
*1 Moria Marauder
*1 Muxus, Goblin Grandee
*1 Pashalik Mons
*1 Purphoros, God of the Forge
*1 Rummaging Goblin
*1 Rundvelt Hordemaster
*1 Searslicer Goblin
*1 Shock Brigade
*1 Shocking Sharpshooter
*1 Siege-Gang Commander
*1 Siege-Gang Lieutenant
*1 Skirk Prospector
*1 Squee, Dubious Monarch
*1 Stadium Headliner
*1 Underfoot Underdogs
*1 Warren Instigator
*1 Witty Roastmaster
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Brightstone Ritual
*1 Flare of Duplication
*1 Mogg Salvage
*1 Return the Favor
*1 Reverberate
*1 Tibalt&#039;s Trickery
*1 Untimely Malfunction
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Goblin War Strike
*1 Krenko&#039;s Command
*1 Vandalblast
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Goblin Bombardment
*1 Impact Tremors
*1 Outpost Siege
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Skullclamp
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*40 Mountain
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>Goblins are single-minded, and their decks are similar. They swarm the field, attack, and burn opponents coming and going. Sometimes, their speed literally blows up in their face, but one thing’s for sure: their lives may be short, but they’re not boring!</p>


how to build krenko

Building a Goblin Commander Deck with Krenko, Mob Boss