IntroductionFor some reason (probably Labyrinth, the 1986 film starring David Bowie), I keep calling today’s commander Goblin King instead of his proper name, The Great Goblin.So today we’ll explore The Hobbit once more. I haven’t explored this set a lot, and its Goblin commander isn’t quite as charming as a commander. Without further ado, let’s see what this legendary creature has to offer.The Great Goblin, the CommanderThe Great Goblin is a 3/2 creature that gives you access to black and red. Its first ability triggers whenever you put one or more counters on a Goblin, Orc, or Army you control. It interacts directly with Amass: it ends up dealing 2 damage to a target opponent this way. Whenever another creature of one of those types dies, you'll also exile the top card in your deck. You can play it until the end of your next turn.The first ability does a lot with effects that put counters on multiple creatures, but there are a few details you should keep in mind. Putting two counters on the same Goblin only triggers it once. Putting one counter on each of the five different creatures mentioned triggers it 5 separate times. And, finally, the second ability turns every creature you sacrifice or lose to a board wipe into a resource for the following turns.The DeckThe list below is a Goblin and Orc typal strategy that uses Armies to lean into counters and tokens. The plan starts with small creatures, lords, and tokens, then uses counters to deal damage and sacrifices those creatures once they’ve served their purpose.Here it is:Ramp and SetupSol Ring, Arcane Signet, and Talisman of Indulgence accelerate early on, while Dark Ritual and Brightstone Ritual are great when you want to put several permanents on the battlefield in one turn. Skirk Prospector turns Goblins into red mana, creates value from creatures that would otherwise be removed, and triggers the commander’s second ability. Because this list isn't green, we can't play that much ramp.Counters and AmassMauhúr, Uruk-hai Captain puts more counters on Armies, Goblins, and Orcs, so you'll get a little more out of every effect. Metallic Mimic lets you choose a creature type and put a counter on new creatures of that type, so every Goblin you cast afterward also triggers The Great Goblin.Uglúk of the White Hand and Knucklebone Witch grow when your creatures die. With them in play, everything you lose on the battlefield will trigger your commander. Karn's Bastion complements this package with Proliferate, which will add more counters to your many permanents and let you deal damage even when you don't have a lot of cards in hand.Amass works particularly well in this list: it puts counters on an Army, creates one if you don’t have one yet, and interacts with Orcs and Goblins. March from the Black Gate grows an Army when it enters and whenever they attack. Meanwhile,Mordor Muster draws a card and creates or buffs that same creature.Creating Goblin TokensKrenko, Mob Boss is your main way to build a wide board, as it creates a token for each Goblin you already control. Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin grows when it attacks and creates tokens equal to its power, so it interacts directly with both the counter package and your commander’s first ability.Siege-Gang Commander puts several creatures on the battlefield and gives you a way to sacrifice them to deal damage. Siege-Gang Lieutenant creates two tokens with Haste at the beginning of combat if you control your commander, while Howlsquad Heavy gives your other Goblins Haste and adds another token to your attacks.The lords will buff your board and help you rebuild it. Goblin Warchief and Frogtosser Banneret also reduce costs, so you'll be able to cast several Goblins in the same turn, which is exactly what you want to do with a Goblin deck.Sacrifice and DamageAshnod's Altar, Goblin Bombardment, Warren Soultrader, and Phyrexian Tower turn creatures into mana or damage. Like so, you'll be able to get value from them before a board wipe resolves. Each Goblin or Orc you sacrifice also lets you exile a card through your commander’s ability, so a board you were about to lose can actually end up giving you resources for the next turn.Sling-Gang Lieutenant gives you a way to finish the game without attacking. It lets you use your Goblins to gain life points and make your opponents lose some. With this card, you can use the tokens that have just entered play, creatures about to be removed, or your entire board before a board wipe resolves.Pashalik Mons and Boggart Cursecrafter punish your opponents whenever your Goblins die. Boggart Mischief adds more creatures to the board and makes your opponents lose life points as well as give you some when your Goblins die.Impact Tremors is different, as it deals damage when your creatures enter play. Collective Inferno doubles all damage dealt by a certain creature type (you get to pick which one), which is great for your commander, your death payoffs, and creatures that need to sacrifice tokens to deal damage.Recursion and Win ConditionsGoblin Matron finds exactly what you need for every situation, while Conspicuous Snoop lets you cast Goblins from the top of your deck. Grub, Storied Matriarch can bring back an important creature, whether that’s a sacrifice piece, a lord, or a death payoff.Bloodline Bidding can rebuild your board after a board wipe and is particularly strong with Metallic Mimic because the Goblins that return will get counters and trigger your commander. Grub's Command offers you several options: copying a creature, improving your board, or help you find more resources.This list also includes a "closed" combo with Putrid Goblin, Metallic Mimic, and a free sacrifice outlet. The Mimic makes the Putrid return with a +1/+1 counter alongside the -1/-1 counter from Persist. The two cancel each other out, which allows you to just repeat the process. With The Great Goblin on the battlefield, each card you return puts a counter on Putrid and deals 2 damage. It's an infinite loop that can end the game.Equipment and InteractionAndúril, Narsil Reforged puts more counters on your board and triggers your commander a separate time whenever a Goblin gets one. Orcrist, Goblin-cleaver buffs a creature and turns attacks into resources, while The Masamune is great in combat and interacts really well with your death effects.Terminate and Feed the Swarm answer problematic permanents, while Blasphemous Act is a great board wipe when your opponents build their boards before you can. Deadly Dispute and Village Rites let you sacrifice a creature as an answer to removal, trade it for new cards, and trigger your commander.How to PlayA good opening hand needs three lands, some acceleration, and two creatures to develop your board. The Great Goblin is cheap, but there’s no need to cast it without support. Ideally, you'll play it when you already have a way to put a counter on a creature or sacrifice one to make sure you can get some value out of it before your opponents can remove it.Early on, you'll choose between building an Army and making more Goblins. Mordor Muster, March from the Black Gate, and Mauhúr, Uruk-hai Captain push you toward counters, while Krenko, Mob Boss, Howlsquad Heavy, and the lords favor a wide board.In the mid-game, sacrifice outlets become as important as creating tokens. Having Skirk Prospector, Goblin Bombardment, or Ashnod's Altar on the battlefield will allow you to get something out of your creatures before you lose them and trigger your commander's second ability when you have mana to play the exiled cards.When it’s time to end the game, a wide board with Andúril, Narsil Reforged can deal plenty of damage just by putting counters in play. Sling-Gang Lieutenant, Pashalik Mons, and Boggart Mischief can end the game through sacrifices, while Collective Inferno will make your Goblins even more powerful. In emergencies, the Putrid Goblin and Metallic Mimic combo is a direct way to win.Final ThoughtsThis didn’t quite satisfy my need for a David Bowie fix this week, but it’s still a very fun deck. It has plenty of ways to finish games through direct or indirect damage and even a little infinite combo, something we don’t see as often in the post-Bracket 3 era.What do you think? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.Thank you for reading, and see you next time!
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