Why is a Giant Warrior leading a tribe of Goblins?
Fling on a beat stick with lifelink. That is why most people play him, but in reality he is just here to make the deck Boros. Don't let that put you off though. His ability is still relevant, and white makes a big difference for goblins on the Commander/EDH scene. Flavor is another important aspect for me. Goblins have a reputation for becoming the ammunition. Brion personifies that.
What is the objective of this deck?
The idea is to control the battlefield. You are on the offensive, and your opponents will be unable to attack you without compromising their own defense. You will do this by creating allot of small creatures, and then leverage their numbers and lack of size to your benefit.
This deck may be for you if:
-You enjoy aggro strategies in other formats.
-You love classic goblin flavor!
-You don't mind overextending yourself.
-You like a fast tempo.
-You want to be the person who must be controlled.
This deck is not for you if:
-You like to be ignored until you combo out.
-You want to be diplomatic, and not opportunistic.
-You like to sit back and control the board
-You can't stomach the idea that your deck has a glaring weakness
Awesome in tribal constructed, trouble in this deck.
Having the +1/+1 on your 2/2's means that your big
power hating will hate on your stuff now. Not good.
A pity really, the Haste is useful.
This is a go to card for most tribal situation. I decided
early on that I wanted some element of control that
worked with combat. Meekstone effects are that control
but do not like it when your stuff gets big a stays that
way. If you want to run cards like this, you have to
ditch the control.
Yes this deck is built around this effect. I am not using
the meekstone itself, because it is an artifact. Another
player could drop a coat of arms, and I would have to
waste my own removal to get rid of it. Marble Titan is
the replacement here. If I need too, he is easier to
get rid off.
This card was considered, but my playgroup has good
draw which will negate the effect allot. If I was doing
something that focused on discard, this would be an
auto include, but the only thing like that in this deck
is Sensation Gorger, who I do not wish to build around.
This was a strong candidate before I bought
the Crucible of Worlds. I still want one just in
case I need the Crucible in another deck. A
good choice if you want to do this on a budget.
This card could turn around and bite me if I
leave myself open, but aggro is a risk in this
format anyway. Anything that offers a damage
boost like that should be considered.
If I could get this guy I would dump goblin king
in a heartbeat. Being able to give the +1/+1
only when I attack is a massive boon. He is
essentially Goblin Wardriver #2, which I need.
I really should be running something to give me
multiple combat steps, and this combined with
Land Tax can be recurred whenever I want. Aggravated Assault tends to eat removal before
I can use it, making Waves ideal.
Walmart has a whole bunch of the Alara foil
boosters on sale and I was lucky enough to pull
Ajani from one of those. I have read allot about
how he is underwhelming in multi-player so I never
gave him a great deal of thought. This deck may
actually however may be able to use him. Utility
weenies are often missed by the removal in this
deck, and those are worth destroying or locking
down too.
An enchantment that allows attacking players to
control the blocking. In a deck like this I am
worried about sharing my combat tricks with my
opponents, but this could render all but one
attacking creature unblockable. It is worth
knowing for sure.
Commander
Chosen for flavor, not function. Goblin Grenade, Goblin Artillery, fling and Goblin Bombardment are the best known examples of goblin projectiles. It is something they are famous for, and I wanted to make a nod to that.
In terms of play-ability, Brion Stoutarm's lifelink / fling ability is not as helpful here as it would be in creature theft decks, but it can still turn the tide in your favor. Your creatures are expendable, and after the damage is dealt a little more and life won't hurt. If you value competitiveness over flavor, switch to using Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran, because he has synergy. I just don't think of him as the type that would want to be surrounded by goblins.
The Goblins
The biggest thing that you will notice in this collection of Goblin staples, is the omission of a Goblin Chieftain. In this deck the static +1/+1 will work against you. This problem also affects Goblin King, but I have made space for him because of his mountain walk ability. For those of you who would rather have haste, replace the King with the Chieftain. This deck can only accommodate one of them.
Sensation Gorger is hit and miss, but I wouldn't want to be without him. His ability to cycle all players hands can mess with combo players a bit, and will let you reload yours. For physiological reasons, mine functions as a removal magnet.
The surprising MVP of this bunch is Spikeshot Elder. If he receives a boost from either Veteran's Armaments or Shared Animosity when attacking, he can kill a player outright with 2-3 activation's of his ability. If you can only afford one activation, kill a creature that could potentially block. Either way this one drop is solid.
Big Friendly Giants
This deck may be focused around smaller creatures, but sometimes it pays to have big friends! Sun Titan can bring nearly 80% of the deck back from the dead, and has vigilance! Chancellor of the Forge will double your field, and Marble Titan replaces my Meekstone. (I can toss marble titan with Brion if his effect becomes a burden.)
The Powderkegs
These cards hold allot of power. You want to wrath? Ok, but I will be launching all of my goblins at you with Goblin Bombardment. Playing voltron? That is fine I will sac my already expendable creatures to trigger Martyr's Bond and force you to sac too. Players with goblins already do this with Grave Pact.
Then you have your Gank Nuke, Vicious Shadows. Sac your own creatures, or destroy your opponents to cause ridiculous damage. This effect is so explosive that it has killed a table of eight players in one turn. Don't expect to be able to do that twice, and don't build any goblin commander deck without this.
Size Matters
These cards are your best control. As much as possible you want to be attacking, and that can leave you wide open. Ideally you want to limit how often your opponents can exploit that. Crackdown and Marble Titan will keep the big boys tapped. Raid Bombardment is here simply to sneak in a few extra points of damage.
Since this is :symwr:, it will be rare for you to have more than 4 or 5 cards in hand. Ensnaring Bridge uses this to you advantage by keeping big boys home in the first place. You can also combo Bottled Cloister with the bridge if you want, but I have seen that backfire before. Without a way to tutor for either card, I don't feel that it is worth the risk.
Combat Tactics
Overall these cards are self explanatory. They either boost your forces when they attack, or they ensure that it is an unfair fight. The two that are worth noting are Umbral Mantle and Pariah's Shield. The mantle is a backup untap for your giants. The Shield can be used on Skirk Fire Marshal to absorb the damage he would normally do to you or turn a token into a scapegoat that will take a beating for you.
Horde Makers
These are by far the most important cards in your deck. Since most of these are one use only, do not cast them all at once!!!! You need an army to fight with, and your opponents will try to Wrath of God often. 7-12 creatures is a sweet spot. Do not exceed it unless you are certain of victory that turn!
WARNING: MOGG INFESTATION - This is the double edged sword of the deck. Obviously it can make allot of goblins, but it could cost you some with really good abilities. It can also wrath a single opponent with a toolbox / powerhouse field, but that gives them allot of small creatures. Do not underestimate these side effects, but you can feel free to laugh maniacally if you use it with a Vicious Shadows on the field.
Pure Advantage
Ib Halfheart and Goblin Trenches are excellent token makers that inspired the entire deck, but you will want the land back. So I bit the bullet and bought Crucible of Worlds and Land Tax. They are solid in any deck and really pull their weight here. Brightstone Ritual can also help you if you have overextended your lands. It is a one shot, so don't waste it. Skullclamp is obligatory in any token EDH build.
Mass Destruction
I hate board wipes, but sometimes you just have to do it if you want to win. I have already stated how much of a problem a Wrath of God can be for this deck. The last thing I want to do is hurt my field. That is why I am using Retribution of the Meek and Solar Tide. Forget the Meekstone effects, these are why you want to stay under 3 power when you are not attacking.
Skirk Fire Marshal will kill everything, excluding himself, but he also does damage to everyone. It is a fair trade, especially if you can activate him twice.
The mass land destruction looses me points in my local league, but Armageddon and Epicenter are a saving grace when you sacrifice all of your land to Ib or the Trenches. Just float the mana, make your tokens, then cast. It is a prick move, but it will delay most wrath's and usually win the game. Never play these "just because." Your playgroup will not forgive you.
Lastly we have Cleansing Meditation to talk about. I pulled it out of a box of gank for $0.25 thinking that it was simply useful. Propaganda effects can be a problem. It turns out that this card can combo some hi-jinks. For one you can Oblivion Ring something with an enter the battlefield effect, cast Cleansing Meditation (Threshold required) destroy the ring, get your trigger, then target a threat with the ring. Another enchantment that combos is Rise of the Hobgoblins. You pay when it enters the battlefield, so you can get the goblins.
Spot Removal
All decks need something to clean up the battlefield a bit. Since I could not devote allot of deck space to this stuff I made sure that it could all pull double duty. Oblation is pure gold. I can tuck anything I like, or I can target one of my tokens and draw two.
This is my first decklist / primer. Most of my EDH decks are built on a whim and are not worth sharing. This one however has taken over a year to develop and from what I can see, is unique among Brion Decks. If you have any suggestion about the deck, or about how I can improve the information provided, please feel free to let me know. I want to make this worth reading.
Good god, a non-stereotypical primer! Be still, my heart!
But seriously, really cool deck! The only thing I can even think to suggest is Siege-gang Commander, which is 4 bodies for five AND a sac outlet! Also, I really recommend the Crescendo of War, or at least until your playgroup catches on. You only need one turn cycle to change little Squee into a Lava Axe, which is usually lethal. However, once they realize you're going to kill them, they'll either murder you or murder the enchantment.
Good primer, cool deck! I may have to build this myself!
A Basic Introduction
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why is a Giant Warrior leading a tribe of Goblins?
Fling on a beat stick with lifelink. That is why most people play him, but in reality he is just here to make the deck Boros. Don't let that put you off though. His ability is still relevant, and white makes a big difference for goblins on the Commander/EDH scene. Flavor is another important aspect for me. Goblins have a reputation for becoming the ammunition. Brion personifies that.
What is the objective of this deck?
The idea is to control the battlefield. You are on the offensive, and your opponents will be unable to attack you without compromising their own defense. You will do this by creating allot of small creatures, and then leverage their numbers and lack of size to your benefit.
This deck may be for you if:
-You enjoy aggro strategies in other formats.
-You love classic goblin flavor!
-You don't mind overextending yourself.
-You like a fast tempo.
-You want to be the person who must be controlled.
This deck is not for you if:
-You like to be ignored until you combo out.
-You want to be diplomatic, and not opportunistic.
-You like to sit back and control the board
-You can't stomach the idea that your deck has a glaring weakness
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Goblin Warchief
1 Goblin King
1 Goblin Bushwhacker
1 Goblin Sharpshooter
1 Goblin Recruiter
1 Goblin Matron
1 Goblin Ringleader
1 Goblin Assassin
1 Spikeshot Elder
1 Goblin Wardriver
1 Goblin Lookout
1 Goblin Sledder
1 Sensation Gorger
1 Mogg Raider
1 Skirk Prospector
1 Sun Titan
1 Chancellor of the Forge
1 Marble Titan
1 Vicious Shadows
1 Martyr's Bond
1 Goblin Bombardment
1 Crackdown
1 Raid Bombardment
1 Shared Animosity
1 Veteran's Armaments
1 Umbral Mantle
1 In the Web of War
1 Goblin War Drums
1 Heat Stroke
1 Rally the Peasants
1 Order // Chaos
1 Pariah's Shield
1 Goblin War Strike
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Goblin Offensive
1 Goblin Trenches
1 Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician
1 Rise of the Hobgoblins
1 Siege-Gang Commander
1 Goblin Assault
1 Mogg Infestation
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Land Tax
1 Brightstone Ritual
1 Skullclamp
1 Solar Tide
1 Skirk Fire Marshal
1 Epicenter
1 Armageddon
1 Cleansing Meditation
1 Goblin Tinkerer
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Oblation
1 Return to Dust
1 Orim's Thunder
1 Pillage
1 Goblin Burrows
1 Boros Garrison
1 Ancient Amphitheater
1 Rugged Prairie
1 Clifftop Retreat
1 Contested Warzone
10 Plains
26 Mountain
Cards I have chosen not to include:
Goblin Chieftain
Awesome in tribal constructed, trouble in this deck.
Having the +1/+1 on your 2/2's means that your big
power hating will hate on your stuff now. Not good.
A pity really, the Haste is useful.
Door of Destinies
This is a go to card for most tribal situation. I decided
early on that I wanted some element of control that
worked with combat. Meekstone effects are that control
but do not like it when your stuff gets big a stays that
way. If you want to run cards like this, you have to
ditch the control.
Coat of Arms
Same issue that Door of Destinies is having, plus if
someone else is running tribal they get a boost too.
Meekstone
Yes this deck is built around this effect. I am not using
the meekstone itself, because it is an artifact. Another
player could drop a coat of arms, and I would have to
waste my own removal to get rid of it. Marble Titan is
the replacement here. If I need too, he is easier to
get rid off.
Noetic Scales
This card was considered, but my playgroup has good
draw which will negate the effect allot. If I was doing
something that focused on discard, this would be an
auto include, but the only thing like that in this deck
is Sensation Gorger, who I do not wish to build around.
Strip Mine
I have crucible and mass land destruction in here. No
way am I adding effects like this. The others would
never let me play again.
Cards that I want to get for this deck:
Goblin Piledriver
Wow... this guy is allot of damage waiting to
happen. Unfortunately the $20+ pricetag
keeps him off the list.
Planar Birth
This was a strong candidate before I bought
the Crucible of Worlds. I still want one just in
case I need the Crucible in another deck. A
good choice if you want to do this on a budget.
Crescendo of War
This card could turn around and bite me if I
leave myself open, but aggro is a risk in this
format anyway. Anything that offers a damage
boost like that should be considered.
Goblin General
If I could get this guy I would dump goblin king
in a heartbeat. Being able to give the +1/+1
only when I attack is a massive boon. He is
essentially Goblin Wardriver #2, which I need.
Waves of Aggression
I really should be running something to give me
multiple combat steps, and this combined with
Land Tax can be recurred whenever I want.
Aggravated Assault tends to eat removal before
I can use it, making Waves ideal.
Cards that I will be testing in this deck:
Walmart has a whole bunch of the Alara foil
boosters on sale and I was lucky enough to pull
Ajani from one of those. I have read allot about
how he is underwhelming in multi-player so I never
gave him a great deal of thought. This deck may
actually however may be able to use him. Utility
weenies are often missed by the removal in this
deck, and those are worth destroying or locking
down too.
Invasion Plans
An enchantment that allows attacking players to
control the blocking. In a deck like this I am
worried about sharing my combat tricks with my
opponents, but this could render all but one
attacking creature unblockable. It is worth
knowing for sure.
Chosen for flavor, not function. Goblin Grenade, Goblin Artillery, fling and Goblin Bombardment are the best known examples of goblin projectiles. It is something they are famous for, and I wanted to make a nod to that.
In terms of play-ability, Brion Stoutarm's lifelink / fling ability is not as helpful here as it would be in creature theft decks, but it can still turn the tide in your favor. Your creatures are expendable, and after the damage is dealt a little more and life won't hurt. If you value competitiveness over flavor, switch to using Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran, because he has synergy. I just don't think of him as the type that would want to be surrounded by goblins.
The Goblins
The biggest thing that you will notice in this collection of Goblin staples, is the omission of a Goblin Chieftain. In this deck the static +1/+1 will work against you. This problem also affects Goblin King, but I have made space for him because of his mountain walk ability. For those of you who would rather have haste, replace the King with the Chieftain. This deck can only accommodate one of them.
Sensation Gorger is hit and miss, but I wouldn't want to be without him. His ability to cycle all players hands can mess with combo players a bit, and will let you reload yours. For physiological reasons, mine functions as a removal magnet.
The surprising MVP of this bunch is Spikeshot Elder. If he receives a boost from either Veteran's Armaments or Shared Animosity when attacking, he can kill a player outright with 2-3 activation's of his ability. If you can only afford one activation, kill a creature that could potentially block. Either way this one drop is solid.
Big Friendly Giants
This deck may be focused around smaller creatures, but sometimes it pays to have big friends! Sun Titan can bring nearly 80% of the deck back from the dead, and has vigilance! Chancellor of the Forge will double your field, and Marble Titan replaces my Meekstone. (I can toss marble titan with Brion if his effect becomes a burden.)
The Powderkegs
These cards hold allot of power. You want to wrath? Ok, but I will be launching all of my goblins at you with Goblin Bombardment. Playing voltron? That is fine I will sac my already expendable creatures to trigger Martyr's Bond and force you to sac too. Players with goblins already do this with Grave Pact.
Then you have your Gank Nuke, Vicious Shadows. Sac your own creatures, or destroy your opponents to cause ridiculous damage. This effect is so explosive that it has killed a table of eight players in one turn. Don't expect to be able to do that twice, and don't build any goblin commander deck without this.
Size Matters
These cards are your best control. As much as possible you want to be attacking, and that can leave you wide open. Ideally you want to limit how often your opponents can exploit that. Crackdown and Marble Titan will keep the big boys tapped. Raid Bombardment is here simply to sneak in a few extra points of damage.
Since this is :symwr:, it will be rare for you to have more than 4 or 5 cards in hand. Ensnaring Bridge uses this to you advantage by keeping big boys home in the first place. You can also combo Bottled Cloister with the bridge if you want, but I have seen that backfire before. Without a way to tutor for either card, I don't feel that it is worth the risk.
Combat Tactics
Overall these cards are self explanatory. They either boost your forces when they attack, or they ensure that it is an unfair fight. The two that are worth noting are Umbral Mantle and Pariah's Shield. The mantle is a backup untap for your giants. The Shield can be used on Skirk Fire Marshal to absorb the damage he would normally do to you or turn a token into a scapegoat that will take a beating for you.
Horde Makers
These are by far the most important cards in your deck. Since most of these are one use only, do not cast them all at once!!!! You need an army to fight with, and your opponents will try to Wrath of God often. 7-12 creatures is a sweet spot. Do not exceed it unless you are certain of victory that turn!
WARNING: MOGG INFESTATION - This is the double edged sword of the deck. Obviously it can make allot of goblins, but it could cost you some with really good abilities. It can also wrath a single opponent with a toolbox / powerhouse field, but that gives them allot of small creatures. Do not underestimate these side effects, but you can feel free to laugh maniacally if you use it with a Vicious Shadows on the field.
Pure Advantage
Ib Halfheart and Goblin Trenches are excellent token makers that inspired the entire deck, but you will want the land back. So I bit the bullet and bought Crucible of Worlds and Land Tax. They are solid in any deck and really pull their weight here. Brightstone Ritual can also help you if you have overextended your lands. It is a one shot, so don't waste it. Skullclamp is obligatory in any token EDH build.
Mass Destruction
I hate board wipes, but sometimes you just have to do it if you want to win. I have already stated how much of a problem a Wrath of God can be for this deck. The last thing I want to do is hurt my field. That is why I am using Retribution of the Meek and Solar Tide. Forget the Meekstone effects, these are why you want to stay under 3 power when you are not attacking.
Skirk Fire Marshal will kill everything, excluding himself, but he also does damage to everyone. It is a fair trade, especially if you can activate him twice.
The mass land destruction looses me points in my local league, but Armageddon and Epicenter are a saving grace when you sacrifice all of your land to Ib or the Trenches. Just float the mana, make your tokens, then cast. It is a prick move, but it will delay most wrath's and usually win the game. Never play these "just because." Your playgroup will not forgive you.
Lastly we have Cleansing Meditation to talk about. I pulled it out of a box of gank for $0.25 thinking that it was simply useful. Propaganda effects can be a problem. It turns out that this card can combo some hi-jinks. For one you can Oblivion Ring something with an enter the battlefield effect, cast Cleansing Meditation (Threshold required) destroy the ring, get your trigger, then target a threat with the ring. Another enchantment that combos is Rise of the Hobgoblins. You pay when it enters the battlefield, so you can get the goblins.
Spot Removal
All decks need something to clean up the battlefield a bit. Since I could not devote allot of deck space to this stuff I made sure that it could all pull double duty. Oblation is pure gold. I can tuck anything I like, or I can target one of my tokens and draw two.
But seriously, really cool deck! The only thing I can even think to suggest is Siege-gang Commander, which is 4 bodies for five AND a sac outlet! Also, I really recommend the Crescendo of War, or at least until your playgroup catches on. You only need one turn cycle to change little Squee into a Lava Axe, which is usually lethal. However, once they realize you're going to kill them, they'll either murder you or murder the enchantment.
Good primer, cool deck! I may have to build this myself!