Round 1 – Arlo – Abzan Good Stuff
Both mulligan to first 6, both scry to bottom. Arlo starts things off with Forest and Arbor Elf. I get a little cagey and play Chain Lightning off my Mountain on my first turn. I tend to favour this play on the draw when I feel like I could fall behind too quickly. Arlo played Skullclamp and a Ranumap Excavator on the next turn. I played a Sensation Gorger but it got hit by a Palace Jailer. My empty board looked pretty bad compared to his creatures. I got hit with the equipped Naga before landing a Goblin Warchief and a Stingscourger on the same turn. I bounced the Naga and attacked with Stingscourger to threaten becoming the Monarch. Arlo blocked, later allowing my Gorger to return and leaving my board looking okay. I had Goblins on top of my deck over the next two turns but Arlo had little to no cards each time; didn’t seem good to let him draw four. I think I got a bushwhacker of some sort and sealed it from there.
In game two Arlo had an early Smuggler’s Copter and cast an Anafenza, the Foremost to attack for three and loot. I was working on building my board with Goblin Wardriver and Goblin Rabblemaster (played in second main) and Arlo had played a Siege Rhino and got in for seven, pumping the tapped rhino at the same time. I made some attacks after playing Goblin Trashmaster but things didn’t look too too good. Arlo played a Palace Jailer and hastily targeted my Goblin Trashmaster. I sacrificed it in response to kill the copter. Arlo didn’t attack and it gave me the chance to take the win with hasty goblins. The game could have gone either way.
Round 2 – Adam – Mono Black Aggro
I won the roll and kept seven when Adam when to his second six and scryed to the top. I kept a hand with Rishadan Port, Cavern of Souls, Wasteland, Lightning Bolt, Abrade, and Goblin Warchief. Adam’s turn one Bloodsoaked Champion got in a couple times and then he dropped an Umezawa’s Jitte. I had a 1/1 goblin which died to equipment, and I drew a Mountain. Instead of making what is likely the right play (destroying the equipment) I used Lightning Bolt on the 2/1 human with one counter on Jitte. When Adam got another creature I finally smartened up and got rid of the overpowered artifact. My Goblin Warchief into Krenko, Mob Boss was entirely dismantled when one of my tokens traded with one of Adam’s creatures and Malicious Affliction cleaned things up. I had a couple little dudes, and when I landed Goblin Matron I went and got Goblin Recruiter. I had enough land to play Goblin Ringleader and the bushwhacker that came with it and that was enough to take the game.In game two Adam hit me three times with Smuggler’s Copter. At some point I got hit with another full value Malicious Affliction. We played the board and eventually I got a Metallic Mimic which was followed by a Goblin Matron and a Reckless Bushwhacker. I put Adam at one life and he didn’t have enough damage to kill me (at eleven) on his last turn.
Round 3 – Pat – Bant Taking Turns
Pat won the roll and mulled to his first six, keeping on top. I kept seven. Pat landed Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy on turn two and on the next turn played Scavenging Ooze and missed his third land-drop. I had a Foundry Street Denizen and some other one-drops, getting some damage in. We battled and Pat got his third land right around the time I played a bushwhacker to seal it. There was a Goblin Grenade involved at some point in time.
In the second game I got some damage in before True Name Nemesis slowed things to a halt. After I had assembled an Intimidator Initiate and some other goblins I was staring across the board at a 5/6 Tarmogoyf, an Edric. Spymaster of Trest, and the overpowered Merfolk. My Goblin Chainwhirler had killed a Teferi, Time Raveler and after I untapped I had five lands, so I played Sparksmith (trigger, ‘Goyf can’t block), Fireblast you (trigger, Edric can’t block), and attack for lots. I lost the ‘Whirler to True Name Nemesis and put Pat at two life. Pat recognized the correct line; attack for ten damage (putting me to ten) and hope to draw a Time Walk from one of his three draw triggers from Edric. No Time Walk meant I take the match.Round 4 – Greg – Red Deck Wins
Greg won the roll and we kept our sevens. I played defensively, trading creatures when I could. Abbot of Keral Keep meant my 1/1 goblin tokens couldn’t block well as Greg kept up mana during attacks. Eventually I felt I needed to make him have it a bit more and forced the Titan’s Strength on one of his unblocked attackers (to keep the Abbot alive as well). My Metallic Mimic made a 4/4 Krenko, Mob Boss that I thought could take me all the way but before I could make tokens, Reckless Abandon took him out. I built my board big enough to keep attacks from my opponent at bay and when I got Legion Loyalist with backup goons it was enough to own combat and take the game.
In game two I kept a hand including Gemstone Caverns, Barbarian Ring, Warren Instigator, Goblin Instigator, Goblin Bombardment, and two other non-land cards I can’t remember. I thought for a little while about this one. I kept and Greg kept his first six, scrying to bottom. I exiled Goblin Bombardment with Gemstone Caverns and Greg played a Seal of Fire. We played a slow, ticky-tacky game where I missed my third land-drop a number of times and I was taking lots of damage from Barbarian Ring. I was holding my Warren Instigaor due to the fiery enchantment and after some action happened in the middle of the board I eventually got a Goblin Cheiftain on the battlefield. Greg was doing small bits of damage to me but seemed to recognize my own land was doing a lot of the work. I used a Gempalm Incinerator to kill one of his creatures and played my double-strike goblin, attacking into his Monastary Swiftspear and Thermo-Alchemist. I didn’t have a goblin in hand but Greg wasn’t going to take that risk and made the block. I was at eight life after the crack-back. I finally drew my fourth land and I played and equipped Umezawa’s Jitte. Without an immediate Shatter and some fiery play to follow up, the power of the Jitte made it too tough for my opponent to win, even after just one hit.Round 5 – Connor – Red Deck Wins
Connor rolled snake-eyes and I rolled the box-cars. Easy. I keep a confident seven of four Mountains, Arc Trail, Metallic Mimic, and Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin. I seemingly hadn’t played my Canadian Highlander deck in eight months, so when I got to the shop a bit early I decided to get the newest Krenko and swap him in for Dark-Dweller Oracle (which maybe shouldn’t have been in there, but I think I had wanted to try it out around the time I was last playing). Connor showed me almost all the hands he mulliganed before he ended up at his first four. He scryed to the bottom and I passed after playing a Mountain. Connor played Mountain, Mana Crypt, Eldrazi Obligator. I played Arc Trail. Connor won the Mana Crypt flip and passed the turn. I played Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin which was quickly dispatched by Abrade. Connor won the three-damage flip again and played Goblin Rabblemaster. I got my fourth land played Metallic Mimic into Grenzo, Havoc Raiser. Connor played Heart of Kiran and did a fancy crew to keep two of his now three goblins out of combat (I ate the one attacker). I drew Goblin Chainwhirler, but with just one red mana open I figured I should play my Umezawa’s Jitte and just go for it. When I went to attack Connor made a mana from his untapped Mountain, but it was all for show; the really dumb artifact triggered and used its counters to kill the Goblin Rabblemaster on the other side of the board. The result of the game was inevitable from there (see Round 4, Game 2).
In game two we kept our sevens and Connor later mentioned he kept two lands, Forked Bolt, Arc Trail, and some bigger cards. A great hand versus my small dudes, with some room to take over the game after drawing a land or two. I played good dudes and he killed them, with Spikeshot Elder, Goblin Piledriver, and others biting the dust. Tokens have been great versus RDW; it’s one of the few ways to ‘get ahead’ when in general card-for-card their deck is just better than yours. Their 2/1’s don’t look nearly as scary when you can spend half a card to keep a whole card at bay. I did cool stuff like play a Hordeling Outburst and then a “free” Stoke of Flames as I chipped away. When my opponent scooped at three life facing lethal I was still at twenty.
Plenty of luck and some decent plays won me the tournament. Jitte showed up throughout the tournament when I really needed it, and I always prioritized playing it only when I had four mana. I found in the past I was losing with the card and I thought it was because my opponent seemed to be able to get maximum value before neutralizing it (as long as they had a way to do so, by either destroying Jitte itself, or the creature that is/would be using it). This time I played it like it cost four mana (ideally when opponent has little to no mana available) and confirmation-bias or not; it worked well tonight. I felt like I played my combat steps decently and didn’t attack (or block) nearly as much as I could have in my matches. Some of my score sheets show a drop from 14 or 15 life to zero for my opponent on my last turn. 5-0 in matches, 10-0 in games. Big thanks to Nelson as host and T.O., to the post-tourney debrief crew, and to everyone for welcoming me back! Decklist below.
McGoblins by Mac
// 3 Artifact
1 Mox Ruby
1 Skullclamp
1 Umezawa’s Jitte
// 48 Creature
1 Boartusk Liege
1 Boggart Ram-Gang
1 Ember Hauler
1 Fanatical Firebrand
1 Foundry Street Denizen
1 Frenzied Goblin
1 Gempalm Incinerator
1 Goblin Arsonist
1 Goblin Bushwhacker
1 Goblin Chainwhirler
1 Goblin Chieftain
1 Goblin Cratermaker
1 Goblin Fireslinger
1 Goblin Guide
1 Goblin Instigator
1 Goblin King
1 Goblin Lackey
1 Goblin Matron
1 Goblin Piledriver
1 Goblin Rabblemaster
1 Goblin Recruiter
1 Goblin Ringleader
1 Goblin Sledder
1 Goblin Trashmaster
1 Goblin Warchief
1 Goblin Wardriver
1 Grenzo, Havoc Raiser
1 Intimidator Initiate
1 Krenko, Mob Boss
1 Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin
1 Legion Loyalist
1 Legion Warboss
1 Metallic Mimic
1 Mogg Fanatic
1 Mogg Raider
1 Mogg War Marshal
1 Moggcatcher
1 Reckless Bushwhacker
1 Sensation Gorger
1 Siege-Gang Commander
1 Skirk Prospector
1 Sparksmith
1 Spikeshot Elder
1 Stingscourger
1 Tattermunge Maniac
1 Tuktuk the Explorer
1 Vexing Shusher
1 Warren Instigator
// 2 Enchantment
1 Goblin Bombardment
1 Sulfuric Vortex
// 6 Instant
1 Abrade
1 Fireblast
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Price of Progress
1 Stoke the Flames
1 Tarfire
// 33 Land
1 Barbarian Ring
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Gemstone Caverns
1 Mishra’s Factory
26 Mountain
1 Mutavault
1 Rishadan Port
1 Strip Mine
1 Wasteland
// 8 Sorcery
1 Arc Trail
1 Chain Lightning
1 Dragon Fodder
1 Fiery Confluence
1 Goblin Grenade
1 Hordeling Outburst
1 Krenko’s Command
1 Mogg Alarm