[Discussion] Best cards against goblins

[Volt]

That's incredible. One more reason to run that card in every deck that uses the standard Blue suite. This format, was designed to have Stifle cripple mana bases.

Yeah. Whenever I hear someone say that Stifle is just a sideboard card, or suited only to specific metagames, I shake my head sadly. It would take a pretty specific (and unusual) metagame for Stifle not to be good. In fact, I think it can be seriously argued that Stifle is the 2nd best counterspell in Legacy.

[Phantom]

Yeah. Whenever I hear someone say that Stifle is just a sideboard card, or suited only to specific metagames, I shake my head sadly. It would take a pretty specific (and unusual) metagame for Stifle not to be good. In fact, I think it can be seriously argued that Stifle is the 2nd best counterspell in Legacy.

Yeah, I always wanted to build a U/B deck with stifle and waste and sinkhole and maybe shadow of doubt but I could just never work out a good creature/counter/disruption base. I suck at life.

[C-Aleric]

I think the next deck I build to run around Stifle, will no doubt be running Parallax Tide/Wave. There is a deck I saw around these fourms that abuses this, and I thought it was geneious, and another way to abuse this card to no end.

And you should really try to build that deck. Maybe go for a long lock type deal then. If you can't build a creature base that's good, try for an annoying deck that just runs Braids/Crucible or something. It doesn't need to be good as soon as you build it. Just tweak around with it. Shadow of Doubt could impact this format, for sure. There are a lot of Tutors, and a lot of Fetches, and that card slaps them both in the face. I think with a good shell, you could definitely make this viable. If I were to come up with something off the top of my head that ran these cards, it would run:

Stifle, Shadow of Doubt, Pherexian Totem, Braids, Crucible, FoW, Mishra's Factory... etc... I don't know if it could ever be good, but it might be fun.

A deck like this could have some game against Goblins, if it had the early answers. It prevents them from using matron and fetches. Maybe Jam in Edicts/Smother for some Isochron abuse. I don't know *shrugs*.


But, more on topic. Stifle, is probably hands down the best blue card against Goblins, short of FoW (which is good in a totally different way).

[C.P.]

Yeah, I always wanted to build a U/B deck with stifle and waste and sinkhole and maybe shadow of doubt but I could just never work out a good creature/counter/disruption base. I suck at life.

I get what you say, but I think C-Aleric and Volt has a point. Stifle is very versatile, and it takes care of things that nomal counterspell can't at a price tag of a single blue mana. Ability to cripple mana base + hate wasteland + laugh at matron/ringleader in one card is nothing to look down at.

I do admit that there are people whe loves stifle too much and stick them to where they do not belong, it is a very good nontheless.

[Happy Gilmore]

Stifle by a long shot. If I were playing landstill, which I never will, stifle would be main as a 3 of. If you can think of an important matchup where they are not good I would love to hear it.

lacky activations, piledrived activations, matron, ringleader, gempalm, wasteland, SGC come into play ability, you name it. Stifle hurts like a bitch if your goblins. But your going to need more than that against them if you expect to win. Red has easy access to addictional sweepers but white has only a couple.

Tividar's crusade and Waylay are about the only cheap ones I can think of. And it doesnt hurt that Waylay is 2W to cast.

[Bardo]

Provided you can beat SGC, Dueling Grounds is kinda fun:

Card type: Enchantment
Casting cost: 1GW
Oracle text: No more than one creature can attack each turn.
No more than one creature can block each turn.

I'll also second Sphere of Law.

[Hanni]

I'm just going to chime in here, even though it's probably been overstated enough already. I didn't see this mentioned in detail enough, so I figured I'd do that.

If your playing Control, and especially if your playing Blue (UWR Landstill in this case), run Stifle. Control is designed to beat Goblins but Goblins has something that defies the laws of aggro... a RED Fact or Fiction (and it's on a 2/2 haste body that's tutorable). Casting Wrath of God should be the clincher... but when your opponent simply refills his hand and proceeds to refill the board within a turn or 2, you run into serious problems as the Control player. Stifle answers Ringleader... and Ringleader is the card that will make or break the matchup. Stifling fetchlands can be funny, hitting Wastelands will save you, but stopping that Ringleader activation is the most important play you can make.

That's all I really have to say about that. Maindeck at least 3 Stifle if your playing blue, especially if your playing Control.

[C-Aleric]

I'll agree with Hanni. Ringleader is the back breaker in the drawn out matches against Control. Watching them refill their hand instantly, then proceeding to drop 3-4 goblins and swing for 10 the turn after, is disgusting.

If you are playing a blue deck that has any kind of tempo though (Threshold/UWb Fish) I believe that going straight for the Fetch Land will win you more games than waiting for the Ringleader. It just slows them down too much. Maybe in game one, waiting for the refill is a good option, but in games 2-3, when you board in the Plagues/Other goblin hate, you deck should be able to beat them if you don't nail the Fetch Land. So, if you prevent them from a land drop, you'll have such a huge advantage, it's gross.

Stifle Fetches, and Fetch your own basics. And pound them into the ground.