Originally Posted by
cheinp
Hi.
I'm an old reader of this forum. I hadn't registered because my bad English but I finally decided to do it to try to give you my opinion about this deck. Thus, I can also keep practising my writing... and I'm sure you'll be able to understand what I wanna say.
Anyway, It's been many years playing Legacy, I'm not a pro one but I've been piloting this deck for years. Honestly, I reckon it's not a good time for goblins...and this is because you are the good pair against almost every deck...
Why? It's simple, because the metagame and the new cards. Every deck might update their strategies looking for the best way to adapt itself to be competitive in the meta. Goblin's cannot. I don't remember a good card for this desk since Cavern of Souls.
In juxtapostion, we need to deal with: deathrite shaman, fatal push, abrupt decay, toxic deluge... Besides, the growth of TNN's decks has caused the people includes: eng plague, golgary charm, zealous, marsh casualties, edict ...
My 75's and then my reasons.
Lands (22):
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Wasteland
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Arid Mesa
2 Badlands
5 Mountains
Artifacts (4):
4 Aether vial
Creatures (29):
4 Goblin Lackey
4 Goblin Matron
4 Goblin Warchief
4 Goblin Ringsleader
3 Gempalm Incinerator
2 Stingscourger
2 Mogg War Marshal
1 Goblin Piledriver
1 Krenko Mob Boss
1 Tuktuk Scrapper
1 Goblin Chirurgeon
1 Goblin Sharpshooter
1 Grenzo Dungeon Warden
Spells (5):
3 Tarfire
2 Warren Weirding
Side (15):
3 Chalice of the Void
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Sudden Demise
2 Collective Brutality
2 Thorn of Amethyst
2 Blood Moon
1 Magus of the Moon
1 Goblin King
I've always been a defensor to not splashing this deck, but some circunstances made me change my mind.
Deck analysis:
Lands:
First of all, there is no ports in my list. It's been a long since the last time I played them. They are a very powerful tool but I'd prefer to be fast and, nowadays, I think Ancient Tomb is better than ports in this list. There are a lot of goblins that it comes earlier with tombs (matron,ringsleaders,, shooter, krenko... combinations of two 1R 1Rx cards), you'll be able to play vial around daze as well. Post side, tomb is a good friend of Chalice, Thorn, Blood Moon, demise, magus...
The rest of the land base is quite similar to the regular. The splashing is optional, I think it is necessary to be able to clean TNN or playing discard cards but it makes you lose more life (fetchs+tombs...)
The creatures selection is st that depends on each player/meta... but there is st that I assume is non-negotiable and I don't go to discuss:
4 Goblin Lackey (the trol who always makes your opponent frown)
4 Goblin Matron (goblin tutor)
4 Goblin Warchief (double speed)
4 Goblin Ringsleader (cards advantage or clean sht on the top)
Then:
2-4 Gempalm Incinerator
1-2 Stingscourger
1-2 Goblin Piledriver
1 Krenko Mob Boss
I used to play 3 piledriver, then I realised than it always was a -2 piledriver in G2/3 against almost decks so I decided to play only one... (you always have the matron tutor...)
I love stingcourger (synergy with lackey/ good against delve famous fishes/vampire... good against delver / good against reanimator decks / good as a finisher vaporsnagging the blocker/...) You always want one in your opening hand. I play 2... (sometimes 3)
2-3 gempalms I think are necessary, only can be stifled and also have synergy with lackey.
I had to read several times Krenko ability to believe it, so must be in.
The rest:
2 Mogg War Marshal (I don't see nothing special on these but I like them)
1 Tuktuk Scrapper (There are a lot of d&t and Stoneforge decks so I think I need to play one copy)
1 Goblin Chirurgeon (annoying and useful)
1 Goblin Sharpshooter (d&t, elemental token, elves..., many times is going to side in game 2, but it is + because sometimes you don't know what cards should be out :D)
1 Grenzo Dungeon Warden (funny card, I think this is not a deck to win a gp so enjoy :D Honestly, it is a very circunstantial card and is a nombo with ringsleader but you can cast almost every creature in the deck, even with x=0) Besides, 50% of your deck are creatures... and you can activate without tap it. A lot of time you've got the vial on 2 and a tomb untapped...
Side:
All the cards on the sideboard are quite common except maybe Collective, sudden, magus and king.
- I wish I could play 3 Collective. I love that card, you can have a bad duress when you need, a bad removal or attention, the third ability also help us because we lose so much life. You don't need to escalate. Be patient.
- Sudden Demise is an strong massive removal against so many decks (grixis, 4c control, d&t, infect,...) I like it and a I play it.
- You can play magus with vial, you can play an unexpected third blood moon.
- Gobling king is maybe the weakest tool of my side and so many time is changed for another card basically because it is an easy target. But there are a lot of decks with red and that may become unblockable your goblins. Maybe a I tried another posibilities.
If you win the 1st, sometimes is better to step aside some lackeys because you are not going to start and then turns them in a slow options. G3 (they should come back). Remember you can play cost 1 creatures with chalice and cavern. But be careful with vial.
Some pairings advices: (%s are, of course, made up)
TES. -> You are gonna lose and you know it so relax. 95% you'll be losing the 1st. You can try to fix it with side and a good locker. Almost every card in the side are in... all of your removal will be out, slow cards too. You'll be happy to know that you are playing ancient tombs...
-4 Ringsleader
-3 Gempalm
-2 Warren
-1 Chirugeon
-1 Tuktuk
+3 Chalice of the Void
+2 Surgical Extraction
+2 Sudden Demise
+2 Thorn of Amethyst
+2 Collective brutality
Lands.-> It is quite possible you lose too, not without fight.
The only chance to beat your opp in the 1st, is being the fastest. If it is a long game, you need to consider to concede. Remember that your vial always on 2 to be able to play stingcourger against marit. Your wasteland are a useful tool, do not change it by an opponent bayou... Surgical is an strong card against land too.
-4 Ringsleader
-3 Gempalm
-2 Warren
-1 Chirugeon
-1 Shooter
-1 marshall
+3 Chalice of the Void
+2 Surgical Extraction
+2 Collective Brutality
+2 Thorn of Amethyst
+3 Moon pack
Death and taxes -> 50% I don't think d&t a bad pair... Basically the first to play a vial will probably the winner.
Be careful with: the obvious, mother of the runes, jitte, sword of fire and ice, flyers.
Remember that: you play similar strategy so take advantage of that. If you are able to play a surgical over stp your goblins will be free way. In G2/3 play around cataclysm, do not put all your cards onto the battlefield. Remember to save your removal for cards you cannot deal with (fly/mothers/...) do not waste them on thalias, they are cute.
-2 Ringsleader
-2 Marshall
-1 Grenzo
-1 Piledriver
+2 Surgical Extraction
+2 Sudden Demise
+2 Collective Brutality
Grixis.
This is one of the most stronger legacy decks at the moment. So it will be hard to beat it. But not impossible. A bad choice and you're dead.
Remember that:
It's obvious but I've seen many mistakes with that: Don't waste your removals in cards you can deal with.
Remember the priority: delver (kill it), pyromancer (kill it, it is faster than you), deathrite (kill it only if it is useful to got a lackey effect or if you have plenty of removals), tnn (you only play 2/75 cards to kill it, don't fail it :D), gurmag (just block it or return to his/her opponent hand)
You need to play a quick vial, it is your card, do not keep a hand with 3 lands and cost 2/3 creatures because probably there won't be turn 3... (actually use this with every pair)
Siding... I don't usually play the moon pack. It's going to kill u with lightning or red cards.
+3 Chalice of the Void
+2 Sudden Demise
+2 Collective Brutality
+1 Goblin King
(well, now that is difficult)
-2 Ringsleader
-1 Grenzo
-1 Stincourger
-1 Tuktuk
-1 Chirugeon
-1 Shooter
-1 Marshall
To be continued:
UBx control
Sneak and show
4C control
Any comment or correction are very welcome :D
All the best.