[Discussion-Goblins] Why Not Goblin King?

[al the great]

I've read several articles and have lurked on this forum for quite some time now. I've messed with goblin decks the past 6 months or so and have been extensively testing it.

Why isn't Goblin King used in the decks I've seen posted online? Yet I've seen people in my area run Goblin King in their decks and win Legacy tourneys all the time.
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[URABAHN]

Where have you been finding your decklists? Goblin King is usually a 1-of and tutored for when you need Mountainwalk or the +1/+1.

[quicksilver]

Goblin king is fine on it's own. But in tough match-ups it can be less than good. By itself it is sub par, only being a 2/2 with no abilities. Where as something like piledriver essentially gives all your goblins +2/+0 which is much better than +1/+1. Most other goblins can be fairly powerful on their own, such as matron, ringleader, siege-gang. Cards like goblin king are often jsut a win more and only are strong when you are already in a strong position but are week when you are losing. But it is still helpful sometimes against engineered plague or decks with blockers and mountains, which is why it is run as a one of tutor target.

Also this should probably be in the goblins thread since it has nothing to do with the rules.

[Vardaman]

Agreed, Goblin King is just fine as a one-of. You don't really have room for multiples since 80% of the deck is either set in stone or better than King.

Where as something like piledriver essentially gives all your goblins +2/+0 which is much better than +1/+1.

What a weird way to think of Piledriver.

[NoGameShow]

Goblin king is fine on it's own. But in tough match-ups it can be less than good. By itself it is sub par, only being a 2/2 with no abilities. Where as something like piledriver essentially gives all your goblins +2/+0 which is much better than +1/+1. Most other goblins can be fairly powerful on their own, such as matron, ringleader, siege-gang. Cards like goblin king are often jsut a win more and only are strong when you are already in a strong position but are week when you are losing. But it is still helpful sometimes against engineered plague or decks with blockers and mountains, which is why it is run as a one of tutor target.

Also this should probably be in the goblins thread since it has nothing to do with the rules.

I think it's really metagame dependent. If I was playing goblins and knew a few people would be playing RGBSA or other decks with mountains I would run a king just because of the tuotorable unblockable alpha strike capabilty.

[al the great]

Last night I tested Goblin King with 1 of and it worked great. Funny thing is that I put just one in to see how that worked as I posted this thread and I liked it alot.

I had main boarded Goblin Pyromancer but i think now it's more of sideboard against something like combo. I really hate getting the 1 Pyromancer out on my 1st turn.

Al.

[kicks_422]

I used to run 4 in my build, in my (flawed?) thinking that Goblins could be better if they became bigger...

18 Mountain (fetches?)
4 Goblin Burrows

4 Goblin Lackey
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Goblin Piledriver
4 Gempalm Incinerator
4 Goblin Warchief
4 Goblin King
4 Goblin Matron
4 Goblin Ringleader
2 Siege-gang Commander
4 Aether Vial

I basically gave up Port/Wastelands for Burrows and Kings...

[Eldariel]

Uh, just play Goblin Goons if you want Big Goblins. Actually, I made a deck called 'Big Goblins' once with full sets of Goblin Goons and Mogg Flunkies in addition to the usual suspects. First I ran 4 Kings too, but after testing some, I noticed that they did nothing, they just die when the sweepers come along and they're pretty damn useless otherwise. Morale of the story? Just stick to naturally big Gobs. Although, Goons are pretty poor in the mirror and Flunks have a very annoying drawback.

[Lego]

If you want really big Goblins you should throw in Ancient Tombs, Chrome Moxen, and Seething Song. Then play 4 Siege-Gang Commander and one or two Warbreak Trumpeter. Although that doesn't make big ones, just lots of them... hmm.

[SillyMetalGAT]

I know if you stick to mono-red Goblins and you have A LOT of E. Plagues and Pyroclasms in your meta, I would throw 1 mainboard and probably 3 SB. Its Goblins only way to combat these 2 cards and still stay mono red.

[quicksilver]

I know if you stick to mono-red Goblins and you have A LOT of E. Plagues and Pyroclasms in your meta, I would throw 1 mainboard and probably 3 SB. Its Goblins only way to combat these 2 cards and still stay mono red.

Goblin king isn't that hot against pyroclasm since you need 2 of them out to stop pyroclasm.

[SillyMetalGAT]

Goblin king isn't that hot against pyroclasm since you need 2 of them out to stop pyroclasm.

I cant really think of a better option, do you have one for mono red gobs?

[quicksilver]

I cant really think of a better option, do you have one for mono red gobs?

Just don't ever extened into the pyroclasm, then if you do get pyroclasmed, vial in a ringleader and draw 4 cards for free, play out like a warchief and piledriver and swing for damage as though you never even got clasmed.

[NoGameShow]

Just don't ever extened into the pyroclasm, then if you do get pyroclasmed, vial in a ringleader and draw 4 cards for free, play out like a warchief and piledriver and swing for damage as though you never even got clasmed.

QFT unless some how you miraculous avoid spot removal of one of your kings by vialing two in at once or something crazy like that the best defense against pyroclasm or any sweeper is not to overextend. Goblins can recover amazingly quick it even scares me sometimes when I'm playing the deck.