Introduction
This deck is part of the Pauper Decks, which are made from only common cards. The great thing about Pauper is the majority of the cards are cheap to buy, and are still strong as there are quite a lot of good common cards over Magic's history.
Key Strategy
The "Goblin Class" deck revolves around a combo-driven strategy that utilizes goblins and sacrifice synergies to generate value and overwhelm opponents. The primary goal is to create an engine that loops key cards to generate infinite damage or resources, using goblins as the primary fuel. This deck is designed to be resilient and adaptable, capable of grinding out value or ending the game explosively with the right setup.
Key Cards and Their Roles:
First Day of Class: This card is central to the deck’s combo potential. When paired with a creature that can return from the graveyard repeatedly, like Putrid Goblin, it can lead to infinite loops. First Day of Class gives your goblins haste and +1/+1 counters when they enter the battlefield, allowing for immediate impact and continuous recycling in combo situations.
Putrid Goblin: This is the key piece of your combo engine. Putrid Goblin can persistently return to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter after it dies, and with First Day of Class providing +1/+1 counters, it negates the -1/-1 counter, enabling infinite loops when paired with a sacrifice outlet.
Skirk Prospector: This is the primary sacrifice outlet in the deck. Skirk Prospector allows you to sacrifice goblins to generate red mana. In combination with Putrid Goblin and First Day of Class, you can generate infinite mana by repeatedly sacrificing Putrid Goblin as it returns to the battlefield with its persist ability.
Makeshift Munitions: This card serves as an alternative win condition. Once you have infinite mana and an infinite loop with Putrid Goblin, Makeshift Munitions allows you to deal infinite damage by sacrificing goblins repeatedly.
Goblin Matron: This card acts as a tutor to fetch crucial combo pieces. Goblin Matron can find Putrid Goblin or Skirk Prospector, helping to assemble your combo quickly and consistently.
Unearth: Unearth is a versatile tool in this deck. It can bring back key goblins like Putrid Goblin or Skirk Prospector from the graveyard, allowing you to maintain combo potential even after disruption.
Deadly Dispute: This card not only provides card draw but also generates treasure tokens, which can be crucial for ramping into your combo or maintaining momentum after a board wipe.
Chromatic Star and Ichor Wellspring: These artifacts help with mana fixing and card draw. They are also great fodder for Deadly Dispute and can be sacrificed to Makeshift Munitions if needed.
Dark-Dweller Oracle: This card offers an additional outlet for sacrificing goblins to gain card advantage. It allows you to dig through your deck for more combo pieces or answers.
Gameplay Strategy:
In the early game, focus on assembling your key combo pieces by using Goblin Matron to tutor and Deadly Dispute for card draw. Set up your board with Putrid Goblin and Skirk Prospector while holding back First Day of Class until you’re ready to go off. If your opponent is applying pressure, use Unearth to bring back key goblins or Duress to disrupt their hand.
Once you have the combo pieces in place, use First Day of Class to start the infinite loop with Putrid Goblin and Skirk Prospector. With infinite mana generated, you can either win on the spot with Makeshift Munitions or stabilize by casting multiple spells or deploying your entire hand.
If the combo isn’t feasible due to disruption or if the game drags on, you can pivot to a more midrange strategy by leveraging Goblin Matron to fetch value goblins like Dark-Dweller Oracle or Skirk Prospector to grind out resources. Unearth and Deadly Dispute can help you maintain card advantage, ensuring you’re always ready to reassemble the combo or push through with aggression.
In some matchups, you'll want to play more conservatively, using Duress and Deadly Dispute to protect your combo and ensure that your key pieces aren't removed. In other matchups, you'll want to play aggressively, using First Day of Class and Goblin Matron to quickly assemble your combo and finish the game in a burst of goblin-fueled destruction.
Key Cards
Cards to look for in the opening hand