Unleash Chaos with the Best Goblin Commanders in MTG
Magic: The Gathering (MTG) boasts a variety of vibrant and eccentric tribes, but few are as notorious and beloved as goblins. These mischievous creatures have a penchant for chaos and explosive strategies, making them a staple in many Commander decks. With a vast array of legendary goblins at your disposal, the goblin commander offers a dynamic range of styles—each with its own unique flair. From the timeless trickery of Kiki-Jiki to the strategic genius of Muxus, this blog post ranks the top 36 Goblin Commanders, delving into their strengths, synergies, and deck-building potential. We’ll also touch on essential goblin strategies, examine the role of mana in these decks, and offer insights into creature balance. Whether you’re a seasoned planeswalker or new to MTG, join us as we dive into the unpredictably exciting world of goblin commanders.
What Are Goblin Commanders in MTG?
In the world of Magic: The Gathering, Goblin Commanders are legendary goblin creatures that can be chosen to lead a Commander deck. Commander, also known as EDH (Elder Dragon Highlander), is a popular multiplayer format which emphasizes creative deck-building and strategic gameplay. Each goblin commander brings its own unique abilities and flavor to the battlefield, often representing the chaos and unpredictability associated with their tribe. Goblins in MTG are typically associated with the color red, known for its aggression and speed. As commanders, goblins often excel at overwhelming opponents with numbers, dealing direct damage, and sabotaging strategies with explosive outcomes. With a range of legendary goblins available, players can opt for commanders that suit a variety of playstyles—from brute force to cunning trickery. Understanding each goblin commander’s strengths and potential synergies is crucial to leveraging their full potential in gameplay. Crafting a successful goblin commander deck involves balancing aggression with strategy, making it vital to thoroughly comprehend the individual qualities and deck-building dynamics that each commander offers. The best goblin commanders hold the power to influence the game and their victory often relies on strategic interactions that align with their chaotic nature.
#36. Ishi-Ishi, Akki Crackshot
Ishi-Ishi, Akki Crackshot brings a playful twist to a goblin commander role with a focus on handling spirits and burn spells. As a goblin archer, Ishi-Ishi stands out by punishing opponents every time they cast a spirit or arcane spell. While not the most conventional choice, this commander’s ability allows for a unique take on a goblin deck by creating a disruptive environment against decks reliant on those card types. Ishi-Ishi thrives in environments where opponents are frequently tapping into arcane spells, such as Kamigawa-themed environments. Although this commander might seem niche, its strength grows when paired with cards and strategies that amplify the damage dealt to opponents, further hindering their strategies. As a result, playing Ishi-Ishi often requires analyzing your opponents’ decks to capitalize on his abilities. Overall, while Ishi-Ishi, Akki Crackshot may not be at the forefront of competitive goblin commanders, he offers a distinctive and enjoyable playstyle for those seeking to explore a cross between tribal goblins and meta-specific counterplay.
#35. Squee, Dubious Monarch
Squee, Dubious Monarch brings a touch of patriotic flair with his ability to raise a horde of goblins. Each time Squee attacks, he creates a 1/1 red Goblin creature token that’s tapped and attacking. This ability provides players with a steady stream of goblins, making Squee an appealing choice for decks that benefit from a growing army. However, Squee’s strength lies not just in spawning goblins but in his ability to synergize with cards that capitalize on goblin presence, such as Purphoros, God of the Forge, or Impact Tremors. Squee’s recurring role also makes him an ideal candidate for sacrifice strategies, where the repeated centering of goblins can further team up with cards that offer payoffs for sacrificing creatures. To harness Squee’s full potential, players should build decks that thrive on exploiting attack triggers and maximizing token creation. While not the most robust goblin leader on its own, Squee, Dubious Monarch serves as a catalyst for decks where the cumulative effect of goblin multiplication and attack synergy can sway the outcome of the game. In the right deck, Squee’s relentless spirit and goblin army can transform a battlefield into a sea of chaos.
#34. Squee, Goblin Nabob
Squee, Goblin Nabob embodies the definition of eternal nuisance. This legendary goblin proves unreasonably durable, returning from the graveyard to its owner’s hand at the start of every upkeep—an ability that ensures Squee is always present to launch pesky invasions or serve as a resilient sacrifice target. Squee’s consistent return makes him an optimal choice for decks that capitalize on card discard or sacrifice recursion mechanics. His ability serves as a reliable source of advantage, providing constant fuel for abilities that require a cost in creature presence or cards in hand. Additionally, Squee creates opportunities to abuse ‘discard’ and ‘return-to-hand’ effects, allowing players to engage in some seriously creative combos. Although Squee may not single-handedly win games, his unmatched resilience as a repeatable resource aligns perfectly with strategies that exploit ‘graveyard to hand’ transitions. This sneaky trait makes Squee, Goblin Nabob a formal annoyance for opponents and a valuable tool in the hands of those who deftly manipulate resources.
#33. Rulik Mons, Warren Chief
Rulik Mons, Warren Chief captures the ferocity of goblins with a shamanistic flair, amplifying the goblin tribe’s aggressive and unrelenting nature. When Rulik Mons attacks, players can reveal a top card from their libraries to discern its mana value. If it’s a land card, it’s played tapped onto the battlefield; otherwise, the commander inspires chaos with a new goblin entering the scene. Rulik Mons offers a two-fold strategy for advancement—either enabling explosive land ramp or spawning additional goblins to grow your forces. His dynamic ability rewards attacking, incentivizing players to maintain a steady assault on opponents. Synergize with cards that manipulate the top of your deck, like scry lands, to fully exploit Rulik Mons’ abilities. Though Rulik Mons embodies unpredictability, he thrives in decks designed with tribal aggression and battlefield expansion in mind. By constantly keeping opponents on their toes, Rulik Mons delivers mayhem with his intuition-driven and raw approach to power, making him both a thrilling and tactical choice for any goblin commander enthusiast.
#32. Krark, the Thumbless
Krark, the Thumbless redefines spell-centric goblin chaos with an unpredictability factor that matches his lack of thumbs. Each time you cast an instant or sorcery spell, Krark gives you a choice—flip a coin. Heads, return the spell to its owner’s hand, tails, cast a copy of the spell and choose its targets if available. Playing Krark is akin to embracing chance and triggering pandemonium on the board. With the right complementary aura like Krark’s Thumb or coin manipulation spells, players can tip the odds in their favor, turning Krark’s ability into a surprisingly reliable engine of value. The right sequences can result in powerful spell duplication, but Krark demands a deck equipped to take maximum advantage of his unpredictability. Krark suits players who relish risk-taking and personalizing their deck building to embrace randomness in a way that’s still strategically rewarding. While Krark isn’t a conventional goblin army leader, his flare for spells showcases a blend of arcane curiosity mixed with classic goblin mischief, amplifying possibilities in unpredictable but exhilarating ways.
#31. Slobad, Goblin Tinkerer
Slobad, Goblin Tinkerer stands out as a paragon of artifacts, offering a tinkering twist to classic goblin strategies. Known for his ability to sacrifice artifacts to make other artifacts indestructible, Slobad reimagines how goblins engage with the battlefield. These innate talents present incredible potential to protect vital components within artifact-heavy decks, enhancing durability and adaptability. Slobad shines in synergy with decks built around heavy artifact interactions, serving both as a guardian and a facilitator of goblin-engineered destruction. His ability to grant indestructibility requires sacrificing lesser, possibly redundant artifacts to shield crucial linchpins or enabling bold plays in combat. Harnessing Slobad’s potential requires an intricate dance between his knack for survival and relentless goblin aggression, encouraging creative deck constructions and strategic incorporations between goblin tribal power and artifact genius. As a goblin who rose to legendary status through mechanical ingenuity, Slobad offers players a leap into the exciting intersection of traditional goblin mayhem and technological marvels.
#30. Ben-Ben, Akki Hermit
Ben-Ben, Akki Hermit captures the flavor of eccentricity and precision, standing alone as a goblin adept in mountain magic. With his activated ability triggered by untapped mountain land, Ben-Ben deals damage equal to its power to an attacking creature, becoming a powerful deterrent for would-be assailants. Playing Ben-Ben calls for a balancing act between his desire to defend and potential to attack. His strength relies on tactical retaliation, establishing a formidable line of defense while proving opportunistic during counter-assaults. Building with mountains in mind ensures ample fuel for Ben-Ben’s prowess, making lands paramount to ensuring his abilities can be swiftly and consistently activated. Undaunted strategy and ability awareness distinguishes Ben-Ben as a sly force within the goblin commander scene. His capacities offer a historical homage to dedicated defense while betraying little of his explosive sibling bouquets, allowing deck builders to lean into defensive wisdom embodied in a goblin’s formidable form.
#29. Breeches, Brazen Plunderer
Breeches, Brazen Plunderer demands attention with his proclivity for piracy and treasures, well-versed in the arts of nautical goblin negotiation. As a renowned pirate, Breeches’s essence allows for stealing spells right from opponents’ spellbooks—in a manner only befitting the most brazen buccaneers. This ability makes him a formidable commander for a deck synergized around piracy and opportunistic advantage, allowing players to gain temporary access to opponents’ decks with his combat-inspired manipulations. As Breeches pairs with other creatures, his effect amplifies chaos, swiping potential resources from an opponent’s arsenal—an ability that aligns well with other red or pirate mechanics. Breaching the confines of a typical goblin assault, Breeches offers deck builders a novel approach—whether it be through riches and stolen spellcraft or sheer combat potential, Breeches, Brazen Plunderer guides you toward discovery and opportunity through classic goblin thievery.
#28. Goro-Goro and Satoru
Goro-Goro and Satoru forge an unlikely alliance between goblin and ninja, melding aggressive goblin nuances with stealthy infiltration—two archetypes usually worlds apart. Their ability pairings create a universal synergy between dragons and the might of the ninja, allowing cards to move unseen into position before unleashing a surprise attack. This unusual, yet highly impactful combo, reveals what innovation lies within MTG design, allowing goblins to enter an ethereal world of core shuriken and hidden daggers with their destructive impact to follow up a hidden interjection. For Commander players deeply indulged in thematic deck creations, Goro-Goro and Satoru is a choice gem seeking decks specifically exploring multifaceted approaches to combat. Though drawing unexpected lines outside traditional goblin foci, these two sly warriors blend insight into each other’s battlefield tactics, offering not just combat success but immersive thematic immersion, allowing deck builders keen on narrative to explore layers of unexplored strengths across fantasy’s boldest and rarely charted territories.
#27. Goro-Goro, Disciple of Ryusei
As the Disciple of Ryusei, Goro-Goro commemorates another era—a goblin leader with an eye set vertically upon dragons. Grounded in old Kamigawa lore, Goro-Goro offers an aggressive stance paired with a distinctly awe-inspiring capacity for arping giant draconic allies upon the gaze of five exclusive red lands. Goro-Goro exemplifies how one can merge red’s famed speed with synergistic mana opportunity towards crafting dragon summons, bridging gaps between powerhouses. For decks embracing fiery accelerance as well as an eye toward aerial prowess, Goro-Goro can fulfill the rhythm between goblin ingenuity seated within a potential deck, crafted to surprise by scaling minor victories into horizons painted by dragon wings. Though distinct in its premise, Goro-Goro gives those eager for exploration—a goblin with the alliance of dragons—a wonderfully compatible choice muraling basic goblin aggression painted proudly within an explosive ascent, varying the vector of attacks through the mirroring force gracing true dragon alliances.
#26. Grenzo, Havoc Raiser
Grenzo, Havoc Raiser represents a chaotic impulse—one that deviates strategy toward opponent disruption and manipulation. With an iconic flair, Grenzo’s presence channels an ability that finely blends robbery and disarray, uniquely allocating mischief as a potent weapon. Grenzo’s hallmark features entail stealing opponents’ top cards via attack triggers and inspiration for creature terms leading enemies astray through the incentive-loaded goading mechanic. Functioning with strategic elegance, Grenzo lays bare an opponent’s strategy, forcing redirected choices ensuring they think strategically about their latent vulnerability. Building your deck with Grenzo at its helm involves doubling down on attacking with ingenuity, focusing on combat triggers while optimizing goad effect usage to destabilize opponent fortifications. Decks aligned with indirect magic aggression thrive under his guidance, leaning into strategies where opponents’ hands remain perpetually under threat and ever-dynamic goblin strategies thrive under his willing chaos echelon.
#25. Gut, True Soul Zealot
Gut, True Soul Zealot taps into a spectral zeal that bleeds between world junctions, amplifying the goblin’s mystical prowess as none could. Driven by fervor, Gut employs righteous zeal to awaken spirits bound within fighter bones—unleashing an incident-infused pandemonium upon enemy ranks. Thrusting forth legions of the awakened, Gut assists players with visionary expansions through ethereal summons, transforming steadfast spirits into tactical assets bolstered by belief-driven goblin frenzy. While non-conventional in goblin ranks, his manifestation is ideal for hybridization, enhancing deck empowerment through ceremonial replication of spectral invulnerabilities. Combining those domains sharpens Gut’s true strategic onslaught — players daring command his banner sail through fair oblivion to capitalize upon realm-blending goblin infernos. This synthesis transforms fright and fervor into invigorating knowledge for creators daring, altering mana flow through cataclysm through lively theological disorder.
#24. Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician
Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician epitomizes raw goblin vitality, weaving consequence and potential within each outrageous charge. A cunning tactician championing destruction and torrents of goblins, Ib exhibits brilliance over total battlefield chaos induced by perpetual assault. As a master tactician, Ib provides incentive through resourceful evasion—most prominently in cards like goblins limited by sacrifice. These capabilities allow opposition ambushes to materialize, ensuring his goblins devote themselves every battle and transform skirmishes into landslide victory mechanism. With Ib at your deck’s helm, rewarding explosive strategies emerges naturally alluring, cohorting self-sacrifice synergy. Utilizing artifacts and strategies that capitalize on low-mana cost pays dividends—left unchecked, Ib cultivates climactic chaos within field, manufacturing ash of enemies left dusting embattled combative matchups.
#23. Ardoz, Cobbler of War
Ardoz, Cobbler of War reinforces goblin conviction through dominion within hallowed artificing. A fusion of practicality and zeal converts raw combat into mere drafting counterpart by mirroring forgotten weaponry through spectral justly-devout craftsmanship. Goblins led by Ardoz hold their footing with unyielding formation, transforming archaic relics into fierce mandating instruments for improvisation. The cobbler could optimize backward suits into sequential success no less ardent constructs infants in victorious crafting. Strategically forging a deck taking Ardoz’s craft to heart invites success proven empirical through warmachines complimenting orchestrated facilitation—an ingenious collaboration amplifying goblinity’s pioneering instinct optimizing tactical conversion prowess neatly flows throughout savagery.
#22. Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin
Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin blazes onto the scene oozing audacious profit-backed glory, further enriching Krenko’s name. Deviously regenerative, this goblin mob boss primes strategies unfurl through capitalization across combat-based duplicates while incentivizing cascading expansions. Krenko’s principal affinity remains expansion driven, proliferating conformity into brutish triumphalism. By entering combat and inflating production, Krenko rives strong congestion in seated reserves; however, fierce dependability quantifiable surmounts on strategic cogniance, allowing magnified upkeep turning discretionary jabs into larger foresight-based confrontations. For deck commandants striving toward consistent multiplying reserves, the Kingpin apparently dovetails amplifies employment engagements sponsoring symbiosis plus scalability embedded deadlock — revering gladiatorial tempos crescendos inaugurating fresh commemoration frameworks seizing mob ascension aligned resources.
#21. Mizzix, Replica Rider
Mizzix, Replica Rider intertwines imaginative spell-centric discipline expanding boundless, trading effectively for value-oriented alternatives aligned beyond goblin kin. This strategical herald channels destruction and progorithm evocatively elevating spell command blanketing wish personas. Utilizing Mizzix spurs opal innovation axis extracted adeptly coordinating friend magics interwoven reality: midst replica re-definition desecrations lone creativity cueing prospective opportunism under vivid boundary setting. Thus riders emerge uniquely focused capitalizing propelled cognitive goading within realm of replicating arcs universally extending unlimited techlap spurge. Mizzix provides specialists seeking ethereal control enjoyment flex; realms where interactive craftsmanship entwine spirals tantalize the reciprocally customized tying versatile empowerment to ethereal melody providing reality artifact gifts herald anew.
