The Commander
: Create X 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens, where X is the number of Goblins you control.
Guide
Gameplan
Drop Krenko, protect him, and tap him to exponentially double your Goblin army each turn. You snowball from a handful of tokens into dozens, then convert that board into lethal damage through anthems, sacrifice payoffs, or a single explosive haste swing.
Strengths
- Exponential token generation that can win out of nowhere
- Mono-red consistency and access to cheap, focused tutors and ramp
- Multiple redundant payoffs (overrun, fling, aristocrats) for a wide board
- Tons of tribal support makes the deck deep and easy to build
Weaknesses
- Extremely commander-dependent — removing Krenko stalls the whole plan
- Vulnerable to board wipes that erase the token army instantly
- Needs Krenko to survive a turn or have haste to start generating value
- Limited interaction; mono-red struggles with enchantments and flyers
Key Cards
- Goblin Bombardment — Free sac outlet that turns your endless Goblins into a direct-damage win condition immune to combat.
- Skullclamp — Draws two cards every time a 1/1 token dies, refueling your hand off the army Krenko makes.
- Purphoros, God of the Forge — Each Goblin entering deals 2 to every opponent, instantly converting a Krenko activation into lethal.
- Thornbite Staff — Untaps Krenko whenever a Goblin dies, enabling infinite tokens with a free sac outlet.
- Goblin Chieftain — Grants haste so Krenko can tap the turn he enters and pumps your whole team for the alpha strike.
- Impact Tremors — Cheap redundancy for Purphoros, pinging opponents for every token that hits the battlefield.
Upgrade Path
Add fast mana and haste enablers (Lightning Greaves, Swiftfoot Boots, Mana Crypt, Sol Ring) so Krenko generates value immediately and survives removal. Prioritize a compact combo line — Thornbite Staff + Goblin Bombardment or Umbral Mantle — alongside Purphoros to give multiple non-combat kills. Tighten the tutor package with Gamble, Goblin Recruiter, and Goblin Matron to find your payoffs consistently.
Core Cards
- Mogg War Marshal
- Mizzium Mortars
- Goblin Instigator
- Goblin Bushwhacker
- Throne of the God-Pharaoh
- Legion Loyalist
- Goblin Piledriver
- Goblin Warchief
- Pashalik Mons
- Mogg Fanatic
- Shared Animosity
- Goblin Trashmaster
Seeded from a single deck — rates appear once more public decks exist.
Win Conditions
- ▸Alpha strike with haste and an anthem like Coat of Arms or Goblin War Drums
- ▸Burn the table out via Purphoros/Impact Tremors triggers off mass token creation
- ▸Infinite tokens with Thornbite Staff or Umbral Mantle plus a sac outlet for lethal damage/drain
- ▸Fling or Goblin Bombardment to convert the board into direct damage
Archetypes
- Tokens / Go-Wide — Krenko literally doubles your Goblin count, flooding the board for anthems and overrun effects.
- Aristocrats — Sacrifice outlets and drain payoffs turn the disposable token army into reliable damage and card draw.
- Combo — Thornbite Staff or Umbral Mantle plus a sac outlet generates infinite tokens and infinite damage.
- Goblin Tribal — As a Goblin lord he anchors a synergistic Goblin deck packed with lords and tribal tutors.
Combos
- Krenko, Mob Boss + Skirk Prospector + Goblin Warchief
→ Infinite commander casts, Infinite creature tokens with haste, Infinite death triggers
- Krenko, Mob Boss + Skirk Prospector + Goblin Chieftain
→ Infinite commander casts, Infinite creature tokens with haste, Infinite death triggers
- Krenko, Mob Boss + Skirk Prospector + Howlsquad Heavy
→ Infinite LTB, Infinite ETB, Infinite sacrifice triggers
- Krenko, Mob Boss + Skirk Prospector + Thousand-Year Elixir
→ Infinite LTB, Infinite ETB, Infinite sacrifice triggers
- Krenko, Mob Boss + Thornbite Staff + Skirk Prospector
→ Infinite creature tokens, Infinite damage, Infinite red mana
Combos via Commander Spellbook.
Related Commanders
Same color identity (R), by popularity.
