This is the second of two articles in which Dan Spero (Bardo) and I (Machinus) analyze what is an important
match-up in Legacy, Goblins versus U/G/W Threshold. In Part I, we played ten games without our sideboards, and looked
closely at some of the critical development points. In this article I will be discussing the post-sideboard match-up
from my point of view, and Dan will comment.
Before I begin, I would like to return to a topic I addressed briefly at the end of the last article - Goblin
Lackey. Many inexperienced Legacy players do not know how to combat this card, and become very frustrated when they
lose to it. If Goblin Lackey triggers on the second or third turn of the game and drops a good creature into play, it
is difficult for some decks to recover from the tempo loss. However, Goblin Lackey rarely does this, and is not
nearly as strong as it used to be due to the adjustment of the format. Legacy has reached the point where decks have
incorporated general solutions without altering their main strategies.
Some decks try to prevent cheap threats like Goblin Lackey from resolving, with Force of Will, Daze, or Chalice
of the Void, but most decks simply remove them after they enter play. Mogg Fanatic, Nimble Mongoose, Swords to
Plowshares, and Lightning Bolt are all relatively common cards in Legacy, and many decks play them because of their
strength at answering early game threats. There are also decks that pay less attention to the activation of Goblin
Lackey, either because it is mostly irrelevant to their strategy or because they want to earn card advantage with
removal. Tendrils of Agony and Brain Freeze decks do not worry about the resolution of Goblin Lackey, because they
are able to win the game quickly. Decks with Pyroclasm, Pernicious Deed, Wrath of God, or any of the myriad
answers available in Legacy will allow multiple goblins to hit the table, only to destroy them all at once. And of
course, almost all decks have access to powerful sideboard cards, such as Hydroblast, Engineered Plague, and
Tivadar's Crusade.
What is important to realize is that decks are becoming better not just against Goblins, but also against the
rest of the format. Those maindeck cards successful at combating Goblins are also very good against other decks.
Legacy archetypes are developing simultaneously, and one of the biggest reasons why development is occurring is
because of high threat standards like Goblin Lackey. Without them, there would be no driving force to increase the
efficiency and versatility of decks, and deckbuilding would play a much smaller role than it does now.
Threat diversity is another way to drive deck development. Increased threat diversity arises from innovation,
which has been accumulating for some time and is finally showing promising results at tournaments; part of this comes
from having a larger card pool. It would be a great boost for the format if the DCI returned some important cards to Legacy.
...
Let me add that Goblin Lackey never once triggered during the course of our twenty games.
...
For reference, here are the competing decklists:
I will be discussing the games turn by turn, and using a specific notation. It keeps the description succinct and
well-paced, while being intuitive and informative. Here is an example:
“G3: Mountain, Tormod's Crypt [Force of Will], Goblin Ringleader → Goblin Matron plus Mogg
Fanatic”
(On the third turn, Goblins plays a Mountain and then casts a Tormod's Crypt. The opponent responds with a
Force of Will. Goblins then plays a Goblin Ringleader, which yields a Goblin Matron and a Mogg Fanatic.)
“T3: Island, Pithing Needle (Tormod's Crypt), {Goblin Tinkerer}”
(On the third turn, Threshold plays an Island, and then a Pithing Needle naming Tormod's Crypt. At the end
of the turn, Goblins puts a Goblin Tinkerer into play with an Aether Vial.)
Brackets indicate a play on the opponent's turn; parentheses indicate a target; braces indicate the use of
Aether Vial; and an arrow indicates cards drawn as a result of an effect, usually a “comes into play”
trigger.
And now, on to the games!
I. Goblins on the Play, Post-Sideboard
My sideboarding strategy changed a little as the series progressed and I guessed at what Dan was changing, but
generally my sideboard against Threshold is consistent. I always bring in four Tormod's Crypts and four Red
Elemental Blasts, although the cards I take out might change slightly. I began the series with my standard boarding
configuration:
-4 Mogg Fanatic
-4 Gempalm Incinerator
...
Moving into our sideboarded games, I was a little nervous. Conceivably, Machinus could sideboard fifteen
freaking cards against me! Not that he's be able to free up that much space, but his options were
disconcerting. If I can at least maintain my record from Games 1-10, I'd be happy (4-6).
For games 11-20, I sideboarded the same for every game:
+4 Hydroblast
+3 Tivadar's Crusade
+1 Mystic Enforcer
-4 Meddling Mage
-2 Daze
-2 Counterspell
If I had to do this again, I would probably vary my sideboarding slightly depending if I was playing or
drawing first, especially with the number of Dazes I was running.
Mystic Enforcer seems like a counter-intuitive card choice, but I was operating from my experience that
Threshold can generally stall the game to hit four mana. Also, I would have arguably lost two games in the previous
set without him. While he's vulnerable to Gempalm Incinerator and mana disruption, I figured his 3 toughness
could reasonably stand up to all of Chris's dudes, which are seldom larger than 2/2.
The Hydroblasts are Swords to Plowshares that can be played with basic Islands and the Tivadar's
Crusades help to recoup lost card advantage and swing with my guys into an empty board, which is frequently cluttered
if Threshold isn't able to establish and maintain the initiative with its free counters and large threats.
...
GAME 1
Wooded Foothills
Wooded Foothills
Mountain
Mountain
Red Elemental Blast
Goblin Piledriver
Goblin Tinkerer
G1: Wooded Foothills
T1: Polluted Delta, Serum Visions [Red Elemental Blast]
...
The Red Blast was as unpleasant as it was unexpected. Threshold usually spends its early game tuning its hand
and finding land. For a single red mana, Goblins effectively finds yet another way to strike at the aggro-control
deck when it's weakest.
...
G2: Wooded Foothills, Goblin Piledriver [Daze]
T2: Island, Serum Visions
G3: Mountain, Goblin Piledriver
T3: Windswept Heath
G4: Bloodstained Mire, Goblin Ringleader [Mental Note, Force of Will]
T4: Tropical Island, Werebear
G5: Mountain, Goblin Ringleader [Brainstorm] → Goblin Matron + Goblin Matron
T5: Mystic Enforcer
G6: Goblin Matron → Goblin Warchief, Goblin Tinkerer
T6: Serum Visions, Nimble Mongoose
G7: Goblin Warchief, Goblin Matron → Goblin Warchief
T7: Mystic Enforcer
I did not have a turn 1 play, and Dan cast all of his Mystic Enforcers.
...
As this game reaches its climax, I'm staring at my monitor and looking at some very complex battle
lines. Eventually, Chris launches an alpha-strike with this horde:
[Machinus] It is now the Combat Phase, Declare Attackers Step
[Machinus] Machinus taps Goblin Piledriver
[Machinus] Machinus taps Goblin Ringleader
[Machinus] Machinus taps Goblin Tinkerer
[Machinus] Machinus taps Goblin Warchief
[Machinus] Machinus taps Goblin Matron
[Machinus] Machinus taps Goblin Warchief
[Machinus] Machinus taps Goblin Matron
[Machinus] Machinus taps Goblin Ringleader
[Machinus] Machinus taps Goblin Lackey
[Machinus] Goblin Piledriver is now 17/2
However, Chris can only force through eleven or so damage and scoops to an impending lethal counter-strike
from my Mystic Enforcers.
...
Now that I knew I would likely be playing against Enforcer more frequently, I went back to my sideboard and
retrieved three Gempalm Incinerators, in place of two Goblin Tinkerers and a Siege-Gang Commander.
GAME 2
Mountain
Tormod's Crypt
Goblin Lackey
Goblin Lackey
Gempalm Incinerator
Goblin Ringleader
Goblin Ringleader
With a second land, this would have been an awesome hand, so I kept and hoped to draw one.
G1: Mountain, Goblin Lackey
T1: Island, Hydroblast (Goblin Lackey)
G2: Tormod's Crypt, Goblin Lackey [Daze]
T2: Island, Serum Visions
G3: Wooded Foothills
T3: Tropical Island, Werebear
G4: -
T4: Mental Note, Tundra, Werebear
G5: Goblin Lackey
T5: Swords to Plowshares (Goblin Lackey), [activate Tormod's Crypt]
G6: Bloodstained Mire
T6: Flooded Strand
G7: Goblin Tinkerer, Tormod's Crypt [Mental Note, Force of Will]
T7: -
G8: cycle Gempalm Incinerator (Werebear)
T8: Pithing Needle (Goblin Tinkerer)
G9: cycle Gempalm Incinerator (Werebear), Wasteland (Tundra)
T9: -
G10: Goblin Ringleader → Goblin Warchief
T10: Pithing Needle (Tormod's Crypt)
G11: Aether Vial, Goblin Warchief [Swords to Plowshares]
T11: Serum Visions, Plains
G12: Bloodstained Mire, Goblin Ringleader [Force of Will] Red Elemental Blast → Goblin Warchief + Goblin
Piledriver + Goblin Tinkerer
T12: Serum Visions, Tivadar's Crusade
G13: Goblin Warchief, Goblin Ringleader, Goblin Lackey, Goblin Warchief
Dan did a good job of stopping my early threats, but I was able to apply enough pressure to force through a
Goblin Ringleader, which drew me into more threats. I had enough mana after the Tivadar's Crusade to cast
multiple Goblins and do plenty of damage. Note how valuable Goblin Tinkerer was in this game, because Dan had to
answer it before Tormod's Crypt.
...
First, a Magical haiku:
Island, Trop, Note, ‘Goose
No match for Tormod's foul grave;
Nor Ringleaders, three.
I'm able to stop two Goblin Lackeys over the first few turns and can see myself realistically winning
this game with double Werebears. The real turning point of the match is the activation of Tormod's Crypt on my
fifth turn that automatically forces me back on defense. Then double-Incinerators pretty much end my game.
My late game Tivadar's Crusade, following an impressive Ringleader-powered Fact or Fiction, just delays
the inevitable. There are far too many guys to handle and I'm just run over. The late-game clearly favors
Goblins, so if Threshold isn't able to win quickly, it likely won't win at all. Hence, the brutality of
Tormod's Crypt in this match is exceptional.
...
GAME 3
Bloodstained Mire
Wooded Foothills
Tormod's Crypt
Goblin Lackey
Aether Vial
Goblin Matron
Goblin Matron.
G1: Bloodstained Mire, Aether Vial
T1: Flooded Strand
G2: Wooded Foothills, Goblin Piledriver [Force of Will]
T2: {Goblin Lackey}, Hydroblast
G3: -
T3: {Goblin Piledriver}
G4: {Goblin Matron} → Goblin Piledriver, Goblin Piledriver
T4: -
G5: {Goblin Matron}
T5: -
I started strong with an Aether Vial, and I was able to put together an attack on turn five, which takes a big
chunk out of Dan's life total. He doesn't have enough answers and scoops.
...
I mulligan a seven-spell hand into a five-spell hand with a land. Despite the card-drawing my deck runs and
five draw steps, I die with a single Island in play and a handful of awesome cards that I dump onto the board as I
concede:
[Bardo] Bardo plays Force of Will from Hand
[Bardo] Bardo plays Swords to Plowshares from Hand
[Bardo] Bardo plays Tivadar's Crusade from Hand
[Bardo] Bardo plays Mystic Enforcer from Hand
[Bardo] Bardo plays Swords to Plowshares from Hand
[Bardo] Bardo plays Tivadar's Crusade from Hand
[Machinus] wow
[Bardo] sweet hand
[Machinus] yeah
So it goes.
...
GAME 4
Bloodstained Mire
Rishadan Port
Wasteland
Tormod's Crypt
Aether Vial
Goblin Matron
Goblin Warchief
This is a well-balanced hand.
G1: Bloodstained Mire, Aether Vial
T1: Tropical Island
G2: activate Wasteland (Tropical Island) [Mental Note]
T2: Windswept Heath, Nimble Mongoose
G3: Rishadan Port
T3: [Rishadan Port] (Forest), Island
G4: Bloodstained Mire, Tormod's Crypt [Brainstorm, Force of Will] Red Elemental Blast
T4: [Rishadan Port] (Island) Polluted Delta, [activate Tormod's Crypt], {Goblin Matron} → Goblin
Ringleader
G5: {Goblin Ringleader} → Goblin Ringleader + Goblin Ringleader + Goblin Piledriver + Goblin Piledriver,
Wasteland, Goblin Piledriver, Goblin Piledriver
T5: Werebear, Werebear
G6: {Goblin Ringleader} → Goblin Lackey, Goblin Warchief, activate Wasteland (Tropical Island)
T6: Mental Note, Hydroblast (Goblin Warchief)
Aether Vial cast three creatures for me, and I was able to disrupt Dan's mana. After a ridiculous top four
cards, Dan has only 1/1s and a Hydroblast, which was not enough to stop the horde.
...
Here's how I would summarize this game:
[Machinus] It is now the Precombat Main Phase
[Machinus] Machinus taps Aether Vial
[Machinus] Machinus plays Goblin Ringleader from Hand
[Machinus] Machinus puts Goblin Ringleader into play from Library
[Machinus] Machinus puts Goblin Ringleader into play from Library
[Machinus] Machinus puts Goblin Piledriver into play from Library
[Machinus] Machinus puts Goblin Piledriver into play from Library
[Machinus] oh man
[Machinus] bad times for you
And if this isn't enough:
[Machinus] Machinus taps Aether Vial
[Machinus] Machinus plays Goblin Ringleader from Hand
[Machinus] Machinus puts Wooded Foothills into play from Library
[Machinus] Machinus puts Goblin Ringleader into play from Library
[Machinus] Machinus puts Gempalm Incinerator into play from Library
[Machinus] Machinus puts Goblin Warchief into play from Library
[Machinus] good day today
[Machinus] scoop?
[Bardo] yeah
[Bardo] good enough for me
Consistent game winners in this match: Aether Vial and Goblin Ringleader. More on this later.
...
GAME 5
Bloodstained Mire
Bloodstained Mire
Wooded Foothills
Tormod's Crypt
Red Elemental Blast
Goblin Matron
Goblin Ringleader
This is a much slower hand, but I liked the balance and strength of the cards so I kept.
G1: Bloodstained Mire
T1: Island
G2: Wooded Foothills, [Mental Note] Red Elemental Blast
T2: Flooded Strand
G3: Bloodstained Mire, Goblin Matron [Daze]
T3: Island
G4: Wooded Foothills, Goblin Ringleader [Brainstorm] → Goblin Tinkerer, Goblin Matron, Goblin Ringleader,
Siege-Gang Commander
T4: Werebear, Tropical Island, Pithing Needle (Wasteland)
G5: Goblin Warchief, Tormod's Crypt, Goblin Matron → Goblin Warchief
T5: Brainstorm, Serum Visions, Swords to Plowshares (Goblin Warchief)
G6: Rishadan Port, Goblin Warchief [Mental Note], Goblin Ringleader → Goblin Piledriver
T6: Plains, Tivadar's Crusade
G7: Mountain, Siege-Gang Commander
T7: Swords to Plowshares (Siege-Gang Commander), Mystic Enforcer
G8: Goblin Piledriver, Goblin Tinkerer
My counter prevented Dan from drawing one, and so Goblin Matron was able to clear the way for Goblin Ringleader,
which got lucky. Dan had good answers, but I had done a lot of damage in between them, and Port was able to keep my
threats around long enough to finish the job.
...
Double Ringleader.
Isn't he banned? No? Now what?
Siege-Gang Commander!
Yeah, I lose this one too.
...
II. Threshold on the play, post-sideboard
On the draw against Threshold, Lackey has a very low chance of activating, so I tried siding two of them out.
-4 Mogg Fanatic
-2 Goblin Lackey
-1 Goblin Tinkerer
-1 Siege-Gang Commander
I was concerned about the turbo-threshold plan, and I needed to keep in my uncounterable removal for that. Also,
I kept most of my Tinkerers so that Tormod's Crypt would stay online as long as possible.
...
Perhaps it was a mistake, but I don't make any changes in my sideboard for the last run of our
games.
...
GAME 6
I have to mulligan to five. Here is what I get:
Mountain
Wasteland
Tormod's Crypt
Goblin Lackey
Goblin Matron
It is not bad for a five-card hand, but Dan can easily handle it.
...
I keep my opening seven as it has all I'm looking for to control the early game and get my basic lands
into play:
Brainstorm
Hydroblast
Swords to Plowshares
Windswept Heath
Pithing Needle
Polluted Delta
Tundra
...
T1: Polluted Delta
G1: Mountain, Goblin Lackey [Hydroblast]
T2: Windswept Heath
G2: Wasteland, Goblin Piledriver, [Brainstorm]
T3: Plains
G3: Wooded Foothills, Goblin Matron [Force of Will]
T4: -
G4: Goblin Piledriver
T5: Tivadar's Crusade, Tundra, Pithing Needle (Tormod's Crypt)
G5: Aether Vial
T6: -
G6: Rishadan Port
T7: [Rishadan Port] (Tundra), Serum Visions, Windswept Heath
G7: -
T8: [Rishadan Port] (Tundra), Flooded Strand, Nimble Mongoose
G8: {Goblin Ringleader}, Goblin Warchief [Swords to Plowshares]
T9: -
G9: Goblin Tinkerer [Force of Will]
T10: [Rishadan Port] (Tundra), Serum Visions, Flooded Strand
G10: cycle Gempalm Incinerator
T11: Nimble Mongoose, Swords to Plowshares (Goblin Ringleader), Windswept Heath
G11: Goblin Matron → Siege-Gang Commander
T12: Nimble Mongoose, [cycle Gempalm Incinerator]
G12: Goblin Piledriver
T13: {Siege-Gang Commander}, Swords to Plowshares
G13: -
T14: [Rishadan Port] (Tundra), Tivadar's Crusade
G14: Bloodstained Mire
T15: [Rishadan Port] (Tundra), Pithing Needle (Siege-Gang Commander)
G15: Goblin Matron → Goblin Ringleader
T16: [Rishadan Port] (Tundra)
G16: Goblin Ringleader [Hydroblast]
Mulliganing twice meant that I ran out of threats soon into the match. I managed to resolve a Ringleader in the
midgame, but I drew nothing off of it, and I was unable to protect my life total against Dan's army of
untargetable attackers.
...
It's around this point where I can viscerally feel the disadvantage Threshold has in this match. With
rare exception, all of my wins have “felt” difficult. Chris' wins against me seemed to occur with
less effort and drama. I believe this was also our longest game, ending when Chris scooped on Turn 34.
...
GAME 7
After considering my sideboarding some more, I decided that I only need to have one available answer to Mystic
Enforcer, and that I really need to answer Pithing Needles. Since Lackey costs less than Pillar, I put them back
instead of taking more sideboard cards. Here is what I changed my configuration to:
-1 Siege-Gang Commander
-3 Gempalm Incinerator
-4 Mogg Fanatic
Bloodstained Mire
Wooded Foothills
Tormod's Crypt
Goblin Lackey
Goblin Lackey
Goblin Matron
Goblin Warchief
I draw a great hand this game.
...
I merely draw a respectable hand:
Werebear
Brainstorm
Mystic Enforcer
Nimble Mongoose
Tropical Island
Tundra
Flooded Strand
It's land and threat strong, but weak on draw and control cards.
...
T1: Flooded Strand
G1: Tormod's Crypt, Bloodstained Mire, Goblin Lackey
T2: Tundra, Hydroblast (Goblin Lackey)
G2: Wooded Foothills, Goblin Lackey [Brainstorm]
T3: Pithing Needle (Tormod's Crypt), Tropical Island, Swords to Plowshares (Goblin Lackey)
G3: Mountain, Goblin Warchief
T4: Polluted Delta, Mystic Enforcer
G4: Goblin Matron → Goblin Ringleader, Aether Vial
T5: Werebear, Werebear
G5: Rishadan Port, Goblin Ringleader → Gempalm Incinerator, Goblin Matron
T6: Nimble Mongoose, Nimble Mongoose
G6: cycle Gempalm Incinerator (Mystic Enforcer), Goblin Matron → Goblin Ringleader, {Piledriver}, Wasteland
(Tundra)
T7: Brainstorm, Werebear
G7: Goblin Ringleader, Aether Vial, Mountain
T8: Serum Visions
G8: Rishadan Port
T9: [Rishadan Port] (Tropical Island), [Rishadan Port] (Tropical Island), Nimble Mongoose
G9: -
T10: [Rishadan Port] (Tropical Island), [Rishadan Port] (Tropical Island), Windswept Heath
G10: {Goblin Matron} → Goblin Ringleader, {Goblin Ringleader} → Goblin Tinkerer + Goblin Tinkerer, Goblin
Tinkerer, activate Goblin Tinkerer (Pithing Needle), activate Tormod's Crypt
This game passed a very close turning point in the middle. Dan had several blockers and a Pithing Needle on my
Tormod's Crypt, but he did not have enough cantrips to reach threshold, so I was able to destroy his Mystic
Enforcer with only three Goblins in play. He then cast even more creatures, but without draw spells they were small,
and I was able to attack through them and make favorable trades. Eventually, my Aether Vials generated too many
threats for him to block, ending in a huge turn where I tutored for and resolved Goblin Ringleader, destroyed his
Pithing Needle, activated my Tormod's Crypt, and attacked with all of my creatures.
...
At the end of this game, I would have traded my kingdom for a single white mana. Alas, none was to be found
and I die with a Tivadar's Crusade in my hand, again. This isn't the first time this has happened, and it
won't be the last. [Cue eerie Bernie Herrmann foreshadowing music.]
...
GAME 8
Wooded Foothills
Mountain
Wasteland
Red Elemental Blast
Red Elemental Blast
Goblin Matron
Goblin Warchief
Getting multiple Red Elemental Blasts against Threshold is awesome, so I kept. Dan had to mulligan, so they can
potentially buy several turns.
...
My original seven this game:
Werebear
Force of Will
Tivadar's Crusade
Swords to Plowshares
Polluted Delta
Brainstorm
Swords to Plowshares
I consider keeping this hand, but with only one land, I'd certainly fetch a basic Island with the
Delta, so I wouldn't automatically lose to Wasteland. However, if I whiff on the Brainstorm and draw into three
non-lands, I'm basically dead, since the rest of my hand is in White and Green. Thus, I mulligan into:
Polluted Delta
Windswept Heath
Brainstorm
Brainstorm
Pithing Needle
Tropical Island
This is respectable, though suspiciously weak on removal and threats. I reason that a mediocre six is better
than an unknown five and I keep it.
...
T1: Polluted Delta
G1: Mountain
T2: Windswept Heath
G2: Wooded Foothills, [Brainstorm] Red Elemental Blast
T3: Tropical Island, Brainstorm [Red Elemental Blast]
G3: Wasteland, Goblin Warchief
T4: Nimble Mongoose, Pithing Needle (Tormod's Crypt)
G4: Goblin Piledriver, Goblin Matron → Goblin Warchief
T5: Tropical Island
G5: Bloodstained Mire, Goblin Matron → Goblin Piledriver, Goblin Piledriver, Goblin Piledriver
My Red Elemental Blasts stopped both of his Brainstorms, and he was left without threats or removal. I was able
to drop lands and tutor for cheap damage since he could not stop it.
...
With both of my Brainstorms countered by Red Blasts, I'm staring at a pile of garbage for a hand. And
double Piledrivers plus a blood-thirsty Warchief against an open board, isn't much of a game.
...
GAME 9
Bloodstained Mire
Wooded Foothills
Tormod's Crypt
Tormod's Crypt
Tormod's Crypt
Goblin Piledriver
Goblin Warchief
This hand is risky, but I kept, counting on two things. The first was that Dan would attempt to stop my first
Tormod's Crypt with permission, and the second was that I would draw into a Goblin Tinkerer or a way to get it.
...
My opening hand this game:
Polluted Delta
Tropical Island
Force of Will
Mental Note
Mental Note
Brainstorm
Brainstorm
This is good enough for me. It's a little scary since there is no real action, but there's enough
draw that it can juicy quickly.
...
T1: Polluted Delta
G1: Tormod's Crypt [Mental Note, Force of Will], Tormod's Crypt, Bloodstained Mire
T2: Serum Visions
G2: Wooded Foothills
T3: Island, Pithing Needle (Tormod's Crypt) [activate Tormod's Crypt]
G3: -
T4: Mental Note [Red Elemental Blast]
G4: Bloodstained Mire, Goblin Warchief [Daze]
T5: Island
G5: Goblin Warchief
T6: Flooded Strand, Brainstorm
G6: Goblin Tinkerer [Hydroblast], Goblin Piledriver
T7: Hydroblast (Goblin Warchief)
G7: Bloodstained Mire, Goblin Ringleader → Goblin Lackey, Goblin Piledriver
T8: Island, Serum Visions
G8: [Swords to Plowshares] (Goblin Piledriver), Goblin Lackey, Goblin Piledriver
T9: Tropical Island, Werebear
G9: Goblin Warchief, [Swords to Plowshares] (Goblin Piledriver)
My gambit paid off, as I trade my first Tormod's Crypt for two Blue cards. The second resolves, which
pressures to Dan into resolving Pithing Needle on it. When he does, Tinkerer becomes a serious threat, which he uses
a Hydroblast on. This allows me to resolve Goblin Piledriver and begin attacking for five or more a turn. Although he
has two Swords to Plowshares to remove my Goblin Piledrivers, his life is very low and I am able to kill him with
other creatures.
...
In my last loss of our games, I curse yet another uncastable Tivadar's Crusade that is rotting in my
hand. Reviewing the log, this was a close game and it's hard to see where exactly the wheels fell off. Force of
Will created card disadvantage right from the start and Ringleader's 3-for-1 certainly didn't help, but I
think there was a way for me to win this one, I just couldn't find it in time.
...
GAME 10
Bloodstained Mire
Wooded Foothills
Rishadan Port
Wasteland
Tormod's Crypt
Aether Vial
Goblin Tinkerer
This hand has all disruption and no threats, but I like the plan of attacking Dan's engine aggressively
while developing a manabase.
...
My final hand of this article:
Brainstorm
Windswept Heath
Nimble Mongoose
Mental Note
Polluted Delta
Mental Note
Brainstorm
This is a keeper with four cantrips, two fetchlands and a Mongoose. Solid.
...
T1: Polluted Delta
G1: Bloodstained Mire, Aether Vial [Brainstorm]
T2: Windswept Heath
G2: Bloodstained Mire, [Brainstorm] Red Elemental Blast
T3: Mental Note, Windswept Heath, Nimble Mongoose
G3: Rishadan Port, Tormod's Crypt
T4: [Rishadan Port] (Windswept Heath), Serum Visions {Goblin Tinkerer}
G4: Wasteland (Windswept Heath)
T5: [Rishadan Port] (Forest), Tropical Island, Werebear
G5: Wooded Foothills
T6: [Rishadan Port] (Tropical Island) Brainstorm [Red Elemental Blast], Werebear
G6: Bloodstained Mire
T7: [Rishadan Port] (Tropical Island), -
G7: Aether Vial
T8: [Rishadan Port] (Tropical Island), Tundra, Swords to Plowshares (Goblin Tinkerer), Pithing Needle (Aether
Vial) [activate Tormod's Crypt]
G8: Goblin Lackey
T9: [Rishadan Port] (Tundra) Mental Note, Tundra
G9: Wooded Foothills, Siege-Gang Commander [Force of Will], Tormod's Crypt
T10: -
G10: Goblin Piledriver
T11: [Rishadan Port] (Tundra), Flooded Strand, Tivadar's Crusade, [activate Tormod's Crypt]
G11: Wasteland, activate Wasteland (Tundra)
T12: [Rishadan Port] (Tundra), Mystic Enforcer
I attack Dan's board effectively in the beginning of the game, but I didn't draw enough threats and
could not form a coherent attack. He had all the right answers: Swords to Plowshares for my Goblin Tinkerer, Pithing
Needle on my Aether Vial, Force of Will for Siege-Gang Commander, and a Tivadar's Crusade to clean up the
board. After successfully answering all of my threats, Dan's Mystic Enforcer ended the game.
...
After two ruthless activations of Tormod's Crypt when I have threshold, I'm able to pull this one
out. In the end, my dodgy “Hill Giant Plan” (a.k.a. Enforcer, a 3/3 for four mana) works, though not
without a bitter bare-knuckle fist fight.
...
III. Conclusion
The sideboarded games played out like this:
A. Goblins on the Play, Post-sideboard:
Game 1: Threshold wins
Game 2: Goblins wins
Game 3: Goblins wins
Game 4: Goblins wins
Game 5: Goblins wins
B. Threshold on the Play, Post-sideboard:
Game 1: Threshold wins
Game 2: Goblins wins
Game 3: Goblins wins
Game 4: Goblins wins
Game 5: Threshold wins
Combining this with the record from pre-sideboarding, the total is 13-7 in Goblins favor. I think this is a
little higher than the actual match-up percentage. Sideboarding gives Goblins a slight advantage as not only does it
have a card that significantly weakens all of Threshold's threats, but it costs zero mana, and is protected by
at least eight spells after sideboarding. Threshold will get Hydroblast and typically an effective white card, such
as Tivadar's Crusade or Mystic Enforcer.
My version of Goblins has options for effectively dealing with all of their answers. After winning the last
StarCityGames.com Duel for Duals with this new build, I praised Goblin Tinkerer for its strengths, and I now
consider it a permanent addition to the deck. To focus specifically on the Threshold match-up, Goblin
Tinkerer's most important function is to destroy Pithing Needle, but it does much more than that. First of all,
having it in the deck means the Threshold player can no longer use their Needles as quick answers to problematic
cards; they must think strategically about their use. Secondly, Goblin Tinkerer costs two mana. It significantly
lowers the mana curve of the deck, allowing it to play much more aggressively in the early game, and, at two
toughness, is a solid blocker. This toughness becomes important in many common situations, such as the presence of
Engineered Plague, after a Tormod's Crypt activation, or when destroying a one-casting cost artifact.
...
My closing section turned out longer than I expected, so instead of having you wade through a few pages of
italic print, I'll use the default typeface and format this as a mini-article within Chris's larger
article.
“How and Why Threshold Loses to Goblins”
by Dan Spero
Goblins can attack a mid-range aggro-control deck like Threshold from so many different angles, I would consider
Goblins soundly favored in this match. Before Threshold can even begin to launch an assault or establish a line of
defense, it must first overcome Goblins' mana disruption. In the early game, Wasteland(s) trading for
unprotected dual land(s) can be a game turner as early as turn two. This makes shrewd use of Threshold's
fetchland and basic lands critical, at the same time giving Goblins a slight advantage since it forces Threshold to
play its threats and removal slower, which are in green and white, respectively, since Threshold will fetch a basic
Island above all others.
In the opening turns, unless Goblins has a particularly slow hand, Rishadan Port requires that Goblins tie up two
of its own lands, so Port is only a concern if Threshold is struggling with its third to seventh turn mana or if
Wasteland has already set it back. However, Threshold is designed to operate under poor mana conditions, so Port is
less of a concern here than it is against more mana-intensive decks.
Goblins' early threats are not the ones that are most dangerous: Goblin Lackey, Mogg Fanatic and Goblin
Piledriver. Lackey is easily answered with countermagic, Hydroblast, StP, a 1/1 Mongoose, etc. and never once
connected in our twenty games, but it forces Threshold to direct its control cards at it, providing a lure while
Goblin Warchief, Tinkerer and Matron enter play. Fanatic is more of a support card and strong in the mirror, but was
the least of my concerns during Goblins' first turn. I always breathed a sigh of relief when Chris tapped a
Mountain on his first turn to play Fanatic.
By far, the most powerful one-mana threat Goblins has at its disposal in this match is Aether Vial. In terms of
raw card advantage, no other card can generate as much virtual card advantage since Threshold's copious
countermagic immediately becomes garbage. And as soon as Vial hits four counters and Goblins is able to start
dropping Ringleaders into play, the game is unlikely to be salvaged, unless Threshold is imminently poised to win
with Enforcer or overwhelming ground forces.
Post-board, Goblins gets far more out of Red Elemental Blast than Threshold gets from Blue Elemental Blast. The
Blue Blasts essentially supplement Threshold's spot removal by giving Threshold four additional Swords to
Plowshares. Whereas Red Blasts are an impressive weapon against Threshold's draw engine, which is crucial in
the deck's early turns where it's desperate to find land, answers and reach threshold. Red Blasts are
also a great tool in blunting the power Threshold's counterspells. Tormod's Crypt is similarly brutal in
turning all of Threshold's threats and defenders into junk for zero mana. Pithing Needle is a cost-efficient
answer to Crypt which consequently makes Tinkerer an unlikely pain that needs to be handled.
As we move up the curve, Piledriver can end the game quickly, but will only do so if something has gone horribly
awry in the early game (Wasteland, etc.). At two mana, a cycled Gempalm Incinerator is actually a more dangerous
threat that removes Threshold's creatures while replacing itself and earning easy card advantage.
It's a sad statement when Goblin Warchief, who is extremely powerful, is one of the least
dangerous threats in Goblins' arsenal. This isn't because he's weak; on the contrary, Warchief is
an impressively potent card that is merely relatively mediocre in comparison to the other threats in the deck. At
three mana, the humble Goblin Matron is often another “must counter” card when Gempalm Incinerator is a
likely target or when Aether Vial is active.
I reserve the “most ridiculous” card in this match for the obscene Goblin Ringleader, as I found
myself losing to this card more than any other. Ringleader has the effect of getting another hasted two-power
attacker into play while placing up to four additional Goblins into their hand, though the average is something like
2.5 + 1 goblins per Ringleader trigger, on account of Goblins' tribal density. Multiple Ringleaders are almost
a guaranteed game loss, as the card advantage boost is often too much to bear.
Moving up the mana curve to five, things are no better. Siege-Gang Commander (SGC) does so many busted things, he
gets a paragraph all to himself. Even if you've survived the early and mid-game horde, SGC places an instant
army into play with one sleek card. If the game is going long, SGC's “ping” ability can be used to
end the game quickly, even using other goons as fodder (ex. Matron), before, after or even without combat. The only
realistic way to survive after SGC is in play is to win within a turn or so, drop a Pithing Needle on it or having
the luxury to wait until your next main phase to play Tivadar's Crusade.
A quick note about Tivadar's Crusade: in this match and against a strong player, Tivadar's Crusade is
not as strong as it might seem. This is due to the cumbersome WW in its mana cost. In Threshold, double-green is much
easier to produce than WW because of Werebear, and the natural pull of the deck is toward green and blue mana to
support the deck's blockers/attackers, cantrips and counters. If Wasteland and Rishadan Port weren't an
issue, Tivadar's Crusade would be much stronger, but that is not the case. One logical replacement is Hail
Storm, but as we're dealing with our post-sideboard games and the presence of Tormod's Crypt, the thought
of casting Hail Storm with an active Crypt on the board is not an attractive prospect. In fact, it seems suicidal.
For the time being, I'm going back to running Sphere of Law, since Mystic Enforcer wasn't as difficult to
cast as I thought. Interestingly, Threshold is able to produce 2WG easier than it can muster 1WW. Dueling Grounds
seems worth testing as well.
In conclusion, it isn't really any of Goblins' threats that ends of the game (though Ringleader and
Aether Vial stand out), it is the cumulative effective of Goblins' mana disruption, Lackey-baiting, Warchief
shenanigans, REBs, Crypts, tutors, Incinerators, etc. that give the deck an advantage over Threshold.
...
We hope you've enjoyed these two articles, they were certainly fun to write and research. Thanks for
reading.
Chris
Coppola
Machinus on The Mana Drain, The
Source, StarCityGames, and Gmail
Arsenal
Dan
Spero
‘Bardo' around the Internet
‘Bardo Trout' in the SCG Forums
Team Reflection
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