The Lord of the Rings was notable for offering plenty of Goblin support, and MTG The Hobbit looks to take that even further with The Great Goblin. Providing a card advantage engine and a combo enabler in one, this is one of the best legends the type has seen for a while.
The Great Goblin MTG
At just three mana, The Great Goblin essentially serves as a ‘draw’ engine for Goblin decks. Every Goblin, Orc, or Army that dies gets you an impulse draw, meaning fodder like Putrid Goblin and Impulsive Pilferer plays exceptionally well. This ability doesn’t specify nontoken Goblins, either, so cards like Krenko, Mob Boss and Pashalik Mons can net you some serious advantage.
Since you’ll be casting a lot of spells from exile with The Great Goblin, cards that offer extra value for doing so are must-adds here. You can use Party Thrasher to get your spells out cheaper, for example, or Nico Minoru, Runaway to pile on some extra burn damage. You can even double the Goblins you cast from exile with Spider-Verse, setting up bodies to create even more ‘draw’ in the future.
The Great Goblin’s first ability is no slouch either, capable of piling on a ton of pressure alongside Amass cards like Orcish Bowmasters and Blight cards like Champion of the Weird. You can even rope in +1/+1 counter support, like Feast on the Fallen and The Ooze, to net some extra damage.
To make the most of this damage ability, kitting The Great Goblin out with something like Basilisk Collar can gain you a ton of life over time. You can also use Grafted Exoskeleton or Glistening Oil to turn it into a serious clock, with Oil even triggering the ability itself each turn. Whichever synergy pieces you go for, damage doublers like Collective Inferno will help this ability go even further.
Serious Counter Play
The Great Goblin also enables a range of powerful infinite combo lines, most notably its infinite with Murderous Redcap and First Day of Class. After casting the latter, have Redcap target itself on entry, and it’ll return with no counters, letting you rinse and repeat for infinite damage. The Great Goblin also serves as a win condition for other Persist combos too, such as Thran Vigil/Putrid Goblin/Skirk Prospector.
For a funkier instant win, you can turn The Red Terror into a Goblin using either Maskwood Nexus or Conspiracy. Once this is set up, the next time a red source of yours damages an opponent The Red Terror will get a counter, triggering The Great Goblin for infinite damage.
With a solid suite of both fair applications and combo lines, The Great Goblin looks like a fantastic new Commander option for one of Magic’s most beloved types. Factor in playability in more niche decks like Orc Typal, and a ton of potential in the 99, and this is undeniably one of the best new legends from The Hobbit so far.
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