Hello goblin enthusiasts! Welcome to another new feature of Goblin Gathering. We are going to start posting goblin brews and deck lists.
This first feature will be a pauper deck based off of the popular and well-perfoming Mono-Red Synthesizer list. I already wrote about this deck back in April (2024) when it first immerged and posted strong results in the pauper meta. The deck has had a few name changes since inception, first it was simply "Burn" then "Mono-Red Synthesizer" and now people are calling it "Mono-Red Kuldotha"
As strong a deck that it is, featuring 12 - 16 goblins, as a goblin purist I had issues with the inclusion of non-goblin creatures. So naturally I have cut some things and swapped in some more goblin centric cards.
Take a look at the changes below:
As you can see the changes aren't major, and I will explain why I have made them.
Number 1: Cut Voldaren Epicure and added Sarpadian Simulacrum. Voldaren is a great card for the deck, a turn one play that creates an artifact and deals one ping damage. My only reason to cut it is because it's not a goblin. Swapping in Sarpadian Simulacrum gives us all of the same advantages but not quite. It's a hasty 1/1 and it is an artifact, plus it can be sacrificed to Goblin Grenade when needed.
Number 2: Reckless Lackey over Goblin Blast-Runner. This one is simple, bump Lackey up to 4 and Blast-Runner down to 2. This is so we have more hasty turn one plays and access to a tiny bit more card draw late game. Blast-Runners ability is great but I found myself holding back more optimal plays trying to trigger it at a suitable time.
Number 3: Cut Galvanic Blast add more Goblin Grenade and Chain Lightning. This is probably the most contested change I could make, Gal Blast is a great card. I seemed to always find myself holding it back waiting for the metalcraft though. Chain Lightning always hits for 3 and Goblin Grenade always hits for 5, they are only sorcery speed but over all the increased damage pays off. I more often have a spare goblin to sac for Grenade than I have 3 artifacts out for Gal Blasts metalcraft, especially when we want to sacrifice artifacts to Kuldotha Rebirth as soon as we can.
That's all the changes for the mainboard. As for sideboard this is dependent on your local meta and you should always be looking to fine tune this to deal with the decks you're expecting to see. I will mention why I have chosen some of the cards I have chosen.
Tormod's Crypt over Relic of the Progenitus: Crypt can be cast one turn one alongside a Goblin Tomb Raider when you don't have the Great Furnace to give him haste and +1/+0. Crypt also sacrifices itself which will pump Blast-Runner where Relic exiles itself which doesn't. Yes Relic is the better card, but in this deck Crypt has more up sides.
Smash to Smithereens over Gorilla Shaman: It's consistent, generally cheaper, Shaman isn't a goblin, and it also deals 3 damage. Seems about right.
Fiery Cannonade: This one I stumbled upon. It's a nice little board whipe that doesn't hit pirates, which both Tomb Raider and Lackey are. (Which is another reason to run more Lackeys)
That's everything covered. All in all I've taken a tier 1 deck and made it worse, but I've made it my own and I've made it a true goblin deck. Which to me is all that matters.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present Goblin Synthesizer
Glad you added more grenades. Always a good move
ReplyDelete