Mogg of the Month CATCH UP: January - June '25

 It's been quite a while since I've had the time

to write for the page, but hopefully I can now commit a few hours a week to keep things updated.

As I've missed a few Mogg of the Month posts I have decided to combine all of the missing ones in to this one mega-post for January to June 2025.

Mogg of the Month: January - June 2025

Goblin Lords!

What better way to combine 6 months worth of entries than to group together goblins with a common theme. These are some of the most useful cards we can have in goblin decks because of the buffs they bring to our board state.

While there are quite a few other goblin lords available the 6 I have chosen are 3 classic goblins and 3 newer cards.

Goblin King: The OG goblin lord and the very definition of what a lord should be. First printed in the original Alpha set where surprisingly there were only two other goblins for it to buff. Granting +1/+1 and mountain walk to all our other goblins, this card pairs very nicely with a Blood Moon. Goblin King has had numerous reprints over the years and has had some really interesting arts.

Goblin Chieftain: I always felt like this was the strongest lord we can run as it not only gives our critters +1/+1 but also haste. An absolute MVP in Krenko decks as granting haste means we can tap Krenko straight away and make even more buffed hastey goblins. Goblin Chieftain was introduced in the M10 core set and had been a goblin staple ever since.

Goblin Warchief: Another classic goblin lord and a very powerful one as well. Where it may lack the +1/+1 anthem ability of the other lords it makes up for it with the cost reduction it grants for the rest of the goblins in our hand. Often paired with cards like Mogg War Marshall for incredible value. This card is quite a bit older than Goblin Chieftain, as it was first printed in the Scourge set in 2003. It has also been reprinted numerous times making super available and affordable. I believe this is actually one of the most played lords in multiple formats, I've never seen a Chieftain in a legacy deck but I have seen many Warchiefs.

Hobgoblin Bandit Lord: The first of the newer cards featured this time. Hobgoblin Bandit Lord differs slightly from the older classic lords in the fact it has 3 toughness where the older ones only have 2. Again we see the +1/+1 anthem but also the powerful second ability that doubles up as removal to hit opposing creatures or even a bit of reach to finish off our opponent. This card has only ever had one printing in the 2021 Adventures of the Forgotten Realms set.

 

Rundvelt Hordemaster: The first ever and only current 2 mana goblin lord, Hordemaster is in a league of its own. Combining the classic +1/+1 anthem with its own unique second ability that fixes one of the biggest weaknesses in goblin decks; card draw. Turning something goblins do best(dying) into a way for goblins to do something they can't normally do. Yes, it's not true card draw but it's almost as good. I highly doubt we will see any more goblins as strong as this one for a long time. Another card with only one printing, Dominaria United 2022.

Dropkick Bomber: The final card on our list and the newest lord to date. Dropkick Bomber again gets 3 toughness and the +1/+1 anthem for 3 mana locking it firmly into a playable lord position. The second ability is useful but with a downside. Definitely good for that final turn finishing off our opponent and flying over their blockers, or if we have a way to use the death triggers (à la Hordemaster or Pashalik Mons). Of all the cards featured here this one is probably the most lackluster unless you have a way to make the ability work for you. Technically 2 printings but both in 2024 and in paired sets, Foundations and Foundations Jumpstart.

There we go, smashed it. After a long hiatus I've finally caught back up with Mogg of the Month.

If you like the website/articles/goblins leave a comment as it will certainly motivate me to keep writing.

-Trashman