Goblin Faction Guide: Explosive Tempo on the Frontier

Faction Identity: Controlled Chaos

Goblins are the fastest faction in Goblins & Gunslingers. They specialize in early aggression with Ambush creatures that attack immediately, Double Barrel threats that hit twice per turn, and Overshot damage that punishes cautious blocking. If you want to win before your opponent stabilizes, Goblins are your faction.

The tradeoff is durability. Goblin stat lines lean heavily into attack over defense. A long game favors your opponent — a short game favors you.

Signature Keywords

• Ambush — Attack immediately when summoned. Mud Slicker (1M, 2/1) drops and swings on the same turn, generating Gold before the opponent can respond.
• Double Barrel — Attack twice per turn. Cart Cannoneer (4M/1G, 5/3) can clear a blocker and push face damage in the same action phase.
• Overshot — Excess damage spills over. Mire Giant (4M, 5/4) kills a 2-defense blocker and sends 3 damage to the next target.
• Gold Rush — Gain gold when played. Tinker Tot (1M, 1/1) and Scrap Spark (1M, 1/1) accelerate the gold economy that funds your mid-game bombs.
• Flying — Cackle Hyena Rider (3M/1G, 3/3) bypasses Cover Tokens entirely, ignoring ground defenses.
• Wanted — Midnight Marauder (5M/2G, 5/5) and Grimshadow Raider (5M/2G, 5/5) cannot be targeted by any effects. They are the untouchable closers.

Key Cards

Mud Slicker (1M, 2/1, Ambush) — The ideal turn-1 play. Hits immediately for 2 damage, earning Gold and putting the opponent on the back foot.

Scrap Picker (1M, 1/1, High Noon) — Draws a card on play. Replaces itself while developing the board. Low stats but pure card advantage.

Crater Chief (4M/1G, 3/5, Cover Tokens: Place two 0/1 tokens) — Rare defensive option for Goblins. Buys time if you need to reload after an explosive opening.

Cart Cannoneer (4M/1G, 5/3, Double Barrel) — The mid-game finisher. 10 total damage across two attacks means it can clear a lane and still push through.

Midnight Marauder (5M/2G, 5/5, Wanted) — The untargetable top-end. Cannot be removed by spells or abilities. Opponents must deal with it in combat — and at 5/5, that's not easy.

Deck-Building Tips

Load the bottom of your curve. Goblins want 12-16 cards at 1-2 mana. Your game plan is to flood the board early and convert that pressure into Gold, which funds your 4-5 mana closers.

Pair with Desert Devils for maximum aggression — their Ambush creatures stack with yours for overwhelming early pressure. Or pair with Beasts for aerial threats like Scorch Hawk Alpha (3M/2G, 3/3, Flying + Double Barrel) that complement your ground swarm.

Matchup Notes

Goblins are strong against slow decks that need setup time — Straw Elves and defensive Dwarves. You can often close the game before their expensive threats come online.

Goblins struggle against Humans with Warrant creatures that force bad trades and Cover Tokens that stall your Ambush pressure. Against Humans, prioritize Overshot and Flying to punch through their defensive layers.