It's not the same at all, but it's an interesting coincidence that the original zombie goblin - Festering Goblin - expressed its "fetid, disease-ridden" nature mechanically by granting something -1/-1!
Clearly, Phyrexia is better at spreading disease than the Cabal ever was (although the Cabal offered it at rock-bottom CMCs!).
Posted By:
Leshrac_Nightwalker
(9/24/2010 12:26:16 PM)
Not the best card in the world, but he won my first match at the Scars prerelease as a complete surprise to both me and my opponent, swooping in for the final 2 poison counters after my opponent had forced me to chump block with the rest of my creatures just to survive at 3 life.
There's just something about looking at a desperate situation, not knowing what to do, and topdecking a card you didn't even remember putting in your deck and winning the game with him.
Posted By:
Asmodi0000
(1/15/2011 5:51:54 AM)
Aaron's Random Card Comment of the Day #7, 10/5/10
I’ve been working at Wizards for, oh, almost nine years now. At least 5,000 new cards have been designed since the day I walked in the door.
It has taken me seven days of random comments to come upon one such card. I’ve had a long career here (by game industry standards), but the stuff I’ve been involved in is just a fraction of Magic’s total lifespan. Pretty humbling.
And to add some irony to the whole thing, the first card that I get to talk about that I was involved in creating is one that I already discussed in a previous post! (See: Crazed Skirge) Curse you, “Random Card” button!
Okay… Blackcleave Goblin. Yes. Black haste.
Haste is a great complement to infect; that keyword pair lent itself to a couple impressive higher-rarity cards in Scars of Mirrodin—green’s Putrefax and black’s Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon. But getting the number... (see all)
Posted By:
Aaron_Forsythe
(10/4/2010 11:48:13 PM)
Zombie goblins. Always got to have one in a set.
Posted By:
OutlawD1
(9/23/2010 6:32:11 PM)
The flavour interaction between goblin, zombie, haste and infect is great here. Having a goblin with haste in black doesn't seem out of place at all when it is of the undead, infectious variety.
Posted By:
Stray_Dog
(12/4/2010 11:23:53 PM)
Hasty infect is incredibly frightening; turn-2 Plague Stinger plus Giant Growth plus Assault Strobe plus this guy equals a turn-4 kill, even if the Stinger dies after that first whack. This is one of those cards that alters how you play just by existing; just as you always have to consider Counterspell in Legacy when the opponent has two Islands untapped, forcing you to play around it even if they don't have it in their deck, so this card means you can never sit at 8 poison counters and tap out without saving a blocker or a removal instant, regardless of the board state - as long as the opponent has 3 mana now, he could drop a Swamp and a Blackcleave and that would be game. That means that regardless of this card's practical value in any given situation, its theoretical value to the game as a whole is huge.
Posted By:
willpell
(10/24/2010 9:32:07 PM)
Weird... when you do the math, 20 life to 10 poison, the goblin hits the player for the equivalent of 4 dmg
That's kinda like a 4/4 with haste for 4
not bad, but the fact it acts as a 2/2 for all other purposes makes it balanced
Now for the weird part, goblin tunneler can make this guy unblockable cause he technically has 2 power, but in essence he will hit for 4
Assault strobe also makes this interaction very interesting, as plague stinger fits the bill as well
Yeah, probably useless information... but still a nifty little interaction, I would love to hear if someone makes use of that
Posted By:
Shell_shockkun
(10/7/2010 11:18:03 PM)
He's good, but I prefer Contagious Nim, personally. A little cheaper and more durable, at the cost of not being able to swing with it the turn you play it.
Posted By:
Diachronos
(10/8/2010 3:35:07 AM)
Poison counters? Zombie type? Sure his mana cost is high, but he's great! I agree with Diachronos, Contagious Nim is better, though.
Posted By:
Chrome_Coyote
(9/24/2010 2:51:40 PM)
I agree with Chremon, this guy is gonna be bad in my goblin deck! just drop a Goblin Recruiter or Goblin Matron, and line 'em up how you need 'em if you don't have the Instigator in your hand.
Posted By:
EvilCleavage
(10/1/2010 8:39:22 PM)