[Mini-Primer] A Beginner's Guide to Improving FCG

[Gobbo007]

Even though we play 5-10 proxy, my meta is pure scrub - I've got the only Black Lotus for 3000km, so people don't really put big efforts into type 1 here.  Generally they proxy power-up their extended deck and that's it.  Obviously then, my deck hasn't faced a strong guantlet.  I'm happy though that as a long-time goblin player I have a good idea how to play the deck - balancing the aggro versus control.  So much for the background ...  

I am predicting the response to my posting will be:

"STOP, you are breaking the GOLDEN rule!", but

I've got 2 Goblin Charbelcher in my FCG.  They obviously provide an alternative combo win with the Recruiter.  I first put them in because I see some pretty heavy anti-red eg CoP:Red or two, Worship etc.  I even have to sideboard Anarchy!

I play 22 various land, 3 real jewellry, Mox Diamond, 4 Prospectors and 4 Warchiefs.  I wonder if anyone cares to comment on the mana base.  After reading these posts, I'm testing dropping one Warchief ... I do see them a bit too much.  And if I swap some of the land out (eg Ancient Tomb), I imagine that Mox Diamond will have to go too.

[SpencerForHire]

Actually the charbelcher seems okish especially in this condition, situations where a belcher might prove just what you need would include a heavy control environment where you need to get around things like Germbus, not to say anything you play would resolve fully anyways, but an additional threat is always helpful.  However unless your in pure scrub, or an all control environment, i wouldnt bother.

[GodzillA]

The Golden Rule is truly steadfast only in what would be considered a competitive meta. The moment you move outside of that realm, it becomes less necessary, obviously. In a meta with a bunch of Cop:Reds and whatnot, then I suppose Charbelcher is a decent addition. I'd never endorse it in a competitive meta, especially against Germbus, where their Drains will utterly crush you, but against WW, Parfait, etc., why not?

[Gobbo007]

Thanks for your words on the Golden Rule and scrub metas - I'm sure they are reassuring for those who play type 1 for fun/semi-seriously, but are trying to get better despite that!  To prove I am a scrub but am trying to get better, I have to rush away now and look up Parfait and Germbus to understand what the @#^% you guys are talking about!

One thing going for scrub environments is that a powered-up Ravager Affinity is a beautiful thing to cast SHATTERSTORM against .... hehehehe.

[Zelc]

Speaking of Goblin Charbelcher, I'm wondering if it could be better to use Goblin Charbelcher instead of Food Chain.  Goblin Charbelcher obviously has less synergy with the rest of the deck, but perhaps its power could make up for that.

The obvious problem is that it won't work too well without Goblin Recruiters.  However, Food Chain itself doesn't work that well without Goblin Recruiters, and you can at least activate Goblin Charbelcher and have it deal some damage.

Another issue it'd run into is being compared to Belcher.dec.  Belcher.dec is certainly faster, but does not have the aggro component that Goblins has.  This means that there would be less random losses to FOW.

Goblin Charbelcher costs 4 and 3 to activate, while Food Chain only costs 3 and generates a bunch of mana.

Finally, Goblin Charbelcher gets shut down by Null Rod and can be destroyed by artifact hate.  This may not be such an issue in some metas, but it could cause problems with the Aggro matchup.

Goblin Charbelcher may be a good idea in primarily control metas, where a topdecked Charbelcher would do much more than a topdecked Food Chain.  Additionally, it could lead to the cutting of Green and thus a more stable manabase.

[GodzillA]

The only benefit Charbelcher would give in a control-heavy meta is a more stable manabase. The kill condition itself is much weaker against control, because of its higher casting cost. Where you might be able to slip a first turn Food Chain under Mana Drain, you'll (almost) never do so with Belcher. Furthermore, control is far more likely to have maindecked artifact hate than enchantment hate, meaning they're going to have more answers overall. Decks like Fish and U/G Madness can shut off your combo with Null Rod as well.

The bottom line is that I can't think of a single reason to play Charbelcher over Food Chain unless you're trying to dodge CoP: Red, which should be pretty much never in a competitive meta.

[Arvid]

Have anyone ever thought of the (non) interaction between non goblin cards, what I am refering to here is sideboard cards, and Goblin Recruiter. What I mean is - after you've recruited you can never draw another Red Elemental Blast or Artifact Mutation.

Can something be done about this, and/or is it needed to? Maybe Goblin Vandal is better than some artifact destruction since it is both artefact destruction and a goblin?

Can someone please help me what to sideboard out against wMud!? I want to take in 6 artefact destruction spells! All I can come up with is -2 Goblin Matron -2 Goblin Warchief (you'll only need one to get haste when comboing out) -1 Goblin Sharpshooter (actually a good welder killer but...sigh)

[SpencerForHire]

@Arvid:  Playing smart is a big part of playing and winning with FCG (of course that is true for all decks as well).  In situations where you topdeck with recruiter is almost always necessary when facing disruption to have an "Oh SHIT!" button.  This comes in the form of a Matron, or a second recruiter.  They both are ways of shuffling your deck away from the stacking so you can have a chance to grab a solution, another mana source etc..  But in the scenario you set up for a combo but suddenly need something besides goblins you are in dire trouble anyways because you still rely on topdecking for any cards besides goblins (via ringleaders) with the obvious exception of [card]Wheel of Fortune[/card].  It has been discussed many times before and vandals and such are simply poor solutions to the Gobbies problems.  They (1/3 of the time) will be affected by summoning sickness, and more then often cost you way too much mana for something a simple null rod or artifact mutation can solve.

[Addolorisi]

Can someone please help me what to sideboard out against wMud!? I want to take in 6 artefact destruction spells! All I can come up with is -2 Goblin Matron -2 Goblin Warchief (you'll only need one to get haste when comboing out) -1 Goblin Sharpshooter (actually a good welder killer but...sigh)

It depends on what you see. If there are only Welders to worry about, I'd probably cut some Gempalms post board. And just gattling gun the Welders with Shooter.

If they're running Metalworkers, then it gets a bit trickier. I've been known to cut a Prospector, even though it seems counterintuitive (when viewing them as mana sources).

[Arvid]

I've been known to cut a Prospector, even though it seems counterintuitive (when viewing them as mana sources).

I usually don't view them as delayed lotus petals, but how has that been working out for you when facing Trinisphere/Sphere of Resistance?

Usually I use them when doing a normal/aggro set up without Food Chain to be able to turn small goblins into Piledrivers (that is, when having a Warchief on the table).

EDIT: After some rethinking "delayed lotus petals" are exactly what I view them (and other goblins when a Skirk is out) as.