CardsplainGollum, Silent Slinker // Meager Meal
[Gollum, Silent Slinker] — Creature — Halfling Horror
(This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)
[Meager Meal] — —
Put a on up to one target creature. Target player gains 2 life. (Then this card. You may cast the creature later from exile.)
Grade B+ Grade from the win rate
Win rate when drawn 59.2% +3.0 vs average 52,853 games
Win rates and picks
- 57.7% 105,512 games
- Average pick ()
- 5.8
By deck
- Goblin Army 59.9% 26,488 games
- Ferocious Wolves 59.1% 17,269 games
- Removal Control 57.0% 4,301 games
- Removal Midrange 59.2% 1,849 games
Win rates from , 323,114 games. This card is compared with the set average (56.2%).
Reviews
Neither Gollum, Silent Slinker nor Meager Meal are particularly good. A 4/3 creature for 4 mana is pretty weak, and so is a 1-mana spell that only gives you a and 2 life. The combination of them does make this card a little more interesting, but not enough to warrant putting it in most decks.
In addition to the Blade, there's a ton of on juiced commons like Goblin Plate Mail and Gollum, Silent Slinker, which means you're almost always going to get smacked for several damage early.
How to draft it
One of the 20 cards to memorize. on a 4-mana 4/3. It is an card, so you can cast its 1-mana spell, Meager Meal, first and the creature later.
Roles in each deck
Goblin Army Threat
A pre-release review rated both halves weak. Among this deck's commons only Crude Bent Blade and Pinecone Strike have done better. Meager Meal costs and puts a +1/+1 counter on up to one creature, and the 4-mana 4/3 that follows has the 4 power wants.
How to play it
Learn the Goblin Army deckCast Meager Meal early when the counter lands somewhere useful, like Desolation Prowler or the , ideally with Bothersome Noisemaker out. Gollum follows on turn 4 or later. With a second copy, cast its Meager Meal and leave that Gollum in until the first one is gone.
Ferocious Wolves Sets up the plan
Both halves help you 4 power. Meager Meal, a 1-mana , puts a +1/+1 counter on a 3-power creature such as Bejeweled Warg, Duskwatch Hunter or Mirkwood Nurturer. The card then goes to , and later you cast the creature from there, a 4/3 for 4. A pre-release review called that 4/3 weak, yet in this deck the card wins more than Large Bear (57.2%).
How to play it
Learn the Ferocious Wolves deckSpend Meager Meal early on the creature that needs the counter most, and point the 2 life at yourself. Cast Gollum from on turn 4 or later. The other two Gollums have different names, so they can sit beside it.
Removal Control Threat
Meager Meal () is the early half. It puts a +1/+1 counter on one of your creatures and gains you 2 life. Later the card is a 4/3 with for 4, and an opponent who keeps losing creatures to your rarely has the two blockers menace asks for.
How to play it
Learn the Removal Control deckSpend a spare early on Meager Meal, with the counter on Desolation Prowler or Bilbo, Luckwearer and the life on yourself. Gollum follows from on turn 4 or later. When you need a body on turn 4, skip the Meal.
Removal Midrange Threat
Draftsim's review found neither half good. Together they give you a 1-mana play early and a 4/3 with later from one common, and the opponent needs two blockers to stop it. Meager Meal, the half, costs and puts a +1/+1 counter on up to one target creature while a target player gains 2 life. The card then waits in , and you can cast Gollum from there.
How to play it
Learn the Removal Midrange deckGollum is , and if you control two with the same name you keep one and put the other in the . So with one Gollum out, cast the second copy only as Meager Meal and leave the creature in until the first . A spare on turn 3 pays for Meager Meal on your , and Gollum follows from exile later.