CardsplainLearn the black and red cards first, because together they make Goblin Army, the best deck in the set at 57.6% over 85,459 games. The next lesson covers white, blue and green. Rares aren't on these lists, so read them at the table when you see them.
Black
- Crude Bent Blade (3 mana, common ). When it enters, the opponent a creature of their choice. Then it stays as an Equipment that gives +2/+1 (equip 2). It is and a threat in one card, and it wins 60.4%, more than any other common.
- Bilbo's Deadly Slice (3 mana, common , 57.7% win rate). Destroy target creature. It has no conditions, and you can cast it on the opponent's turn. It needs two black mana, so it wants black as a main color.
- Stir Up Trouble (1 mana, common , 57.0% win rate). Destroy target creature. As an extra cost, sacrifice an or creature, or pay 4 more. With a or a spare it's a 1-mana kill spell.
- Gollum, Silent Slinker // Meager Meal (common, , 59.2% win rate). You get two cards in one. First cast Meager Meal for 1 mana (a +1/+1 counter on up to one creature, and a player gains 2 life), and later cast the 4-mana creature half, with 4 power and . Mind the with a second copy.
- Nighthowl Pursuer (1 mana, uncommon Wolf, 1 power, menace, 59.6% win rate). : when it attacks while you control a creature with power 4 or more, it gets +2/+2 until end of turn. It stays useful all game in Goblin Army and Ferocious Wolves.
- Desolation Prowler (2 mana, uncommon Wolf, 2 power). Once each turn you may pay 2 life to give it +2/+2 until end of turn. It attacks like a , and with the pump it has the 4 power that ferocious asks for. Its win rate, 61.2%, is second among uncommons, behind Celebrate the Mountain-king from the next lesson.
Red
- Pinecone Strike (2 mana, common instant). It deals 3 damage to a creature ( if it would die), or destroys an artifact token, or both. Among commons, only Crude Bent Blade has a higher win rate than its 59.4%.
- Dori, Bearer of Friends (3 mana, common legendary Dwarf, 3 power, , 57.8% win rate). A solid 3-drop that makes a Treasure when it enters, which gives you one extra mana of any color later.
- Bothersome Noisemaker (2 mana, uncommon Goblin, 2 power, 61.0% win rate). Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, 1. So every removal spell, Equipment and you cast grows your .
- Burn, Burn, Tree and Fern (4 mana, uncommon Saga, 60.1% win rate). Chapter I happens right away and deals 6 damage to a creature an opponent controls. Next turn it destroys an artifact they control, then it adds one red mana on each of the two turns after.
Black or red
- Goblin Plate Mail (2 mana, common Equipment, 57.3% win rate). The half-black, half-red symbol is hybrid, so you can pay it with either color and the card fits any deck with black or red. When it enters, amass Goblins 1 and attach it to the Army. On turn 2 that's a 1/1 Army with +1/+0 and menace. Equip 4 later.