UPDATED: This list has been updated with the best goblin Commanders as of 2024
Goblins are one of the best creature types. They have haste, they blow things up, they love to attack. No other type encapsulates what red decks want to do better. So of course goblins are going to make for an epic Commander deck.
We’ve scoured the backlog of every legendary goblin ever printed, and every legend that synergies well with goblins to find the best ones in the Commander & EDH format.
So here they are, the 10 Best Goblin Commanders of all time, presented in no particular order:
#1 Krenko, Mob Boss
Honestly, who else were you expecting at #1? We wouldn’t dare disrespect the greatest goblin legend of all time. Krenko makes literal armies of goblins, given enough untaps.
Run cards that untap creatures such as Thousand-Year Elixir to double the amount of triggers per turn and get around summoning sickness. And equipment cards such as Sting, the Glinting Dagger.
Krenko also deals massive damage if you combo it with abilities that trigger on creatures entering the battlefield, such as Impact Tremors and Purphoros, God of the Forge.
#2 Krenko, Baron of Tin Street
Red decks love artifacts and goblins, so why not run a Commander that utilizes both?
The Baron of Tin Street does a little bit of everything. He sacrifices your artifacts, makes hasty goblins, and pumps your goblin army!
There are plenty of synergies here to explore, such as Crime Novelist which adds a red mana whenever you sacrifice an artifact.
#3 Muxus, Goblin Grandee
On average about one third of the cards in your deck will be goblins, which means Muxus will net you about 2 free goblins when it enters. But, this gets much better when you combine Muxus with Goblin Recruiter, which lets you stack every goblin in your deck in the order you choose to the top of your library.
Oh, and if you don’t have Goblin Recruiter in your hand, you can always tutor for it with say a Goblin Matron or Imperial Recruiter.
#4 Grenzo, Dungeon Warden
Grenzo is the ultimate card advantage goblin, and you can add black goblins to your Commander deck. He can also scale up in the late game when you have more mana available.
One can also utilize cards such as The Cauldron of Eternity or Tomb Trawler to guarantee that Grenzo’s ability is a hit. Otherwise, it’s still a great way to use that extra two mana for about a 25% chance of success.
#5 Grenzo, Havoc Raiser
Goblin decks want to smash face, and so does Grenzo, Havoc Raiser. You can attack with your turn 1 goblin and immediately goad a creature turn 2 on attack.
Remember, Grenzo’s ability triggers for every creature that deals combat damage, so if you attack with five creatures that deal combat damage to a player, you get five triggers. That’s an insane amount of value.
#6 Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin
It’s hard to find a Krenko that isn’t worthy of being a goblin Commander, and for good reason. While Mob Boss tends to get most of the attention, don’t discount the potential of Tin Street Kingpin.
Tin Street Kingpin comes down a turn earlier than Mob Boss, and can create explosive turns with cards that pump ability power.
#7 Torbran, Thane of Red Fell
I’m not sure how much Dwarves would want to fight side by side with goblins, but the synergies here are undeniable. All those tiny 1/1 goblin tokens now deal 3 damage a pop. Dropping Torbran on turn 4 suddenly changes the damage calculus on your combat steps by a significant amount.
#8 Wort, Boggart Auntie
Wort is the OG rakdos goblin Commander. Every turn you’ll be able to get back the best goblin card in your graveyard. Not only is it just straight-up card advantage, it lets you reuse goblins you sacrifice or discard. Imagine cycling Gempalm Incinerator every turn for value.
#9 Vial Smasher, the Fierce
Vial Smasher isn’t often associated with goblin decks and used to be one of the most hated (and loved) Commanders when it was printed almost a decade ago.
For goblin decks, Vial Smasher has a few things going for. The first is that it deals repeatable direct damage every turn (and even on opponent’s turns if you have instant spells). The second is that it lets you splash for black.
#10 Mishra, Claimed by Gix
Attacking with an army of 10 goblins? Each opponent loses 10 life, and you gain 10 life. Now that’s a great deal!
Combine Mishra with go-wide goblin strategies and cards that give you extra combat steps like Great Train Heist to wipe out your opponents in a single turn.
That’s everything for our picks of the 10 best goblins in EDH & Commander! If you’re looking fore more Commander deck ideas, read our 10 Best Proliferate Commanders list.
ALSO READ: The Best Rakdos Commanders in MTG
