Legendary Creature — Goblin

Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin

Mana value3EDHREC#849

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The Commander

Whenever Krenko attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on it, then create a number of 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens equal to Krenko's power.

Guide

Gameplan

Cast Krenko early, attack to snowball Goblin tokens, then convert that wide board into a lethal alpha strike or a damage combo. Each attack stacks a +1/+1 counter first, so token output grows exponentially across turns. You protect Krenko, swing, and overwhelm before opponents stabilize.

Strengths

Explosive token generation that can win out of nowhere by turn 4-5
Cheap 3-mana commander that's easy to recast and rebuild around
Mono-red gives access to strong Goblin tribal and aggressive haste/sacrifice payoffs
Self-buffing counters mean output compounds even without external pumps

Weaknesses

Relies on attacking, so it's vulnerable to removal, blockers, and Fog effects
Mono-red struggles with card advantage and has limited interaction
Slow to grind back after a board wipe; very board-state dependent
Summoning sickness delays the first big swing unless you have haste

Key Cards

Fervor — Gives Krenko and all tokens haste so you can attack and swing immediately.
Skullclamp — Turns excess 1/1 Goblins into a relentless card-draw engine.
Goblin Bombardment — Free sacrifice outlet that converts the token horde into direct damage and a win condition.
Purphoros, God of the Forge — Each token entering deals 2 to all opponents, turning a Krenko swing into lethal.
Impact Tremors — Cheap, repeatable damage from every Goblin that enters the battlefield.
Goblin Chieftain — Anthem plus haste makes Krenko's army hit harder and connect faster.
Shadowspear — Trample and lifelink push Krenko's growing power through chump blockers.

Upgrade Path

Add fast mana (Sol Ring, Mana Crest, Goblin-friendly rocks) and haste enablers like Lightning Greaves and Hammer of Purphoros so Krenko swings the turn he lands. Lean into noncombat finishers (Purphoros, Impact Tremors, Goblin Bombardment) so a board wipe or Fog doesn't blank you, and pack protection like Heroic Intervention's red analogues and instant-speed pumps. Improve card flow with Skullclamp, Outpost Siege, and Reforge the Soul to refuel after going wide.

Core Cards

The most-played cards for this commander, built from aggregated deck data (the Mythic Graph). Build public decks to seed it.

Win Conditions

▸Alpha strike with a wide, anthem-buffed Goblin army
▸Purphoros or Impact Tremors converting mass token creation into direct damage
▸Goblin Bombardment sacrificing the horde for lethal
▸Overrun effects like Goblin War Drums or Trumpet Blast pushing through trample/evasion

Archetypes

Goblin Tribal — Krenko floods the board with Goblins that pair with lords and tribal payoffs.
Tokens / Go-Wide Aggro — His attack trigger generates an army that overwhelms opponents in combat.
Aristocrats — Endless Goblin tokens feed sacrifice outlets and drain effects for inevitable damage.
Combo — Tokens plus Purphoros or Goblin Bombardment can close games without combat math.