Total deck price: $26.64. That’s the whole point of this week’s Budget Brew — a Rakdos (black/red) Goblin tribal aggro deck for Standard that costs less than a single competitive-format staple in most other decks, and still plays like a real swarm strategy that can close games before turn 8.
The Value Pitch
Blight Goblins is built entirely from commons and uncommons. The engine leans on the Blight mechanic — putting -1/-1 counters on your own creatures as an additional cost for a bigger payoff. Boggart Mischief and Sourbread Auntie both offer to blight a creature in exchange for two 1/1 Goblin tokens, and Champion of the Weird can repeatedly blight opponents once it’s online. Dropkick Bomber is the anthem effect that turns a board of 1/1s into a real clock, and Howlsquad Heavy hands out free tokens and haste every combat once it lands.
Full Decklist — 60 Cards ($26.64 Total)
Creatures (28)
| Qty | Card | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Bile-Vial Boggart | $0.23 |
| 4 | Boggart Cursecrafter | $0.33 |
| 4 | Champion of the Weird | $0.30 |
| 4 | Dropkick Bomber | $1.68 |
| 2 | Howlsquad Heavy | $3.54 |
| 4 | Mudbutton Cursetosser | $0.20 |
| 4 | Searslicer Goblin | $0.91 |
| 2 | Sourbread Auntie | $0.26 |
Spells, Enchantments & Utility Lands (17)
| Qty | Card | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Cinder Strike | $0.19 |
| 4 | Eclipsed Realms | $0.73 (land) |
| 4 | Boggart Mischief | $0.32 |
| 2 | Requiting Hex | $0.79 |
| 4 | Secluded Courtyard | $0.29 (land) |
| 1 | Shoot the Sheriff | $0.52 |
Basic Lands (15): 7 Mountain, 8 Swamp
Total: $26.64
Paste-Ready Import
4 Bile-Vial Boggart 4 Boggart Cursecrafter 4 Boggart Mischief 4 Champion of the Weird 2 Cinder Strike 4 Dropkick Bomber 4 Eclipsed Realms 2 Howlsquad Heavy 7 Mountain 4 Mudbutton Cursetosser 2 Requiting Hex 4 Searslicer Goblin 4 Secluded Courtyard 1 Shoot the Sheriff 2 Sourbread Auntie 8 Swamp
Strategy Guide
Early (Turns 1-3): Curve out with Bile-Vial Boggart and Mudbutton Cursetosser on one mana, then Boggart Cursecrafter and Searslicer Goblin. Every Goblin that connects or dies starts generating value.
Mid (Turns 4-6): Land Dropkick Bomber to pump the whole board, or Howlsquad Heavy to start generating a free hasty token every combat.
Late (Turn 7+): Champion of the Weird becomes a repeatable damage engine using Blight 2, while Cinder Strike, Requiting Hex, and Shoot the Sheriff clear the way.
Win Conditions
- Go wide with Goblin tokens, then pump the team with Dropkick Bomber for lethal in one or two swings.
- Grind opponents out with Boggart Cursecrafter’s deathtouch and death-trigger pings.
- Finish with Champion of the Weird’s repeatable Blight 2 activation as reach.
Upgrade Path
- Playset Shoot the Sheriff up to a full 4-of.
- Add a third and fourth Requiting Hex and Cinder Strike for more interaction.
- Look at Magda, the Hoardmaster and Hired Claw from the current Mono-Red Aggro metagame.
- Upgrade the manabase with more dual lands as your collection grows.
Want the full breakdown, the strategy deep-dive, and the ready-to-paste import block? Read the complete write-up on manariotgames.com. 💰 Budget Brew Wednesday — a new budget deck every Wednesday. Follow Mana Riot Games so you don’t miss next week’s brew.