Goblin Tunneler
Creature — Goblin Rogue
: Target creature with power 2 or less can't be blocked this turn.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Magic 2012
- Price
- $0.21
- EDHREC rank
- #11945
Goblin Tunneler turns any creature into an unblockable threat for the turn — a two-mana investment that earns its slot when your deck cares about connecting with the opponent. In Arabella, Abandoned Doll builds especially, guaranteeing that damage trigger fires is worth more than any stat the Tunneler doesn't have.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Arabella, Abandoned Doll
Arabella, Abandoned Doll needs to deal damage to opponents to generate value, and Goblin Tunneler removes the biggest obstacle to that — blockers — making it a reliable enabler in nearly one in five Arabella lists.
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer has to connect on combat damage to loot and generate Treasure, so Goblin Tunneler's unblockable grant is a direct multiplier on the commander's entire engine.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Goblin Tunneler occupies a narrow niche: it earns a slot only in decks that win by connecting specific creatures with opponents, and even then it competes with evasion built onto better bodies. In Pauper, the common restriction tightens the pool enough that a two-mana tap-to-make-unblockable effect sees occasional play in tempo strategies. Legacy, Vintage, and Modern are too fast for a 1/1 with no immediate impact to matter outside of niche Goblin tribal shells. The card's real home has always been Commander, where the format's slower pace and token-heavy board states make guaranteed evasion for a single key creature a meaningful effect rather than a wasted slot.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.21 bulk tier
At $0.21, Goblin Tunneler is firmly bulk — the kind of card that rounds out a budget build without touching your trade binder. Bulk commons rarely move on price regardless of play patterns, so there's no reason to stock up or worry about availability.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.