Goblin ShrineHow it works & interactions with other cards

Boosting the Horde

Goblin Shrine is an Aura that must target a land. While it is on the battlefield, it checks the type of the enchanted land; if that land is a basic Mountain, every Goblin creature on the battlefield receives a +1/+0 power boost. This effect applies to all Goblins, regardless of who controls them or who controls the enchanted land.

The Parting Gift

The danger of the Shrine lies in its leaves-the-battlefield ability. When Goblin Shrine is destroyed, returned to your hand, or exiled, a triggered ability goes on the stack. When this resolves, it deals 1 damage to every Goblin creature currently on the battlefield. This can effectively wipe out your own army of 1/1 tokens if you aren't careful.

Strategic Placement

A common mistake is forgetting that the static bonus only applies if the land is specifically a basic Mountain. Nonbasic lands with the Mountain subtype, like Ravnica shock lands, will not trigger the +1/+0 bonus. However, the damage trigger will still occur when the Aura leaves the battlefield, regardless of what kind of land it was enchanting.

Interaction examples

Aggressive Pressure

You cast Goblin Shrine targeting your basic Mountain. As soon as it resolves, your team of 1/1 Goblin tokens immediately becomes 2/1. You can now attack for significantly more damage, but you must protect the Shrine to keep your tokens alive.

Impactful Synergy

Impact Tremors

With Impact Tremors on the field, every Goblin you play deals damage to your opponent. By adding Goblin Shrine to a basic Mountain, those Goblins enter as higher-power threats. If an opponent destroys the Shrine to stop the pressure, the 1 damage dealt to your Goblins might clear your board, but the earlier chip damage from Tremors has already done its work.

Recursive Dangers

Underworld Breach

If you use Underworld Breach to cast Goblin Shrine from your graveyard, remember the sacrifice trigger. At the beginning of your end step, you must sacrifice the Breach. If you also have to move Goblin Shrine to the graveyard because its duration ended or it was destroyed, the Shrine's trigger will resolve and deal 1 damage to all Goblins, potentially killing your creatures before your next turn.