Slobad, Goblin TinkererHow it works & interactions with other cards

Sacrificing for Survival

Slobad's ability is an activated ability that costs one artifact to activate. When you sacrifice an artifact, you target another artifact on the battlefield. That target gains indestructible until the end of the current turn, meaning it cannot be destroyed by effects that say 'destroy' or by lethal damage.

Resolution Step-by-Step

First, announce the ability and choose a target artifact you wish to protect. Second, pay the cost by sacrificing any artifact you control. The ability then goes on the stack; once it resolves, the target gains indestructible. This effect lasts until the cleanup step of the turn it was activated.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Remember that indestructible does not prevent an artifact from being exiled, sacrificed, or having its toughness reduced to zero or less. Also, because sacrificing the artifact is a cost, your opponents cannot respond to the sacrifice itself to try and save the artifact you are getting rid of.

When to Use Slobad

The best time to activate Slobad is in response to a destruction spell like Shatter or a board wipe like Shatterstorm. Since the ability has no mana cost, you can use it as long as you have artifacts to spare, making your board state incredibly difficult for opponents to interact with.

Interaction examples

Protecting Your Mana Base

Ornithopter of Paradise

If an opponent targets your Ornithopter of Paradise with a removal spell, you can activate Slobad, Goblin Tinkerer's ability. By sacrificing another artifact, you give Ornithopter of Paradise indestructible. The opponent's spell will resolve but fail to destroy the thopter.

Generating and Using Scrap

Professional Face-Breaker

When Professional Face-Breaker creates Treasure tokens through combat damage, those Treasures are artifacts. If a player tries to destroy Slobad, Goblin Tinkerer (who is not an artifact), you cannot protect him directly. However, you can sacrifice a Treasure to Slobad to protect any other key artifact you control, ensuring your utility pieces stay on the board.