“Spin it to win it” is a common term used in many computer games depicting a simple character that spins to deal damage, but after Pro Tour Dominaria should we be saying “whirl to win”? Goblin Chainwhirler is a Standard force to be reckoned with. This little guy showed up in 7 out of the top 8 decks at the Pro Tour. For you as a player, whether you are practicing for a larger event or just playing at your local FNM, you must have a plan in mind to beat this whirling goblin of doom. Playing creatures with 1 toughness right now is a bad plan in Standard, but let’s look deeper into this triple red mana threat.

Goblin Chainwhirler was the talk of Pro Tour Dominaria — the number of copies throughout the tournament was astounding. Right now we are at a crossroads with the metagame in Standard. Goblin Chainwhirler kills some of the best cards in Standard right now just by hitting the board. Earthshaker Khenra, Toolcraft Exemplar, Glint-Sleeve Siphoner, Champion of Wits, and Bomat Courier all are laid to waste by this little goblin’s whirl. Chainwhirler isn’t alone though, as Scrapheap Scrounger has also stolen the show. Players looking to fight through this will be playing decks that beat up on 3/3 creatures, but if you can’t beat them, join them.

 

There are a number of builds Goblin Chainwhirler fits into, first and foremost being Mono-Red. Mono-Red capitalizes on being a mono-colored deck and cards like Chainwhirler make such a good fit because mana fixing isn’t a problem. Playing cards like Soul-Scar Mage and Ahn-Crop Crasher are great because they don’t get killed so easily in the mirror match against Chainwhirler. Playing seven to eight 3 damage removal spells helps too. The synergy between Goblin Chainwhirler and Soul-Scar Mage is just bonkers — you just cripple a board state no matter what they have out. Whether your opponent is ramping and has small creatures out or larger creatures like Hazoret and Rhonas, Chainwhirler and Soul-Scar Mage make quick work putting -1/1 on anything that sticks around.

In the Rakdos aggro decks, the lines are the same with Goblin Chainwhirler stealing the show much of the time. Rakdos aggro has a few more lines than Mono Red does with cards like Unlicensed Disintegration, but having to mana fix is a huge problem, and one wrong tap could be the end of your game. Scrapheap Scrounger is another huge threat to deal with and such a powerhouse in this deck. Being able to return it from the graveyard is huge. Personally, I would stick with the Mono Red deck. Its consistency and speed are huge factors into being the top deck right now.