To me, Ib captures a lot of what I love about the Goblin tribe, even if they don’t make for the most consistent build. Whereas other goblin generals have entered into the format and really stolen the spotlight from my favorite tactical mastermind, I have never chosen to seriously consider them as the appropriate replacements for the old veteran. This is what has allowed decks like Doran, the Siege Tower, Shattergang Brothers, and the subject of today’s discussion, Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician to stick around as ever-evolving decks for most of the last ten years. While I don’t think continuity with a deck is something that is essential to appreciating Commander, I have personally gotten a lot of joy out of exploring old concepts through the lens of new cards on a semi-annual basis. Prominently, the frequent influx of new staples into Commander has created an environment where a deck surviving in any form for more than a few years has become a bit of an outdated concept.

As someone who has born witness to the last decade of Commander, I have seen a lot of fads and deck-building principles come and go.

Ib the game the gang