Pointed Discussion

Our standard goblin lord... I may be wrong, but I think this isn't seeing much play, even with all the goblin-generating stuff from Scars like Kuldotha Rebirth.
And they finnaly fixed that flavor text to something a goblin would be actually be able to say. It also feels much better this way. And now I can't get Super Smash Bros main theme out of my head.

I don't know, personally I detest this flavor text.

...aaand with the new flavour text, they have once again taken any dignity away from those long-suffering goblins.

I'm tired of seeing goblins with terrible flavor text, I loved the text on the M11 edition.
Goblins aren't that stupid, they have won many games for me.

With his reprint and the reprint of Goblin Grenade, I can't help but feel they didn't give us many decent goblins in this core set.
While things like Kuldotha Rebirth, Spikeshot Elder, and maybe even Adaptive Automaton will remain in Standard for the gobbies,
Things like Warren Instigator, Goblin Guide, and Ember Hauler are rotating soon.
I hope Innistrad, with its graveyard shennanigans, will at least give gobbies a small nod.

great card, but sickeningly stupid flavor text, and ugly art. It almost makes me not want to use it..

Well, it's only fair now to take other formerly-dignified creatures and change their flavor text. If they reprint Gideon's Avenger, I suggest changing it to "Hurrr durrr OW MY WHIP" instead.

Goblins seem to have some of the best and some of the worst flavor texts.
Swirling Spriggan, anyone?
That flavor text is an example for a bad flavor text. Like, really bad.

But I don't dislike the flavor text for depicting the Goblin as stupid.
I can see why Wizards wanted to change it from the previous one in M10 and M11, which used such an elevated style that seemed really out of place.
Because Wizards really likes to use the concept of completely retarded Goblins as running gag. And they do a good decent job with that - in most cases i find it quite entertaining, and i could list about three dozen examples for that. There are so many flavor texts that refer to their stupidity, it could without exaggeration be a number with three digits already.
So since when did Goblins use the word "Goblinkind" to themself?
"Heirs"? Goblins barely know about the concept of property in the first place!
Arson? ...maybe. But many probably not. (They'd rather know various interjections for the caused pain)
I can see what the writer of this flavor text wanted him to say, but that's not how he would say it.
Goblins aren't sophisticated warriors that start a philosophical speech before they fight, they just charge into battle and bust heads! (Unless we're talking about someone like Slobad maybe...although these chieftains actually look like they're smarter than the rest.)
But generally speaking, Goblins in Magic are crazy, rash, suicidal, homicidal, wrecking creatures that do it for the lulz.

The flavor text itself is dumb. The "Smash, Smash" song? WHAT IS THIS EVEN

Why would you change the flavor text to this dreck?

I am very disappointed.

I agree, this flavor text is awful. The previous flavor text was powerful, fun to say, and fit very well with the aggressive theme of goblins. This flavor text insults the intelligence of magic players everywhere. Very lazy job on this one Wizards.

THE JOKE IS THAT GOBLINS ARE DUMB

While the new flavour text sucks, the card itself is amazing. A hasty 2/2 that not only boosts all your other cards, but gives them haste? Insanely potent in a good goblin deck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E813VYySueM&feature=related
I found the "Smash, Smash" song!

I love Goblins (even consider myself one, having a big nose, long chin and bad/sharp teeth!).
Having said that (for some reason) I want to see the Chieftain with new art.

the smash song (sing to happy happy joy joy)

Smashy smashy smash smash, Smashy smashy smash smash,
Smashy smashy smash smash, Smashy smashy smash smash
Smashy smashy is great, smashy smashy is cool,
smashy smashy is awesome!

-repeat ad nauseum-

-x-

as for the card, the haste is really nice on goblins, but you had blood moon out, goblin king is better with mountainwalk, if they had a nonbasic land, which they probably do nowadays.

still, it works quite well.

This guy fits perfectly within the goblin strategy...at least he is in my modern deck. Being able to drop and attack with a new creature every turn really frustrates opponants. They doomblade your Goblin Wardriver guy thinking they've taken away a lot of attack and suddenly, BAM! A new hasted Wardriver swings in with the team for lethal. People HATE that! :)

should have been-

"Where there's a whip, there's a will!"

Works well with Krenko, Mob Boss, Goblin Offensive, and Goblin Wardriver. Also, I like this card. I feel confident if it was reprinted it would have easily replaced Fervor in Krenko's deck.

Want a good flavor text? Check out the goblin gardener.

wait, why didn't they make this guy just say "goblin creatures you control get +1/+1 and have haste" and make him a 1/1 instead of a 2/2? Why did they waste a line of text in his box by giving him Haste and then specifying that "other goblins" get +1/+1 and haste?

I mean, he's still a great card, I've though Goblin King should be this exact card (almost) for years, so I'm glad they switched to the new "lords" (except Cemetery Reaper, who's good, but I still think Lord of the Undead has a more useful second ability)

I also in general kind of dislike that he only affects Goblins you control. I preferred the risk of the old lords that worked on all on the battlefield.

After two terms of fighting a war they weren't fully dedicated to, the goblins elected a cheiftain more interested in destroying the economy.

Don't hate the card because of the flavour text! This card is a monster in any respectable goblin deck and is more than welcome in my Legacy deck, I have 2 right now and might even put a third in. This guy wins games. Anyone talking smack about how goblins are "stupid" or "undignified" will sure feel dumb when they get outplayed by them.

Just commenting on this dude as he's a key part in many goblin decks. Many casual goblin decks. And casual goblin decks suck - one of the best things about casual is that you can build decks which aren't quite efficient enough to make it in a competitive environment, but against many goblin decks you need some serious efficiency and optimization to stand a chance.

As an example, I have a pretty solid UW mid-range/control deck, that even has some decent early game spells like Mother of Runes, Swords to Plowshares, Wall of Omens, Phantasmal Image, Detention Sphere, and after that early game stuff, Wrath of God. However, against goblins you pretty much need Mother of Runes or Wall of Omens, and if you get neither (and don't get 2+ Swords to Plowshares instead) you're in for a pretty tough day out.

@El_Pared - while the +1/+1 buff would be slightly functionally different if Chieftain was a 1/1 and got it aswell (a card like Diminish would currently make him a 1/1; with your proposed change he'd ultimately still be a 2/2 due to layers), I can't think of how the haste would be different if worded like that - however, his functionality is pretty clear even with the potentially unnecessary extra lines.