by Elton Gahr

Created on: October 23, 2009   Last Updated: February 23, 2012

There is really nothing in the world that creeps me out more than earwigs. I used to see them around my yard occasionally and they are far worse than spiders. This is as much because of the name as anything else. The idea of them crawling into my ear is just disgusting. And so it is hardly surprising to me that goblins in magic the gathering would use this creature. Earwig Squad is a rare goblin rouge creature from the morningtide expansion set of magic the gathering. A 5/3 creature it costs two black and three colorless to put into play, but it has a prowl cost of one black and two colorless. This means that if you have done damage to an opponent with a goblin or rouge this turn you can pay that cost instead. This makes it a valuable card as a 5/3 creature on the third turn is likely to be one of the largest if not the largest creature, clearing the way for the smaller goblins. This isn't all that the earwig squad does though. Just like an Earwig they can crawl into the opponents head and do something bad. In this case that ability reads "When Earwig Squad enters the battlefield, if its prowl cost was paid, search target opponent's library for three cards and exile them. Then that player shuffles his or her library." This makes the need to pay the prowl cost doubly important as not only do you get a good creature early in the game but search the opponent's deck and remove three key cards. And so the question becomes how do you ensure that you can prowl. One reasonable possibility in a goblin deck is to simply have enough goblins that you will get through with at least some. This will lead to high attrition, but if you are replacing the killed goblins with better ones this is only a minor loss. The second is evasion. Most goblins are land based creatures that are easy to spot but there are a few with types of evasion. Frenzied Goblin allows you to pay one red when it attacks to stop a single creature from blocking. And since it costs only 1 red mana to put into play it could help considerably. Goblin Balloon Brigade is a 1/1 creature for one red that allows you to pay one red to give it flying until end of turn. Goblin Flotila has islandwalk, and there are of course others. Perhaps the best choice is equipment. There are a couple equipment cards that can help with this. Mask of Riddles costs blue and black, but gives the creature fear, and allows you to draw a card when it does damage. Neurok Hoversail gives a creature flying and trailblazers boots gives nonbasic landwalk. In a heavy red and black Goblin deck this is a very powerful card and one that should be played.

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