Goblin Kaboomist is a goofy little rare from M15, and one that’s raised quite a few questions so far! Well, more accurately, it seems to have raised one question, multiple times! Kaboomist creates a Land Mine token during the beginning of your upkeep, and that Land Mine can be sacrificed to deal 2 damage to non-flying attackers. It’s hard for your opponent to attack you when he has to play Minesweeper to do it! Kaboomist ALSO says “Then flip a coin. If you lose the flip, Goblin Kaboomist deals 2 damage to itself.”. Seems straightforward, right? But a lot of people run into the old “Browbeat Problem” and don’t look closely enough to see where the punctuation is on the ability. That little ‘maybe he blows himself up’ part isn’t built into the Land Mine, as people think- it’s part of the Kaboomist’s ability that MAKES the land mine! Each upkeep when you make the mine, that’s when you flip your coin. IF you should win that flip, then your Kaboomist is in no danger from being hurt by his own mines (unless you decide to make him in danger, but that’s all on you!). Unfortunately, that means you’ve got a 50/50 chance of losing Boomy every time he gives you an explosive new deterrent. Oh well- all’s fair in love and Kabooming!

Today’s Rules Tip written by Trevor Nunez