Ovika, Enigma Goliath

$0.25

Ovika is a 7-mana 6/6 flier with ward that costs {3} and 3 life, so it is expensive to answer and expensive to cast. Every noncreature spell you cast creates X 1/1 red Goblins, where X is that spell's mana value, and they have haste the turn they arrive. A 4-mana spell is four attackers on top of its normal effect. Decks lean on ramp to land Ovika, then hold big or cheap noncreature spells to cast in one burst.

In the recorded games, Jeska's Will and Battle Hymn produced the mana for a big turn, and Kindred Discovery naming Goblin or Wizard Class drew extra cards off the tokens. One fast list used Underworld Breach to recast Frantic Search for card draw and mana. Wins usually came from a single wave of hasty Goblins after several spells in a row. Repeated board wipes were the main problem, since a pile of 1/1s does not survive them, and a counterspell on the setup spell could end the plan. Keeping land-light hands to rush the 7-drop also backfired.