A Small Stab from the Second Row

Hello, Splinterlands warriors—how are things in the arena today?
While waiting for Brawl to kick off again, this time I want to share a story about a Fire element card that looks simple, but quietly often becomes the difference-maker. Its name is Drybone Hobgoblin—a dry-boned goblin from the Goblin bloodline, with a playstyle that I’d call pretty “cheeky” when it hits the right moment.

Drybone Hobgoblin caught my eye from the start, especially because its mana cost is only 4. That means it’s extremely flexible. You can use it in low or mid mana battles, or even just as a filler slot—it still makes a lot of sense. But don’t be mistaken: even though it’s cheap, its role is far from being just a background extra.

From level 1, it already has two skills at once: Reach and Immunity. Reach lets it attack from the second position, while Immunity makes it immune to negative effects. That alone already makes it feel “fully grown” right from the start. And what’s most tempting, at level 8 it gains Shatter, an armor-destroying skill that truly becomes a nightmare for enemy tanks.

With its relatively high speed, Drybone Hobgoblin is perfect as a shield breaker. It’s not the main tank, but it’s a path opener. Once the enemy’s armor is torn apart, other monsters just step in and finish the job. Even before getting Shatter, I’ve already felt how this Drybone often becomes the deciding factor in my battles.

It’s like a small soldier whose work isn’t the flashiest, but whose impact is felt across the entire team.

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Battle Story: Small Goblin, Big Impact

In this battle, the mana cap was 29 with standard rulesets. I used the archon NOMOS, with the formation: Halfling Refugee as the tank, followed by Drybone Hobgoblin, Torch Vizier with Opportunity, Emberguard, and Chaos Evoker.

The opponent chose the Earth element, led by Kaylia Silverleaf. Their tanks were layered: Halfling Refugee and Ironwing Juggernaut, plus backline threats like Grove Doomblade, Thanalorian Blade, and Blackmoor Wild Elf. From that lineup, it was clear—their target was the weakest part of my backline.

The first round opened with an Ambush from Chaos Evoker. The focus did briefly shift to my magic duo, which had been weakened by the opponent’s archon effect. But at the same time, Drybone Hobgoblin began gnawing at the enemy tank, steadily but surely damaging its armor. Thanks to Reach, almost all of my monsters had access to attack. On the other hand, the enemy team lost momentum because one of their monsters lacked Reach.

The result? In round one, two enemy monsters went down immediately.

Entering round two, Drybone Hobgoblin’s attack range managed to land a critical hit on Grove Doomblade. Follow-up attacks from the team instantly eliminated that most dangerous sneak monster.

In round three, came what I think was the most exciting moment: Drybone Hobgoblin moved to the front as the tank. With 5 HP and high speed, it managed to dodge several attacks. From a role that started as merely an “armor wrecker,” it transformed into the final wall. From there, victory was eventually secured.

You can see the full battle here:

👉 LINK BATTLE 👈

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Final Thoughts

What I like most about Drybone Hobgoblin is the fact that at level one it already has two skills. This makes it very beginner-friendly. Without a big investment, players can already learn positioning, read tempo, and properly utilize Reach. And once it reaches level 8 and gains Shatter, its role truly levels up.

The Shatter skill itself is extremely useful in the Armored Up ruleset, but obviously useless in Unprotected. So this card teaches one important lesson: reading the ruleset is mandatory.

Drybone Hobgoblin might not be a card that makes people shout “wow” when opening a pack. But on the battlefield, it often speaks through results. Cheap, fast, flexible, and with clear growth potential. For me, this is a true workhorse card.

Sometimes, victory doesn’t come from the biggest monster—but from a small goblin that knows exactly when to stab. And Drybone Hobgoblin clearly knows how.

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