Bolg of the North
Tracked across real Commander games played through TurnZero HQ.
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What it does
When Bolg enters, you may sacrifice another creature. When you do, Bolg deals damage equal to that creature's power to another target creature. If excess damage was dealt this way, amass Goblins X, where X is that excess damage. (Put X +1/+1 counters on an Army you control. It's also a Goblin. If you don't control an Army, create a 0/0 black Goblin Army creature token first.)
Rulings
11 official rulings, in the order Wizards published them.
- 2026-06-29
Excess damage has been dealt to a creature if the damage dealt to it is greater than lethal damage. Usually, this means damage greater than its toughness, although damage already marked on the creature is taken into account.
- 2026-06-29
The sacrificed creature's last known existence on the battlefield is checked to determine its power.
- 2026-06-29
Amass Orcs works the same way, except you create a 0/0 black Orc Army creature token if you don't control an Army. And if the Army creature you chose isn't already an Orc, it becomes an Orc in addition to its other types. By combining cards with amass Orcs and amass Goblins, you can end up with a Goblin Orc Army.
- 2026-06-29
Bolg of the North's damage-dealing ability triggers only when you sacrifice a creature as a result of the instruction of its triggered ability. It won't trigger if you sacrifice a creature for any other reason.
- 2026-06-29
In the rare case that you control multiple Army creatures (perhaps because you control a creature with changeling) while you amass Goblins, you choose which of your Army creatures to put the +1/+1 counters on. If that creature isn't a Goblin, it becomes a Goblin in addition to its other types.
- 2026-06-29
To amass Goblins N, if you don't control an Army creature, create a 0/0 black Goblin Army creature token. Then you choose an Army creature you control and put N +1/+1 counters on it. If that Army isn't already a Goblin, it becomes a Goblin in addition to its other types.
- 2026-06-29
Bolg of the North has a reflexive triggered ability. When it enters the battlefield, its triggered ability goes on the stack without a target. While that ability is resolving, you may sacrifice another creature. If you do, a second ability triggers and you pick a target that will be dealt damage. This is different from other abilities that say "If you do . . ." in that players may cast spells and activate abilities before a creature is sacrificed and then again after the creature is sacrificed but before damage is dealt.
- 2026-06-29
Some spells and abilities that amass Goblins may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't amass Goblins.
- 2026-06-29
If you don't control an Army, the Goblin Army token you create enters the battlefield as a 0/0 creature before receiving counters. Any abilities that trigger when a creature with a certain power enters the battlefield, such as that of Mentor of the Meek, will see the token enter as a 0/0 creature before it gets +1/+1 counters.
- 2026-06-29
Some cards refer to the "amassed Army." That means the Army creature you chose to receive counters, even if no counters were placed on it for some reason.
- 2026-06-29
You can't sacrifice multiple creatures to deal damage multiple times.
Rulings are Wizards of the Coast's own, mirrored from Scryfall and refreshed nightly.
In the 99
Every deck whose current list includes Bolg of the North, whatever its commander.
Most played under
| Commander | Decks | Games | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sauron, the Dark Lord | 1 | 5 | 0% |
Colors it shows up in
- Grixis 1 deck
Every version of Bolg of the North
1 printing, newest first. Prices are the market figures Scryfall publishes, refreshed nightly — a printing with no figure shows a dash rather than a zero, because Scryfall genuinely publishes none for some of them.
The Hobbit
- Normal
- $0.27
- Foil
- $0.32
Prices from Scryfall, which tracks the TCGplayer and Cardmarket markets. They move daily and are a guide rather than a quote. Search TCGplayer for Bolg of the North — a name search across every version, for the printings TCGplayer publishes no direct link to.
Aggregated from Commander games tracked in TurnZero HQ. Every figure counts decks and games only — no individual deck list, player or playgroup is identified. Win rates are withheld below 5 completed games, where the sample is too small to mean anything.