Let’s talk about goblins. The creatures have been thrust into the spotlight for an entirely new demographic with the recent widespread adoption of Goblin Mode, but for D&D or Magic: the Gathering participants, we have delighted at goblins for a while. Goblins reach maturity within a couple years, and I’ve always thought of them as toddlers with knives and explosives. They are industrious creative thinkers with no sense of consequences and no fear of death. I wanted to celebrate their multitudes with my first Variety Cryptic!
Huge thank you to Skald, who improved this puzzle in big and small ways as my test solver. Thank you to Quiara, who gave me 23 down, and caused me to throw away a grid/word-list I liked much less than what I ended up with. The rest is rules, which are easier to read here than in the Amuselabs info button:
RULES: Goblins are both industrious and wildly unpredictable, thus goblins can indicate many different types of wordplay:
**Anagram: Goblins blow things up, like, constantly. Ex. Passes on goblin side (4) would be DIES (side anagrammed).
**Container/insertion: Goblins can and will eat anything, and are often piloting vehicles and getting into places they shouldn’t. Ex. Totes made from river goblin’s cats (5) would be CARTS (cats container). (Note that goblins can go either way here)
**Hidden: Goblins are scavengers and cowards. Ex. Goblin comes home with netting (4) would be MESH (hidden in coMES Home).
**Homophone: Goblins speech is kind of like English. Ex. Stockpile goblin money (5) would be CACHE (cash homophone).
**Reverse: Most goblins have never met a back they wouldn’t love to stab. Ex: “Flog goblin for sport” (4) would be GOLF
When the puzzle is completed, the circled letters can be re-arranged to spell a 14 letter word that describes you, the solver. Then go to and type GOBLIN [that word] into the search bar of Magic the Gathering Cards found at https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Default.aspx for your final goblin.
Hints are available for every clue, which will give the part of the clue that is the straight definition. If you like it, hate it, have stories you want to tell me about goblins, stream it, or have goblin clues of your own: let me know at the bottom of this post, or on twitter @JoshSolves, or on twitch JoshSolves or email: JoshSolves@gmail.com. Thanks for solving, I hope you enjoy it.
Link to puzzle on Amuselabs: Goblin Goblin Goblin Goblin Goblin
Easy to print pdf located below, if that’s your preference.
Josh Solves 
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