Goblin Balloon Brigade

Goblin Balloon Brigade first appeared in the Fallen Empires expansion in 1994, intended to flesh out the lore of the goblin societies embroiled in the wars of Sarpadia. The card was later reprinted in the Fourth Edition base set in 1995, which served as a massive consolidation of earlier Magic: The Gathering sets and aimed to provide a stable, consistent card pool for the rapidly growing player base.

The artwork for this version was provided by Andi Rusu, whose illustrations during this era often leaned into the whimsical yet chaotic aesthetic characteristic of early creature design. The card functions as a quintessential red mana creature, defined by its ability to gain flying at the cost of a red mana, a mechanic that highlights the impulsive and flighty nature of goblin warfare.