Tarmogoyf MTG: Why It’s the Most Efficient Creature Ever Printed

Tarmogoyf MTG is the 2-mana Lhurgoyf that defined an entire era of competitive Magic. Its power and toughness are equal to the number of card types in all graveyards. By turn two, a properly built deck has already made it a 3/4. By turn three, it’s a 4/5 or 5/6. For a 2-drop, no other creature in Magic history has come close to that efficiency for so long.

This Spotlight walks through the math behind the card, the print history from 2007 to 2024, the formats where it dominates, and why a Tarmogoyf proxy is the most cost-effective way to run four copies in your casual Modern deck.

Quick Facts

What This Article Covers

What Does Tarmogoyf Actually Do?

Read the card carefully:

> Tarmogoyf’s power is equal to the number of card types among cards in all graveyards and its toughness is equal to that number plus 1.

That’s it. A 2-mana 0/1 with a built-in growth mechanic. Every time any player puts a card into any graveyard, Tarmogoyf gets bigger. The card types it counts are: artifact, creature, enchantment, instant, land, planeswalker, sorcery, and tribal. The maximum power you can legally achieve in normal play is 8/9 (eight types in all graveyards).

Here’s the math that makes the card broken:

The reason Tarmogoyf MTG has stayed in Modern sideboards and maindecks for nearly 20 years is that 2 mana for a 4/5 or 5/6 on turn four is insanely efficient. The only real counterplay is graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void, Endurance), and most Modern decks can’t run enough of those cards to consistently answer a resolved Tarmogoyf.

Section A: The Modern Masters 2017 Print

The Filip Burburan redraw in Modern Masters 2017 (MM3) is the print most Modern players have in their trade binder. It brought Tarmogoyf into a masters set with a modern-frame treatment at the time, and it’s the print most commonly pulled from MM3 packs that have been opened and circulated over the last decade.

Source: Scryfall — Modern Masters 2017 (2017), Filip Burburan redraw.

The Modern Masters 2017 version of Tarmogoyf sits at the price-point sweet spot for most casual Modern players—about $6 for the same rules text, with the modern-frame treatment giving it a clean look in Modern and Legacy decks. If you bought a Modern deck in the last five years, this is probably the Tarmogoyf print you have.

Why Tarmogoyf MTG Has Been a Modern Pillar Since 2007

Tarmogoyf was first printed in Future Sight (2007), a set specifically designed to test mechanics that might appear in future Magic sets. It was immediately a $20+ card and stayed there for years. The original Justin Murray art made the card a collector’s item; the rules text made it a competitive staple.

The card dominated Modern from the format’s 2011 inception. The “Jund” deck (featuring Tarmogoyf, Liliana of the Veil, and Dark Confidant) won the first Modern Pro Tour in 2011. Through 2025, Tarmogoyf MTG has appeared in 8 of the top-15 most-played Modern green creatures, and it’s still a Tier-1 card in the format.

The reason for the longevity: Tarmogoyf rewards the right kind of deckbuilding. Decks that fill graveyards quickly (Jund, Abzan, Rock, 4-color Control) get a 2-drop that scales with the game. Decks that don’t fill graveyards (decks running Rest in Peace as a maindeck hate card) can’t push the card’s power beyond 1/2 or 2/3, which makes the card unplayable in those shells. Tarmogoyf is a format-warping card because it forces every Modern deck to consider whether it’s worth running graveyard hate.

Section D: Three Print Variations Worth Knowing

Across nearly two decades, Tarmogoyf has been printed in 14 different sets. These three prints give you the most visual variety, the best budget options, and the collector’s choice. None of these duplicate the original Future Sight frame shown at the top of the article, and none duplicate the Modern Masters 2017 print shown in Section A.

Modern Masters (2013): Ryan Barger’s redraw introduced Tarmogoyf to the masters-set ecosystem. This version brought the card to a wider audience and is the print most often traded in casual Modern pods. At $8 it’s the second-cheapest option for players who want a modern-frame Tarmogoyf.

Ultimate Masters (2018): Filip Burburan’s second redraw in a masters set, this print is the cheapest Tarmogoyf currently in print at $6. It’s the right answer for players building a budget Modern deck who need four copies and don’t care about art variations.

Modern Horizons 3 Commander (2024): Filipe Pagliuso’s commander-focused variant, this print is the cheapest of all at $0.43. The catch: it’s only available in Modern Horizons 3 Commander product, not standard boosters. For players who want a paper Tarmogoyf at almost no cost, this is the print.

Which Tarmogoyf Print Should You Buy?

If you want the cheapest functional copy, Modern Horizons 3 Commander (2024) at $0.43 is the obvious answer—but you may have trouble finding it outside of MH3C draft boxes. The more practical “cheapest available” answer is Ultimate Masters (2018) at $6, which is widely available in singles markets.

If you want a card that holds long-term value, Future Sight (2007) is the print collectors hunt. The original Justin Murray art has a 2000s Magic aesthetic that doesn’t get reprinted. Foil Future Sight Tarmogoyf is currently $172+, making it one of the most valuable Tarmogoyf prints.

For most Modern and Legacy players, the choice between Modern Masters 2013, Modern Masters 2017, and Ultimate Masters comes down to: do you want a specific art, or do you just want the cheapest copy? All three are functionally identical, all three are under $10.

How Much Does Tarmogoyf Cost in 2026?

The card is legal in Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Historic, Brawl, Commander, Oathbreaker, Duel, and Predh. The cheapest print is Modern Horizons 3 Commander at $0.43 (if you can find it). The most accessible print is Ultimate Masters at $6. The most valuable print is Future Sight foil at $172+.

Total budget for all four budget prints (cheapest pool): $13 for one copy of each. That’s significantly less than the cost of a single Future Sight foil, but more than the cost of a high-quality Tarmogoyf proxy set—where all four art variants can be yours for a fraction of the cost.

For a card this reprinted, paying $6-$172 per copy for a 2-drop common-equivalent feels steep—especially when a premium proxy service offers the same playability at a fraction of the cost.

Combo Example: Tarmogoyf + Hollow One Deck

Tarmogoyf pairs naturally with graveyard-themed cards. The most efficient shell is the “Hollow One” archetype:

1. Cast Hollow One (4 mana, 4/4 with menace and trample, costs less for each card in your graveyard). 2. Cast Tarmogoyf on turn 2. 3. Self-mill with Faithless Looting or Stitcher’s Supplier to put more card types in graveyards. 4. By turn 4, Tarmogoyf is a 5/6 or 6/7 and Hollow One is a 4/4 trample-menace. 5. Swing for 9-13 trample damage unblocked.

This is the deck archetype that has defined Modern “midrange” since 2017. Tarmogoyf is the centerpiece, Hollow One is the payoff, and the self-mill spells are the engine.

The reason this combo has stayed in Modern for 9+ years: every card in the shell costs under $1 except Tarmogoyf. The whole deck can be built for under $30 in paper. That’s a price point almost no other competitive Modern archetype can match.

Why the Card Types Math Matters

Most players underestimate how many card types are in a typical Modern game by turn 4. Here’s a real-game count from a Jund mirror match:

By turn 4 in a typical Jund game, 6 different card types are in the graveyards. That means Tarmogoyf is a 6/7 on turn 4. The opponent needs to answer a 6/7 for 2 mana. The math doesn’t work for them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tarmogoyf banned in Modern? | No, and it has never been banned in any major format. The card is fully legal in Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Historic, Brawl, Commander, Oathbreaker, Duel, and Predh. It’s the kind of card that defines formats without breaking them—strong enough to be a Tier-1 staple, balanced enough that it doesn’t warrant a ban. As of 2026 there are no Tarmogoyf bans anywhere in any sanctioned format.

How much is a Tarmogoyf worth? | It depends on which print you buy. The cheapest accessible print is Ultimate Masters (2018) at $6. The Modern Masters 2017 print is $6. The Future Sight (2007) print is $19. The Future Sight foil print is $172+. The Modern Horizons 3 Commander print is $0.43 if you can find it. For most players, Ultimate Masters or Modern Masters 2017 is the right answer—both are under $10 and widely available in singles markets.

Why is Tarmogoyf so expensive for a 2-drop? | Demand and reprint scarcity. Tarmogoyf has been a Modern staple since 2011, and it’s been printed in masters sets (Modern Masters, Modern Masters 2015, Modern Masters 2017, Ultimate Masters) that are premium products with limited print runs. Even after 14 prints, the card holds $6+ on the cheapest available copy because every Modern deck wants 1-2 copies. The Future Sight print has held $19+ for 19 years because the original Justin Murray art has collector value.

Can I build a deck with Tarmogoyf proxies? | Yes. High-quality Tarmogoyf proxy cards let you run four copies of the Future Sight original art for less than the cost of one Ultimate Masters copy. This is especially useful for casual Modern play where you want the iconic original-art Tarmogoyf in your deck but don’t want to spend $19+ on a single copy. Many casual Modern players run proxies of $20+ cards during testing—Tarmogoyf at $6-$19 is a normal candidate.

What is the best Tarmogoyf deck in Modern? | The cleanest Tarmogoyf deck in Modern is Jund: red-black-green midrange with Tarmogoyf, Liliana of the Veil, Dark Confidant, Wrenn & Six, and the usual fetch-shock manabase. The deck has been Tier-1 in Modern since 2011 and it’s still a top-10 archetype. Tarmogoyf also fits in Abzan (white-black-green), Rock (black-green without red), and 4-color Control shells. The card is the centerpiece of any deck that fills graveyards quickly.

How does Tarmogoyf compare to other Lhurgoyfs? | Tarmogoyf is the original and most-played Lhurgoyf. Other Lhurgoyf variants include Elder Gargaroth (3 mana, 6/6 with bigger triggers), Rotting Regisaur (3 mana 3/3 with a discard cost), and cheaper “Lhurgoyf-likes” like Bonecrusher Giant and Questing Beast. None of them are as efficient as Tarmogoyf at the 2-mana slot. The closest analog is Polukranos, World Eater, which is a 4-drop and not a direct replacement. Tarmogoyf is the gold standard for “vanilla-ish creature that scales with the game state.”

Is Tarmogoyf good in Commander? | Tarmogoyf is legal in Commander but not a top-tier card there. The format’s higher starting life totals (40) and longer games make a 2-drop less impactful than it is in Modern. Most Commander decks that run Tarmogoyf include it as a 1-2 of in the 99, often in graveyard-themed decks (Meren, Muldrotha, Karador). EDHREC ranks it 9065th most-played, which is much lower than its Modern dominance. Tarmogoyf is a Modern and Legacy card first, Commander card second.

Can Tarmogoyf be answered without graveyard hate? | Yes—any removal spell that can target a creature (Lightning Bolt, Path to Exile, Fatal Push, etc.) can answer Tarmogoyf. The card is a 0/1 in an empty-graveyard game state, so it can be killed by any damage-based removal. The reason Tarmogoyf is so good is that it’s a 6/7 or 7/8 by the time most removal spells are online, making it hard to answer efficiently. But the card isn’t hexproof or indestructible—it can be removed normally if you have the right answer.

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