Live, Laugh, Lhurgoyf

The Lhurgoyf, a reptilian monstrosity tied to Dominaria, has gone on to become one of the quintessential creature types in Magic: the Gathering. While they may not exist in droves like Elves and they may not synergize like Slivers, they stand resolute as single threats, win conditions, and one of competitive play's most fabled species.

Lhurgoyf

This innocuous creature, first printed in 1995, saw competitive play, and generated lore that would last decades. While this may not be the flashiest, or the most expensive card, it is unprecedented in its impact. The flavor text alone is responsible for the creation and design of three separate cards, 2004’s "Ach! Hans, Run!", 2006’s Saffi Eriksdotter, and most recently 2020’s Hans Eriksson.

If that alone isn’t impressive enough, seeing a foil printing in a Deckmasters Garfield vs Finkel two-deck set should cement this portion of the Lurgoyfs legacy.

Terravore

2001’s Odyssey brought a cycle of Lhurgoyfs into the fray, and while they are all valid in their own right, one in particular has been making waves recently. 

Terravore has recently spiked, settled, and spiked again, all thanks to Premodern. The format has gained significant traction recently, and has been the cause for a comeuppance in the market for cards printed before Mirrodin.  

Copies of Terravore from ODY are currently in the $15 range, with foil copies in limited supply are encroaching on the $200 mark.

The Premodern market is driven by both aesthetics and nostalgia, indicated by the contrast in price on the more recent printing of Terravore in Dominaria Remastered. Here, foil and non-foil copies can be found for less than fifty cents. 

Tarmogoyf

Few cards in MtG’s history have had the legacy and impact as Tarmogoyf. An unsuspecting two-mana creature, initially overlooked, went on to dominate several formats at once. For those who were not there, it seems hard to fathom. This was at one point one of the scariest things you could sit across from in competitive Magic.

The pricing trends that have followed the beloved “Goyf” are equally as legendary.

The earliest data on MTGstocks has Tarmogoyf at $90 in 2012, a reprint as a chase rare in Modern Masters only temporarily faltered pricing trends with both surpassing the $100 mark in 2013, and both printings nearing $200 in the following year.

Foil prices for Future Sight printings also followed an equally stellar trajectory, nearly reaching the $1000 mark.

A string of reprints in countless sets, as well as more efficient interaction eventually left Tarmogoyf as a footnote in the history of competitive play. FUT foil copies are available for less than $200, and all other non-foil printings are under the $20 mark.

Barrowgoyf

MH3 and Commander: Modern Horizons 3 brought several Lhurgoyfs into eternal formats. Barrowgoyf initially appeared as a Commander-centric nod to the subtype, but soon found itself amongst the highest tiers of Legacy play. Effective stats, card advantage, and the ability to grow itself make Barrowgoyf a one-man army. 

With only one printing, standard and extended art printings are available from $12-$15, with the ripple foil version approaching $70.

Cosmogoyf

The most recently printed Lhurgoyf and the most inexpensive on our list (even cheaper than fifty cent Terravores) Cosomogoyf offers a unique ability alongside deckbuilding restraints/ considerations.

This Modern list has been making the rounds recently, although only one player seems to have been able to put it up to its full use. Utilizing several cards that offer advantage at the cost of exiling cards from your deck would typically constitute a downside, here they are leveraged to grow an insurmountable threat, and simply throw it at the opponent. 

Notably, of all of the Lhurgoyfs in our list this is the only one that appears to have combo potential; it’s also the only one in outer space.

While this may not be the future of the format, or a competitive contender moving forward, it utilizes effective deckbuilding alongside an effectively costed creature with all the benefits that come alongside a Lhurgoyf. 

With copies available from ten cents on TCGplayer, and a median of fifty cents, Cosmogoyf truly occupies a lonely space.

Bonus Card:

Plunge into Darkness is an important combo piece in the aforementioned Cosmogoyf deck. It has flexible utility in Commander, and perhaps most importantly, it has only one printing. 

It spiked to roughly $10 in 2020, with prices slowly cooling back down to where they are now, around $4. If Cosmo-Thud does take off in any capacity, this is likely to be the card to have the highest increase in price, percentage-wise. Its limited availability as well as Commander applications will likely insulate the value. If the uptick doesn’t stick, it will likely follow the previous trend taking years to fall back to current price levels.

I don’t foresee an immediate replacement for such a powerful effect, let alone a reprint, making this particular card potentially undervalued at the moment.  

Conclusion

The legacy of the Lhurgoyfs and their implementation into gameplay are all hallmarks of good design. While their competitive playability may wax and wane with time, they will always be intrinsically tied to the lore and growth of this game.

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