Boggart Forager MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Goblin Rogue
Released	2007-10-12
Set symbol
Set name	Lorwyn
Set code	LRW
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	154
Frame	2003
Layout	normal
Border	black
Illustred by	Ron Spencer

Key Takeaways

Library manipulation by Boggart Forager helps sift through decks, streamlining card draws for strategical play.
Instant-speed interactions complement its playstyle, allowing players to optimize timing and disrupt opponents.
Red mana specificity and discard conditions of Boggart Forager could limit its versatility in certain decks.

Text of card

, Sacrifice Boggart Forager: Target player shuffles his or her library.

"Reach in this hole, lose a hand. Reach in that hole, find a sparkly." —Auntie wisdom

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Boggart Forager plays a key role in manipulating the battlefield by filtering unwanted cards from the top of your library. This feature allows players to cycle through their deck more efficiently, potentially drawing into more advantageous cards to maintain the upper hand.

Resource Acceleration: Despite not directly accelerating resources, Boggart Forager offers a form of library manipulation that can indirectly lead to better resource utilization. By ensuring that the next draws are more aligned with your game plan, you can optimize the plays you make each turn.

Instant Speed: While Boggart Forager may not be an instant itself, its concept encourages MTG players to think about the timing of their actions. The strategic use of similar instant-speed spells in conjunction with card like Boggart Forager maximizes the potential to disrupt opponents’ strategies at crucial moments.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To play Boggart Forager, players must meet its discard condition. This can be particularly taxing when your hand is already depleted or when every card counts towards your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Boggart Forager requires red mana, limiting its integration in multi-colored decks. This could prove to be a roadblock for players needing flexibility in their mana bases.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Boggart Forager isn’t excessively costly, its mana investment might not parallel the value it brings to the field, especially when alternatives might provide greater impact for a similar, if not lower, mana expenditure.

Reasons to Include Boggart Forager in Your Collection

Versatility: Boggart Forager serves as a practical choice in decks that leverage creatures. This little goblin can adeptly manage board states by shuffling unwanted cards from the top of your library, potentially drawing you into better options.

Combo Potential: This card carries combo potential in decks that capitalize on creature synergy or those that utilize the graveyard. The Forager can help set up for graveyard recursion or work with cards that activate upon creatures entering or leaving the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where board presence and card advantage can be critical, Boggart Forager’s ability to disrupt your own deck’s top order can be subtly powerful, especially in environments where deck manipulation is key to outwitting opponents.

How to Beat Boggart Forager

Boggart Forager comes from a tribe known for its mischief and cunning in Magic: The Gathering. This quaint goblin creature may look inconsequential at first glance with its humble stats, but in the context of red goblin decks, it can become a nuisance by disrupting your top-deck strategy. Consider that Boggart Forager’s ability allows a player to shuffle the top cards of a library into the rest of the deck, preventing a planned draw.

To successfully handle this pesky creature, it’s wise to prioritize removal spells that can target creatures regardless of their size. Efficient spells like Shock and Lightning Bolt can swiftly deal with the Forager before it can upend your deck order. Another strategy is to bolster your card draw, ensuring you have a steady flow of options and aren’t solely reliant on the top card of your deck. In-game mechanisms such as scrying to filter your draws or utilizing alternative card advantage engines can mitigate the effect of the Forager’s ability.

Ultimately, dealing with Boggart Forager boils down to minimizing its impact on your strategy while maintaining a more powerful board state. By keeping control of the board and your draw, the little forager’s effect can be rendered trivial, allowing you to focus on more significant threats lurking in your opponent’s deck.

Cards like Boggart Forager

Within the rich tapestry of Magic: The Gathering, Boggart Forager is an intriguing card for those looking to leverage low-cost creatures. It shares similarities with creatures like Merfolk Looter that also permits players to draw a card, though Merfolk Looter requires tapping and doesn’t force a discard at random. This fundamental difference can affect the flow of gameplay as Boggart Forager offers a chance-based outcome, adding a layer of unpredictability to the match.

Another card worth mentioning is Rummaging Goblin, reflecting the rummage ability found on Boggart Forager, but with more control since the player chooses the card to discard. The goblin’s ability could be advantageous as it allows better hand management. However, Boggart Forager stands out due to its single red mana cost, making it a swift option to deploy on the battlefield.

Assessing Boggart Forager against its peers, it becomes clear that this card provides a unique blend of cost efficiency and the potential to throw opponents off with its random discard mechanic. The card occupies an interesting niche as it combines card selection with creature utility in Magic: The Gathering.

Cards similar to Boggart Forager by color, type and mana cost

Goblin Balloon Brigade - MTG Card versions

Mons's Goblin Raiders - MTG Card versions

Goblin Balloon Brigade - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)

Mons's Goblin Raiders - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)

Goblin Digging Team - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)

Gorilla Shaman - Coldsnap Theme Decks (CST)

Orcish Conscripts - Masters Edition II (ME2)

Flailing Soldier - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)

Grim Lavamancer - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Kessig Wolfrider - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)

Goblin Guide - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Boggart Forager MTG card by a specific set like Lorwyn, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Boggart Forager and other MTG cards: