Lhurgoyf MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 9 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Lhurgoyf
Power *
Toughness 1+*

Key Takeaways

  1. Lhurgoyf’s strength increases as graveyards fill, making it a late-game powerhouse.
  2. Works best in decks designed to exploit graveyard synergies, boosting its power.
  3. Instant speed interactions can unexpectedly bolster Lhurgoyf’s combat potential.

Text of card

Lhurgoyf has power equal to the total number of creatures in all graveyards and toughness equal to 1 plus the total number of creatures in all graveyards.

"Ach! Hans, run! It's the Lhurgoyf!" —Saffi Eriksdotter, last words


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Lhurgoyf card becomes more potent as the game progresses, leveraging the growing graveyard as a resource for power and toughness. This means in prolonged games it can often turn into a massive threat that can swing in for significant damage, potentially turning the game in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana or treasure tokens, the Lhurgoyf can be a form of resource acceleration in decks tailored to fill the graveyard quickly. Its power increases with a packed graveyard, effectively converting those resources into combat power on the board at a rate that can outpace traditional mana-based growth.

Instant Speed: Although Lhurgoyf itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its power can fluctuate within instant speed interactions. This is especially relevant as opponents’ creatures die during combat or spells are cast that send cards to the graveyard, thereby enhancing Lhurgoyf’s statistics on the fly and potentially serving as a nasty surprise for an uninformed adversary.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Lhurgoyf’s power often hinges on graveyard volume, necessitating strategic discarding. This can lead to precarious situations if your hand is already depleted or if you’re forced to throw away a valuable piece of your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Lhurgoyf comes with a green mana cost, which could potentially limit its integration in multicolor decks or those focusing on a different mana base. This dependency requires the player to have access to green mana sources, which can be restricting in some game scenarios.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its potential for a significant attack power, Lhurgoyf’s mana cost may be considered high when compared to other creatures available in the MTG universe. Players might find that when casting Lhurgoyf, they’re not using their mana as efficiently as possible, especially in the early to mid-games where speed can be crucial.


Reasons to Include Lhurgoyf in Your Collection

Versatility: Lhurgoyf’s power is directly tied to the number of creature cards in all graveyards, making it a card that grows in strength as the game progresses. Its flexibility enables it to become a threat in various formats and situations, quickly turning the tide of battle in your favor.

Combo Potential: This card has immense synergy with strategies that mill or involve a high turnover of creatures. When combined with cards that fill your own graveyard, Lhurgoyf can become a colossal creature that opponents will find difficult to deal with.

Meta-Relevance: Given its unique size-adjusting mechanic, Lhurgoyf maintains relevance in metagames that favor graveyard strategies. It thrives in environments where creatures are frequently entering and leaving play, becoming a powerhouse capable of delivering lethal damage.


How to beat

The Lhurgoyf card in Magic: The Gathering is well-known for its power that grows with the number of creature cards in all graveyards. This characteristic makes it a formidable force in the late game where graveyards tend to be packed with creatures. To overcome this threat, it is crucial to adopt a strategy that reduces this accumulation. Graveyard removal spells such as Rest in Peace or Relic of Progenitus can effectively neutralize Lhurgoyf’s power boost by exiling creatures before they can bulk up Lhurgoyf’s strength.

Another tactic is to implement instant removal or exile spells that can target Lhurgoyf directly, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares. Playing these spells before the Lhurgoyf has a chance to grow or when your opponent is low on mana to counteract can tilt the game in your favor. Additionally, controlling the battlefield and resisting the urge to recklessly cast creatures that might end up in the graveyard will also limit the Lhurgoyf’s power.

In summary, managing graveyard populations, utilizing targeted removals, and maintaining strategic creature play are key to keeping a Lhurgoyf in check. Being proactive with these methods will help you maintain control of the game even when facing off against this ever-growing creature.


Cards like Lhurgoyf

Exploring the world of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering, the Lhurgoyf has a unique place in the pantheon of creatures that grow in power with graveyard synergy. Tarmogoyf, for instance, shares this legacy. It also flourishes from graveyard content but spans a broader range of card types which influences both its power and toughness. Mortivore, another analogous card, dynamically adjusts its strength based on creature cards specifically in all graveyards, potentially making it a formidable force on the board.

Moving down a similar path, Lord of Extinction’s might and toughness directly correlate to the total number of cards in all graveyards, presenting a potentially overwhelming threat depending on the game state. These creatures stand as benchmarks in understanding how graveyard-dependent creatures like Lhurgoyf operate in various game scenarios. While each has their nuanced distinctions, they collectively underscore the strategic depth introduced by such mechanics within the game.

Assessing Lhurgoyf and its kin reveals a fascinating tapestry interwoven within MTG’s creature base, emphasizing strategic deck construction to maximize the benefits from what is both a bountiful and often overlooked resource—the graveyard.

Tarmogoyf - MTG Card versions
Mortivore - MTG Card versions
Lord of Extinction - MTG Card versions
Tarmogoyf - Future Sight (FUT)
Mortivore - Odyssey (ODY)
Lord of Extinction - Alara Reborn (ARB)

Cards similar to Lhurgoyf by color, type and mana cost

Giant Spider - MTG Card versions
Pixie Queen - MTG Card versions
Marsh Viper - MTG Card versions
Scarwood Bandits - MTG Card versions
Carnivorous Plant - MTG Card versions
Erhnam Djinn - MTG Card versions
War Mammoth - MTG Card versions
Aurochs - MTG Card versions
Jackalope Herd - MTG Card versions
Rootwater Alligator - MTG Card versions
Golden Bear - MTG Card versions
Argothian Swine - MTG Card versions
Elvish Piper - MTG Card versions
Erithizon - MTG Card versions
Saber Ants - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Cutter - MTG Card versions
Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Ravenous Baloth - MTG Card versions
Fungusaur - MTG Card versions
Viridian Lorebearers - MTG Card versions
Giant Spider - Tenth Edition (10E)
Pixie Queen - Legends (LEG)
Marsh Viper - The Dark (DRK)
Scarwood Bandits - The Dark (DRK)
Carnivorous Plant - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Erhnam Djinn - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
War Mammoth - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Aurochs - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Jackalope Herd - Exodus (EXO)
Rootwater Alligator - Exodus (EXO)
Golden Bear - Portal Second Age (P02)
Argothian Swine - Urza's Saga (USG)
Elvish Piper - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Erithizon - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Saber Ants - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Skyshroud Cutter - Nemesis (NEM)
Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Ravenous Baloth - Duel Decks: Garruk vs. Liliana (DDD)
Fungusaur - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Viridian Lorebearers - Fifth Dawn (5DN)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lhurgoyf MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age and Fifth Edition, 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 Lhurgoyf and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Lhurgoyf Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 1995-06-03 and 2018-06-08. Illustrated by Pete Venters.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11995-06-03Ice AgeICE 2521993normalblackPete Venters
21997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 3091997normalwhitePete Venters
31997-08-13World Championship Decks 1997WC97 sg3091997normalgoldPete Venters
41999-11-12Battle Royale Box SetBRB 361997normalwhitePete Venters
52001-12-01DeckmastersDKM 291997normalblackPete Venters
62003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 259★2003normalblackPete Venters
72003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 2592003normalwhitePete Venters
82011-06-17Commander 2011CMD 1652003normalblackPete Venters
92018-06-08Commander Anthology Volume IICM2 1412015normalblackPete Venters

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Lhurgoyf has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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