Tarmogoyf
 
Last week, we reviewed some of the gears, if you like, that make Modern Masters turn as a format. This week, we're going to the opposite end of the set: five mythics, five cards that define the set and define Modern itself. Tarmogoyf is perhaps the most well-known of those, and the most controversial. I still remember when this little guy was originally released. Some people experimented with him right away and found he was even better than they expected; others wrote him off, and many of those later regretted it. Some people later called for him to be banned in Standard, even as he single-handedly introduced non-artifact aggro to Vintage. That feels like an awfully long time ago, now.
 
How has Tarmogoyf stood the test of time? Yes, he still gets ridiculously powerful just as a result of the game being played, and there are very few creatures that do that, but in this era of everyone and their brother having one to three enters-the-battlefield abilities, is that enough? The fact is that even in this era, speed still counts for something, and they'd never print a two-mana 5/6 creature. Tarmogoyf is always a threat, and is always a bargain-basement price (compare Feral Hydra et al). That is good enough for me, and it should be good enough for you, too. In the more casual settings, you don't always need the exact combination of cost and stats that he offers; you can certainly make do without him, but he's certainly far from useless there. Just be aware that until the Titans came around, Tarmogoyf was the most controversial creature of the modern era, and you might well draw certain kinds of reactions by casting him.
 
Constructed: 5/5
Casual: 3/5
Limited: 4/5
Multiplayer: 3/5
 

Today's card of the day is Tarmogoyf which is a two mana Green creature with power equal to the number of card types in all graveyards and toughness of one greater than that.  This is an extremely popular and valuable card that counts artifact, creature, enchantment, instant, land, planeswalker, sorcery, and tribal for a maximum of 8/9 if all are present in a graveyard.  Typically you won't see tribal while planeswalkers, enchantments, and artifacts may not all be available which puts 4/5 as a solid strength.  It lacks any evasion or avoidance, but for the cost of Grizzly Bears it is definitely worth playing in the Modern format if you happen to own any.
 
In a Limited setting where this is available it is a low cost creature that will likely be bigger than 2/3 when it comes into play making it an automatic inclusion.  Even if it isn't in your colors the potential power and actual value of the card make it a first pick no matter what else is in the pack.  Sidedecking it to rare or hate draft is a reasonable course of action and even forcing some Green with mana fixing to include it is a consideration anyone drafting it should consider.
 
Counting the additional graveyards in Multiplayer improves the chances of nearing the maximum and reaching 4/5 or larger earlier, making it a top card in these settings as well.
 
Constructed: 5.0
Casual: 5.0
Limited: 5.0
Multiplayer: 5.0