Moldgraf Scavenger vs. Tormogoyf
Modern forum
Posted on May 10, 2016, 12:15 p.m. by KingTorg1
In the early game it's an 0/4 defender, in the late game it's a high value creature with a low mana cost. Also, when I last checked, it's about $0.18 cents. That's not mentioning it's odd similarity to Tarmogoyf.
In modern, the turns will probably go something like this:
1: Fetch land, instant or sorcery. (Serum Visions, Lightning Bolt, etc.)
2: Creatures, more instants or sorcerys.
By turn 4 or 5, you will have reached delerium, making a Moldgraf Scavenger a 3/4, while a Tarmogoyf will be a 4/5.
Tarmogoyf is essentialy better than Moldgraf Scavenger in all ways aside from being able to survive a bolt on T2, but the real question is:
Can Moldgraf Scavenger have a chance of being a budget replacement of Tarmogoyf?
I know very little about aggro decks, so I'm not completely sure about the answer myself.
It could but making a worse version of a more expensive deck is, in general, not really the best way of playing Magic on a budget. I guess I could see it being a good temporary measure for someone trying to build towards a 'Goyf deck over time.
May 10, 2016 12:31 p.m. Edited.
kmavroulis says... #6
i would call that a budget Tarmogoyf, 50% of the time the goyf doesnt grow past 3/4 anyway in aggro decks. nice call
May 10, 2016 1:07 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #7
Soul Swallower is too slow. You rarely want something that costly to die to Lightning Bolt unless it gives tons of value (think Huntmaster of the Fells Flip).
But yeah, it's about as close to a "replacement" to Tarmogoyf that you'll get.
May 10, 2016 1:21 p.m.
NobodyPicksBulbasaur says... #10
I agree with Lame_Duck completely.
The decks that Goyf thrives in are decks oozing with card quality. Decks like Jund can grind you out because every card in their deck is brutally efficient at all points of the game. Sadly, as soon as you start to dilute that card quality even a little bit the performance of the deck starts to spiral downwards in a way you can't really recover from.
The same is true for a fast deck like Zoo. Aggressive decks are tuned to deal 20 damage as quickly as possible, and having a 3/4 (or a 0/4 if you're unlucky) instead of a 4/5 for even one turn could easily mean a loss where you should have had a win.
One of the sad truths of Magic is that the expensive cards are expensive for a reason, and us poor kids can't do too much about it. I've been brewing a Modern deck for two weeks now that I will hopefully be able to bring down into the can-afford-it-after-xmas range, but the pickings are slim when it comes to cards that can compete but won't break the bank.
May 10, 2016 1:43 p.m.
ManaTitheGuy says... #11
That's a really good call I really never looked at Moldgraf Scavenger before. And with goyf being so expensive that's definitely worth considering as a budget option. The only real drawback would be the p/t cap at 3/4. I'd +1 this post if I could.
May 10, 2016 1:47 p.m.
That awkward moment, tho, when your "Goyf" dies to Tasigur.
May 10, 2016 2:50 p.m.
Captain_MUD says... #13
All depends on the deck you want to build.
In Jund, yes. It could be similar to goyf on turn 3-4, but falls off later in the game where Goyf can really shine. Nothing like dropping a 6/7 goyf after a Damnation.
In zoo, the card is downright awful. Something like Flinthoof Boar would be much better. Your graveyard would be full of creatures and lands as opposed to the Jund graveyard (and opponents graveyard) that fetched T1, IoK'd an Eidolon OTGR, and drops a 4/5 Goyf on turn 2 with a Bolt in hand. This isn't an uncommon play, and is the reason Goyf is good enough to fit into the shell.
I learned the hard way. Finding a Goyf "replacement" is near impossible, and will never feel like playing the real thing. If you're buying into Jund, you need Goyf. If you're buying into Zoo, there are better options.
May 10, 2016 2:54 p.m.
combo your Moldgraf Scavenger with Titan's Strength and Taigam's Schemingand most of the time he'll be a 6/5
May 12, 2016 8:28 a.m.
Expecting Tarmogoyf to be 6/7 is just naive, yes it can happen, but it is very far from guaranteed...
Servo_Token says... #2
As far as i'm aware, it's the best dollar-for-dollar budget replacement there is, next to Hooting Mandrills.
It'll never be as good as goyf, but it can be good until you get your goyfs.
May 10, 2016 12:26 p.m.