2013 Magic: The Gathering Modern Masters Tarmogoyf (Box Topper): The Iconic Green Beater
Tarmogoyf is the card that made tournament Magic aware of what competitive efficiency looks like. A 2-mana creature that becomes the largest creature in play almost automatically — its power and toughness equal to the number of different card types in all graveyards — it was printed in Future Sight in 2006 at uncommon and immediately became the most expensive non-Power card in Modern Magic.
When Wizards of the Coast released Modern Masters in 2013, Tarmogoyf was the centerpiece of the set, and the foil Box Topper version became one of the most coveted cards in the product. This guide covers that specific card: the 2013 Modern Masters Tarmogoyf in box topper format.
Background on Tarmogoyf
Future Sight (2007) was an experimental set that previewed potential future design space. Tarmogoyf was designed as a showcase for the concept of counting card types. At the time of its printing, the development team dramatically underestimated how powerful a creature with those attributes would be once players maximized the number of card types in graveyards through fetch lands, spells, and creatures.
By 2009, a Tarmogoyf from Future Sight was retailing for $60-$80. By 2012, it was $150-$200. The card was Modern-legal, Legacy-played, and had no reprint. Wizards acknowledged the secondary market problem and made Tarmogoyf one of the headline reprints in Modern Masters 2013.
Modern Masters 2013
Modern Masters (2013) was a carefully curated reprint set designed to reduce the price of key Modern staples and introduce drafters to some of the format's most powerful cards. It was a premium product, with a higher MSRP than standard sets (approximately $6.99 per pack), but included reprints of Tarmogoyf, Dark Confidant, Cryptic Command, and other significant cards.
The set was printed in limited quantities and sold out quickly. Rather than eliminating the price premium on Tarmogoyf, Modern Masters 2013 merely slowed its growth temporarily before prices recovered.
The Box Topper Concept
Booster boxes of Modern Masters 2013 included a special "box topper" — a single oversized foil card inserted at the top of each sealed case or box. The Tarmogoyf foil from the box topper run is the specific variant referenced here. These are not booster-opened foils; they were special production items with their own insertion process.
Note: The terminology "box topper" was used more formally in later sets like Ultimate Masters (2018) for their premium box-top inserts. For Modern Masters 2013, the specific packaging and insertion method for any separate foil Tarmogoyf should be verified against the product's documentation.
Regular vs. Foil: The Premium
| Variant | Condition | Estimated Value |
|---|---|---|
| Modern Masters 2013 Foil Tarmogoyf | NM | $200 - $400 |
| Modern Masters 2013 Non-Foil Tarmogoyf | NM | $40 - $80 |
| Future Sight Original (2007) | NM | $60 - $120 |
| Future Sight Foil (2007) | NM | $500 - $1,000+ |
| Modern Masters 2015 Tarmogoyf | NM | $30 - $60 |
| Modern Masters 2017 Tarmogoyf | NM | $25 - $50 |
| Ultimate Masters Tarmogoyf | NM | $20 - $40 |
The Future Sight foil remains the most valuable printing, given its original scarce print run and the nostalgia premium for original-frame cards. The 2013 Modern Masters foil is the second most valuable physical Tarmogoyf printing and is particularly attractive because it uses the original Future Sight art (by Justin Murray) in the modern card frame.
Grading for Foil Magic Cards
Foil Magic cards from 2013 are graded similarly to other high-value cards, but foil-specific issues include:
Foil curling: Modern-era Magic foils (and especially 2010s-era foils) are notorious for curling due to the interaction between the foil coating and the card stock. A flat, non-curled foil Tarmogoyf is unusual and commands a premium. Many owners store foils between pieces of flat cardboard under a heavy object to maintain flatness.
Foil peeling/scratching: The foil layer is more susceptible to surface damage than non-foil card surfaces. Fine scratches that are invisible on non-foil cards become visible on foil.
| PSA Grade | Foil Tarmogoyf Value |
|---|---|
| PSA 10 (Gem Mint) | $600 - $1,200+ |
| PSA 9 (Mint) | $250 - $500 |
| PSA 8 (NM-MT) | $150 - $300 |
| PSA 7 (NM) | $80 - $150 |
| Raw (NM, flat) | $200 - $400 |
| Raw (NM, curled) | $100 - $200 |
Tarmogoyf's Enduring Legacy
Multiple reprints have not killed Tarmogoyf's collector appeal. The card occupies a specific place in Magic's history: the first card to make the secondary market a widely discussed topic, the poster child for reprinting debates, and a legitimately powerful card that remained Modern-playable across 15+ years.
For collectors who want a piece of Modern Magic's formative era, the 2013 Modern Masters foil Tarmogoyf is a legitimate trophy — a card that sparked genuine policy discussions at Wizards of the Coast and changed how the company thought about printing premium product.
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