Tarmogoyf is back in Standard, and the man behind the MTG Hero channel is building a full Gruul Delirium deck around it. The deck’s main trick is Reality Fracture, a card that brings Tarmogoyf back from the graveyard. The result is a version of Gruul Delirium that rewards players for digging through their library and putting cards into their own discard pile.
What Reality Fracture Does
Reality Fracture lets players search for a card from their graveyard and put it into their hand. In a deck with four copies of Tarmogoyf, that means players can dig for their own copies of the iconic creature whenever they want. The deck also includes other graveyard enablers, so the board gets bigger as the game goes on.
The MTG Hero writes that Tarmogoyf is not expected to close out a game on its own. Instead, the deck treats Tarmogoyf as a large threat that grows over time. The key move is that the deck already wants to fill its graveyard with certain card types, so Tarmogoyf rewards players for doing what the deck naturally does anyway.
The Core Pieces
The core of the deck includes familiar Gruul Delirium staples. Patchwork Beastie and Wildfire Wickerfolk have already been mainstays of the archetype, and adding Tarmogoyf gives the deck another efficient threat that can hit the battlefield early and keep improving as the game continues.
Inti, Seneschal of the Sun is another familiar face. The MTG Hero describes it as one of his Pioneer favorites. Inti generates value while attacking, grows the board, and gives creatures trample to get through a clogged board. The combination of Tarmogoyf and Inti creates a deck that can push through blockers and still grow its threats.
Fear of Missing Out is another key piece. It turns the graveyard into an advantage while helping the deck stay aggressive. The ability to attack twice is huge, and even better when paired with Inti. Players can attack once, discard a useless card for a new one, buff a threat, and then attack again to grow and get another new card.
Burst Lightning and Graveyard Hate
Burst Lightning is particularly important. Sometimes a creature needs to be removed on turn one or two, and Burst Lightning handles that. Other times, the game comes down to a few final points, and Burst Lightning can be the card that ends it.
The MTG Hero describes Burst Lightning as potentially game-ending on any turn against a lot of decks. When one of those threats is a potentially enormous Tarmogoyf, protecting it can be the difference between winning the game and watching the opponent stabilize.
Graveyard hate is covered with a card the writer calls “still the best graveyard hate we can play.” The card is one-sided, and in a pinch or if both copies are drawn, it trades for a new card. It also adds a card type to the deck.
Surrak and Control Matchups
A planeswalker rounds out the package. The writer calls it a solid option against control decks, allowing players to see new cards. If the planeswalker ever gets to ultimate, the deck becomes hard to lose.
Surrak is still a green staple. He allows players to trade positively into targeted removal and counters from the opponent by drawing cards to replace them. He also has trample naturally, making him a great target for Inti and Fear of Missing Out with no real investment.
The deck also includes a card that stops Izzet Elementals from eating it alive. The MTG Hero says that if you are a creature deck and not playing this, you are making a mistake.
Why Golgari Might Be Better
The writer acknowledges that a Golgari deck might be a better fit for Tarmogoyf. Golgari decks require meta knowledge to maximize, though, and that is hard to do in a new set. Upgrading a fan-favorite Tier 3 deck is more fun, according to the MTG Hero.
The writer has played Gruul Delirium across the last two or three formats and has always enjoyed what the deck is capable of. It has the speed of an aggressive deck but enough value and graveyard synergy to keep playing when the game does not end immediately.
The Final Word
Reality Fracture has arrived, and it has already become one of the writer’s favorite sets because it brought one of his favorite cards back from the graveyard. Whether Tarmogoyf becomes the monster everyone remembers or Standard has simply gotten too good at answering two-mana creatures, the writer wants to find out for himself.
The MTG Hero is putting four copies of Tarmogoyf into the deck and turning them sideways. The deck is ready for testing, and the writer is eager to see how it performs.
Key cards in the deck:
- Tarmogoyf (four copies)
- Reality Fracture
- Inti, Seneschal of the Sun
- Fear of Missing Out
- Burst Lightning
- Graveyard hate card (name not provided)
- Planeswalker (name not provided)
- Surrak
What the deck wants to do:
- Search for Tarmogoyf from the graveyard with Reality Fracture.
- Use Inti and Fear of Missing Out to generate value while attacking.
- Grow the board with Patchwork Beastie and Wildfire Wickerfolk.
- Protect Tarmogoyf with Burst Lightning when necessary.
- Maintain aggression throughout the game.
The deck is built around an old favorite, and the writer is betting that the combination of Tarmogoyf and Reality Fracture will make it worth revisiting. The MTG Hero has played Gruul Delirium for years, and he knows the deck’s strengths and weaknesses. This version adds a card that makes the whole archetype more exciting.
The writer’s conclusion is simple: sometimes the best way to explore a new format is to take an old favorite, give it a new home, and see what happens. Reality Fracture has arrived, and it has brought Tarmogoyf back with it.
Source material: “Tarmogoyf Is Back! Gruul Delirium Gets a Reality Fracture Upgrade!,” MTG Arena Zone.
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