Diabolic Tutor MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 17 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Diabolic Tutor provides targeted access to any card in your deck, streamlining strategy and boosting winning chances.
  2. Its specific mana requirements may limit versatility but ensure consistency in black-focused or flexible mana base decks.
  3. While expensive, the Tutor’s ability to fetch key cards or win conditions can be game-decisive in many MTG formats.

Text of card

Search your library for a card and put that card into your hand. Then shuffle your library.

The best ideas often come from the worst minds.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: With the Diabolic Tutor, players have the ability to search their library for any card they need and add it directly to their hand. This capability ensures you get the exact piece you’re missing, dramatically improving your chances of winning through precise strategy execution.

Resource Acceleration: Although Diabolic Tutor isn’t a direct source of mana acceleration, it gives you the benefit of skipping draw randomness to secure your key spells or lands. This can indirectly accelerate your game plan by obtaining essential resources much faster than normal draw.

Instant Speed: While Diabolic Tutor operates at sorcery speed, its power lies in setting up subsequent turns. Planning your plays around this tutor effect can let you execute powerful instant-speed interactions with increased consistency right when you need them.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Diabolic Tutor necessitates a precise blend of mana to cast, two of which must be black. This requirement may restrict the card’s inclusion to decks that heavily feature or can reliably generate black mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, including two black, Diabolic Tutor is on the pricier end for a search effect. In formats where speed and efficiency are critical, its cost can be a hindrance, potentially slowing down your overall game plan.

Discard Requirement: While Diabolic Tutor itself does not have a discard requirement, the necessity to carefully select what to discard in order to accommodate its mana cost in a hand can effectively act as an indirect cost in some situations, especially when playing a tight resource-management game.


Reasons to Include Diabolic Tutor in Your Collection

Versatility: Diabolic Tutor is a standout card offering unparalleled flexibility in deck construction, as it allows for the inclusion of single-copy win conditions or key components without worrying about drawing them naturally.

Combo Potential: Diabolic Tutor serves as an enabler for combo decks, fetching any crucial piece needed to execute a game-winning combination with pinpoint accuracy.

Meta-Relevance: In a landscape dominated by decks that aim to outvalue their opponents, having access to Diabolic Tutor can tip the scales by consistently accessing your deck’s most impactful cards when they matter most.


How to beat

Diabolic Tutor is a powerful card in MTG, known for its ability to search for any card a player desires from their library and add it to their hand. This level of consistency is invaluable for strategies that rely on key pieces or combos. However, it comes at the cost of four mana and a critical turn spent setting up future plays rather than impacting the board immediately.

To counteract Diabolic Tutor, aim to apply pressure early in the game. Aggressive decks can capitalize on the opponent’s loss of momentum while control decks can hold up countermagic or discard effects for when the opponent is ready to play the tutored card. Graveyard disruption like surgical extraction effects can also be instrumental when dealing with cards retrieved by Diabolic Tutor. In essence, disrupting your opponent’s strategy, be it through direct removal of key pieces or by throwing off their timing, can be a reliable way to weaken the impact of this tutoring power.

Ultimately, understanding the right time to hinder your opponent’s plans can transform Diabolic Tutor from a game-changing spell into a costly misstep for them. Remaining vigilant and playing proactively against a tutor-heavy opponent can swing the game in your favor.


BurnMana Recommendations

Diabolic Tutor is a fascinating card that offers strategic depth to any MTG player’s deck. Its ability to fetch any card directly into your hand is an exceptional advantage. Whether it’s to unearth a combo piece, land, or just the right answer to your opponent’s threats, this card could dramatically improve your gameplay. However, keep in mind its mana cost and the preparation required to make the most of its potential. For those looking to amplify their game by mastering the art of the perfect search, let’s delve deeper together. Learn more about optimizing your playstyle and making Diabolic Tutor work for you in your MTG conquests.


Cards like Diabolic Tutor

The Diabolic Tutor is a pivotal card for seeking out vital components in a player’s deck. There’s a suite of cards in Magic that allows for a similar deck manipulation strategy. Dark Petition is one such card that parallels Diabolic Tutor in its ability to search for a card. While both have the same converted mana cost, Dark Petition has the added advantage of potentially providing three black mana if spell mastery is achieved.

Beside these, players might compare Diabolic Tutor to Mastermind’s Acquisition. This versatile spell offers not only the same deck-searching ability but also the option to choose a card from outside the game, giving it an edge in flexibility. Furthermore, for a lower mana investment and with a slight drawback, players have Increasing Ambition. It costs one more mana initially, but has flashback, giving it an opportunity for reuse that Diabolic Tutor lacks. Finally, Rhystic Tutor presents a cheaper alternative, though it gives opponents a chance to thwart the search by paying two mana.

When evaluating such search spells, Diabolic Tutor remains a classic choice for players looking to draft a key card with certainty, despite lacking the bells and whistles some of its counterparts possess.

Dark Petition - MTG Card versions
Mastermind's Acquisition - MTG Card versions
Increasing Ambition - MTG Card versions
Rhystic Tutor - MTG Card versions
Dark Petition - Magic Origins Promos (PORI)
Mastermind's Acquisition - Rivals of Ixalan Promos (PRIX)
Increasing Ambition - Dark Ascension (DKA)
Rhystic Tutor - Prophecy (PCY)

Cards similar to Diabolic Tutor by color, type and mana cost

Stench of Evil - MTG Card versions
Fatal Lore - MTG Card versions
Mind Warp - MTG Card versions
Final Strike - MTG Card versions
Persecute - MTG Card versions
Ancient Craving - MTG Card versions
Unmask - MTG Card versions
Reprocess - MTG Card versions
Befoul - MTG Card versions
Mutilate - MTG Card versions
Extinction Event - MTG Card versions
Terisiare's Devastation - MTG Card versions
Zombify - MTG Card versions
Cranial Extraction - MTG Card versions
Aphetto Dredging - MTG Card versions
Agonizing Memories - MTG Card versions
Memoricide - MTG Card versions
Massacre - MTG Card versions
All Hallow's Eve - MTG Card versions
Gruesome Discovery - MTG Card versions
Stench of Evil - Ice Age (ICE)
Fatal Lore - Alliances (ALL)
Mind Warp - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Final Strike - Portal (POR)
Persecute - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Ancient Craving - Crimson Vow Commander (VOC)
Unmask - From the Vault: Lore (V16)
Reprocess - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Befoul - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Mutilate - Warhammer 40,000 Commander (40K)
Extinction Event - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)
Terisiare's Devastation - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Zombify - Masters 25 (A25)
Cranial Extraction - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Aphetto Dredging - Premium Deck Series: Slivers (H09)
Agonizing Memories - Tenth Edition (10E)
Memoricide - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Massacre - Magic Online Theme Decks (TD0)
All Hallow's Eve - Magic Online Theme Decks (TD0)
Gruesome Discovery - Dark Ascension (DKA)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Diabolic Tutor MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey and Eighth 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 Diabolic Tutor and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Diabolic Tutor Magic the Gathering card was released in 15 different sets between 2001-10-01 and 2019-12-02. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12001-10-01OdysseyODY 1291997normalblackRick Farrell
22003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 1282003normalwhiteRick Farrell
32003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 128★2003normalblackRick Farrell
42005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 1252003normalwhiteRick Farrell
52005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 125★2003normalblackRick Farrell
62005-08-22Salvat 2005PSAL A512003normalwhiteRick Farrell
72006-01-01Hachette UKPHUK 512003normalwhiteRick Farrell
82007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 1352003normalblackGreg Staples
92009-07-17Magic 2010M10 912003normalblackGreg Staples
102010-07-16Magic 2011M11 932003normalblackGreg Staples
112011-06-17Commander 2011CMD 772003normalblackGreg Staples
122011-07-15Magic 2012M12 922003normalblackGreg Staples
132013-07-19Magic 2014M14 952003normalblackGreg Staples
142016-08-26Conspiracy: Take the CrownCN2 1322015normalblackGreg Staples
152016-09-30KaladeshKLD 752015normalblackMark Winters
162017-06-09Commander AnthologyCMA 542015normalblackGreg Staples
172019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 7211997normalblackBrain Dead

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Diabolic Tutor has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PioneerLegal

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