Card Breakdown for Black Tutor Cards
What Are Black Tutors?
Black tutors are powerful spell cards in Magic: The Gathering that let you search your library for any card (or specific card type), then put it into your hand or on top of your library—enabling precise combo assembly and consistency.
Top Examples
- Demonic Tutor – {1}{B}, search for any card to hand. Gold standard.
- Vampiric Tutor – {B}, instant, card to top, lose 2 life.
- Imperial Seal – {B}, same as Vampiric but sorcery speed.
- Grim Tutor – {1}{B}{B}, search to hand, lose 3 life.
- Diabolic Intent – {1}{B}, sac creature, tutor to hand.
- Beseech the Mirror – {1}{B}{B}{B}, recent bomb in combo decks.
Why They’re Powerful
- Unmatched consistency: Fetch the exact answer or wincon.
- Combo enablers: Critical for assembling 2- or 3-card wins.
- Low cost: Especially Vampiric, Seal, and Diabolic Intent.
- Any card: Most black tutors don’t restrict by type or color.
Print History and Price Trends
- Demonic Tutor – First printed in Alpha, most recent reprint in Strixhaven Mystical Archive
- Vampiric Tutor – Last major reprint in Commander Legends
- Grim Tutor – Reprinted in Core Set 2021
- Imperial Seal – Reprinted in Double Masters 2022
- Price ranges:
- Demonic Tutor: ~$40–$70
- Vampiric Tutor: ~$40–$60
- Imperial Seal: ~$100–$300
- Beseech the Mirror: ~$25+
- Due to rising demand, many players use high-quality proxies from sites like Abyss Proxy Shop
Competitive Play Analysis
Best Formats
- Commander (EDH) – Staples in black-inclusive decks
- Legacy/Vintage – Demonic and Vampiric are legal and broken
- Cube – Always present in power cubes
- Modern – Mostly illegal (some fringe use for Beseech the Mirror in combo)
Top Deck Archetypes Using Black Tutors
- Commander:
- K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth
- Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow
- Combo decks like Tymna/Thrasios, Prosper, Nekusar
- Vintage:
- Doomsday, Storm, Tinker shells
- Legacy:
- ANT (Ad Nauseam Tendrils), Reanimator
- Pioneer:
- Mono-Black Devotion (occasionally testing Beseech)
Synergies with Other Cards
- Ad Nauseam, Peer into the Abyss – Tutors fetch game-ending spells
- Dockside Extortionist + Tainted Pact – Fast mana to feed into combo
- Bolas’s Citadel – Tutors put key spells on top
- Reanimate/Entomb combos – Grab missing piece efficiently
Combos and Interactions
Most Powerful Interactions
- Demonic Tutor + Thassa’s Oracle – Assemble win-con immediately
- Beseech the Mirror + Bargain Sac – Cast win-con for free
- Diabolic Intent + Dockside Token – Free tutor
- Vampiric Tutor EoT + Ad Nauseam – Set up a game-ending storm chain
Budget Alternatives
- Diabolic Tutor – {2}{B}{B}, slower, budget-friendly
- Profane Tutor – Suspend 2 for free tutor
- Mastermind’s Acquisition – {2}{B}{B}, tutor or wishboard fetch
- Scheming Symmetry – Shared top-deck tutor, risky but fun in politics
How to Counter Black Tutors
- Aven Mindcensor / Opposition Agent – Interrupt or hijack the search
- Wheel effects – Disrupt the card tutored to hand/top
- Counterspell / Discard – Remove fetched card immediately
- Notion Thief / Narset – Deny card draw from tutors with cantrip backup
Meta Relevance
Current Tournament Performance
- Vintage: Ubiquitous – 1x Demonic/Vampiric in most combo/control decks
- Legacy: Staples in storm decks like TES and ANT
- Commander: Among the most played black spells in EDHREC stats
- Pioneer/Modern: Mostly banned or fringe
Ban List Status
- Legal: Commander (all), Legacy (some), Vintage (restricted), Modern (none)
- Notable Bans: Demonic Tutor banned in Modern; Imperial Seal never legal outside Vintage/Legacy
- Why Proxies Are Popular:
- Collectors hoard originals, spiking price
- Casual Commander pods welcome proxy play
- Abyss Proxy Shop offers playable proxies indistinguishable in sleeves
Proxy Considerations
When Proxies Make Sense
- You play high-power EDH casually
- You want to test decks with multiple tutors
- You’re building a cube and need multiple copies
- You want to preserve original copies and keep them sleeved
Why Abyss Proxy Shop Proxies Work
- Printed on premium cardstock for tournament-level feel
- Color accuracy, text sharpness, and border quality rival originals
- Trusted by cube builders and competitive playtesters
Proxy vs. Original Comparison
| Feature | Original Black Tutors | Abyss Proxy Version |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $40–$300+ | $6–$15 |
| Legality | Depends on format | Best for casual/cube use |
| Durability | High (sleeved) | High (sleeved) |
| Risk of Theft/Loss | High | Low |
FAQs
What is the best black tutor in MTG?
Demonic Tutor remains the gold standard. It’s efficient, unrestricted, and iconic.
Are black tutors legal in Commander?
Yes—all major black tutors are legal, though house rules may limit them in low-powered pods.
Where can I buy proxies of black tutors?
You can get high-quality proxies from Abyss Proxy Shop—trusted by cube designers and casual Commander players alike.
Why use a proxy instead of a real tutor?
Many players use proxies to avoid risking expensive cards, test combos, or play freely in casual groups.