Mystical Tutor in Commander: What It Does and Which Decks Want It

Mystical Tutor is a Instant (mana cost {U}; Instant; rarity: rare; most recent printing listed by Scryfall: Dominaria Remastered). Scryfall lists its Commander legality as legal, Modern legality as not_legal, and Legacy legality as banned. Here is what the card actually does and how to judge whether your deck wants it.

The card, on its actual text

Search your library for an instant or sorcery card, reveal it, then shuffle and put that card on top.

That text is the whole evaluation. Cards earn slots by what their text does in the games you actually play — the turns where mana is tight, the board is contested, and a card drawn late has to matter immediately. Judge this one against the role it would fill in your list, not against a highlight reel.

Build and check your list with the MTGBrew card database, and browse every card mentioned here in the MTGBrew AI deck builder on MTGBrew.

Which decks want it

Ask what the deck looks like when it is merely fine. A resilient build still develops its board, still draws extra cards, and still threatens something through an average opening hand. The spectacular draws will take care of themselves; your card choices should be spent making the average draw functional, because you will see far more average draws than perfect ones.

If this topic is on your bench, keep going with Craterhoof Behemoth in Commander and Elf Decks: The Finisher — it covers the neighbouring decisions from a different angle, and the two pieces together give you a fuller picture than either one alone.

Keep reading

Keep reading: Craterhoof Behemoth in Commander and Elf Decks: The Finisher and Mana Base Guide: Colorless Commander Decks — Wastes, Ancient Tomb, and Sol Land Math.

The honest verdict

Mind the curve before you mind the highlights. Count how many plays the deck has on each of the first four turns, and be honest about hands that do nothing until turn five. One cheaper role-player often improves a deck more than one expensive splash, because games are decided by who starts playing first as often as by who plays biggest.

For current details on this card and everything like it, check the MTGBrew card database — articles like this one deliberately leave prices out, because prices move and your deck decisions should be made on live numbers.