Sylvan Tutor is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Search your library for a creature card, reveal it, then shuffle and put that card on top.
Complete guide
Sylvan Tutor is a classic Green sorcery that provides unparalleled consistency for creature-based decks. By allowing you to place the perfect creature card on top of your library for just one mana, it sets up your next draw for a powerful play.
Finding Your Creature
When Sylvan Tutor resolves, you search your library for any creature card. Since this search specifies a card with a certain characteristic (a creature), you are not legally required to find a card even if one exists in your library. Once you select a card, you must reveal it to all players to prove it is indeed a creature.
Library Resolution Step-by-Step
The resolution of this spell follows a specific sequence. First, you search and reveal the creature card. Second, you shuffle your entire library. Finally, you place the revealed creature card on top of your library. Because the shuffle happens before the card is placed on top, the creature is guaranteed to be your next draw.
Timing and Strategic Use
Sylvan Tutor is a sorcery, meaning you can only cast it during your main phase when the stack is empty. Because the card goes to the top of your library rather than your hand, you will generally need to wait for your next draw step or use a 'draw a card' effect to access the creature immediately.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is forgetting that the library is shuffled before the card is put on top. Do not place the creature on top and then shuffle your deck, as you will lose the card you searched for. Additionally, remember that players can respond to you casting the tutor, but once it begins resolving, no one can take actions until the card is safely on top.
Interaction examples
On turn one, you cast Sylvan Tutor. You search your library for a high-impact creature, reveal it, shuffle, and place it on top. On turn two, you proceed to your draw step and draw the creature you searched for, ensuring your curve is perfect.
Nature's LoreIf you cast Sylvan Tutor and place a creature on top, and then cast Nature's Lore afterward, you will be forced to shuffle your library again when Nature's Lore resolves. This will result in the creature you tutored for being lost somewhere in the middle of your deck.
FarseekTo maximize value, you should cast Farseek to get a land onto the battlefield first. After Farseek's shuffle is complete, you can then cast Sylvan Tutor to place a creature on top of your deck, ensuring your next draw is the creature you need rather than a random land.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Sylvan Tutor
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Because the "search" requires you to find a card with certain characteristics, you don't have to find the card if you don't want to.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Conspicuous Snoop + Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Sylvan Tutor
- 1Cast Sylvan Tutor by paying
, putting Kiki-Jiki on top of your library. - 2Activate Conspicuous Snoop's ability from Kiki-Jiki, creating a token copy of Conspicuous Snoop.
- 3Activate the token Conspicuous Snoop's ability from Kiki-Jiki, creating a token copy of itself.
- 4Repeat the last step any number of times.
Deceiver of Form + Biovisionary + Sylvan Tutor
- 1Cast Sylvan Tutor by paying , causing you to search your library for Biovisionary, then shuffle your library and put Biovisionary on top of it.
- 2At the beginning of your combat phase, Deceiver of Form triggers, revealing Biovisionary from the top of your library and causing all other creatures you control to become copies of Biovisionary until end of turn.
- 3At the beginning of your end step, Deceiver of Form and each Biovisionary trigger.
- 4Resolve the first Biovisionary trigger, causing you to win the game.
Aspiring Champion + Blightsteel Colossus + Sylvan Tutor + Conspiracy
- 1Cast Sylvan Tutor by paying , searching your library for Blightsteel Colossus and putting it on top of your library.
- 2Deal combat damage to an opponent using Aspiring Champion.
- 3Aspiring Champion triggers, causing you to sacrifice it, then reveal Blightsteel Colossus from the top of your library and put it onto the battlefield as a Demon due to Conspiracy, then causing Blightsteel Colossus to give each opponent eleven poison counters.
- 4Each opponent loses the game as a state-based action due to having ten or more poison counters.
Aspiring Champion + Blightsteel Colossus + Sylvan Tutor + Leyline of Transformation
- 1Cast Sylvan Tutor by paying , searching your library for Blightsteel Colossus and putting it on top of your library.
- 2Deal combat damage to an opponent using Aspiring Champion.
- 3Aspiring Champion triggers, causing you to sacrifice it, then reveal Blightsteel Colossus from the top of your library and put it onto the battlefield as a Demon due to Leyline of Transformation, then causing Blightsteel Colossus to give each opponent eleven poison counters.
- 4Each opponent loses the game as a state-based action due to having ten or more poison counters.
Aspiring Champion + Blightsteel Colossus + Sylvan Tutor + Arcane Adaptation
- 1Cast Sylvan Tutor by paying , searching your library for Blightsteel Colossus and putting it on top of your library.
- 2Deal combat damage to an opponent using Aspiring Champion.
- 3Aspiring Champion triggers, causing you to sacrifice it, then reveal Blightsteel Colossus from the top of your library and put it onto the battlefield as a Demon due to Arcane Adaptation, then causing Blightsteel Colossus to give each opponent eleven poison counters.
- 4Each opponent loses the game as a state-based action due to having ten or more poison counters.
Aspiring Champion + Blightsteel Colossus + Sylvan Tutor + Rukarumel, Biologist
- 1Cast Sylvan Tutor by paying , searching your library for Blightsteel Colossus and putting it on top of your library.
- 2Deal combat damage to an opponent using Aspiring Champion.
- 3Aspiring Champion triggers, causing you to sacrifice it, then reveal Blightsteel Colossus from the top of your library and put it onto the battlefield as a Demon due to Rukarumel, Biologist, then causing Blightsteel Colossus to give each opponent eleven poison counters.
- 4Each opponent loses the game as a state-based action due to having ten or more poison counters.
Aspiring Champion + Blightsteel Colossus + Sylvan Tutor + Maskwood Nexus
- 1Cast Sylvan Tutor by paying , searching your library for Blightsteel Colossus and putting it on top of your library.
- 2Deal combat damage to an opponent using Aspiring Champion.
- 3Aspiring Champion triggers, causing you to sacrifice it, then reveal Blightsteel Colossus from the top of your library and put it onto the battlefield as a Demon due to Maskwood Nexus, then causing Blightsteel Colossus to give each opponent eleven poison counters.
- 4Each opponent loses the game as a state-based action due to having ten or more poison counters.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Sylvan Tutor
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