Dark Tutelage

Dark Tutelage

Enchantment

At the beginning of your upkeep, reveal the top card of your library and put that card into your hand. You lose life equal to its converted mana cost.

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M11

$0.46 ( 0.1 - 1.4 ) TCG Player $1.72 TCG Player Foil
$0.49 CardKingdom $1.49 CardKingdom Foil
0.02 MTGO TIX CardHoarder

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Set Rarity
2011 Core Set (M11) Rare

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Legality

Format Legality
Tiny Leaders Legal
Noble Legal
Leviathan Legal
Magic Duels Legal
Canadian Highlander Legal
Vintage Legal
Modern Legal
2019-10-04 Legal
Block Constructed Legal
Vanguard Legal
Legacy Legal
Archenemy Legal
Planechase Legal
1v1 Commander Legal
Duel Commander Legal
Oathbreaker Legal
Unformat Legal
Casual Legal
Commander / EDH Legal

Dark Tutelage occurrence in decks from the last year

Commander / EDH:

All decks: 0.0%

Dark Tutelage Discussion

multimedia on Karlov/Sorin Blessed

4 days ago

Continuing my advice, streamlining high CMC cards becomes an important step when choosing what cards to cut. Streamlining means you cut unnecessary high CMC cards, four CMC or higher that are not vital for your deck. Some cards that are redundant, there's two or more cards that do the same thing and one/more of them are not as good as others. Tutors help to break high CMC card redundancy because you can use them to get the better high CMC card thus leaving out others. Streamlining starts at the top of the mana curve and then work your way down.

When streamlining, the cards that are not selected doesn't mean these cards are bad, they're less needed in your deck than others. For streamlining your deck I would look to decrease cards from the 4, 5 and 6 CMC spots.

You've recent update is good, other cards to consider cutting:

  • Temple of the False God: will not tap for mana until you have four other lands. That's not good enough when you want to be casting low CMC cards and extort.

  • Armillary Sphere: isn't ramp since it puts the basic lands into your hand not onto the battlefield. Playing a mana rock that is ramp instead of this will help.

  • Life's Finale: has great artwork, but is lackluster for a creature board wipe especially at 6 CMC. Tutoring for and putting creatures into your opponents graveyard will most of the time backfire in Commander since reanimation and recursion are popular.

  • Hedron Archive: can get repeatable draw from other sources and four drop colorless ramp is not what you want with Karlov.

  • Ray of Distortion: not needed because you have Heliod's Intervention and/or Crush Contraband, two better cards for the instant effect of destroying an artifact or enchantment.

  • Mire in Misery: sorcery speed makes this a lackluster removal spell.

  • Burnished Hart: is too slow as ramp since the basic lands you search for ETB tapped. For six total mana you get two basic lands that ETB tapped and don't even get a body because you have to sac Hart to get the lands. Just about any mana rock that ETB untapped is more helpful than Hart.

  • Fountain of Renewal: effect is limited, only happening once at your upkeep and that's all it does. There's more impactful repeatable life gain in your deck.

  • Beacon of Unrest: there's too many five drops here and Beacon is the worst of them. The potential repeatable reanimation is not really worth five mana. It is nice that this spell can reanimate any opponents creature or artifact, but even so for five mana that's not really helping your strategy with Karlov. For five mana you would be better off casting Exquisite or Bond or a tutor to get one of them.

  • Solemn Simulacrum: can be great for midrange strategies, creature dying/reanimation strategies, but it doesn't fit here since it's too high CMC for ramp.

  • Sangromancer: is the least good source of repeatable life gain. It's too situational for a four drop, only triggering when opponent does one or two specific effects.

  • Underworld Connections: requires tapping the enchanted land to draw which means you can't use mana from that land on your turn. There's better repeatable draw sources here.

  • Kaya's Wrath: has too difficult to make colored casting cost.

Some upgrades to consider:

Scheming Symmetry and Open the Armory are excellent cards to add for streamlining, they can do a lot here for their budget prices and low CMC. Scheming can tutor for any card and has great interaction with Bolas's Citadel since it puts the card you tutor for on top of your library. Yes, you choose an opponent and they also get to tutor for a card, but that is a cost you pay for having to use an alternative budget one drop unconditional tutor. Armory gets one of the best cards with Karlov, Shadowspear. Seriously, this card does everything you want to make Karlov a threat.

Mask of Memory is an underrated source of budget repeatable draw. It goes well with the voltron strategy of attacking with Karlov and equip 1 to draw two cards is nice. Equipment is good with Karlov and by adding Mask of Memory then Open the Armory can tutor for one of four different effects that can be repeatable with equipped Karlov: Shadowspear/Basilisk Collar for lifelink, Mask of Memory for draw, Sword of the Animist for ramp, Lightning Greaves/Swiftfoot Boots for protection.

If adding Serra Ascendant and Walking Ballista then I wouldn't cut Ranger of Eos since it can tutor for both of them and that's a powerful play for a four drop. If not adding Ascendant or Ballista then Ranger could be cut. Divine Reckoning can be a powerful board wipe with Karlov because it doesn't kill him and it can clear the battlefield of an opponent with many blockers. Yes, each opponent gets to keep their best creature, but most likely Karlov will be bigger than all the other creatures on the battlefield.

Roo182 on Karlov/Sorin Blessed

5 days ago

So LordBlackblade - in summary:

Also: There is a myriad of creatures I need to find ways of adding:

If you were me, what would you do? :D

Roo182 on Karlov/Sorin Blessed

1 week ago

Ok multimedia - work is done, time for some brewin'!

For $25 you can make big upgrades to the manabase.

I added all of those, but unsure what to remove. If I had to swap out 4 other lands:

Consider a few more low CMC creatures who have interaction with Karlov?

  • Suture Priest - This was a hard cut for me as it does combo really well with Sanguine Bond and Exquisite Blood, what do you suggest removing in its place?
  • Mother of Runes - Decided to cut this based on having other protection but happy to hear suggestions
  • Vizkopa Guildmage - He's part of my combo/loop category there, but again had to trim one card from all areas to keep it balanced.
  • Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim - At first I was going to skip her, but as you mentioned below with Phyrexian Reclamation, she's OP with her ability to Sac Karlov + exile non-land permanents. Suggestions on what to remove to fit her in? (She's on Maybeboard right now)

Walking Ballista with Heliod, Sun-Crowned and Phyrexian Reclamation is a combo with cards that are individually better vs Exquisite Blood

Hmmmm I am on the fence here too. I did have Ballista, and took it to cut some costs, and I see that if Exquisite is out, it has so much value and can trigger so many times in EDH. Do you have some good scenarios outside of those two cards? And what would come out for it if I wanted to keep both eventually? I can see how it can just pop-off and get huge though...

Phyrexian Reclamation can help to keep Karlov out of the Command Zone since you can recur him and cast him from your hand instead of the Zone.

Agreed, I actually didn't know you can opt to let your Commander hit the Graveyard, so I have added Phyrexian Reclamation but not sure what I can remove to fit it in? Gotta remember that Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord has a similar ability to retrieve from Graveyards too. One other thing I added which I need feedback on is combining Curse of Fool's Wisdom with Geier Reach Sanitarium - If this isn't worth it, it saves 2 card slots. For now I just removed a swamp.

Another expensive price combo option is Necropotence which is a combo with Bolas's Citadel. Necro can exile lands on the top of your library to allow you to keep casting cards with Citadel.

This one of the ones I do see value in, but I feel like it will overly complicate the deck and the mechanic doesn't appeal to me as much. I might bench this as a future upgrade or potential modification for now, and try use it with Krrik's Phyrexian mana ability, Aetherflux and Serra Ascendant.

Ruin Raider and Dark Tutelage are cards to consider adding since they're repeatable draw sources for no mana cost and give you value using life. Swords to Plowshares and Generous Gift are budget removal spell upgrades.

  • Ruin Raider / Dark Tutelage - these appeal to me but I am very stuck on what I can take out for these.

  • Swords to Plowshares - although I see how it can be useful, I think the removals I have work better. Is there a way to use this with Karlov but bounce him to anywhere EXCEPT exile?

  • Generous Gift - I already have cheap removals, so I might pass here unless there's other ways I can save some $?

I haven't given any suggestions of cards to consider cutting. I can in another comment if you would like?

I would LOVE this! That's the hardest part!

multimedia on Karlov/Sorin Blessed

1 week ago

Hey, currently your deck doesn't have an official Commander. In the deck editor after 1x Karlov of the Ghost Council text put the CMDR tag.

1x Karlov of the Ghost Council *CMDR*

Doing this shows Karlov card in the deck list and officially makes Karlov the Commander of your deck. I also suggest turning off the competitive meter. Which can be done in the deck editor by unchecking show competitive meter. The meter is not an accurate gage of how competitive your deck is. It's currently at 22% competitive which if it was accurate is not good, but it being false low is a distraction right now for your deck building. The lands in the manabase are a big reason for the low % of competitive.

I like your version of Karlov and you've decided to go the extort direction which is unique, good choice.

The first thing I do when building budget decks is allocate enough of the budget for good lands in the manabase. Sometimes this requires using more of the budget than I would like, but I figure I need good lands to actually consistently cast cards. For $25 you can make big upgrades to the manabase. Dual lands that can ETB untapped are wanted with Karlov because he's a two drop and you want to be able to consistently curve white one drop into white/black Karlov which will be difficult without more good dual lands.

Consider a few more low CMC creatures who have interaction with Karlov?

I see Exquisite Blood and if you're wanting to add an expensive price card for a combo then Walking Ballista with Heliod, Sun-Crowned is a combo with cards that are individually better. In my opinion Exquisite is not worth $32 and Ballista can have many more scenarios where it's good outside of the combo. Ballista can also be more easily recurred with Phyrexian Reclamation which is in the Mystery Booster set, that version is $1. Good source of repeatable value using life for some resiliency.

Reclamation can help to keep Karlov out of the Command Zone since you can recur him and cast him from your hand instead of the Zone. Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim + Karlov is good with Reclamation and life gain being able to recur the creature, Karlov, you sac. Karlov can exile creatures with his ability, but Ayli as long as you have 50 life can exile a nonland permanent which as a repeatable ability is powerful in multiplayer Commander.

Another expensive price combo option is Necropotence which is a combo with Bolas's Citadel. Necro can exile lands on the top of your library to allow you to keep casting cards with Citadel. Necro is a great way to use life for value and is one of the best sources of repeatable pseudo draw in Commander. It's definitely worth $17, it's good with Krrik's Phyrexian mana ability and Aetherflux. For $32 instead of Exquisite you could get Necro and dual lands or Serra Ascendant. Ascendant is a one drop 6/6 flying/lifelink creature in 40 starting life Commander.

Ruin Raider and Dark Tutelage are cards to consider adding since they're repeatable draw sources for no mana cost and give you value using life. Swords to Plowshares and Generous Gift are budget removal spell upgrades.

I haven't given any suggestions of cards to consider cutting. I can in another comment if you would like?

Good luck with your deck.

logansullivan on Edgar Markov, but I'm poor.

2 weeks ago

okay firstly add a Mountain to your land base, it allows you to get a red source out of your deck with Evolving Wilds and Terramorphic Expanse cut a swamp for it because your land count is perfectly fine for an aggro deck now let's get to the meat of the feast I would cut Zombify for Tortured Existence you only get a mana discount for 8 of the cards in your deck and the repeatability is much better. Sign in Blood should be replaced with Read the Bones digs deeper for 1 more mana. cut Hierophant's Chalice for Heraldic Banner. cut Sorin, Vampire Lord for Ob Nixilis Reignited, and if you cut that one you should cut Sorin's Guide which should be replaced with Cordial Vampire. if you can swing it Captivating Vampire is very good and I can guarantee it will make the deck much better. Bladebrand out for Champion of Dusk super strong and could help you win the game. cut Vampire Neonate for Indulgent Aristocrat. Breaking Point out for Underworld Connections repeatable card advantage. Ill-Gotten Inheritance out for Dark Tutelage again repeatable card draw. Revenge of Ravens out for Bad Moon. and lastly Tribute to Hunger out for Intangible Virtue.

now these are all suggestions and they are just a start, and I tried to keep all the cards around a buck or less besides Captivating Vampire

Merjan1 on Budget Slow bomb burn bears

4 weeks ago

Nice list u got!

Have u ever thought of using Dark Tutelage in replacemnet of Bob?

dingusdingo on Staxing and Taxing: Glissa cEDH Primer

2 months ago

Very nice deck. I have a paper Alesha, Who Smiles at Death list, so I can appreciate another paper non-blue stax deck.

Things I enjoy

Hope of Ghirapur is a very saucy include and is a strong Glissa recursion target

Grim Flayer is like Dark Confidant #2

Tainted Wood and the other tainted lands are EXTREMELY under rated

Ulvenwald Tracker has some crazy strong synergy with Glissa (first strike and deathtouch)

Areas I can see improvement

First, Tree of Tales and Vault of Whispers raise risk while providing extremely marginal benefit (Mox Opal metalcraft). While it is recurrable with Glissa, you risk the chance of things like ETB tapped, get sniped on a land drop on turn 1 or 2, having it turned into a Mountain, or just having it not untap. Having 2 more basics will allow your Crucible of Worlds to be a BEAST with fetchlands and makes games against other stax decks easier. Similarly, you can ease off a touch with the non-standard dual color producers, because its only a two color deck. While these cards are certainly nice, cutting another 2-4 for various utility lands I bet you won't notice a drop in color consistency because of the high fetch density. I would also consider Wasteland and Ghost Quarter, which conveniently work extremely well with Crucible of Worlds in a stax deck. Green also has access to Ramunap Excavator, as well as the highly cancerous Exploration and Burgeoning and Azusa, Lost but Seeking. Blowing up a couple lands a turn makes players scoop pretty fast.

I think you should run the elf squad. Turn 1 elves make mana faster which helps A LOT. Stax decks needs to have strong starts, to get ahead of players so you can bury them with symmetrical and asymmetrical effects. Llanowar Elves Fyndhorn Elves Elvish Mystic Elves of Deep Shadow. I think these will help your consistency and speed. Also consider Priest of Titania. These are also great mid and late game targets for Skullclamp.

Dark Tutelage should be Phyrexian Arena. A 2 color deck shouldn't struggle too much with the extra B in the cost.

Artifact based draw that graveyards itself provides huge incidental value with Glissa. Specifically, Chromatic Star and Chromatic Sphere are worthy of includes. You could even grab Barbed Sextant if you strongly liked the chromatic effects.

Mana Web is a great effect when it goes, but I have personally found this card to be lackluster in color identities that lack White or Blue. It needs supporting cards to make it go, like Winter Orb and Static Orb. Blue and white get the benefit of having further extensions with Hokori, Dust Drinker and Stasis, and I really believe this card belongs mostly in decks.

Smallpox and Innocent Blood are synergy inclusions, but they are rather marginal if drawn later in the game. You could consider swapping one of them into Damnation. I don't think Sickening Dreams is worthwhile if you aren't running a combo to draw 50 cards and kill the table with it.

Tormod's Crypt could be worth running. Ezpz recursion target that you can always pop for value if someone has a creature about to die on the stack. Helps against fish hulk which you think is a bad match up. Also every deck has some way to gas from the GY.

You run some creatures that seem value oriented, but I think should be replaced. Wurmcoil Engine Ravenous Slime Scrap Trawler. I don't think you're getting enough meaningful action on combat for wurmcoil, I think ravenous is pretty marginal at beats as well as GY patrol, and scrap trawler is redundant with your commander and doesn't really advance your game plan.

Similarly, I don't think Sword of Fire and Ice is doing enough. Although Sword of Feast and Famine could be a worthy include.

StopShot on StopShot

2 months ago

@sam171z, I've never built in golgari colors or green more specifically so my advice might not be the best.

Based on your deck you might find Arbor Elf helpful.

There's a lack of removal in this deck and you might find these cards helpful: Dismember , Go for the Throat , Sinister Concoction , Thrashing Brontodon , Sylvok Replica , Force of Vigor .

Skullclamp is a really good card draw source especially if you pair it with Bloodghast and fetch-lands. Dark Tutelage is another option if you don't mind the life loss. Mirri's Guile seems to also be pretty strong with shuffle effects like fetch-lands.

Pattern of Rebirth seems like a really strong tutor effect for you.

Melira, Sylvok Outcast might be a good inclusion as you can win the game with her + Devoted Druid + Walking Ballista / Bloodrite Invoker .

Hope this helps you.

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