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Magic: The Gathering

Cruel Tutor

Portal 87 • rare

Set
Portal
Collector number
87
Rarity
Rare
Mana cost
2 generic mana black mana
Type
Sorcery
Colors
Black
Artist
Kev Walker
Market price
$43.99
$43.99est. via TCGplayer
104,743cards tracked
2other printings of this card
Card face

What it does

Search your library for a card, then shuffle and put that card on top. You lose 2 life.

The more you pay for the lesson, the better you'll remember it.
Formats

Where you can play it

  • StandardNot legal
  • PioneerNot legal
  • ModernNot legal
  • LegacyLegal
  • VintageLegal
  • CommanderLegal
  • PauperNot legal
  • BrawlLegal
  • HistoricLegal
  • TimelessLegal
  • Penny DreadfulNot legal
  • OathbreakerLegal

Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. Card text via Scryfall. Not approved or endorsed by Wizards. As of the last catalogue refresh.

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Where to find one

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Provenance

Where it came from

Cruel Tutor was released in 1997 as part of the Portal set, an introductory standalone product designed to bridge the gap for new players learning the Magic: The Gathering card game. This set aimed to simplify mechanics by removing complex timing rules and restricting play to sorcery speed, a design philosophy that made the game more accessible at the cost of excluding it from standard tournament play at the time.

The artwork for this card was illustrated by Donato Giancola, a prominent fantasy artist known for his detailed, painterly style. His depiction of a dark, scholarly figure served to solidify the card's thematic identity within the black color pie, emphasizing the act of searching one's library for a specific card at the cost of life. While the set was initially viewed as an experimental teaching tool, cards like Cruel Tutor have since gained recognition for their distinct mechanical utility and aesthetic appeal within the wider card history.

Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI

Collectors

Who's collecting this

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About

About Cruel Tutor

Cruel Tutor is a card in the Magic: The Gathering catalog on collecto.rs. Portal 87 • rare. Catalog data is sourced from Scryfall. No public cards collectors track this one yet — adding yours would make you the first on collecto.rs.

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Can I track my own copy of Cruel Tutor?

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Where does the Cruel Tutor catalog entry come from?

The catalog entry for Cruel Tutor is sourced from Scryfall. Catalog-level facts stay consistent across every collector; your own data (condition, edition, acquisition notes) is yours.

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