[SCD] Grim Tutor

[morgan_coke]

Grim Tutor
1BB
Sorcery
Search your library for a card and put that card into your hand, then shuffle your library. You lose 3 life.

I was looking for a tutor recently and found this, adding it to my Slide deck. It's goddamned amazing. Why isn't this seeing more play in Rock style decks? I mean, compare it to Vampiric Tutor.

Vamp advantages: one less life, instant, two less mana.
Grim advantages: card goes into your hand for immediate use.

Yeah, Vampiric is better in most situations, but it's not like grim is some kind of weaksauce here either. I usually use it to find zero and 1cc answers so I can use them right away, unless its later in the game or a neutral board state, in which case i just use it for whatever the hell I want.

Some examples of cheap/free answers searchable with Grim.

Combo: Chalice of the Void, Orim's Chant/Silence, Mindbreak Trap, Duress
Graveyard: Tormod's Crypt, Ravenous Trap, Bojuka Bog, Extirpate
Aggro: The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, Maze of Ith, Swords to Plowshares, Elephant Grass

I wonder if the fact that this card wasn't ever really legal except when it was super rare/expensive/impossible to find, and the lack of analogues to it led to the card being underutilized in deck design and development.

I'm running three of the things right now, and I love it, though I might cut back to two, it's still a new card in testing, but this is really, really strong in a controllish rock shell at least, and I have a feeling it'll be just as strong in other controllish shells, and possibly even some combo decks.

If anyone knows why this card isn't really present in the Legacy meta, I'd love to hear it. Thanks.

[The Wes]

Over a hundred dollars each, and limited availability, I'd say.

[Brad Herbig]

If anyone knows why this card isn't really present in the Legacy meta, I'd love to hear it. Thanks.

It is expensive and hard to find. I think that is most of the reason. Also, tutors more similar to Vampiric Tutor are available for use, and are often better than Grim Tutor would be, because any particular deck probably only needs to look for instants and sorceries (Mystical Tutor) or artifacts and enchantments (Enlightened Tutor). It just isn't worth the extra mana and life.

[Valtrix]

In addition, what deck that can even support :b::b: really needs a tutor like this anyway?

[jrsthethird]

Price is the main factor. Besides that, is it better to throw away 3 life to save a mana on Diabolic Tutor? Probably in a Rock deck with lifegain effects (Kitchen Finks, Loxodon Hierarch, etc.), but not overall. Diabolic is too slow.

[menace13]

I have not a clue, although i do think some type of combo can(at least Menendian's Grim Long did).

[Conficker]

I would rather play Cruel Tutor since it is cheaper and the tutored card is hidden/protected. I imagine combo decks are the only decks that 'could' play Grim Tutor. Power cards in Vintage make this card viable. However, in Legacy it's still slow.

Turn 3:
Combo: Grim Tutor (search for a card). Pass.
Opponent: Thoughtseize?

Also, mulliganing into the free/cheap spells/solutions you mentioned is fairly easy. The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale and Maze of Ith are easily dredged into the yard with LftLoam and Intuition.

[morgan_coke]

It's possible that the card may simply be an ideal fit in Slide because Slide has the following factors going for it w/regards to Grim:

1) Recurring maindeck lifegain. (Finks/Hierarch+Slide/Witness/Stronghold/Unearth)
2) A large number of situationally strong spells and effects.
3) Mana acceleration that makes it easier to hit 1BB as early as turn 2. (Moxes/Birds)
4) A cramped maindeck and sideboard that can fully utilize the "extra" spaces provided by running tutors.

[walkerdog]

Keep in mind that Grim is NOT expensive online. The only bot I see advertising them is at... 1.25 tix per.

[rocketrae21]

Why would you compare Grim Tutor to Vamp? You can't use vamp in legacy...Grim tutor is just an expensive card. People don't want to throw down 100 bones for something like that when cheaper tutors exist. I play them in Vintage, but not legacy.

[emidln]

My tendrils deck played this before Ponder came about. It was used to filter Dark Rits/Cabal Rits into LEDs to get hellbent off Infernal Tutor, or if you already have a bunch of accel, a bad Infernal Tutor. Ponder is just a better card and caused us to redesign the deck, which left Grim Tutor without a home.

[rocketrae21]

My tendrils deck played this before Ponder came about. It was used to filter Dark Rits/Cabal Rits into LEDs to get hellbent off Infernal Tutor, or if you already have a bunch of accel, a bad Infernal Tutor. Ponder is just a better card and caused us to redesign the deck, which left Grim Tutor without a home.

I will gladly provide a good home for your Grim Tutor :tongue:

[Forbiddian]

There aren't many cards that are still good if they cost 1BB more even spread out over two turns.

I'd say there aren't any legal cards that fit that description.

[morgan_coke]

There aren't many cards that are still good if they cost 1B more even spread out over two turns.

I'd say there aren't any legal cards that fit that description.

That's why Demonic Tutor sucks.

There, I fixed it for you to fit what you were really saying.

[Rico Suave]

Rock decks are already slow. Spending 1BB in such a slow deck for no effect on the game state is just not going to cut it.

Grim Tutor sees a little play in Vintage, but the only reason is because Yawgmoth's Will exists.

[majikal]

There, I fixed it for you to fit what you were really saying.
You best be trollin'.

[kkoie]

If you are using it to go for 1 to 0 cc answers wouldn't beseech the queen do the same thing? granted it is generally going to cost either 2BB or BBB, but its easier to purchase.

[Vacrix]

Beseech the Queen doesn't find high cc stuff and requires you to play a lot of land. Grim Tutor was played in some SI variants, combo that tries to minimize the amount of land and maximize the amount of 0cc initial mana sources and rituals. It was good back in the early days of Grim Iggy but its outdated tech in a world with Doomsday and Ad Nauseum.