In the world of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), tutor cards are powerful tools that allow players to search their libraries for specific cards and place them into their hand, graveyard, or on top of their deck. While black has long dominated this mechanic with iconic spells like Demonic Tutor, red has slowly carved its niche with flavorful, situational, and powerful tutor effects.
If you’re searching for the most comprehensive breakdown of Red Tutor MTG options, you’re in the right place.
This complete guide covers:
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What a Red Tutor is in MTG
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The best red tutors available
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How red tutors compare to other colors
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Effective strategies for using red tutors in Commander (EDH), Modern, and other formats
What Is a Red Tutor in MTG?
In MTG, a tutor refers to any card that allows you to search your library for a specific type of card. Red tutors differ from the broad-spectrum tutors found in black by often including restrictions or randomness, and typically focusing on:
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Instants and sorceries
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Artifacts and equipment
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Tribal synergies (e.g., Goblins)
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Graveyard interactions
The term “Red Tutor MTG” describes any red-colored card that provides a search or selection function in a way that aligns with red’s chaotic and high-tempo playstyle.
Why Red Tutors Matter
Although red doesn’t have the universal tutor power of black or the consistency of green, red tutors still serve vital roles in many decks. They’re particularly effective in:
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Spellslinger strategies
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Artifact combo decks
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Goblin tribal builds
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Graveyard synergy decks
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High-risk, high-reward combo setups
Red tutors embrace randomness, volatility, and innovation—perfect for players who enjoy explosive plays and creative deckbuilding.
Top Red Tutors in Magic: The Gathering
Let’s explore the best red tutor cards in MTG, including their formats, strengths, and ideal deck archetypes.
1. Gamble
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Mana Cost: {R}
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Effect: Search your library for a card, put it into your hand, then discard a card at random.
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Formats: Commander, Legacy
Why It’s Great: Gamble is the most direct red tutor available. Though the random discard is a drawback, many decks—especially graveyard-based strategies—can turn it into an advantage.
2. Imperial Recruiter
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Mana Cost: {2}{R}
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Effect: When Imperial Recruiter enters the battlefield, search your library for a creature card with power 2 or less, reveal it, and put it into your hand.
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Formats: Commander, Vintage
Why It’s Great: This red tutor is a staple in many combo decks for its ability to fetch key low-power creatures that are often vital for game-winning strategies.
3. Goblin Matron
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Mana Cost: {2}{R}
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Effect: When Goblin Matron enters the battlefield, search your library for a Goblin card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.
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Formats: Commander, Legacy
Why It’s Great: Essential in any Goblins tribal deck, Goblin Matron increases consistency by finding combo enablers or threats like Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker or Mogg War Marshal.
4. Hoarding Dragon
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Mana Cost: {3}{R}{R}
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Effect: When Hoarding Dragon enters the battlefield, exile an artifact card from your library. When it dies, put the exiled card into your hand.
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Format: Commander
Why It’s Great: A delayed but powerful artifact tutor, ideal in decks that can control when the dragon dies. Perfect for red artifact combo decks.
5. Goblin Engineer
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Mana Cost: {1}{R}
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Effect: When Goblin Engineer enters the battlefield, you may search your library for an artifact card and put it into your graveyard.
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Formats: Commander, Modern
Why It’s Great: A graveyard-based artifact tutor, ideal for decks that use recursion or artifact reanimation engines like Trash for Treasure or Mishra’s Workshop.
Red-Compatible Tutors Worth Mentioning
These aren’t red cards themselves, but they synergize perfectly with red artifact-focused decks:
Kuldotha Forgemaster
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Mana Cost: {5}
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Effect: Tap, sacrifice three artifacts: Search your library for an artifact card and put it onto the battlefield.
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Best With: Daretti, Scrap Savant, Slobad, Iron Goblin, or any red artifact commander.
Tutor-Like Effects in Red
While not traditional tutors, the following red cards simulate card selection or card advantage, making them essential in decks lacking direct tutor access.
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Jeska’s Will – Combines ramp with exile-based card draw.
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Light Up the Stage – Provides efficient card access through spectacle.
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Chandra, Torch of Defiance – Exiles cards for potential casting and adds value over time.
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Fury Storm – Copies spells to create redundancy; useful in combo setups.
These cards function similarly to tutors by digging through the deck, especially in spellslinger decks where impulse draw is highly effective.
Tips for Using Red Tutors Effectively
Red tutors shine when used strategically. Follow these guidelines to maximize their impact:
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Plan for redundancy: Always have multiple ways to access or recur important cards.
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Use graveyard synergy: Cards like Gamble or Goblin Engineer thrive when your deck can retrieve from the graveyard.
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Know your targets: For cards like Imperial Recruiter, keep a mental list of key low-power creatures you may need.
Best Commanders for Red Tutors in EDH
Red tutors truly shine in Commander, where singleton rules make consistency tools more valuable. Popular commanders that synergize with red tutoring effects include:
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Daretti, Scrap Savant – Artifact recursion powerhouse.
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Zada, Hedron Grinder – Perfect for spellslinger token decks.
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Purphoros, God of the Forge – Loves goblin synergy with Goblin Matron.
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Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker – Combo enabler often fetched via Imperial Recruiter.
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Prosper, Tome-Bound – Red/black exile synergy and card advantage.
Red Tutors in Other MTG Formats
While red tutors are most common in EDH, they occasionally appear in other formats:
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Legacy: Gamble is used in decks like LED Dredge and Oops All Spells.
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Modern: Goblin Engineer sees play in artifact-centric decks.
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Pioneer/Standard: Rare, but impulse draw effects still hold niche value.
Red Tutors vs. Tutors in Other Colors
| Color | Strength | Typical Targets |
|---|---|---|
| Black | Most versatile | Any card |
| Blue | Efficient and narrow | Instants & sorceries |
| Green | Creature-focused | Big creatures, land |
| White | Utility-focused | Artifacts & enchantments |
| Red | Risky, niche, powerful in right decks | Instants, artifacts, goblins |
While red tutors are more situational, they offer unique strengths like low mana costs, graveyard synergy, and chaotic potential.
Conclusion: The Future of Red Tutor MTG
Red tutors may not be as universally powerful as their black or green counterparts, but they’re strategically potent when used correctly. Whether you’re building a goblin tribal deck, an artifact combo engine, or a graveyard recursion machine, red has the tools to find your key cards and win explosively.
With every new Magic set, Wizards of the Coast continues to expand red’s identity. Expect to see even more creative red tutor-like effects in the future—especially in sets focused on chaos, artifacts, and synergy.
If you’re building a Commander deck or brewing a competitive list, don’t underestimate the value of a Red Tutor. Sometimes, one well-timed Gamble is all it takes to secure victory.