How Does Profane Tutor Work

In the vast world of Magic: The Gathering, cards that allow you to search your library are some of the most powerful tools available. Tutors spells that fetch other cards are often central to competitive and casual strategies alike. Among these,Profane Tutorstands out due to its unique mechanics. Unlike most tutors, this black sorcery card doesn’t allow you to search immediately. Instead, it uses the powerfulsuspendmechanic, challenging players to plan ahead. Understanding how Profane Tutor works is key to using it effectively, especially in formats like Modern or Commander where delayed value can be game-changing.

Profane Tutor Overview

Card Text and Basics

Profane Tutoris a black sorcery with no mana cost. Its full rules text reads:

• Suspend 2 {1}{B}(Rather than cast this card from your hand, you may pay {1}{B} and exile it with two time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When the last is removed, cast it without paying its mana cost.)
• Search your library for a card, put that card into your hand, then shuffle.

This card is part ofModern Horizons 2, a set known for reviving and reinventing older mechanics like suspend. Because Profane Tutor has no traditional mana cost, it can’t be cast normally. Instead, suspend is the only way to play it under normal circumstances.

How Suspend Works

The Core Mechanic

Suspend is a keyword ability that allows a spell to be exiled with time counters. Each upkeep, a time counter is removed. When the last counter is gone, the spell is cast automatically without paying its mana cost. Suspend encourages planning ahead and rewards players who can control the pace of the game.

Step-by-Step Example

Let’s walk through what it looks like to play Profane Tutor using suspend:

• On Turn 2, you pay {1}{B} to suspend Profane Tutor. It is exiled with two time counters.
• At the beginning of your Turn 3 upkeep, remove one time counter (1 remaining).
• At the beginning of your Turn 4 upkeep, remove the final time counter. You now cast Profane Tutor for free.
• You search your library for any one card, put it in your hand, then shuffle.

This delay makes Profane Tutor different from instant-speed tutors or those with upfront costs likeDemonic TutororGrim Tutor.

Strategic Use of Profane Tutor

When to Suspend It

Since it takes two full turns to resolve, Profane Tutor isn’t ideal when you need a card immediately. Instead, you should suspend it early in the game or when you know you’ll need a specific card on a future turn. Decks with slower control or combo-based strategies benefit the most, especially when they can plan for Turn 4 payoffs.

Best Time to Play

• Turn 2: Suspend early so it resolves by Turn 4 perfect timing for many win-cons or board wipes.
• After board control: If you’ve stabilized the battlefield, setting up a future tutor can help close the game.
• With redundancy: Suspend alongside other delayed triggers to create powerful chains in later turns.

Cards That Synergize

Some decks go beyond the standard suspend mechanic and use cards that cheat time counters or interact with exiled cards:

• Jhoira of the Ghitu: A Commander favorite that suspends spells and allows card draw on resolution.
• Timecrafting: A spell that manipulates time counters speeding up your Profane Tutor by a full turn or more.
• Panoptic Mirror (in casual): Though banned in many formats, it can copy spells like Profane Tutor after it’s cast.

Profane Tutor in Various Formats

Commander

In the singleton, 100-card Commander format, Profane Tutor shines as a cheap way to add tutor redundancy. Since true Demonic Tutor effects are often limited, having another way to find win conditions or combo pieces is valuable, even if delayed.

Decks like K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth or Yawgmoth, Thran Physician may benefit from Profane Tutor due to their ability to maintain control and wait for delayed value.

Modern

In Modern, Profane Tutor is more niche. It finds occasional homes in combo decks that can afford to wait two turns to set up the game-winning piece. Ad Nauseam and other glass cannon strategies may use it as a backup to more immediate tutors.

Pauper and Legacy

Profane Tutor is not legal in Pauper, and in Legacy its delay makes it less appealing than more immediate options. However, it may still appear in budget variants or experimental builds.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Pros

• Mana-efficient: Only costs {1}{B}, which is less than most other tutors.
• Card neutrality: Does not require sacrificing a creature or life total to activate.
• Hard to counter early: Since it sits in exile, most counterspells won’t affect it until it resolves naturally.

Cons

• Delayed effect: Not helpful if you need a card right away.
• Vulnerable to exile interaction: Rare cards like Stifle or Teferi’s Time Twist can mess with the suspend process.
• Topdeck late game: Drawing it without time to suspend and resolve is often a dead card.

Tips for Playing with Profane Tutor

Build Around the Delay

Don’t rely on Profane Tutor for emergency answers. Instead, use it to assemble combos, find finishers, or fetch long-term value cards. Think of it as a spell for games that go beyond Turn 4. In Commander, this is often the norm.

Know When Not to Use It

Sometimes it’s better not to suspend Profane Tutor at all. If you already have the cards you need or if your hand is too full, playing the Tutor might give away your strategy or waste time. Use discretion not every game needs a tutor.

Be Mindful of Opponents

Profane Tutor going on the stack signals intent. Opponents may respond by countering or disrupting your plans the turn before it resolves. Always consider the game state when you suspend it, and try to minimize telegraphing your next move.

Profane Tutor is a unique and strategic card that rewards long-term thinking and careful deck building. While not as fast as classic tutors, its mana efficiency and compatibility with control or combo strategies make it a valuable addition to many decks. Understanding how suspend works and planning around its two-turn delay is essential for maximizing value. Whether you’re playing in Commander or brewing a Modern combo deck, Profane Tutor gives you the power to fetch any card as long as you’re willing to wait.