3 top mono white tutor MTG cards, Enlightened Tutor, Land Tax, and Search for Glory

Best Mono White Tutor Cards in MTG Magic: The Gathering

When it comes to building a successful Magic: The Gathering deck, having access to the right cards is crucial. One of the most important types of cards to include in any deck is tutors, which allow you to search your library for specific cards. In mono white decks, there are a variety of white tutor cards to choose from that can help you find exactly what you need to win the game.

white robed people in a temple laying large cards on the floor

We'll be taking a closer look at the best tutors for mono-white in Magic. We'll be discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each card, as well as how they can be used effectively in gameplay.

Whether you're a seasoned Magic player or just getting started, understanding the best white tutors can help take your deck to the next level.

So, let's dive in and explore the top tutor options for white decks looking to maximize their strategy and efficiency.

Understanding Tutor Cards in White

Tutor cards are an essential component of any Magic: The Gathering deck. Once only for black decks or multicolor decks containing black, they allow us to search our library for specific cards.

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Tutors increase the consistency of our deck by ensuring we have access to the cards we need when we need them. Black got the party started with the likes of Demonic Tutor and followed that up with Vampiric Tutor and Diabolic Tutor.

Other colors did join in the fun though. If you've played for any length of time you may be familiar with the likes of Mystical Tutor or Worldly Tutor in Blue and Green respectively.

Green has always had the ability to “mana tutor” with cards such as Rampant Growth, eventually the namesake of a major strategy in many green decks (Ramp.) The ability to go get the right land may not be completely locked down to green anymore, but you can thank green for providing the basis for that tutor effect.

MTG Rampant Growth card

In mono white decks, tutors can play a crucial role in helping us find the right cards to support our strategy. And to tease, one of the best white tutors comes with a bonus ability many of the other colors lack, instant speed!

Role of Tutors in Deck Consistency

Tutors are powerful tools for increasing deck consistency. By allowing us to search our library for specific cards, we can ensure that we have access to the cards we need when we need them.

A well-timed tutor may be the best way to ensure your strategy succeeds, without relying on that lucky card at the top of your deck. This can be especially important in mono-white decks, which may lack the card draw and filtering options available to other colors.

Tutors can also help us find answers to specific threats or situations. For example, if we're facing an opponent with a powerful enchantment on the battlefield, we can use a tutor to search for a card like Disenchant or Return to Dust to deal with it.

Some tutors are great for specific card types, such as Taj-Nar Swordsmith will quickly search up an equipment from your deck. Others search for tribe-specific cards, such as Forerunner of the Legion will grab you a Vampire and put it on top of your library.

Sisay, Weatherlight Captain can search for a legendary permanent (though that activation uses one of each color, technically making Sisay's color identity all 5 colors on a white card with only 1 white and 2 colorless mana needed to cast.) Sisay is one of the rare MTG tutors that could also be a commander!

MTG Sisay, Weatherlight Captain card

White's Approach to Tutoring

White has a unique approach to tutoring that emphasizes flexibility and utility. Many of white's tutor cards allow us to search for specific types of cards, such as artifacts or enchantments, rather than specific cards themselves.

This gives us greater flexibility in how we build our deck, allowing us to adapt to different situations and opponents.

Take for example Enlightened Tutor which allows you to search for an artifact or enchantment card, at INSTANT speed.

MTG Enlightened Tutor card

The only drawbacks here are that it's limited to 2 card types and goes on top of your library instead of in hand.

But, being able to grab the perfect artifact or enchantment for your board situation, or to finish the plan in your hand, for 1 white mana, makes it easily one of the most efficient tutors in MTG.

It does place the card on top of your library though. It's your next draw, not directly to hand. It's best use may be at the end of your opponent's turn, just before your turn.

Also keep in mind Enlightened Tutor can grab you an artifact creature, you're not just limited to utility artifacts here.

White also has access to powerful creature and planeswalker tutors, such as Recruiter of the Guard and Ignite the Beacon.

Tutors are an essential component of Magic: The Gathering decks, and mono white decks are no exception. By understanding the role of tutors in deck consistency and white's unique approach to tutoring, we can build more consistent and powerful decks that can adapt to any situation.

Iconic Mono White Tutor cards

a castle on a hillside with rivers flowing around it and a white dragon flying by

Let's take a look at a few of the more iconic mono white tutors. These cards have been around for a long time and are still heavily played in many decks today. You're likely to find them in a white commander deck, or modern white deck.

Enlightened Tutor

Enlightened Tutor is a classic white instant that has been around since the Mirage expansion in 1996. It allows us to search our library for an artifact or enchantment card and put it on top of our library.

Enlightened Tutor, one of MTG's best white tutor cards

This powerful tutor has been a staple in many white decks, particularly those focused on artifacts or enchantments, or that run strategies involving artifact creatures that could be tutored for.

Enlightened Tutor is incredibly versatile and can be used to find a wide range of cards. It can be used to find powerful artifacts such as Coat of Arms or Nevinyrral's Disk.

Or, to find key enchantments like Ghostly Prison or Rest in Peace.

It can also be used to find utility cards like Sensei's Divining Top or Scroll Rack.

It can even grab that Platinum Angel, possibly saving you from certain death.

mtg Platinum Angel card

Idyllic Tutor

Idyllic Tutor is a slightly newer addition to the world of mono-white tutors, having been printed in the Morningtide expansion in 2008.

Idyllic Tutor

This one works at sorcery speed and allows us to search our library for an enchantment card and put it into our hand.

While it is more limited in scope than Enlightened Tutor, it is still an incredibly powerful card.

Idyllic Tutor is particularly useful in decks that are heavily focused on enchantments. For example, in an EDH deck based around enchantress abilities, it can be used to find powerful enchantments like Aura of Silence or Sphere of Safety.

Or to find key combo pieces like Flickering Ward and Starfield of Nyx.

Overall, both Enlightened Tutor and Idyllic Tutor are incredibly powerful mono white tutors that have stood the test of time. Whether you are playing an artifact-heavy deck or an enchantment-focused deck, these tutors are sure to help you find the cards you need to win the game.

Creature-Based Tutoring Strategies

robed people in a temple, a green dragon rising in the background

Creature-based tutoring strategies can be very effective in mono white decks, especially White Weenie builds. These strategies allow us to search for specific creatures that we need at any given moment, which can give us a significant advantage over our opponents.

Let's take a look at two of the best creature-based tutor cards in white MTG: Recruiter of the Guard and Ranger-Captain of Eos.

Recruiter of the Guard

MTG Recruiter of the Guard card

Recruiter of the Guard is a small creature with a powerful ability. It allows us to search our library for any creature card with toughness 2 or less and put it into our hand. This makes it an excellent tutor card for small creatures, which are often the backbone of a mono-white deck.

One of the best things about Recruiter of the Guard is that it is a creature itself, providing attack and defense on the board after the tutor ability. This can also be manipulated with graveyard recursion for multiple tutor effects!

Ranger-Captain of Eos

MTG Ranger-Captain of Eos card

Ranger-Captain of Eos is another powerful creature-based tutor card. It allows us to search our library for a creature card with toughness 1 or less, reveal it, and put it into our hand.

This makes it an excellent tutor card for small creatures, just like Recruiter of the Guard, however there may be a little more leeway to find some high-power creatures that lack toughness as well.

One of the best things about Ranger-Captain of Eos is that it has a powerful ability that can help us protect our creatures, or prevent our opponents from countering our spells.

We can sacrifice it to prevent our opponent from casting any non-creature spells until the end of the turn. An effective ability on both our and our opponents' turns, depending on what's happening in the game.

Creature-based tutoring strategies can be very effective in a mono-white deck. By using cards like Recruiter of the Guard and Ranger-Captain of Eos, we can search for specific creatures that we need at any given moment, which can give us a significant advantage over our opponents.

Tutoring for Equipment

an armored woman at a table with many cards spread out and a glowing gold and green chalice in front of her

Many mono white decks in MTG rely on access to powerful equipment to give your creatures an edge in combat. That's where tutoring comes in handy, allowing us to search for specific cards in our library and put them on top of our library, into our hand, or onto the battlefield. 

Here are two great tutor cards for equipment in mono white decks:

Stoneforge Mystic

MTG Stoneforge Mystic, one of the most powerful mono white tutor cards

Stoneforge Mystic is a two-drop creature that allows us to search our library for an equipment card and put it directly onto the battlefield.

This tutor is made even better by the fact that Stoneforge Mystic is a creature, and also can put any equipment from your hand onto the battlefield for just two mana, possibly avoiding high mana costs, and making it a versatile threat on its own.

Some great equipment to search up with Stoneforge Mystic include Sword of Fire and Ice, Batterskull, and Umezawa's Jitte.

These powerful artifacts can give our creatures additional power, toughness, and abilities, making them much more difficult to deal with for our opponents. 

And, you won't have to pay full price to play them with Stoneforge Mystic‘s activated ability.

Steelshaper's Gift

MTG Steelshaper's Gift card

Another great tutor card for equipment-based decks is Steelshaper's Gift.

This 1 white mana sorcery allows us to search our library for an equipment card, reveal it, and put it into our hand.

Some great equipment cards to search up with Steelshaper's Gift include Sword of Feast and Famine, Skullclamp, and Hammer of Nazahn.

If you need to find that missing equipment to start your engine, or end the game, Steelshaper's Gift may be just the tutor your white deck is looking for.

Specialized White Tutors

a fantasy armored female angel flying over a temple

Specialized tutors can help find specific cards that are crucial for the deck's strategy. Most of white's tutors are specialized, looking for specific types of cards.

Academy Rector

MTG Academy Rector card

Academy Rector, a renowned white tutor card in Magic: The Gathering, stands out due to its unique ability to profoundly impact the game.

As a creature card, it possesses a distinctive trigger that activates upon its death, allowing us to tutor for an enchantment card and put it directly onto the battlefield.

This bypasses both the mana cost and casting restrictions, offering an enormous strategic advantage. This also means your opponents will NOT want to kill it. They'll look for ways to get around it or exile it, impacting their strategies.

The strength of Academy Rector lies in its potential to turn the tide of the game by enabling high-impact plays, making it a highly valued card in decks that can reliably trigger its ability.

Land Tax and Weathered Wayfarer

Land Tax is a powerful enchantment that allows us to search for 3 basic Plains cards and put them into our hand if an opponent controls more land than we do at the beginning of our upkeep.

This card is especially useful in the early game when we need to ensure that we hit our land drops, and commander format where multiple opponents may have more land at the time the card is checked each turn.

Weathered Wayfarer is another great card that allows us to search for any land card, not just basic Plains

This tutor is especially useful for finding specific utility lands that can help our plan of attack quickly move forward. Because of this special fetch ability, even mid to late-game, Weathered Wayfarer is rarely a dead card draw.

 

Eternal Dragon and Timeless Dragon

These beefy white dragons not only rule the skies over the battlefield, but can also plainscycle when needed, effectively tutoring for a Plains card (not a basic, just a Plains!) AND can be brought back from the graveyard in different ways.

Eternal Dragon is a 5/5 flyer for 2 white and 5 colorless mana, plainscycles for 2 colorless, and can be returned to your hand from your graveyard during your upkeep for 2 white and 3 colorless.

Timeless Dragon is a 5/5 flyer for 2 white and 3 colorless mana, so significantly easier to cast as a creature. It plainscycles for 2 colorless as well. It's graveyard ability is Eternalize, allowing us to exile it from our graveyard and create a copy on the battlefield that's a 4/4 black zombie dragon token.

Other White Land Fetch Tutors

White has a few other cards that can search for basic or non-basic Plains lands.

These cards include Knight of the White Orchid (Plains card, doesn't have to be a basic,) and Kor Cartographer (Plains again, not necessarily basic.)

These kinds of tutors are great for ensuring that we have enough mana and can find specific Plains utility lands such as Mistveil Plains. For multi-colored decks there are some multi-colored lands that are Plains that it can fetch as well.

MTG Mistveil Plains card

Search for Glory

MTG Search for Glory card

Search for Glory is a newer card from the Kaldheim set that allows us to search for a snow permanent, a legendary card, or a saga card and put it into our hand.

You also gain life for any snow mana used to cast this tutor. For a 3 mana value, this is an exceptionally useful tutor in white, especially if you can employ some snow strategies that are one of the lesser used special abilities.

 

Open the Armory

MTG Open the Armory card

Open the Armory is another card that allows us to search for equipment, but with the added ability of being able to search for an aura instead.

Due to the dual usage, this tutor can be employed in both equipment and enchantment decks.

Specialized white tutors can be extremely powerful in mono white decks.

Whether we need to find specific lands, legendary cards, snow permanents, auras, or equipment, these cards can help us ensure that we have what we need to win the game.

 

White Tutors in Different Formats

a person standing on the precipice of a valley, looking across a river at some mountain peaks

Each format has its own legal sets, and some tutors are more useful than others depending on the format, or may not even be legal. Let's take a look at some of the best white tutor cards for different formats.

Commander Format

In Commander, white has access to some of the best tutor cards in the game. Enlightened Tutor and Land Tax are two of the most popular white tutors in Commander. The former for the instant speed artifact or enchantment card on top of your deck, and the latter due to the format playing into the card's upkeep check.

Another great white tutor card for Commander is Recruiter of the Guard. This card allows you to search your library for a creature card with toughness 2 or less and put it into your hand. This can be useful for finding a specific creature for your current situation.

 

Modern and Legacy

In Modern and Legacy, white doesn't have quite as many tutor options as it does in Commander. However, there are still a few cards that can be useful. Stoneforge Mystic is a popular white tutor in both formats. This card allows you to search your library for an equipment card and put it into your hand. This can be useful for equipment decks or if you have equipment that can serve as a win condition.

Another good white tutor for Modern and Legacy is Ranger of Eos. This card allows you to search your library for two creature cards with mana cost 1 or less and put them into your hand. This can be useful if you're playing a white weenie deck and need to refill your hand, or if you have small creatures that are viable options for the current board state.

MTG Ranger of Eos card

White has access to some of the best tutor cards in Magic: The Gathering.

Whether you're playing Commander, Modern, or Legacy, or any of the other formats, there are several white tutor cards that can help you find the cards you need to win the game.

stacks of white cards

What white tutor have you gotten the most use out of and why? Let us know in the comments.

Need the best tutors for a different color deck? Our write-up on mono blue tutors can be found here, mono black tutor cards are here, mono red here, and mono green here. The best tutor cards with no color identity can be found here.

Check out our write up on the best white card draw options, and the top 100 mono white commanders!

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All cards are copyright Wizards of the Coast and many above images and symbols are copyright or trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC (now a subsidiary of Hasbro.)

Bryan - MCM
Author: Bryan - MCM

Magic player since Revised in 94. Still remember opening boosters of Revised, the Dark, and Arabian Nights as a kid. Watching it be a big deal (and then let down) when Fallen Empires dropped. Then Magic got it right again and really took off. While the current state of Wizards is debatable, I still enjoy playing with friends and my kids. I don't do tournaments much these days but I've played Draft, Sealed, Standard, Extended (not a thing anymore,) Pre-Release, Grand Prix, States Qualifiers, and Teams tournaments. Though I'm not a judge, I'm the one the friends turn to when there's a rules question, and if I don't know it, I find it. Please, ask me anything, comment on posts, and share Magic with your friends and family!

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