Book of Specters
Book of Specters is a 2 Mana Cost Epic Mage Spell card from the The Witchwood set!
Card Text
Draw 3 cards. Discard any spells drawn.
Flavor Text
Known throughout the land as the Spooky-nomicon.- Mana Cost: 2
- Crafting Cost: 400 / 1600 (Golden)
- Arcane Dust Gained: 100 / 400 (Golden)
- Rarity: Epic
- Class: Mage
- Card Type: Spell
- School: Shadow
- Set: The Witchwood
- Mechanics: Discard, Draw Cards
This is super good in the right deck
So no one commented yet that this does not discard Mage Hero cards. Just saying because that makes it a lot better with the future prospects of there being more Mage Hero cards that can be easily drawn with a 2 mana card in a 80%-90% creature deck given that the right creatures i put into the deck.
People say that discarding a spell is bad. A deck who plays this doesent care if you discard 1 spell and draw 2 couse they know that will hapen alot of times. They might run couple of spells to help the deck. But saying this card is bad becouse it discards a card. 2 mana draw 2 or even 3 is really good.
This, Would. Have. Been. A. Half. Decent. SHAMAN. SPELL.
Mother. F***ing. BLIZZARD!
every mage deck needs spells. every one of them.
this card is 1/5 easy.
Haven’t seen the new mage legendary or spiteful summoner? Lol
Spiteful doesn’t really work with two 2 mana spells though.
3.0 * only? What’s wrong with this community?
Looks underwelming, but is very good.
This makes quest mage a lot faster. In a combo deck you draw many cards, because you want to get to your combo, but dont want to burn combo pieces. This card really mills your deck except of most of the minion based combo pieces.
So each book of specters is saying: Get to your win condition 3 turns faster for 2 mana.
It is almost beneficial to burn 3 spells for 2 mana and everything else is value.
So basically 24 card mages.
This might even push mage over the top in wild and definetly deminishes the need for ice block.
Quest Mage is reliant on molten reflection, and quest less exodus requires simulacrum.
So they can’t run this
Honestly could be played in aggro imo. Doesn’t burn aluneth=good enough
Lord of arena, but pretty bad in constructed
LUL wtf arcane buys 2 cards for 3 mana even if u discard 1 card this is better
I’m thinking a Midrange Elemental Mage would be decent?
I just thought of this and had to share, cause I think it’s funny:
From the strange minds of the Kobolds and Catacombs design team who thought no-minion hunter would be a good thing, comes the genius creation of no-spell mage. Calling it now: in future expansions we will see cards for a no-armor warrior, no-healing priest, and no-spell rogue.
That would be the most creative thing they’ve done in quite a while. You’re aiming so far above par that I don’t think they have this on the agenda.
Spiteful Mage? Could be insane, if that’s a viable deck.
spiteful using pyroblast both for its effect or a finisher if you get there, FLJ and an elemental package for “early” game together with minions that generate spells? might work
Except you don’t want a two-cost spell in your spiteful summoner deck, like at all. You’re then either waiting to draw both copies of this spell before you play spiteful, or risking having a very poor and crappy turn 6 when you play spiteful. Also, spiteful summoner decks want to be high tempo since you aren’t running any early game removal spells, and mage has very little minion-based tempo (see Stonekeep’s evaluation). Note: minion-based tempo. Mage, imo, currently does have some very high-tempo options, but those are very spell-dependent (medivh’s valet, kabal crystal runner, Kirin-Tor Mage, Explosive Runes, etc.)
Yeah, didn’t think that one all the way through. Also since you just want good curve-drops in Spiteful decks, draw isn’t super crucial.
you would only play one of this anyway, this card is simply not good enough to play two anyways
What if Spiteful draws this instead of Pyroblast? I mean, it would be funny if Spiteful summoned Doomsayer.
I can see this in a total no spell Mage deck. Ghastly Conjurer, Shimmering Tempest, and Steam Surger, are just prime examples of this. Provided, of course, one’s timing is on the mark. This card is more like Tracking from Hunter, select one card and discard the other two. I hate doing that, really, hate that, but unlike Tracking, this card discards all spells. In a Spell driven deck, this card will not work, no matter what one does to make it work. However, using the minions I mentioned could do it, that’s if, and a BIG if, they release more minions in the future that have the ability to give off a spell. Ghastly gives off “Mirror Image” with it’s battle cry, while Shimmering Tempest gives off a spell when killed off. Steam Surger, the same, but only if an Elemental is played prior to playing Surger. So, Mage needs more cards like those to make this card work in a Spell-less driven deck. Otherwise, play it, and hope one does not lose the spell like Fireball, which could make or break, a game. I give this card 1 star, and I’m betting Killbin will do the same in his reviews.
this card could be good maybe in wild with mech mage or even elemental mage like someone was saying in standard. Who knows maybe dragon mage will come back big deal you discard maybe 1 card if your ratios make sense but you get the stuff you need to activate other dragon abilities or whatever. People are wrong on this one
Maybe, maybe not. It just depends, on whether or not, they’re going to release more cards that give off spells like Ghastly Conjurer, or Steam Surger, or Shimmering Tempest. With cards that give off spells, this card would be absolutely phenomenal, and it would fit like a glove. Otherwise, nope, it won’t see play in other Mage decks, unless it’s Mech or Dragon. I can see a dragon Mage, sure, but provided there are big spells to make Alanna Dragoncaller work for such a deck, then no. Alanna needs those Pyroblasts, Flame strikes, etc., to make it work. This card would only hinder such a deck, unless all the cards have, “If you’re holding a Dragon.” Then yes, this card will absolutely work without a doubt. Still, this card is trash to me.
Can’t wait to see a Dollmaster Dorian > Double Book of Specters into Antonidas, Rhonin, and Sorceror’s apprentices (preferably on the first Book to reduce the second), into kill your own Rhonin and cast Arcane Missiles, getting three free Fireballs and a full hand of minions x3
Then again, that’s the absolute best scenario (probably not THE best, but close to it) with this card; generally, you’d want to run this in a minion-heavy deck (Mech Mage, Elemental Mage, etc.). Should be of note that this does NOT discard Jaina (Hero Card =/= spell), so Elemental Mage could have some fun.
This card is pretty solid in elementals mage.
WILD MECH MAGE! Wow, I didn’t think they could do it, but this absolutely revives wild mech mage. You can even run Spiteful Summoner with very little spells.
Everyone saying this should be in another class, if it was in another class it would be OP. The point is that mage is generally spell heavy, and this card dare players to try and make an interesting minion based spell deck. Maybe with dollmaster dorian, or some sort of aggro mage? Perhaps it will have its place as one of the center pieces in a decent tier 2 or 3 deck.
4/5
Elemental Mage…? Anybody…?
Card draw is the main flaw of the archetype. Maybe, this is one of the tools that it need to find a spot on the meta.
No, the problem with elemental mage (And elemental decks in general) is that they’re extremely low tempo turn-by-turn. The majority of elementals have the effect of have low impact and tempo this turn to possibly have higher impact or tempo next turn. Meaning elementals tend to have pretty low stats, and you’re hoping to make up for that with the effects of later elementals you play like blazecaller, Servant of Kalimos, or Steam Surger. And right now, the meta is still heavily centered around tempo, imo. Either pumping out the most stats you possibly can each turn (spiteful priest), try and remove your opponent’s stats until late game when you just constantly drop big stuff and shut down your opponent (Cube-lock which also has some high tempo plays, i.e. 6-mana: heal for 8, summon two doomguards) or keep developing while removing your opponent’s threats (Secret Mage).
Awesome card.
Would require a lot of other, at least half as decent cards, to be released. I would require them to be elementals.
Nevertheless, great card in a class that can’t really use it.
Same to you, Blizzard. Same to you.
elemental mage my dudes.
Really Nice design and artwork !! It s pushing us to create new archtype. 4/5
And it s not Forbidden to play spells with this card. If you play 1/3 spells you draw 2 cards for 2 wich is insane !!!
Remember mech mage?
I still run one in wild – I think the only spells I have in it are Arcane Intellect and Fireball – so that’s the Arcane Intellects swapped out then 😀
Rating this card is hard. We need to see if there is support for a minion-based mage deck, although i doubt there will ever be one. The effect per se is good
I really don’t understand the hate on this card. Surely it doesn’t slot right into every mage deck in standard, but I think it’s a very neat design. The card would be absolutely broken in most other classes and gives us a reason to brew unconventional mage decks.
This is a great card. Overall its just outstanding card while taking mages main identity away.
It might spawn a new mage archetype due to being insanely strong, lets see.
this card is very good. one of the best in the set.
you can have spells in your deck and drawing 2 is fine. mage needs card draw.
Meme deck alongside dollmaster dorian?
Mage already has Arcane Intellect and Aluneth, no room for this one.
because they have other options involving card draw doesn’t mean this one won’t see play, maybe arcane intellect will see less play after release
Hmm well my first thought is that it would cast because it doesn’t say instead so if you look at the stack it would be this draws deck of wonders, then deck of wonders activates and resolves, then it is discarded. I think it would be like polymorph potion on a battlecry minion. Who knows though.
i don’t like incentives to not play spell, like spiteful summoner, but can be a very good card in a play on curve deck
No spell mage?
It will be tried, and found guilty of being a terrible deck
1.5/5
Wow could this card lead to a spitefull summoner minion based tempo mage? Only having 2x pyro blast, and this? It’s like a 50% roll to get a 10 mana cost for spitefull, however you will keep one of these in your muligan hand, so it’s like a 66% chance to get a 10 mana cost.
Now the only thing that mage needs to make this deck work is: a 4 mana 3-3 elemental that deals 3 damage to everything else if your holding an elemental! XD (or in the elemental case if you played a elemental previous turn. Kind of shows that dragon synergie is alot easyer than elemental syn)
How does it interact with deck of wonders?
I was curious about this too….
Stonekeep? pro opinion?
maybe good in wild mech mage but not suitable for standartformat atm.. minion heavy mage deck equal to commit suicide
This would have been great in my meme Discardlock deck! Instead they give this to a class that is spell reliant and also has Arcane Anomaly??? WTF? I guess it is so that Even Mage has card draw? Even then, horrible card imho. 1.5/5 stars and the extra 0.5 is in case you want to run Even Mage.
*Arcane Intellect, not Arcane Anomaly!
I think this is a good card in a minion heavy tempo Mage deck. It is an amazing cheap draw tool for that kind of a deck. Even if you discard like a frost bolt, for 2 you are drawing 2. That’s still very good for only one card slot. A deck that would rather not run Aluneth would want this card. Though I am skeptical if such a mage deck would exist in the Witchwood meta. I think this is a good card.
Wow, I don’t know why, but I’m loving this card design.
So unconventional for mage and opens up many possibilities <3
Find those legendaries fast. Insane spell in the right deck.
5/5
So baaaaaaad
This should be insane in arena.
Wow, that is a very strange card for mage
Why? I could be draw 2 minions and discard 1 spell, thats meh…
2.5/5
I mean that is still arcane intellect for 2.
Dustwood
2 mana draw 3? Dust?
3 cards but you discard the good ones. A lot of decent mage minions are rotating out too. Maybe works in elemental but discard Jania and game over
Jaina’s not a spell right? She’s a hero card .
Jaina is not a spell, she won’t be discarded.
Jaina isn’t a spell mate