Prismatic Lens

Prismatic Lens Card

Prismatic Lens is a 4 Mana Cost Epic Paladin Spell card from the The Boomsday Project set!

Card Text

Draw a minion and a spell from your deck. Swap their Costs.

Flavor Text

Mined exclusively from the dark side of the moon.

Prismatic Lens Card Review

This card is a real deck building challenge. Drawing 2 cards for 4 mana is pretty bad, but it’s not the end of the world. So for it to be a good card, the secondary effect needs to work. It always draws a spell and a minion, and it swaps their mana cost. Which means that there are two ways to make this card work.

First is playing cheap spells and expensive minions. Playing this might let’s say draw your 1 mana Blessing of Might and Tirion Fordring, then switch their mana costs. You will have a 1 mana Tirion and 8 mana buff. You obviously drop Tirion as soon as possible, out-tempoing your opponent and possibly winning the game.

And second is playing cheap minions and expensive spells. If you build an Aggro deck with lots of 1-3 mana minions, and then put some more expensive spells like Spikeridged Steed or Dinosize, then you will end up with a cheap buff and an expensive minion. Something like a 1 mana Dinosize can carry the game easily, meaning that it also makes lots of sense.

That said, I’m not sure if those decks will be good enough. You’re limiting yourself, not to mention that you need to draw this card in the first place. That’s why this card is pretty much impossible to rate correctly right now, it might take week for people to figure out which builds it goes into. Maybe something like a Secret Paladin with some expensive minions? Or Spiteful Paladin running only big spells like Dinosize and possibly even Kangor's Endless Army (while making it a Mech deck)? Hard to say. But I like the cards that aren’t very obvious, and this has some solid potential.

Card rating: 7/10

Leave a Reply

58 Comments

  1. Spike2the9th
    September 20, 2019 at 11:04 AM

    10/10 for the Pink Floyd reference.

  2. Kapy
    August 1, 2018 at 9:12 AM

    5/5 for design!

    What a great card design! We are used to 3 mana draw 2, this costs 1 extra mana but allows great deck experimentations: Cost reductions and specific card search!

    It allows all kinds of funny ideas like a murloc zoo deck with cheap “Anything Can Happen.” This card is defenitely a risky release but I am happy it exists! I don’t think it will generally be oppressive!

    Evaluation: Drawing 2 is generally worth less than 3 mana. So the difference of the mana costs of the drawn cards must be at least 2 or Arcane Intellect is strictly better besides the specific draw.

    If the difference of the mana costs is at least 4 you effectively don’t lose any tempo in terms of mana and get some extra value. (Keep in mind that this “extra value” is now a hyper-trash-tier card that you mostly won’t play until you run out of your other cards)
    Also the cost reduction might enable certain combos!

  3. Xix
    August 1, 2018 at 5:52 AM

    It’s here! The secret BIG paladin we all been waiting for!

  4. Single shot
    July 31, 2018 at 11:11 PM

    THIS IS CRAZY USE THIS IN A PRINCE LIAM DECK AND HAVE THE ONLY SPELLS BE THOSE MAKE YOUR MINIONS 10/10S THIS IS MAD

    • OlafBiggles
      August 1, 2018 at 12:39 AM

      This is also a spell..

      • Spiderhaz
        August 3, 2018 at 1:00 PM

        Yeah but a 4 mana lich king ain’t bad

  5. JKoala
    July 31, 2018 at 4:35 PM

    Polymorph, Hex, BGH, Execute/Shield Slam, SW: Death, Naturalize, Deadly Shot/ Hunter’s Mark, Equality/the new 5mana Equality, Vilespine Slayer/Sap (lul), Voodoo Doll, Poisonous guys, debuffs, silences, any other minion on board, any other source of damage or removal…
    Sure it is a good and original tool but not as good as you guys think.
    If the mana cost was 2 or 3, the impact on board would be game winning. This way you’ll get a big cheap minion (big guy or buffed) un turn 5…

    • BobDob
      July 31, 2018 at 6:08 PM

      You’re looking at it the wrong way it’s much harder for you to draw a big minion and cheap spell than vice versa. Paladin doesn’t have enough quality cheap spells to make that remotely viable. It’s more likely to be used the other way around with a cheap minion and a big spell. Think Aggro Paladin with Dinosize. You have a bunch of cheap sticky minions and then a cheap spell that gives a 10 damage burst.

      • JKoala
        August 1, 2018 at 8:19 AM

        A big minion on turn 5… Which can be deleted with all those cards mentioned.
        Two of those at turn 6 in the very best possible scenario.
        Only including 4-6 “big spells” in the whole deck and cutting a lot of good tools.
        As I said, a highly overrated card. Maybe fun, maybe a bit useful in aggro decks, but not definetely something to make a deck around. And the text invites you to do so.

  6. JKoala
    July 31, 2018 at 4:21 PM

    Sure you can create an aggressive deck with small guys and strong spells.
    Maybe an even Paly to just cheat your 1mana 1/1 dudes. And add Blessing of Kings, Dinosize, or Lay On Hands.
    But then, what? What will be the gameplan?
    Even in the best scenario, a turn 5 9/9 Boar will hit the enemy and then maybe just die. Keep in mind that this spell can give you a nice tempo play twice, as you can have just 2 copies of it. You can’t win a game with just two big guys that aren’t ever being played at turn 5 and 6. And you HAVE TO ENSURE the big effect cutting a lot of tools.
    As I said, an aggro deck with buffs could work, but then you have to add a lot of tech cards, i.e. Spellbreaker instead of Equality and such.
    If you could have like 4 copies of this, it would be a 6/5. I’m not sure about this card being a staple 3/5 at best.

  7. Jed
    July 31, 2018 at 3:34 PM

    Hah looks like a good bit of fun. Doesn’t seem to op, and combos with it can’t be too consistent. I think it’s pretty fair and will be fun to experiment with.
    4.5/5

  8. Harem For Baran
    July 31, 2018 at 2:55 PM

    This card reminds of the molten giant OTK paladin deck so it can be strong but a bit too inconsistent

  9. Sam
    July 31, 2018 at 2:12 PM

    Strap in boys looks like paladin Murloc is back (like it really went anywhere) this plus anyfin can make for some crazy insane plays you don’t really need spells in it other then anyfin and this

  10. Blitz
    July 31, 2018 at 2:01 PM

    This plus Kangor’s Endless Army.

    • Nope
      July 31, 2018 at 3:53 PM

      I think it’s even paladin running this plus dinosize. Easy flood, easy smork.

  11. Dd
    July 31, 2018 at 1:18 PM

    This works much better for big spells than for big dudes. You cannot build a paladin deck around big dudes only (if you have small ones you will have to get those out of the way to make the combo work) but you can build a deck around big spells I.e. dinozise, everyfin, etc.

  12. MilesTegF
    July 31, 2018 at 1:13 PM

    Nice card, i would play it maybe in some sort of secret paladin with many 1-4 mana spells that i don’t mind keeping overpriced in my hand and 3 or 4, 8-9-10 mana minions to play discounted on T5. Wait and see i guess but seems to me that it has great potential 4/5.

    • Sam
      July 31, 2018 at 2:14 PM

      Don’t think about dropping high minions for cheap think of dropping high spells for cheap ie anyfin Murloc will be insane with this

  13. Grosshokie
    July 31, 2018 at 1:05 PM

    I think the best way to use this could be some sort of murloc spiteful deck that only runs this and dinosize. You would usually be able to play a 3 mana or less dinosize.

    • TNTOutburst
      July 31, 2018 at 1:07 PM

      And anyfin can happen?

    • Killy
      July 31, 2018 at 2:02 PM

      But then your spiteful might give you a 4 drop.

      • TNTOutburst
        July 31, 2018 at 3:33 PM

        It might be worth it to have spiteful

  14. TNTOutburst
    July 31, 2018 at 12:56 PM

    4 mana draw a 1 mana dinosize. Holy crap this fits so well in odd paladin. It already had loads of cheap minions, and not many spells

  15. DavistheSavage
    July 31, 2018 at 12:52 PM

    Combo this with crystology- first pull out the one attack minions (maybe stonehill) then play this to get a discounted big guy, mayb otk with the pixie dude: first dude from last turn, then hero power, pixie, hero power, 1cost pixie, hero power

  16. TNTOutburst
    July 31, 2018 at 12:50 PM

    Malygos Paladin lmao

  17. Orasha
    July 31, 2018 at 12:39 PM

    I feel like it’s better to throw this into a deck which isn’t aiming to abuse it to avoid awkward low rolls. Like some sort of Midrange Paladin or Even Paladin, both of which would like more card draw.

    • Guyopt
      July 31, 2018 at 12:53 PM

      i think the best use of this is in midrange or spiteful deck which runs double dinosize and maybe the new legendary spell so you can cheat an early dinosize

  18. Omnitarian
    July 31, 2018 at 12:35 PM

    Clever idea for a card, and very worthy of experimenting. Call to Arms and Dinosize, along with Arcane Tyrant (you’ll have to play a few pricey spells anyway) and Happy Ghoul (best minion to make pricey)?

  19. Fierce Deity
    July 31, 2018 at 12:21 PM

    The big problem I see with this card is that while you do suddenly get a discounted tyrion or lich king or whatever, you also now a next to worthless spell in your hand. Or vice versa. And if you try to mitigate this by running closely costed cards, then this just becomes 4 mana draw 2, and I don’t know if that’s good enough to warrant using.

    • MockRock
      July 31, 2018 at 12:23 PM

      It MIGHT be good enough to just run 4 mana draw 2, Paladin isn’t a class that usually gets a ton of card draw and Druid, which is, regularly uses Branching Paths to draw 2. That being said, I think if you’re just looking for general card draw in Paladin, you play Crystology.

    • Azerea97
      July 31, 2018 at 12:26 PM

      I’d 100% take a 1-cost Lich King for an 8-cost Noble Sacrifice.

      • Jonnymeerkat
        July 31, 2018 at 12:42 PM

        Yeah, if you even just look at this as a “draw an expensive card and make it cheap,” it has potential to be a great card.

        The other card that is now expensive can simply not be played. It’s not even a wasted card unless you get through your whole deck, so it’s not going to be a problem most of the time.

  20. 5/5 barnes
    July 31, 2018 at 12:20 PM

    NO ONE suspects the 10 mana eye for an eye

  21. MockRock
    July 31, 2018 at 12:15 PM

    So is this intended for Secrets? Seems like the obvious choice, but even then, what minions are Paladins SERIOUSLY hoping to cheat out? A 1-mana Tirion is obviously very good, but you don’t really build decks in standard around just solid plays. Blackwald Pixie for some kind of OTK? The issue is that Paladin is a class that kind of has to run a lot of minions, so it’s really hard to use this for a specific minion combo in the way that, say, Priest could.

    Alternatively, you could run a ton of cheap mechs and Kangor’s Endless Army, which would both give you fuel and allow the army to come out quickly. Is that good enough to compete? Eh…not totally sure about that.

    In any case, it’s really hard to imagine this not seeing play, it’s card draw in a class that needs it with potentially very strong synergy, but I’m having a bit of trouble figuring out exactly what to do with it right now.

    • Jonnymeerkat
      July 31, 2018 at 12:43 PM

      When you say Blackwald Pixie OTK, are you meaning in combo with the death knight?

  22. OlafBiggles
    July 31, 2018 at 12:12 PM

    Maybe good in an aggro mech build with dinosize and kangors endless army? This seems to need a totally new build. If the 2 cards are very different in cost, 1 is amazing, the other is unplayable. To get value, need to have more than 4 mana between the spell and minion cost. If the costs are similar, a draw 2 for 4 is pretty rubbish.

    • Freddiemanson
      July 31, 2018 at 12:23 PM

      It’s not only draw 2 for 4. It’s draw one of your spells. And if you have few, it s : draw the spell you want and a minion and swap for 4. It’s far better.
      Maybe to have the legendary spell for sure !

      • OlafBiggles
        July 31, 2018 at 12:28 PM

        I just can’t see a viable build to make this add enough value for the 4 mana. For 3, I think it would see play. But for 4, I think it will see some experimentation, then stop being used..

    • Amethonys
      July 31, 2018 at 8:10 PM

      Even if you hit a 4 drop from this and kangors on turn 4 that is STILL a Kangors you can play two turns earlier which is ultimately a better call to arms. Are you going to have a lot of magnetized units by then? Probably not, but you cant look at it in a strictly “value” way since any discount on big cards means you can do much more with them in terms of combos.

      It’s better far sight since it basically guarantees what card gets drawn while also “filtering” out one of your low cost cards so you dont draw it later. This is definitely a zoo-ey/tempo card where you get out a early and cheap dinosize or kangors for refuel while MAYBE playing one copy of lay on hands for more draw since you cant run divine favor. Maybe run spiteful, but that adds a high risk mediocre reward for this since you definitely dont want to draw spiteful off this and 7 drops are fairly weak.

  23. Soup And Salad
    July 31, 2018 at 12:12 PM

    I can see Prismatic Lens being useful in deck that runs mostly secrets to cheat out stuff like The Lich King or Tirion. Plus, it could make a Call to Arms cost one or two in an aggressive Paladin.

    The applications of such a card are myriad, but such applications of it are going to be specific with a deck constructed around generally getting the sorts of discounts they’d want. On average though, you will be getting a decent discount on one of those cards.

    • DukeStarswisher
      July 31, 2018 at 12:23 PM

      So a four mana draw 2 with a possible mana cost reduction is excellent. Yes.

      But what about the 8 mana secret you now have? or the 5 mana righteous protector? Do you think that won’t matter and it can sit there in your hand the rest of the game?

      To me that seems like a pretty huge downside…

      • Soup And Salad
        July 31, 2018 at 12:43 PM

        You would be discounting tirion by seven mana for a cost of only four if you also drew a secret. In that case you’re gaining three mana’s worth of value on the turn when you drop it.

        Call to arms may have been a lesser example for a spell to get from this, but like Primordial Glyph, you’d be banking the mana on the card for later, which would give you a huge tempo swing for the cost of losing tempo on a turn that it might not have matter that much.

        The card that are going to stick around in your hand aren’t going to matter that much if you manage to get a big enough swing in with the card that did get discounted.

  24. Shadow Fairy
    July 31, 2018 at 12:11 PM

    I feel like Secret Paladin is coming back as a meme deck… That will ruin you day if you don’t expect a turn 3 Tirion (turn 2 if this is coined out)

    • OlafBiggles
      July 31, 2018 at 12:14 PM

      How do you play a tirion on t2 or t3 with this..?

      • sek
        July 31, 2018 at 12:21 PM

        Obviously this guy has an IQ of 200

        First you need to play against druid and go second.
        You expect Biology Project on turn 1 – so you want to keep Prismatic Lens in your opening hand.
        Tirion is of course your only minion – so that’s his rank 20 game-plan i guess.

        • DuneAvatar
          July 31, 2018 at 12:47 PM

          I legit laughed out loud reading this.

    • Shadow Fairy
      July 31, 2018 at 12:15 PM

      When you don’t even look at the mana cost…

  25. jason
    July 31, 2018 at 12:11 PM

    looks like fun

  26. Killyridols
    July 31, 2018 at 12:10 PM

    Tirion on turn five. I like the idea of secret Pally now. Only secrets and this for spells. There might just be enough support for a secret tempo Pally now.

  27. peak
    July 31, 2018 at 12:10 PM

    Compared with Arcane Intellect the value is quite good. You probably get to play a high-cost spell or minion for little mana cost and gain some tempo.

  28. Jansuko
    July 31, 2018 at 12:06 PM

    could run cheap spells and cheat out big minions. seems good

  29. Swayer
    July 31, 2018 at 12:04 PM

    hmm could be fun, I guess

  30. Pindead
    July 31, 2018 at 12:03 PM

    Mana cheat is always good