Prismatic Geoscope MTG Card
2016-11-11 - Number 55
2016-11-16 - Number 71
2017-01-01 - Number 6
2020-09-26 - Number C16-55
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Artifact |
| Abilities | Domain |
Text of card
Prismatic Geoscope enters the battlefield tapped. Domain — : Add X mana in any combination of colors to your mana pool, where X is the number of basic land types among lands you control.
Cards like Prismatic Geoscope
Prismatic Geoscope is a unique mana acceleration artifact in Magic: The Gathering. Its primary comparison is to the familiar mana rock, the Gilded Lotus, which also provides an impressive mana boost. Prismatic Geoscope has the potential to tap for no less than five mana of any color combination, provided you control a land of each basic type. On the other hand, Gilded Lotus offers a consistent three mana of a single color regardless of your land base.
Likewise, Chromatic Lantern is another staple mana fixer that cannot be ignored. It not only provides one mana of any color but also grants your lands the flexibility to produce mana of any color as well. This can be particularly helpful in multi-colored decks. However, the Lantern lacks the explosive mana potential that Prismatic Geoscope holds. Lastly, looking at the Thran Dynamo, while it can’t provide colored mana, it does offer a reliable four colorless mana, which is significant in the earlier stages of the game or in decks less focused on color diversity.
Ultimately, while each artifact shines in its utility and deck synergy, Prismatic Geoscope stands out in decks that skillfully manage their land bases, maximizing its potential by providing a substantial boost in mana resources of any color.
Cards similar to Prismatic Geoscope by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Prismatic Geoscope enters the battlefield offering a nifty way to potentially elevate your card advantage if you’re employing a multicolored strategy. It can tap for one mana of any color for each type of basic land you control, potentially offering a rainbow of options to cast various spells, helping you utilize your cards more efficiently.
Resource Acceleration: This card shines in decks with a diverse mana base, granting you access to significant resource acceleration. By tapping for multiple colors of mana at once, it aids in deploying your more demanding multicolored spells sooner than expected, keeping you ahead in the mana race.
Instant Speed: While Prismatic Geoscope itself might not operate at instant speed, its mana generating capability enables you to keep open the necessary resources to cast spells at instant speed, thus maintaining flexibility and the element of surprise during the game, especially useful in formats where quick reactions are crucial.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Despite not requiring a discard upon casting, Prismatic Geoscope’s effectiveness is contingent on the diversity of lands you have in play, potentially turning it into a dead draw if your mana base isn’t diverse enough.
Specific Mana Cost: While Prismatic Geoscope doesn’t demand a particular mana for casting, its high activation cost of five generic mana can be a hurdle, especially in a game where tempo plays a crucial role.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an imposing cost of five mana to put onto the battlefield, this card competes with other mana rocks and ramp options. Early in the game, when mana acceleration is key, there might be more efficient alternatives to consider for your deck construction.
Reasons to Include Prismatic Geoscope in Your Collection
Versatility: Prismatic Geoscope is a dynamic addition to your arsenal, able to tap for a multitude of colors, making it an excellent fit for multicolored decks craving a reliable mana base.
Combo Potential: This card has significant synergy with strategies that reward the presence of lands or domain abilities. Integrating it with landfall mechanics or cards that check for different land types can enhance your plays exponentially.
Meta-Relevance: With multicolor decks frequently surfacing in the competitive landscape, Prismatic Geoscope’s ability to scale its mana production makes it a strategic option against the ever-shifting metagame.
How to beat
Prismatic Geoscope is an intriguing mana acceleration artifact in Magic: The Gathering. It enters the battlefield tapped and has an ability to generate one mana of any color for each type of basic land you control. While this card can be a boon for multicolored decks, it’s not without its counters. Successfully mitigating the impact of Prismatic Geoscope involves hindering your opponent’s ability to use different land types effectively or removing the artifact before it can be leveraged for substantial mana gains.
Artifact removal spells like Naturalize or Disenchant can directly address Prismatic Geoscope, nullifying it as a threat swiftly. Alternatively, land control strategies can stifle the card’s utility, with cards like Blood Moon transforming all nonbasic lands into Mountains, which limits the diversity of lands and by extension, the mana production of Prismatic Geoscope. Controlling the pace of the game to prevent your opponent from establishing a range of basic land types can also be a key tactic. This ensures the Geoscope’s maximum potential is never realized, keeping your adversary’s mana pool and their options more manageable.
While Prismatic Geoscope has the potential to be a powerhouse in the right setting, a combination of smart removal and strategic land control can keep its impact to a minimum, allowing you to maintain the upper hand.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Prismatic Geoscope MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2016 and Treasure Chest, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Prismatic Geoscope and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
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- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
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- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Prismatic Geoscope Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2016-11-11 and 2017-01-01. Illustrated by Steven Belledin.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-11-11 | Commander 2016 | C16 | 55 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steven Belledin | |
| 2 | 2016-11-16 | Treasure Chest | PZ2 | 71 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steven Belledin | |
| 3 | 2017-01-01 | Judge Gift Cards 2017 | J17 | 6 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steven Belledin | |
| 4 | The List | PLST | C16-55 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steven Belledin |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Prismatic Geoscope has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Prismatic Geoscope card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2016-11-08 | How many lands you control of a particular basic land type is irrelevant to a domain ability, as long as that number is greater than zero. As far as domain is concerned, ten Forests are the same as one Forest. |
| 2016-11-08 | Most nonbasic lands don’t have basic land types, even if they produce colored mana. For example, Caves of Koilos is neither a Plains nor a Swamp. |
| 2016-11-08 | Prismatic Geoscope can’t produce colorless mana. |
| 2016-11-08 | Some nonbasic lands do have basic land types. Domain abilities don’t count the number of lands you control—they count the number of basic land types among lands you control, even if that means checking the same land twice. For example, if you control a Tundra, a Blood Crypt, and a Forest, you’ll have a Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest among the lands you control. Your domain abilities will be maxed out. |
| 2016-11-08 | The colors of mana that Prismatic Geoscope can produce aren’t related to the specific basic land types among lands you control. For example, if you control a Plains and an Island, you can activate Prismatic Geoscope’s ability to add to your mana pool. |
| 2016-11-08 | To determine the number of basic land types among lands you control, look for the Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest subtypes among the lands you control. Count each subtype that appears one or more times toward the number of basic land types among lands you control. This number can’t exceed five. |
| 2016-11-08 | You can activate Prismatic Geoscope’s mana ability if you have no basic land types among lands you control, but it won’t produce any mana. |