confusing rules the deck

[Hermes_]

born out of boredom and the off-topic thread, I figured we could come together to build the most confusing commander legal deck possible by the rules. Right now all we have are three cards and no commander.

EDIT: We're looking for mainly rules interaction confusion, not "I can't keep track of everything so I'm scooping" confusion

confusing rules

DecklistCMCManaPricesChartsDraw 7

General

1 Go-Shintai of Life's Origin

Lands

1 Island

1 Plains

Sorceries:

1 Fractured Identity

1 Dead Ringers

Enchantments (8)

1 Humility

1 Opalescence

1 Rest in Peace

1 .Athreos, Shroud-Veiled

1 Oblivion Ring

1 Copy enchantment

1 March of the Machines

1 Blood Moon

1 Living Plane

1 Takklemaggot

1 Dance of the Dead

1 Enchantment Alteration

1 Necromancy

Artifacts (4)

1 Sol Ring

1 Encroaching Mycosynth

1 mycosynth lattice

1 Ice Cauldron

1 Mirage Mirror

1 Crown of the Ages

Instants (2):

1 Winter's Chill

1 Cosmic Intervention

1 Camouflage

Creature (4):

1 Cryptoplasm

1 Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer

1 Mairsil, the Pretender

1 Clever Impersonator

1 Notion thief

1 Magus of the Moon

1 Ashaya, Soul of the Wild

1 Yedora, Grave Gardener

1 Dominating Licid

1 Lim-Dûl's Paladin

1 Ixidron

Approximate Total Cost:

[Hawk]

Someone in my playgroup was looking for a deck like this. Humility + Opalescence is an iconic pair that requires a PhD in nuclear magic physics to understand. A few other things I've considered are...

- Possibility Storm, Knowledge Pool, Eye of the Storm can make playing spells and managing the staff super crazy. Optionally, Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir/Teferi, Time Raveler, Rule of Law, etc., can let you lock the game with this stuff...but that's lockdown, not chaos!

- Grip of Chaos and Confusion in the Ranks are sort of the iconic chaos spells that break other casting and targeting rules.

Excited to see what else we come up with together!

[Mookie]

The most confusing game I ever played involved Grip of Chaos, Confusion in the Ranks, Hive Mind, and Eternal Dominion. So.... yeah.

That said, those cards are high on play complexity, but low on rules complexity. I'll throw out Calming Licid, Machine God's Effigy, and Myrkul, Lord of Bones as some complicated type-changing cards.

[pokken]

I don't think we want annoying to resolve (Grip of Chaos) so much as we want *confusing* to resolve.

Stuff like Dovescape and Confusion in the Ranks seems hilarious though. Forcing people to trade their doves for whatever over again.

I think a good way to approach this might be to start from complex concepts and go from there to cards. e.g. Humility is complicated because of (IIRC) Timestamps and Layers, so you want a bunch of things that act differently depending on when they enter relative to Humility.

A fun one I remember is Opalescence + Humility creates a lot of weird interactions. Gods turning off and on with humility is a weird one.

Timestamp effects are in general super confusing.

--

Another very confusing rule is when things enter the battlefield simultaneously how the triggers and effects are stacked. Multiple clones entering concurrently is a weird one to explain. Things cloning clones from the graveyard is fairly confusing.

Cryptoplasm is a pretty confusing card.

--

Cosmic Intervention's interaction with Rest in Peace is one that is super fun to explain. There are a number of things that behave counterintuitively with Rest in Peace like It That Betrays is one I recall.

In general *zone changing* is a weird weird rule...Athreos, Shroud-Veiled is a complicated card in that respect and Oblivion Ring is too.

Figuring out a way to get as many Oblivion Ring on the battlefield might be fun. Make Oblivion Ring a creature with Opalescence then Mystic Reflection to make all your tokens enter as Oblivion Ring seems fun

--

Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer is another general that creates weird states. Token copies of things that change types are bizarre and get wild.


Double faced cards and flipping behaviors are also fun to figure out

--

Stuff that behaves differently depending on active player/non activeplayer is also hilarious...multiple Opposition Agent and Notion Thief type effects.

[Moonlighter]

I'll submit Mairsil, the Pretender and any way to make him A) a planeswalker, or B) an "attachment." It's a good way to get bizarre.

[Dunharrow]

Clever Impersonator may not be a complex card but should serve this deck well


There is a lot of crazy stuff in this deck you should check out: https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the ... th-this-23
Soul Sculptor I remember having some cool interactions when you start changing card types.

[Hermes_]

I don't think we want annoying to resolve (Grip of Chaos) so much as we want *confusing* to resolve.

Stuff like Dovescape and Confusion in the Ranks seems hilarious though. Forcing people to trade their doves for whatever over again.

I think a good way to approach this might be to start from complex concepts and go from there to cards. e.g. Humility is complicated because of (IIRC) Timestamps and Layers, so you want a bunch of things that act differently depending on when they enter relative to Humility.

A fun one I remember is Opalescence + Humility creates a lot of weird interactions. Gods turning off and on with humility is a weird one.

Timestamp effects are in general super confusing.

--

Another very confusing rule is when things enter the battlefield simultaneously how the triggers and effects are stacked. Multiple clones entering concurrently is a weird one to explain. Things cloning clones from the graveyard is fairly confusing.

Cryptoplasm is a pretty confusing card.

--

Cosmic Intervention's interaction with Rest in Peace is one that is super fun to explain. There are a number of things that behave counterintuitively with Rest in Peace like It That Betrays is one I recall.

In general *zone changing* is a weird weird rule...Athreos, Shroud-Veiled is a complicated card in that respect and Oblivion Ring is too.

Figuring out a way to get as many Oblivion Ring on the battlefield might be fun. Make Oblivion Ring a creature with Opalescence then Mystic Reflection to make all your tokens enter as Oblivion Ring seems fun

--

Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer is another general that creates weird states. Token copies of things that change types are bizarre and get wild.


Double faced cards and flipping behaviors are also fun to figure out

--

Stuff that behaves differently depending on active player/non activeplayer is also hilarious...multiple Opposition Agent and Notion Thief type effects.

yeah, I clarified what kind of confusion we're looking for and I added some more cards. I think we're going to go with a 5c commander, so we either want one that's confusing to play or it doesn't matter kind of 5c commander.

[Dragonlover]

This isn't usually my jam, but I feel like Exchange of Words and stuff with mutate needs to go in.

Dragonlover

[pokken]

Mutate in general generates a lot of weird stuff

Q: What happens if everyone has a Notion Thief?

[Ink-Treader]

Mutate in general generates a lot of weird stuff

Q: What happens if everyone has a Notion Thief?

According to Gatherer, the person drawing a card chooses which opponent's Notion Thief applies, then that player does the same, choosing a Notion Thief that wasn't chosen this way, and so on until there are no more choices.

[Moonlighter]

Mutate in general generates a lot of weird stuff

Q: What happens if everyone has a Notion Thief?

According to Gatherer, the person drawing a card chooses which opponent's Notion Thief applies, then that player does the same, choosing a Notion Thief that wasn't chosen this way, and so on until there are no more choices.

That is completely disgusting.

[Ruiner]

Since this is probably going to end up being "Layers and Timestamps: The Deck", these cards probably end up fun with some of the other stuff you have included:
Blood Moon
Magus of the Moon
Ashaya, Soul of the Wild
Living Plane

Fractured Identity for a cheap way to give out multiple copies of something dumb.

[Hermes_]

Since this is probably going to end up being "Layers and Timestamps: The Deck", these cards probably end up fun with some of the other stuff you have included:
Blood Moon
Magus of the Moon
Ashaya, Soul of the Wild
Living Plane

Fractured Identity for a cheap way to give out multiple copies of something dumb.

added lol

Mutate in general generates a lot of weird stuff

Q: What happens if everyone has a Notion Thief?

you get smacked?, I also added it

as for commanders what do you all think of

Go-Shintai of Life's Origin you can recurre the enchantments but Kenrith, the Returned King can also add to the deck's confusion

[darrenhabib]

Ice Cauldron

[FetalTadpole]

Long ago I had a "confusing card text" 60 card casual deck. IIRC...
Takklemaggot
Dead Ringers
Browbeat OG text, "Do you have Browbeat?"
Ice Cauldron
Dance of the Dead
Lim-Dûl's Paladin (not that confusing but the size of the font makes it look like a YuGiOh card in paper)
Camouflage

[Brefin]

Yedora, Grave Gardener has dying morphs return as facedown forests, they can still be morphed up. Morphs also have the added value that they turn face up as a special action and can get around Split Second. It's always a Willbender.
Mirage Mirror being a copy effect and an activated ability can do weird things if activations are stacked, or you copy a Reliquary Tower while not owning the tower.
Dominating Licid is a pet card. Licids can become auras, and can hop off with a special action.
Natural Exile effects (ala Blinking) can override If it would leave play, exile it instead effects. So if something is returned with Whip of Erebos, then you can save it with Conjurer's Closet.
Crown of the Ages and Enchantment Alteration only target the aura itself. So can move it onto Hexproof and Shroud creatures. Similar can be done should you put an aura into play by any means other than casting it. For instance blinking or reanimating an aura.
Necromancy may not be explicitly confusing, but is wordy, and who doesn't love a card that in modern text has to refer to "the beginning of the next cleanup step".
Ixidron is a board wipe that I like. And also has the absolute trippiest "as this card enters the battlefield" effect. Plus doesn't hurt you so much if your deck is morph, tokens, or blink.

Sadly, I think only cards actively typed as Aura and Equipment can be attached. Though their attach costs could still be paid. I think the Licid ability formally turns it into an Aura. I learned this while digging up the rules of what happens if I mutate atop of a Rabbit Battery. Reconfigure only stops the creature from being a creature, it relies on itself otherwise being typed as an equipment to stay attached.

[Hermes_]

I've updated the list to reflect the new cards and added a commander

[darrenhabib]

• Illusionary Mask
• Word of Command
• Remove Enchantments
• Transmogrifying Licid
• Enchanted Evening
• Naked Singularity
• Reality Twist
• Conversion
• Glaciers
• Celestial Dawn
• Chaos Moon
• Contamination
• Damping Sphere
• Infernal Darkness
• Ritual of Subdual
• Spy Kit
• Cornered Market
• Worms of the Earth
• Biotransference
• Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth
• Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle

[darrenhabib]

Have fun keeping track of combat zones with multiple of these in play.

• Space Beleren
• Raging River
• Fight or Flight
• Stand or Fall
• Sorrow's Path
• Benalish Hero

Might as well add Attractions and Sticker into the mix as it will require explaining before the game starts, so even if the mechanics don't show up in a game, you can still confuse your opponents.
Myra the Magnificent and "Lifetime" Pass Holder are the best to get multiple triggers.
Command Performance to get the party started.
Park Bleater and Wicker Picker are the best for stickers.

I can help by selecting the 10 most "complicated" Attractions and Sticker sheets to add to the deck.
For example Hall of Mirrors can add some wacky interactions.

Also add "venture into the dungeon", Initiative and Monarch to add complexity to tracking.
Varis, Silverymoon Ranger, Dungeon Descent
White Plume Adventurer
Starscream, Power Hungry (just because of so much wording to card), Throne of the High City.

Daybound and Nightbound also a pain to keep track of.
Tovolar, Dire Overlord, Arlinn, the Pack's Hope just because I think adding transform mechanics causes further confusion.
Ixidron might have opponents scratching their heads.
Add Maskwood Nexus to transform non-transform cards. Then add Golden Guardian and Nicol Bolas, the Ravager to further test peoples knowledge.
Remember it's not about if you know the rules, feigning ignorance is the name of the game and let opponents figure out interactions of the deck. There is going to be a lot of Googling.

Trap the Trespassers so that the group has to figure out how to .. well secretly vote. No pen and paper? So many creatures on the table, I have to have a way to identify even a particular token creature? Damn you Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer!
Make sure that when you have Spy Kit equipped, that after voting is done, you go "oh so there are two with that name, guess we will have to vote again".

Wheel of Misfortune has been figured out pretty well now, but if you've never played this card it's confusing af. Also means you have to have a way of selecting an amount of numbers.