Confounding Conundrum MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Confounding Conundrum gives card advantage by impeding opponents’ multiple land plays, balancing the field.
  2. Restricts opponents’ mana acceleration, which is pivotal for decks that rely on quick land ramping.
  3. Alters the pace of instant-speed land-fetching, forcing thoughtful play and land management.

Text of card

When Confounding Conundrum enters the battlefield, draw a card. Whenever a land enters the battlefield under an opponent's control, if that player had another land enter the battlefield under their control this turn, they return a land they control to its owner's hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Confounding Conundrum disrupts your opponents’ plans by preventing them from capitalizing on strategies that involve playing multiple lands. This disruption can translate into card advantage for you, as it can cause your opponents to discard down to their maximum hand size if they can’t play out their lands efficiently.

Resource Acceleration: This card indirectly affects resource acceleration by limiting how quickly your opponents can develop their mana base, potentially keeping you ahead in the race for mana resources. While it doesn’t directly speed up your own land drops, it ensures a more level playing field, especially against deck types that aim to ramp quickly.

Instant Speed: Though Confounding Conundrum is not an instant itself, it influences the timing of spells. Opponents may be reluctant to play instant speed land-fetching spells with Confounding Conundrum on the field, as it could force them to bounce a land back to hand, effectively negating the benefit of fetching at instant speed. This changes the tempo of the game and how your opponent can utilize their spells at different phases.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Confounding Conundrum doesn’t have a discard clause, its controlling aspect can indirectly force players to jettison lands back to their hand, which without further plays, could result in having to discard at the end of turn due to hand size limits.

Specific Mana Cost: This card has a specific mana cost, requiring both blue and generic mana, which means it’s naturally a better fit for blue-centric or multi-color decks, potentially restricting it from mono-colored or colorless strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a two mana value, there might be expectations of an immediate impact. However, Confounding Conundrum’s ability is more situational, potentially resulting in a card that occupies a slot without affecting the board immediately, compared to other two-mana spells that could provide instant advantage or disruption.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Confounding Conundrum card is a solid addition to any collection due to its flexible nature. It can be included in a variety of deck types, particularly those aiming to disrupt opponents’ manabase strategies. Its ability to hinder opponents who rely on ramping can be a game-changer.

Combo Potential: This card has synergy with land bounce effects, allowing for interesting play interactions. It can be an integral part of a deck that seeks to create combos by punishing opponents for playing multiple lands or searching their library for lands.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames where land ramp decks are prevalent, Confounding Conundrum can serve as an effective countermeasure. By limiting opponents’ land plays, it provides a tactical edge in matches where tempo and resource control are crucial.


How to beat

Confounding Conundrum is a crafty enchantment in MTG that has challenged players to rethink their strategies when it comes to land plays. Resolving a Confounding Conundrum on the field means that any opponent who dares to get greedy with land drops will find themselves set back, as they’re compelled to return a land to their own hand when a second one comes into play on their turn.

To effectively overcome this conundrum, a straightforward approach is the dismantling of enchantments. Casting cards like Naturalize or Disenchant can swiftly rid the board of this nuisance. Another tactful play is to limit land ramp strategies or adjust your strategy by only playing one land per turn to evade the trigger. In addition, incorporating cards that allow land plays on opponents’ turns, bypassing the Conundrum’s effects, can be a subtle yet powerful counterplay.

Admittedly, this card adds a complex layer to the game, encouraging a more thoughtful land play. While it can put a damper on aggressive ramp decks, a prepared player with the right countermeasures can work around, if not directly dispel, the boundaries set by Confounding Conundrum.


BurnMana Recommendations

Confounding Conundrum is a nuanced piece in the MTG puzzle that beckons players to think strategically about land deployment. Our recap shows how it levels the playing field against ramp-heavy adversaries and creates an environment ripe for victory. With a card that’s as much about psychological play as it is about the physical board, you’ve got a tool that’s versatile, combo-friendly, and metagame-aware. Enhance your collection’s dynamism and refine your tactics against land-focused strategies. Eager to twist the game in your favor? Dive deeper with us and discover more ways to ensnare your opponents in your tactical web.


Cards like Confounding Conundrum

Confounding Conundrum is a unique enchantment in Magic: The Gathering, part of a niche but potent category that impacts land plays. It is often compared to cards like Aven Mindcensor, which also regulates an opponent’s ability to search their library, albeit with a focus on lands fetched from the library rather than those played from the hand. While Confounding Conundrum doesn’t outright block searches, it discourages opponents from accelerating their mana base excessively.

Another akin card is Root Maze, which affects how and when lands and artifacts can be utilized by forcing them to enter the battlefield tapped. This shares Confounding Conundrum’s disruption theme but applies a broader sweep. Where Confounding Conundrum specifically targets the action of playing an additional land, Root Maze slows down each individual land or artifact play, potentially impacting the tempo from the very first turn.

Assessing Confounding Conundrum’s place in the landscape of MTG strategies, it stands out as a tool against ramp-focused decks. It offers a control element that is subtle yet can be highly disruptive against players seeking to explode their mana base with multiple land plays in a single turn.

Aven Mindcensor - MTG Card versions
Root Maze - MTG Card versions
Aven Mindcensor - Future Sight (FUT)
Root Maze - Tempest (TMP)

Cards similar to Confounding Conundrum by color, type and mana cost

Copy Artifact - MTG Card versions
Invisibility - MTG Card versions
Power Leak - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Terrain - MTG Card versions
Creature Bond - MTG Card versions
Stasis - MTG Card versions
Lifetap - MTG Card versions
Power Artifact - MTG Card versions
Psychic Venom - MTG Card versions
Venarian Gold - MTG Card versions
Homarid Spawning Bed - MTG Card versions
Soar - MTG Card versions
Flooded Shoreline - MTG Card versions
Dance of Many - MTG Card versions
Teferi's Veil - MTG Card versions
Legacy's Allure - MTG Card versions
Chill - MTG Card versions
Buoyancy - MTG Card versions
Mana Maze - MTG Card versions
Psionic Gift - MTG Card versions
Copy Artifact - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Invisibility - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Power Leak - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Phantasmal Terrain - Invasion (INV)
Creature Bond - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Stasis - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Lifetap - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Power Artifact - Antiquities (ATQ)
Psychic Venom - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Venarian Gold - Legends (LEG)
Homarid Spawning Bed - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Soar - Mirage (MIR)
Flooded Shoreline - Visions (VIS)
Dance of Many - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Teferi's Veil - Weatherlight (WTH)
Legacy's Allure - Tempest (TMP)
Chill - Tempest (TMP)
Buoyancy - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Mana Maze - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Psionic Gift - Odyssey (ODY)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Confounding Conundrum MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Zendikar Rising Promos, 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 Confounding Conundrum and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Confounding Conundrum Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2020-09-25 and 2020-09-25. Illustrated by Bryan Sola.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 838282015normalblackBryan Sola
22020-09-25Zendikar Rising PromosPZNR 53p2015normalblackBryan Sola
32020-09-25Zendikar Rising PromosPZNR 53s2015normalblackBryan Sola
42020-09-25Zendikar RisingZNR 3262015normalblackBryan Sola
52020-09-25Zendikar RisingZNR 532015normalblackBryan Sola

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Confounding Conundrum has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Confounding Conundrum card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2020-09-25 If an opponent has had no lands enter under their control and then two or more lands enter at the same time, Confounding Conundrum’s second ability triggers for each of those lands.
2020-09-25 The player may return any land they control to its owner’s hand, not just one of those that entered this turn.

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