Doomsday Confluence | Illustration by Dominik Mayer
Hello Planeswalkers! Merriam-Webster defines confluence as… I hate it when papers or speeches start that way. In simple terms, confluence means to merge something. Regarding MTG, we’retalking about merging choices into a unique spell. Confluence spells are fascinating simply because of the variety of possibilities they offer.
Confluence cards are all about choices and understanding situations. If that doesn’t sound like the bedrock of any skilled MTG player, then I don’t know what is. So, let’s take a look at these incredibly interesting cycles of cards and dive into the vast possibilities.
What Are Confluences in MTG?
Verdant Confluence | Illustration by Kieran Yanner
Confluences are instant or sorcery spells that allow a caster to choose three effects from among three modes, and the same modes may be chosen more than once. Because of the combination nature of confluence cards, each spell has a total of 10 different possibilities when casting.
For example, the card Fiery Confluence can be utilized in many scenarios:
- Choosing the first mode three times, you can do 3 damage to each creature.
- Choosing the third mode once and the first mode twice, you can destroy an equipment attached to a creature and kill that creature if it has 2 toughness.
- And 8 other combinations to fit whatever best advantages you.
When we look at all of the confluence cards and their possibilities, the number of interactions and choices is astonishing. So, let’s dive into which confluences are the best and how they help you gain advantages.
Honorable Mention: The Variants
There are a few cards that play quite similarly to confluences, but fall just short of meeting the specific definition.
Rootcast Apprenticeship from Bloomburrow Commander has four modes to choose three effects from. This ups the number of possible combinations to 21.
Planewide Celebration from the War of the Spark set has four modes to choose four effects from, leading to 35 different possibilities.
Unite the Coalition from Dominaria United Commander has a whopping five modes with five choices, making a crazy 126 possible outcomes for this 5-color spell.
#13. Doomsday Confluence
Doomsday Confluence from the Doctor Who set has three modes and is a confluence in name, but a double X value number of choices. If you need help early, you may only have two choices. If you can build a large manabase, you’ll have a humongous number of possibilities to choose from. It scales a little bit differently than the other confluences and skirts the exact definition a little bit, but it's clearly meant to be part of the supercycle.
#12. Righteous Confluence
Righteous Confluence feels like it facilitates a few different white strategies, with consolation prizes for your extra choices. The enchantment removal is wonderful, and you can still make a creature while removing two permanents. Adding a few more tokens to your army is good, and you can gain life as insurance. Unlike the remaining confluences, Righteous Confluence only seems to give you one thing you want and maybe a little extra.
#11. Cosmium Confluence
Cosmium Confluence is a must-have for any cave deck. You can fetch killer cave cards like Forgotten Monument to ramp up your cave-based strategies. Making one big or a few decent-sized land creatures can avoid some removal spells. Outside of using a bunch of cave lands, this confluence isn’t worth having in your deck.
#10. Riveteers Confluence
Riveteers Confluence isn’t an overpowered confluence, but it has its value. The main use is as a one-sided board wipe that deals with opposing tiny creatures. Pulling a land from your graveyard is also a nice trick for many decks. Overall, this confluence has some good modes, but at this cost, it doesn’t totally excite me.
#9. Cabaretti Confluence
As one of the most expensive confluence cards, Cabaretti Confluence aims to generate a game-clinching swing. Just imagine copying and attacking with three copies of Vaultborn Tyrant! Even making two copies and giving your creatures first strike is wonderful for a massive swing. You can also add some enchantment or artifact hate if needed, or to clear your path.
#8. Obscura Confluence
Obscura Confluence, like the Obscura family, works in secret and conniving ways. I love the idea of turning up to three of my opponent's great creatures into 1/1 weenies, which is likely the card’s strongest mode. The connive ability is an ok card draw and pump option, and it could be interesting to return an opponent’s reanimation target to their hand, where they might not be able to cast it. Just a conniving idea for you.
#7. Verdant Confluence
Verdant Confluence plays its part in a green deck, usually in specific ways. The land fetch can be solid for landfall decks, or if you need to jump the curve from 6 to 9. Since this confluence returns a permanent, not just a creature, you have many more recursive options than other cards might offer. Of course, pumping your creatures is always good for smashing opponents!
#6. Wretched Confluence
Wretched Confluence has interesting interactions that support black decks. First off, the -2/-2 mode is so useful for getting around indestructible and dying effects like Heartfire Hero. Returning a creature to your hand can be great, but I like the idea of drawing cards or damaging an opponent with Sheoldred, the Apocalypse by making them draw.
#5. Maestros Confluence
Maestros Confluence works well in a multiplayer format like Commander. This card’s strength comes from the chaos created when you goad multiple opponents. If you need a more direct interaction, you can remove multiple threats with the -3/-3 mode. For your own uses, it could be quite valuable to return a mono-colored spell like Frantic Search or Mystic Confluence.
#4. Brokers Confluence
Brokers Confluence is the best of the New Capenna confluences. It has so much upside with the multiple proliferations or phasing out of creatures. Proliferating three times could be a game-changer, but removing your opponent's defenses by phasing them out could be a game-ender. If you’re in a bad position, this confluence could defend your creatures by phasing them out or countering abilities.
#3. Eldrazi Confluence
Eldrazi Confluence is an interesting colorless confluence that fits into many different decks. This card has a strong pump/removal mode, and the blink and Eldrazi Scion effects can be advantageous in certain builds and situations. Overall, this confluence is wonderful because it’s colorless and fits into so many different kinds of decks.
#2. Fiery Confluence
Fiery Confluence fits red strategies quite well as one of the cheapest confluences. At 4 mana, you could wipe the board of all creatures with toughness 3 or less, destroy three vital artifacts of an artifact-matters deck, or deal a massive 6 damage to each opponent. And these options are just if you choose the same mode three times. I like the flexibility for red strategies in this curve-friendly confluence card.
#1. Mystic Confluence
Mystic Confluence is a wonderful addition to blue control decks. This card works as a bounce spell, counterspell, or draw spell. These modes work well for responding on your opponent’s turns. This card can be quite powerful with cost reduction effects like Goblin Electromancer, prowess and magecraft cards like Archmage Emeritus, or a bit of both with Baral, Chief of Compliance.
Best Confluence Payoffs
Most of the confluence spells fit into their specific color strategies, but some cards benefit from many or any of these cards.
The most unique and probably interesting card to use with these confluence spells is Riku of Many Paths. This card triggers when multiple modes of a spell are selected. You can choose three more effects to pair on top of your choices for your confluence spell.
Confluence spells aren’t cheap, early-game spells, so you might need cost reduction or mana dork cards like Goblin Electromancer or Elvish Mystic. Hinata, Dawn-Crowned is especially interesting because it reduces the cost of your confluence for each of its targets.
Since these confluences are instants and sorceries, you can benefit from casting them with cards like Young Pyromancer, Archmage of Runes, and Double Vision.
Some solid Commanders that can use these confluence spells are Anhelo, the Painter, Gandalf of the Secret Fire, and Melek, Reforged Researcher.
Protect your confluence spells with cards like Lier, Disciple of the Drowned and Mistrise Village.
Do Confluences Count as Modal Spells?
Yes, the confluences are modal cards. Modal spells or abilities give a caster a choice of effects from a selection of modes when casting. The Confluence cards give a caster three choices from three modes, with repeating choices being okay. A bulleted list is the tell-tale sign that an instant or sorcery is a modal spell.
Is Eldrazi Confluence an Eldrazi Spell?
No, it is not. An Eldrazi spell has the Eldrazi subtype in addition to any other card type. Drownyard Behemoth is an Eldrazi creature, and Eldrazi Conscription is an Eldrazi enchantment. These cards are considered Eldrazi spells because of their Eldrazi subtype. Eldrazi Confluence does not have the Eldrazi subtype and is only an instant. It has Eldrazi in its name, but it is not considered an Eldrazi spell.
What Sets Have Confluences in Them?
There are two cycles of Confluence spells, plus a few individual Confluence cards from other sets:
- The original Confluences are from the Commander 2015 set. Many of the cards have been reprinted in later Commander sets.
- The Capenna Family Confluences are from the New Capenna Commander set.
- Cosmium Confluence is from the The Lost Caverns of Ixalan set.
- Doomsday Confluence is from the Doctor Who set.
- Eldrazi Confluence is from the Modern Horizons 3 Commander set.
Wrap Up
Mystic Confluence | Illustration by Kieran Yanner
And the confluence of information comes to an end. I hope you enjoyed and gained something from reading about these unique and interesting spells. There aren’t many confluence spells, but there's usually a different outcome each time you see them, and I think that’s wonderful. Let’s hope that another confluence block is released with even more interesting interactions.
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Stay safe and think through your decisions; they may just lead you to victory.
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