Muddle, the Ever-ChangingMuddle, the Ever-Changing | Art by Andrew Mar

There aren't many cards in the game that use the word muddle. In fact, there's exactly enough for me to make the "I'd have two nickels" joke. While I won't be discussing Muddle the MixtureMuddle the Mixture in this article, I will be talking about a new commander from Secrets of Strixhaven, Muddle, the Ever-ChangingMuddle, the Ever-Changing.

Muddle isn't the type of creature that I would normally build a deck around, but something about the combination of turning into another creature and having myriad, while being part Spellslinger, piqued my interest. Muddle has many ways to mix up a decklist, so follow along as I show you what I did to stir up boardstates.

Build Paths for Muddle, the Ever-ChangingMuddle, the Ever-Changing

As I mentioned, there are a few different ways that you can build Muddle, the Ever-Changing. One option is enter the battlefield (ETB) triggers, using something like PanharmoniconPanharmonicon. Or you could build Izzet Elementals due to Muddle's creature type. Maybe a deck focusing on cloning or copying Muddle and getting around the legend rule?

Regardless of how you build Muddle, there are two things every deck will need: instants and sorceries.

That includes, if you take the deck the way I built it, creatures that want to connect. This deck wants to do one thing and one thing only: hit the other players upside the noggin. But how are we doing it?

Creature Connection

Why focus on hitting the opponents? I didn't want to do a Panharmonicon deck because it's a tad boring, and Muddle offers a great path for just getting in damage. is full of cheap spells to trigger Muddle, and those cheap spells can often give evasion so that at least one of the creatures we turn sideways can connect. If we find a way to get in with more than one, great, but we have a plan.

Speaking of those cheap spells, this deck is full of them, and here are some of the favorites.

Distortion StrikeDistortion Strike is a classic from back when I played Modern Infect. The spell does exactly what we want by allowing Muddle to copy a creature and become unblockable. The best part is that on the next turn, we get to run this card back for free, thanks to rebound casting the spell from exile at no cost to us.

LeapLeap not only has some of the best art in the game, but it also has the three best words in the game printed on it: draw a card. Against some decks, flying is the same as unblockable, and for only a single , there's not much better than the classic.

If anything could challenge the previous card, Shadow RiftShadow Rift is up for the challenge. The shadow keyword is as close to unblockable as possible, with not a large card pool to pull blockers from. If Shadow Rift wanted to be worse, it wouldn't replace itself, but thanks to the designers of Tempest, that wasn't the case.

Evasive Action

Instant and sorceries are not the only way to guarantee Muddle gets through the red zone. Some of our creatures do a good job at helping out, too.

Elturel SurvivorsElturel Survivors is a card that more aggressive red decks should be playing, and it's a house in a list like this. While it starts as a 0/4 even being played on curve, Survivors is going to attack for anywhere between four and six power, depending on how many opponents in the pod have land ramped. Trample means that no matter what, this card should be able to find a way to connect.

Professional Face-BreakerProfessional Face-Breaker is a card that players are all too familiar with. What happens when there are suddenly three attackers on a turn? Players are going to take damage, and you're getting a big payoff in the form of Treasures and card advantage. This card might secretly be the most dangerous thing in the deck; if you see a Muddle player cast Face-Breaker, remove it with full aggression.

Bria, Riptide RogueBria, Riptide Rogue isn't a creature that we'll copy with Muddle, but it's one that we would love to have on the board when going to combat. Since we need to cast an instant or sorcery to trigger Muddle in the first place, Bria will let Muddle gain unblockable right away. Everything else is going to benefit from prowess, and depending on the spells we have in hand and the mana available, maybe get unblockable as well.

First and Second Contact

Where one combat is good, more is better. We could slam the deck full of extra combat effects in the form of cards like Aggravated AssaultAggravated Assault or Combat CelebrantCombat Celebrant, but those aren't the best with myriad. Instead, I turned to extra combat effects that trigger off of the connection this deck seeks.

Two creatures specifically, BloodthirsterBloodthirster and Port RazerPort Razer, are exactly what we want for more and more combat steps. It might get a bit confusing about which opponent can be attacked when you start to stack up extra combats, but that's why math is for blockers.

I did squeeze in a sorcery-speed extra combat spell, Seize the DaySeize the Day, but it is one of the best.

Why Seize the Day over anything else? The repeatability. Finding the right mix of creatures to noncreatures in the deck is key to making the deck work, and Seize the Day helps by giving two instances of triggering Muddle and being a card for both the early and late game.

The Price of Contact

We know how to make contact, and we know how to make contact over and over again, but what's the big deal? Why are we doing all this? Profit, that's why. Profit in the form of some very big creatures with some very big effects.

This deck is light on legendaries, but that doesn't mean that the effects on some of these creatures are not legendary. Ancient Copper DragonAncient Copper Dragon lets the Muddle player get anywhere between four and 80 Treasures in a single combat step. Alone, this is more mana than you could ever need, but pair it with the secret all-star of the deck, Professional Face-BreakerProfessional Face-Breaker, and now you won't run out of cards any time soon.

Sphinx AmbassadorSphinx Ambassador can help you make deals with players at the table to get creatures who can answer common board problems and test players' knowledge of their own decks. The thought of playing mind games with the table about what creature you might have taken out of their deck was too good not to include in the 99.

Twinflame TyrantTwinflame Tyrant wins games. Nothing special about this card other than the amount of damage you can do from four 3/5 flyers with damage doubling as their ability.

Spice Rack

Every deck needs a bit of spice to set it apart from the others, and this list is no different.

Sundial of the InfiniteSundial of the Infinite is a spotlight to let you know that a deck is up to no good. While it might cause us to skip all the remaining steps and phases of our turn after combat, the trade-off is that we get to keep the tokens made off of myriad. Worth it, I say.

NevermakerNevermaker might feel more at home in a list slanted towards Elementals, but it fits well with myriad copies leaving the battlefield due to exile. Thankfully, Nevermaker doesn't need to die to put a nonland permanent back on top of the library, so every myriad copy lets us build our own Plow UnderPlow Under.

Screaming NemesisScreaming Nemesis might need to be cut from this deck for being downright too mean. This card sucks if you have to block it, and it sucks if you can't block it. At least your opponents can all suck it up together as they rapidly lose life to your combat steps.

Wrap Up

Muddle, the Ever-ChangingMuddle, the Ever-Changing is one of the most unique commanders from Secrets of Strixhaven. With multiple build paths open to it and infinite customization from the creatures to noncreatures, the lists are...ever-changing. I will concede that the best build of this commander is something slanted towards ETB effects with a focus on Elementals.

With the new influx of Elementals from the previous set, Lorwyn Eclipsed, and myriad giving you additional ETBs for any creature, the deck starts to build itself. The best part about Muddle might be that all of the divergent paths work well in combination with one another without making the deck feel too unfocused. Just make sure you have enough of the right creature type before sleeveing up something like Champion of the PathChampion of the Path.

And remember to shy away from things with attack triggers, as those don't work the way you want to when considering the myriad tokens.

What other cards from Secrets of Strixhaven are you excited for? What do you think of the new prepared mechanic? Why is Elemental Otter Shapeshifter the best creature type-line ever? Let me know here or on the interwebs. Make sure you check out all the great content focusing on our second year at the Strixhaven Academy.

Muddle, the Ever-Changing Commander Deck List