Exchanging control of a permanent and a spell? I can just imagine the rules headache that could come from that...
Fool_of_the_Parish
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
Strionic Resonator has some cute interactions with this regarding instants and sorceries. Homeward Path also has hilarity potential regarding noncreatures.
DaLucaray
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(5 votes)
Remember, no flashing in tricks. Once a spell is on the stack, it's been cast. You can't activate his triggered ability.
EDIT: @DaLucaray: I was talking about Venser the planeswalker. With him, you trade Chimera away, exile it, and get it back next end step for a free steal each turn. Sounds good to me.
Ferlord
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Stop, Fool of the Parish! STOP!
TOO MANY CONFUSED!
TOO MANY!
anotherfan321
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Oh man, I love this. It is such a clever effect and is completely unique. I'm actually jealous I had never thought of something like this.
RAV0004
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(3 votes)
I trade perplexing chimera to gain control of your wrath of god, silly EDH opponent!
...oh...
Lazenca_Seifus
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(4 votes)
I summon CatDog, your argument is invalid. Unless your argument is about how it poops, then, yeah, it's totally valid.
moonmist103
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
flash wouldn't work with this guys. the spell has already be cast. THIS ISN"T A GAME OF SLAPSTICK
TheWallinator74
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Why can't all Blue cards be this confusing?
Mode
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
First card since Commandeer that allows you to take control of a spell.
Unfortunately it doesn't allow you the shenanigans you'd want to try with this card at all. You can't flash it in after the spell, since at that point the spell has already been cast, and the Chimera's ability won't trigger.
But it's still enough to annoy your opponent, so I'm okay with that. And — albeit expensive — it also looks like fun with bounce effects or Homeward Path.
Alvorada
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I need to make a stupid Izzet Randomness Deck using 4 of these and 4 Possibility Storm as the backbone!
I am fascinated by this thing. I pulled one in my box of Born last night and woke up this morning thinking about it. I am going to throw four of them into my Esper Control just to see what happens. That's the mark of a great card in my book - one you just can't predict the effects of until it hits the board. I'm just sitting here mulling over all the ramifications of this card in the current Standard.
I expect the deterrence value to be incredible. I thought Ratchet Bomb was some good deterrence but this thing blows it out of the water. Your opponent is never going to cast their wincon while Perplexing Chimera is on the board, at least not straight-out. They're going to wait until they can flush you out with a smaller spell or something like that, and making the opponent wait is exactly what Control does. That buys time for Control to draw into a Thoughtseize, counterspell, or their own wincon.
Barring board sweeps, this thing also protects itself just by being on the board. Control never wants to tap out to cast something at sorcery speed, but depending on board state, it's safer to do so to cast this (your mileage may vary, know your opponent's deck, etc.)
If you manage to get two out on your side of the battlefield, they'll provide double the deterrence. If you give your opponent the first one to screw up something they did, you basically each have the ability to muck with the other person's spell - but the two Chimeras don't cancel each other (because the trigger is "opponent" based).
As far as recurring the thing goes, if you're willing to take it back to your hand, just about any "return creature to hand" effect (Voyage's End, Far) will work nicely.
Opponent: "Cast awesome spell."
You: "Exchange control of Chimera for your awesome spell." (Note: this would never happen, because your opponent would never cast their awesome spell while PC was on the board.)
Opponent: "Aw." (Everything resolves.)
You: During your end step, Far to return Chimera to owner's hand.
Opponent: I could exchange the Chimera for the spell, but since you have no creatures out, all that would do is give you the chimera back and then return it to your hand... unless I give you the chimera back and then target one of my own creatures with the Far, in which case you'll just take said creature with the Chimera when I try to recast it... aaaah my head hurts make it stop.
You (Later, with Perplexing Chimera on the board): Cast Conjured Currency.
*Everyone's brain implodes*
EDIT: Cool combination with Nivmagus Elemental, too. By swapping spells then exiling, you can dodge all kinds of shenanigans, even Supreme Verdict.
8Netherwind8
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Its name is a bit redundant; I mean really, look at his tail... err, head (does anyone else see "Cat-Dog" here?), aren't all Chimeras 'perplexing'? Soo good in an ETB deck though: Mistmeadow Witch, Galepowder Mage , Venser, the Sojourner, Equilibrium, Roon of the Hidden Realm... and of course mixed with Prophet of Kruphix!... steal a Spell EVERY turn?! Where do I sign?!
SevesDariku
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Bonus points if Perplexing Chimera steals a Mind Control targeting himself.
Seriously though, this guy makes for a very nice deterrent. I don't see him getting a ton of play in Standard though, but in EDH? Hoo-boy, a powerhouse.
Syrtees
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card works best as insurance. You're opponent doesn't want to cast his best spells because they know you will steal it. They end up doing little in comparison to what they could have done.
Throw this guy in Roon EDH and you're probably going to be considered a jerk for some time.
Purplerooster
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Kinda of acts as a preemptive counter spell as it'll prevent your opponent's bombs from landing until they are able to with it. You can gain some style points by stealing wraths just for shiggles.
Vedalken Shackles can make for some very interesting plays with this.
Enelysios
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Great in EDH, but with all the decks carrying sac outlets and wraths, it is certainly answerable. I just added it to my Ephara EDH centered on flicker. I expect it to carry its weight, but it is hardly the most broken flicker card. I think it will be fun to let him float around the table too. Decks with clone effects would make for a chaotic environment. I hope we continue to see casual focused cards like this instead of the headache inducers like Knowledge Pool, Eye of the Storm and Hive Mind. Those just grind a game to a halt. This adds some chaos without slowing everything down.
Drewskithelegend
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is a cool card and a very unique effect. 5 mana seems a little much but doesn't make it unplayable. With Flash, this would easily be a 4.5 or more but as it is, it's just a little too costly to see play in most formats, however at 2-4 mana this would just be too good. This appeals strongly to my inner Johnny and my EDH sensibilities. Would be sweet in riku or some sort of kiki build with a token/populate engine. I must also admit that it is reasonable as a 3/3 and would probably be really awesome in limited formats. Just take your opponent's god or big stompy creature, especially with stuff like Prophet of Kruphix. Prophet pass, untap and flash this guy to stop whatever shenanigans your opponent has waiting. I'd love to see him flashed against a sphinx's rev for 7+ but more realistically he's going to be much better at keeping your opponent from tapping out for Time Stretch or pretty much any creature larger than himself.
combine with Deadeye Navigator. Soulbound them, steal whatever, flicker the chimera. watch as no one can do anything without your permission/you ganking it. Have a Prophet of kruphix for bonus fun. And by fun I mean your oppenents tears.
Rayenous
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Purplerooster
Play with Nivmagus Elemental, and suddenly stealing a Wrath isn't just for style anymore... sac the wipe... gain counters... keep your board state!
@ Rifts980
It doesn't combine well with Deadeye Navigator. - If you Flicker before the exchange occurs the exchange fails and you get nothing. - you can't clicker after the exchange because 1) you don't control the creature, and 2) the Soulbond is broken when you lose control of either creature.
Comments (33)
EDIT: @DaLucaray: I was talking about Venser the planeswalker. With him, you trade Chimera away, exile it, and get it back next end step for a free steal each turn. Sounds good to me.
TOO MANY CONFUSED!
TOO MANY!
...oh...
Unfortunately it doesn't allow you the shenanigans you'd want to try with this card at all.
You can't flash it in after the spell, since at that point the spell has already been cast, and the Chimera's ability won't trigger.
But it's still enough to annoy your opponent, so I'm okay with that.
And — albeit expensive — it also looks like fun with bounce effects or Homeward Path.
...it would be funny to add Endless Whispers... and/or Braids/Call to the Grave
That, and Astral Slide.
I expect the deterrence value to be incredible. I thought Ratchet Bomb was some good deterrence but this thing blows it out of the water. Your opponent is never going to cast their wincon while Perplexing Chimera is on the board, at least not straight-out. They're going to wait until they can flush you out with a smaller spell or something like that, and making the opponent wait is exactly what Control does. That buys time for Control to draw into a Thoughtseize, counterspell, or their own wincon.
Barring board sweeps, this thing also protects itself just by being on the board. Control never wants to tap out to cast something at sorcery speed, but depending on board state, it's safer to do so to cast this (your mileage may vary, know your opponent's deck, etc.)
If you manage to get two out on your side of the battlefield, they'll provide double the deterrence. If you give your opponent the first one to screw up something they did, you basically each have the ability to muck with the other person's spell - but the two Chimeras don't cancel each other (because the trigger is "opponent" based).
As far as recurring the thing goes, if you're willing to take it back to your hand, just about any "return creature to hand" effect (Voyage's End, Far) will work nicely.
Opponent: "Cast awesome spell."
You: "Exchange control of Chimera for your awesome spell." (Note: this would never happen, because your opponent would never cast their awesome spell while PC was on the board.)
Opponent: "Aw." (Everything resolves.)
You: During your end step, Far to return Chimera to owner's hand.
Opponent: I could exchange the Chimera for the spell, but since you have no creatures out, all that would do is give you the chimera back and then return it to your hand... unless I give you the chimera back and then target one of my own creatures with the Far, in which case you'll just take said creature with the Chimera when I try to recast it... aaaah my head hurts make it stop.
You (Later, with Perplexing Chimera on the board): Cast Conjured Currency.
*Everyone's brain implodes*
EDIT: Cool combination with Nivmagus Elemental, too. By swapping spells then exiling, you can dodge all kinds of shenanigans, even Supreme Verdict.
Seriously though, this guy makes for a very nice deterrent. I don't see him getting a ton of play in Standard though, but in EDH? Hoo-boy, a powerhouse.
Throw this guy in Roon EDH and you're probably going to be considered a jerk for some time.
Also: Homeward Path
Play with Nivmagus Elemental, and suddenly stealing a Wrath isn't just for style anymore... sac the wipe... gain counters... keep your board state!
@ Rifts980
It doesn't combine well with Deadeye Navigator. - If you Flicker before the exchange occurs the exchange fails and you get nothing. - you can't clicker after the exchange because 1) you don't control the creature, and 2) the Soulbond is broken when you lose control of either creature.
This does work well to stop an opponent's direct removal, when combined with Gift of Immortality. - What's that, you're casting Hero's Downfall to remove my Elspeth, Sun's Champion? - Okay, you can have my Perplexing Chimera... now Hero's Downfall is targeting the Chimera... Chimera dies, and returns under your control... end of turn, Gift of Immortality returns to the Chimera.