Confront the Unknown
Instant
Investigate, then target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each Clue you control. (Create a Clue token. It's an artifact with "
, Sacrifice this token: Draw a card.")
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Shadows over Innistrad
- Price
- $0.10
- EDHREC rank
- #12959
Confront the Unknown pumps a creature by the number of clues you control and then makes a clue — so the spell pays for its own next trigger while growing your best attacker. In Lonis, Cryptozoologist decks specifically, this double-dips: the new clue immediately becomes fodder for Lonis's sacrifice ability, turning a combat trick into a free Investigation.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Lonis, Cryptozoologist
Lonis, Cryptozoologist turns every clue into a tutor effect, so Confront the Unknown pulling double duty — buffing a creature and adding to the clue count — means each cast is both a combat swing and incremental card advantage feeding the engine.
Jenny Flint // Madame Vastra
Jenny Flint // Madame Vastra rewards clue production directly, and Confront the Unknown slots in as a combat trick that also advances the clue count, letting you stretch a single instant into both a threat and an investigation payoff.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Confront the Unknown is a role-player in Commander, full stop — outside of clue-synergy decks it's a below-rate combat trick, but inside them it's a two-for-one at instant speed that scales with your own board state. In Pauper it's legal and theoretically fits clue-adjacent brews, though the format rarely incentivizes that axis. Modern, Pioneer, and Legacy have enough power density that Confront the Unknown won't make those cuts without dedicated clue support, and even then it's a fringe consideration. Stick to Commander clue decks as the primary home.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.10 bulk tier
At $0.10, Confront the Unknown is pure bulk — grab a copy without thinking about it. Demand is narrow enough that this price stays flat; there's no realistic scenario where a single-set printing of a clue-synergy trick climbs meaningfully.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Lonis, Cryptozoologist
- Jenny Flint // Madame Vastra
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.