Inflicts confusion on the target.
Description
Confuse, also known as Muddle,[1][2] is an Effect spell in Final Fantasy VI. It inflicts the confuse effect on one target, which causes them to act at random with inverted targeting, attacking allies and healing the opposing party. Celes learns the spell, and the spell is taught by magicite.
Confuse is also an enemy ability used by Kefka (in the first fight), Level 20 Magic, Magic, Wizard, and Abaddon.
Confuse can also be used as an added ability with the Angel Brush (a weapon for Relm).
Obtained[]
Celes learns the spell naturally at level 32 (except in the SNES version; see below). Other party members can learn the spell through Cait Sith, taught at a rate of x7.
Mechanics[]
Confuse is affected by reflect and Runic.
On the SNES version, Celes doesn't learn Confuse from level averaging. If Celes levels up past or to 32 due to level averaging, but does not reach at least 40, she will learn Haste but not Confuse.
Both Haste and Confuse are supposed to be learned at level 32, but due to the way her natural spell list is ordered and the way the list is sorted during level averaging, Confuse is lost because Berserk is learned at level 40. This is due to Berserk being stuck between Haste and Confuse.
This is due to Celes's learning spell list order:
The effect of the bug is mitigated as every character can learn magic through magicite.
Use[]
Confuse is a potentially crippling status with a low MP cost, but has a low hit rate. The spell not only removes the enemy as a source of damage when applied, but causes the enemy to attack other enemies. This can help turn the tides of a difficult battle, making it useful in a pinch. If the player then attacks the enemy when under confusion, however, the enemy will break out of the stance, meaning that the player should defeat surrounding enemies first.
An alternative to Confuse is to use Sleep, with a slightly higher hit rate and an even lower MP cost. Sleep functions similarly, where it removes the enemy as a source of damage until that enemy is attacked, but Sleep will not cause the enemy to harm its allies. Stop is an even more crippling debuff, stopping the enemy's moves entirely, but has a higher MP cost.
Because Confuse is unaffected by the caster's stats, it can be taught to and used by any party member, and it may be better for non-spellcaster party members to use Confuse so spellcasters can preserve MP. Since the spell will not be used too often, it is low priority to teach to all party members.
Confuse can be applied by Mog's Apparition from Love Serenade and Water Harmony.
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