I wanted to make a deck that is both competitive in multiplayer and I also wanted to use a general that is not popular. I decided that Crosis would be quite interesting given his ability to cause an opponent to discard and went with that.
Here is my current decklist that I play with on mtgo:
The biggest struggle so far has been protecting Crosis and getting him to hit with his effect. I would like to find more ways of protecting him and getting him to hit. Crosis is absolutely devastating if he does hit especially against mono-colored decks.
Questionable cards: Liliana's Specter - Causes all opponenets to discard but then becomes a chump blocker and thats it. Wit's End - Only useful against decks that can draw a lot or if I can play it quickly due to sol ring or mana vault, have had at least 1 person concede after I cast it causing them to discard their entire hand of 7 on turn 5. Mizzium Transreliquat - very versatile it has shined in some games but done absolutely nothing in others.
My land base is also questionable but lands are so damn expensive.
Point taken, it's challenging enough to keep each player's hands limited especially in a 4 player game. I seem to find that Crosis comes into play when I don't have a way to discard a hand and use him in that aspect to sort of clean up or discard the hand of the player that appears to be the most threatening.
I use the large creatures Thraximundar and Prince of Thralls (I assume you are referring to) to finish the game, once all opponents have no cards in their hand their chances of mounting a come back are quite limited.
I've looked at Seer's Vision before and considered it I may test it further.
I also agree that bounce effects would be excellent here I have struggled against decks that can pitch out large hastey creatures.
Mizzium Transreliquat should at least become a Sol Ring or a signet, so it can't be that bad for starters, then becomes broken.
PS I loathe discarding as much as anyone but would never concede to a mind twist for my whole hand; I'm just playing off the top of the deck going forward, that's all.
Yeah Mizzium usually becomes Geth's Vault or Sol Ring if an opponent doesn't have something better, Vedalken Orrery and Memory Jar (another card I would like to test) come to mind, but it doesn't happen often. I'm considering putting in the signets and if I do I will likely put Mizzium back in.
You are an exception then with regards to Mind Twist, how often have you won after discarding your entire hand? While this is a complicated question I would wager it's not often.
In most games I've played it seems that if I have an opponent discard even once I'm instantly the prime target.
Just realized the Mizzium is pretty much strictly better than Copy Artifact.
Here is my current decklist that I play with on mtgo:
1 Crosis, the Purger
Creatures (16):
1 Prince of Thralls
1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
1 Myojin of Night's Reach
1 Avatar of Woe
1 Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed
1 Izzet Chronarch
1 Sangromancer
1 Thada Adel, Acquisitor
1 Scion of Darkness
1 Thraximundar
1 Puppeteer Clique
1 Scythe Specter
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Liliana's Specter
1 Frost Titan
1 Abyssal Nocturnus
Discard (11):
1 Mind Shatter
1 Cabal Conditioning
1 Hymn to Tourach
1 Painful Quandary
1 Persecute
1 Syphon Mind
1 Urza's Guilt
1 Mind Twist
1 Unnerve
1 Wit's End
Other Sorcery (10):
1 Cauldron Dance
1 Barter in Blood
1 Wash Out
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Smallpox
1 Damnation
1 Exhaustion
1 Fabricate
1 Beacon of Unrest
1 Windfall
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Mana Vault
1 Sol Ring
1 Geth's Grimoire
1 Muse Vessel
1 Mizzium Transreliquant
Enchantments (8):
1 Rhystic Study
1 Megrim
1 Liliana's Caress
1 Quest for the Nihil Stone
1 Cast Through Time
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Bloodchief Ascension
1 Seer's Vision
Instants (8):
1 Spin into Myth
1 Hinder
1 Crosis's Charm
1 Reiterate
1 Spell Crumple
1 Memory Plunder
1 Chaos Warp
1 Capsize
Lands (39):
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Tolaria West
1 Bojuka Bog
4 Island
1 Temple of the False God
1 Command Tower
3 Mountain
1 Lake of the Dead
1 Mystifying Maze
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Hall of the Bandit Lord
1 Halimar Depths
1 Terrain Generator
1 Crumbling Necropolis
1 Vesuva
1 Barren Moor
1 Jwar Isle Refuge
1 Exotic Orchard
4 Swamp
1 Lonely Sandbar
1 Forgotten Cave
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Vivid Crag
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Strip Mine
1 Grixis Panorama
1 Rix Maadi, Dungeon Palace
1 Maze of Ith
1 Mirrodin's Core
1 Dragonskull Summit
The biggest struggle so far has been protecting Crosis and getting him to hit with his effect. I would like to find more ways of protecting him and getting him to hit. Crosis is absolutely devastating if he does hit especially against mono-colored decks.
Questionable cards:
Liliana's Specter - Causes all opponenets to discard but then becomes a chump blocker and thats it.
Wit's End - Only useful against decks that can draw a lot or if I can play it quickly due to sol ring or mana vault, have had at least 1 person concede after I cast it causing them to discard their entire hand of 7 on turn 5.
Mizzium Transreliquat - very versatile it has shined in some games but done absolutely nothing in others.
My land base is also questionable but lands are so damn expensive.
Cards I would like to add:
Cards to help Crosis hit and come out faster
Cabal Coffers and Urborg,Tomb of Yawgmoth
Other lands that interact with Crucible of Worlds otherwise I may cut it.
I would like advice on fine tuning this deck and any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Beacon of Unrest > Cruel Ultimatum
Mind Slicer > Dimir Cutpurse
Bloodchief Ascension > Pain Magnification
Muse Vessel > Mizzium Transreliquat
Abyssal Nocturnus > Specter's Shroud
Swamp > Stasis
I use the large creatures Thraximundar and Prince of Thralls (I assume you are referring to) to finish the game, once all opponents have no cards in their hand their chances of mounting a come back are quite limited.
I've looked at Seer's Vision before and considered it I may test it further.
I also agree that bounce effects would be excellent here I have struggled against decks that can pitch out large hastey creatures.
PS I loathe discarding as much as anyone but would never concede to a mind twist for my whole hand; I'm just playing off the top of the deck going forward, that's all.
You are an exception then with regards to Mind Twist, how often have you won after discarding your entire hand? While this is a complicated question I would wager it's not often.
In most games I've played it seems that if I have an opponent discard even once I'm instantly the prime target.
Just realized the Mizzium is pretty much strictly better than Copy Artifact.
Frost Titan > Blizzard Specter
Chaos Warp > Oppression
Maze of Ith > Lightning Greaves
Mizzium Transreliquant > Copy Artifact
Windfall > Volcanic Fallout
Capsize > Praetor's Grasp
Seer's Vision > Forbid