Crosis's Catacombs

Land — Lair

When Crosis's Catacombs enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you return a non-Lair land you control to its owner's hand.

{T}: Gain {U}, {B} or {R}.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (37)

StopShot on Two rules change suggestions to …

1 month ago

[My EDH Background]

I used to be an avid EDH player until my old playgroup dissolved. It was only until recently that I built an EDH deck after more than half a decade and felt lost after two recent commander nights. I had dropped off after Hour of Devestation only to find the present-day meta feels like a completely different format than the one I had enjoyed. Seeing the prEDH format caught my attention but given I had gotten into EDH around Fate Reforged, the prEDH card restrictions seemed to dial things too far back for me, and I feel like a lot of players who got into EDH around the same time period as myself might feel the same way. As such, this format may feel just as alien to a good portion of left out players today, but I'd like to discuss if maybe that aspect could be improved upon.

[The New Phyrexia cut-off should not be extended]

I'd like to make two suggestions to adjust the scope of this format. One suggestion I will not ask though, is that the set cutoff point be extended past New Phyrexia. I agree with the rationale for excluding all of MTG that took place during and after the first commander preconstructed products were released. This is in place to make the format 100% organic and extending the cut-off to any other set would be highly arbitrary and subject to much disagreement.

[Issue #1 - OG Duals and Patchy Manabases]

But there are some issues that should be addressed and remedied regarding this format. One being at the time of New Phyrexia's release the monetary cost of OG dual lands were significantly cheaper then than as they are now. Given the best manabases for prEDH would use OG Duals, Fetchlands, and Shocklands, not having easy access to one (or more) of them puts non-legacy players in the rough spot of relying on prEDH's limited and patchy color-fixing options which can leave new decks performing at a more clunky pace than they otherwise would be if built back in New Phyrexia. Now I'm not against players using proxies but I think a format does a lot better at attracting a wider audience if they're not inclined to feel like they have to proxy reserve list cards to fully enjoy the format as intended.

[Rules Change Suggestion to Address Issue #1]

I believe that if there is a land or mana-rock cycle that started before New Phyrexia, but was completed sometime after New Phyrexia, then all cards of that cycle should be made legal in prEDH just so that all color identities have equal access to their colors, because prEDH has a surprising number of incomplete mana cycles. This change would make the following cards and their colorshifted counterparts legal in prEDH despite being printed after New Phyrexia: (Clifftop Retreat), (Inspiring Vantage), (Needle Spires), (Nomad Outpost), (Snow-Covered Wastes), (Stone Quarry), (Sunbaked Canyon), (Sunscorched Divide), (Talisman of Conviction), (Wastes), and (Wind-Scarred Crag). This rule would also still apply to any new cards that would complete any of the cycles that have yet to be completed as well such as if Wizards were to ever complete the cycles for (Crosis's Catacombs), (Grove of the Burnwillows), (Nimbus Maze), (Wildfield Borderpost), etc.

[Issue #2 - Lack of Color Identity Options]

One aspect that made EDH novel is its color restriction on deck-building. From its inception, you would pick any of 5 Elder Dragons to be your Highlander and you would be barred from utilizing whatever 2 colors were not part of that dragon's identity. As the game grew into commander you could pick any legendary creature to be your commander instead and the color restriction carried over to your commander's color identity. The issue is prEDH's list of legal commanders provides a very limited line-up of commanders for any multicolored identity. Some color identities only have 1 commander legal for that color identity, and a vast majority of legal commanders are mono-colored which imposes a much heavier restriction than EDH had first set out to be with its 3-color dragons. This can lead to an over-saturation of players picking the same commander from the limited multicolor roster and more players picking up 5-color commanders, because their favorite color combination is restricted to just Numot, the Devastator, or Oros, the Avenger, or Vorosh, the Hunter. This isn't to say there won't be players playing mono-colored or everyone will be playing Reaper King because their favorite color-combination is underrepresented, but that prEDH restricts cards not just by set, but also much more heavily with color as well which can result in a poorer deck diversity than modern day EDH; (an issue that was not present when Commander was a much smaller and niche format). It's to this end I feel color restrictions could be opened up a bit to counteract the set restriction as a trade-off and that by doing so with the EDH philosophy in mind won't warp or distort the power level or vibe of prEDH.

[Rules Change Suggestion to Address Issue #2]

In order to open up the commander color restriction, prEDH decks would have a land in the command zone in addition to the commander with this land serving as the "Commander's Domain." The color identity or basic land type of the Commander's Domain would set the color restriction on what cards can be included in the deck including the commander instead of it being the commander's color identity that restricts card inclusion. The lands that can be chosen to be your Commander's Domain consist only of: any of the 10 trilands such as Seaside Citadel, any of the 10 match-lands such as Glacial Fortress, or any basic land such as Plains or Wastes. The Commander's Domain would not be subject to the command tax and can be played as your land for turn by either exiling a basic land card from your hand or by exiling a basic land you own on the battlefield. One exception to this rule will be made for all 5-color legendary commanders. 5-color legendary creatures may be used as your commander regardless of your Commander's Domain and if your commander is 5-color you may run any basic land in your deck regardless of your Commander's Domain. Your Commander's Domain will still restrict what spells and non-basic lands you can include in your deck, however. This proposal seeks to expand deck diversity and creativity while still abiding to the original EDH tenant of limiting what colors may be included in your deck as well as provide an additional means of color fixing due to the greater lack of lands that are both decent and affordable in this format.

[Concluding Thoughts - The goal is not to make prEDH more like modern EDH]

The sake of these proposals isn't to make something new and flashy for the sake of making something new and flashy, but to make prEDH feel more like everyone's first EDH experience including for those who got into the format well after New Phyrexia but well before the current meta. That is not to say "make prEDH more like EDH" as that is the furthest thing from this thread's intention. This is more of a belief that a lot more can be gained while sacrificing very little and that much could benefit current prEDH players who would like to see more people play their format. It's possible my proposals may have missed this mark, but I would like to start a discussion on whether there are current shortcomings in this format and if it would be worth it to make changes to mitigate them or not to better the health and/or standing of this format.

MadWollf on

4 years ago

So you're supposed to still be running 40%, or around 40 land. Here's some EDH staples you can check out: Maze of Ith Command Tower Reliquary Tower Exotic Orchard Crumbling Necropolis Grixis Panorama Crosis's Catacombs And of course, Sol Ring is a must for any EDH deck.

armlessbastard on Sygg Rogue Tribal

4 years ago

I'll start by saying I am also new to building EDH - but I want a Marchesa deck. It looks to me like your win condition is damage and slowing down some ones board by exiling away cards, removing creatures and getting past their creatures with unblock-able effects. Then there are cards that Mil, which I think would be the first ones up for removal in place of something else that helps with your win condition. I would also remove Crosis's Catacombs, I don't think losing out on mana is worth what it gives you. You also have some card draw but I don't think its insane enough to require Reliquary Tower. I think there is more to work with here though.

bushido_man96 on Best 100$ Budget "Tier-1 Styled" 5 Color Mana Base

5 years ago

What about the Lair tri-colored lands from Planeshift: Crosis's Catacombs , Darigaaz's Caldera , Treva's Ruins , Rith's Grove , and Dromar's Cavern ? I know they don't have a basic land type, but they come into play untapped. I love playing them.

TefflonDice on C.S.I. (Collective Sliver Intelligence)

5 years ago

@ Chipichowa

Rith's Grove , Dromar's Cavern , Crystal Quarry , Crosis's Catacombs , and Cascading Cataracts are inbound.

@ gaviel76

Picked up a Painter's Servant - just in case :)

Chipichowa on C.S.I. (Collective Sliver Intelligence)

5 years ago

You might also like using the lair lands like Crosis's Catacombs they bounce a land but come in untapped and you can tap the land before you bounce it so they can sometimes be better than lands like Crumbling Necropolis

bushido_man96 on

6 years ago

I don't know if you are working off a budget or not, but when cascading, it could be helpful to know what cards are coming, so I'd offer options like Sylvan Library, Mirri's Guile, Sensei's Divining Top, and the under-utilized Soothsaying, and also Scroll Rack if there's something in your hand you want to cascade into play.

When I see decks with 3+ colors, I like to recommend City of Brass and the Lair lands from Planeshift; in your case, Darigaaz's Caldera and Crosis's Catacombs.

FogonaFrog66 on Thraximundar Brings the Thundar

6 years ago

I just noticed that I only have 32 lands total. I immediately want to run 35, so I’ll need to add Crosis's Catacombs, Temple of Epiphany, and City of Brass. They’re budget choices, but respectable. I’d remove Whispersilk Cloak, Cruel Ultimatum, and Mystical Teachings. I’d love to hear if I’m downright idiotic.