[SCD] Phyrexian Crusader

[Davran]

Phyrexian Crusader seems like a sleeper in this format. It has protection from the "best" removal spells (Path to Exile, Lightning Bolt, and Lightning Helix). It survives attacks from many of the "best" creatures, and it swings in for a pseudo 4 damage each hit.

The question is: can a deck be built around it that is fast enough? Any given game is decided by turn 4...so the Crusader would be more of a finisher than anything. Trouble is, the rest of the black infect creatures are mediocre at best.

I'm thinking it would be best in a U/B or U/B/g shell with hand disruption and a light permission suite (Mana Leak/Remand and Spell Pierce)...but I'm really not sure.

Discuss.

[Phoenix Ignition]

The card is decent for an infect deck. As long as you don't split up your creatures between infect and normal damage I could see a deck working. Control infect could be viable if you have pump spells in there somewhere. I think Phyrexian Crusader + Blighted Agent + Inkmoth Nexus + Rancor could be a decent starting point for a deck that runs a lot of disruption. There is a lot of good permission and control in UB that could possibly protect your creatures.

Also, I wouldn't say that any given game is decided by turn 4, just that you need to have disrupted or hurt the other deck in some way by then.

[kicks_422]

A mono-black control deck with Crusader, Skithiryx, and Inkmoth Nexus as win-cons could be nice. They make one of the hardest parts of playing control - winning the game before the opponent recovers from your control elements - easier by cutting the "damage" needed by half.

[kwis]

One thing worth considering here is that any damage your opponent is taking from their manabase now doesn't matter.