I just completely overlooked Merchant Scroll when I was tweaking my deck. At Hadley I had run an Echoing Truth in the Mysitcal Tutor spot, as a quick removal engine (Merhcant Scroll -> Echoing Truth won me numerous games). When I took out Echoing Truth this time around I should have also cut the Scroll.

I actually prefer the Vedalken Shackles over Propaganda in the board. Although Propaganda is godly against FCG, it's weaker against Oath and Madness. I've actually found myself sideing in Shackles against Welder decks, as stealing a Welder gives you unbelievable board control.

@ Kolrael
I was very happy when you beat steve because he had beaten me earlier in swiss, and I was much more confident in the mirror than I was against trinistax. My list was slightly different, I ran 2 belchers and the Collosus maindeck something along the lines of:

-2 powder keg
-1 Flooded Strand
+1 belcher
+1 merchant scroll
+1 Mana Leak

I found myself sideboarding out Merchant Scroll so much, and drawing it dead so many times, I'm still not sure why I ran it. I also like the 4th Mana Leak, because first turn Island, Mox go was such a strong play all day. My sideboard was radically different, I was expecting much more Oath, Combo and Aggro than I saw. I was under prepared for Stax and Slaver:

4x Veldaken Shackles
4x Chalice of the Void
3x Echoing Truth
1x Hurkyl's Recall
1x Stifle
1x Fact or Fiction
1x BEB

If I could go back, I would have sided more BEB and Energy Flux. Oath wasn't even a factor, and the only aggro decks I saw all day were Food Chain Goblins.

@ Yokomoto
I'm trying to remember exactly what the situation was, but if I remember correctly you were low on cards in your hand, and I was trying to setup for the Mana Drain - Severance - Belcher win, I was hoping by forcing the brainstorm I would force some action on your turn that would lead you in to the drain, and set you back on tempo.

I was the other one running Mono-U Belcher, ending up in 4th. I was actually surprised too see someone else running it, especially with main deck Collosus. In the last couple tournies I went too I was the only with the deck, and there were only a few regular Mono-U. I don't know what your game record was, but I was undeafeated in games except for my 1 loss in swiss (to steve), and my loss in the top8. I found the main deck Collosus won the first game for me several times, and alot of times I was sideboarding out Belcher, Severance, Severance, and just going with the Tinker -> Collosus for the win second game.

Congrats on second.


edited for clarity.

My question is why no 4th wasteland? It seems to me that against Fish they go Mishra's Factory "Shut down your draw engine". Also, what are your thought's on playing around Null Rod? Its shuts down 7 of your mana sources, and makes Keg useless. With no Cunning Wish in the deck, your going to be scrambling to pull out the first game, while even post sideboard Rack and Ruin is weak against Fish.