Thanks for the replies, all 

@ mr. grim
Darksteel Colossus is certainly a Tinker possibility, but he doesn't work very well with Welder, as he is kind of challenging to get into a graveyard. As for Strip/Crucible, that's certainly a viable strategy, and one that Strategic Slaver uses already. I've been thinking about trying it in my build, but I want to get more familiar with what I've got first.

@ Thegreatgonzo
Triskelavus is another one worth a try, I just haven't yet. I am leery about it, however, for the reason that it seems to lose the best parts of each - the manaless activation of Trisk and the 5 counters of Pent. I am really (really) addicted to the five extra chances that Pentavus gives you at a backbreaking Mindslaver. As I say, however, I plan to try it at some point.

As a general rule, I love Impulse. So far, I like it in the deck. For the record, I have not tried Strategic, because I don't want to pay for them I found that the deck, sans Impulse, was awfully prone to a hand that was keepable, but just never got there. Impulse has helped with that a lot. As to the disadvantage tutors, I don't mind them as much as some do, but I found that I was having trouble making room for enough of a "silver bullet" package to really make them good. This also deserves further attention.

@hitman
Thanks for this very helpful post. I've found the same problem with the Wasteland/Strip route and the Gorilla route. Sphere of Resistance is a good idea, and I just found Thorn of Amythest in my binder, which of course acts similarly, and has the benefit of being owned by me ;P Another possibility was CotV, but I've found that I'm not really crazy about it at either setting (0 or 1), as it either locks me out of almost all of my artifact mana (0), or all the rest of my artifact mana, plus the main point of the deck (Welders). Certainly, all of Sphere/Thorn/CotV get the benefit of being Artifacts in an artifact-centric deck. Sideboarding a couple of Thorns is okay when extras can pitch to Thirst.

I may also post a summary of some of my early CS trial and error, if other beginner types like me think it would be valuable.

Hi there. I've just recently started out in Vintage, and I'm very excited about finally playing the fastest of formats. I've been playing a Control Slaver deck in MWS to get the feel of it, and I've started to get okay with it. The main problem is, even post-board, I have real problems with Long/Tendrils-type builds, even post-board. I know that fast combo is traditionally a CS weak spot, but how do folks deal with this? I know that at least one traditional school of thought is Tormod's Crypt, stopping (or helping stop) YawgWill as a win route.

Is just mulling to Crypt a viable strategy? I haven't had much luck with it so far. I am also running Tutors in the sideboard to fetch Tinker --> Plats, if I can get one turn or so.

Also, against SickLong, they don't seem to need YawgWill to win (though it is nice). Maybe I've just had back luck, but it seems like every time I have a counter for Ad Nauseam (which seems like the right spell in the chain to counter), they either Duress it first, Pact it or have YawgWill as backup. Am I just not mulliganing aggressively enough? Decklist is below, if needed.

    4  Volcanic Island
    2  Underground Sea
    1  Tolarian Academy
    2  Polluted Delta
    3  Island
    3  Flooded Strand
    1  Library of Alexandria

    4  Goblin Welder
    1  Triskelion
    1  Pentavus

    1  Brainstorm
    1  Mana Crypt
    4  Force of Will
    1  Demonic Tutor
    4  Mana Drain
    1  Black Lotus
    1  Ancestral Recall
    1  Time Walk
    1  Tinker
    1  Yawgmoth's Will
    1  Tormod's Crypt
    4  Thirst for Knowledge
    1  Mox Ruby
    1  Sol Ring
    1  Mox Sapphire
    1  Mox Pearl
    1  Mox Jet
    1  Mox Emerald
    2  Mindslaver
    1  Merchant Scroll
    1  Sensei's Divining Top
    1  Gifts Ungiven
    1  Rack and Ruin
    1  Mana Vault
    3  Impulse
    1  Echoing Truth

SB: 2  Rack and Ruin
SB: 2  Fire/Ice
SB: 1  Pyroclasm
SB: 2  Red Elemental Blast
SB: 1  Pyroblast
SB: 1  Firespout
SB: 2  Tormod's Crypt
SB: 1  Platinum Angel
SB: 1  Mystical Tutor
SB: 1  Vampiric Tutor

Thanks for any help!