This post may be late in light of January restrictions bu...

[Lime]

This post may be late in light of January restrictions but the public should know of this deck (for future builds).

For the past month (before the Dec. 1st restictions) I have been working on a combo deck that could keep pace with long.dec.  The criteria was a first turn kill over 35% of the time and kill BY second turn 80% of the time.  I have done just that along with packing twice the disruption that Long.dec has.

Since this deck will only stay legal for three weeks, I will only post brief analysis on how it works.

Introducing:    

BELCH...2003

Intro.:  Belch is a combo deck designed to do only one thing: win first or second turn.  Belch uses the fastest mana producers in the game to play the card Goblin Charbelcher and produce a huge +20 damage blow or "BELCH".  .

The main focus of the deck is to produce four mana to play the Charbelcher and three mana to activate it: totalling seven mana.  The trick is, the deck must do this with as few lands as possible, and this deck uses only ONE!

The deck can play out into two different scenerios for the speed win:
7 mana turn one for the win
7 mana over two turns for the win - turn 1: cast Charbelcher, turn two active or 7 mana turn to cast and activate.

Think it is hard to get 7 mana by turn one...just think of playing mind's desire (6 mana) in long.dec.

Belch plays 7 tutor spells to find either the Charbelcher or mana.  Belcher also packs 8 disruption spells to stun opponents that play permission or disruption.

Without further ado:

Belch...2003

MANA: 39
4 Lions Eye Diamond
4 Chromatic Sphere
5 Moxen
2 Chrome Mox
1 Mana Crypt
1 Black Lotus
1 Lotus Petal
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Grim Monolith
4 Elvish Spirit Guide
4 Dark Ritual
1 Bayou
4 Land Grant
4 Eladamri's Vineyard
1 Channel

KILL:
4 Goblin Charbelcher

SEARCH:
4 Spoils of the Vault
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampirc Tutor
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Necropotence

DISRUPTION:
4 Duress
4 Unmask

For the combo players delight, please try this master piece for yourself and endulge in victory!!!!!

-Scott

[Flurp™]

Did you see the new restricted list?  LED and Chrome Mox were restricted.

[Lime]

Belch will not be legal come January 1st when restrictions are in effect.  The reason I posted this deck to inform all of its power and for future adjustments come January 1st (I am working on a build that is nearly as fast).

The kill does NOT rely on a creature...the kill is Goblin Charbelcher!

I would just like to note that THIS deck would be THE reason not to unrestict Channel!

[outta_names]

Quote This post may be late in light of January restrictions but the public should know of this deck (for future builds).

Quote Since this deck will only stay legal for three weeks, I will only post brief analysis on how it works.

Maybe it's just me, but reading the full post seems to be some cool tech.

EDIT: Lime got to it faster than I did.

Also, I've got a few questions.
1) What happens if you actually draw the lone Bayou? Just mull it away?
2) Why a dual and not a mountain?

[BreathWeapon]

I've seen this tried before with -4 Vineyard, + 1 Chrome Mox, +1 Mana Crypt, +1 Tolarian Academy +1 Yawgmoth's Bargain and Cabal Therapy instead of Unmask. It didn't work too good, in my environment. Your opponent would do stuff like Land+Mox=Scepter/Stifle you lose. Null Rod is also definately the SUCK, and its coming back in style.

I think its viable, even post restriction with 4 Bayou, but this is a hard sell over TPS.\n\n

[Jacob Orlove]

Two points:
1. Goblin Charbelcher is not a creature, despite the name.
2. He pointed out in his post that LED and Chrome Mox will be restricted Jan 1st. The deck is still completely legal for T1 play until then.

Why no Mana Crypt?
What about Sylvan Scrying/Academy to replace the Bayou/Land Grants?

I like this idea, though.

[Lime]

outta_names - Thanks.  The lone Bayou is fetched by the Land Grants essentially equalling 5 lands but really only playing 1 (this makes Charbelcher stronger).

If charbelcher is activated with no land in the deck, simular to Oath of Druids, it will still deal damage equal to the number of cards revealed.


BreathWeapon - Broken things happen in T1.  This deck will go off by turn two 80% of the time with disruption.  Most of the time, Belcher willl win before the opponent has an active sceptar.

Jacob Orlove - Thanks for suggestions!  Actually I have tried both and after testing neither was superior to anything in the current build.

Sylvan Scrying cost 2 mana compared to Land Grants 0 casting cost.  

Unfortunately Tolarian Academy is not the power house in this deck.  It is far to inconsistant and produces off colored mana.  The majority of the spells are 1 mana and require colored mana.  IF Academy was optimal, scrying would definately be a possiblity.

The missing mana crypt was a typo ( Wondered why there were 3 chrome mox).

[BreathWeapon]

Do you ever actually get to use Unmask's pitch effect consistantly? Wouldn't Cabal Therapy be better maybe?

[Jander78]

Nice work..

Post restriction, why not add in a few Draw 7's to take the place of 3 LED and 1 Chrome Mox?

[Lime]

BreathWeapon - With the recent metagame changes, new tech is constantly being descovered I.E. Stifle.  Cabal Therapy is often a hit and miss in this new meta.  The fact that it costs mana is also detrimental as the deck wants 7 mana as soon as possible for the Belcher.
Unmask is free and always snags the right card.  The downside, like Force of Will in combo, there might not be anything to pitch.
Cabal Therapy maybe worth testing again when the meta settles down but right now Unmask if superior.


Jander78 - Belch wants to use as little land as possible because of the synergy with Goblin Charbelcher.  Adding 5 color lands for draw 7 cards would not make the charbelcher kill viable.

[Fastbond]

How about something like?

MANA: 36
4 Chromatic Sphere
5 Moxen
1 Chrome Mox
1 Mana Crypt
1 Black Lotus
1 Lotus Petal
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Grim Monolith
4 Elvish Spirit Guide
4 Dark Ritual
1 Bayou
4 Land Grant
4 Eladamri's Vineyard
1 Channel
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Crop Rotation
KILL: 4
4 Goblin Charbelcher
SEARCH: 12
1 Timetwister
1 Tinker
1 Windfall
1 Memory Jar
4 Brainstorm
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Timewalk
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Necropotence
DISRUPTION: 8
4 Duress
4 Force of Will

Sideboard:
4 Carpet of Flowers

You might want to test workshops.

[Necrologia]

Wow, if decks like this keep popping up Elvish Spirit Guide might be the first creature restricted in Type 1 since Arabian Nights.

Excellent job on the deck list. The Vineyards might cost you a game or 2 against workshop and scepter decks but I'd imagine they give you more than enough wins against other decks to make up for it.

Any particular reason you didn't include a Bargain? Your deck is designed to generate 7 mana ASAP, so I'd imagine packing another 6 cc "I win" could be worth it. Maybe you could stick it in one of the slots freed up by restrictions.

[Lime]

Fastbond - The blue spash seems interesting although I question it.  It seems the blue splash is intended to add consistancy but really decreases consistancy...adding 9 blue spells and a third color off.  Also, the only blue mana  is chromatic spheres and Tolarian. In all, testing may prove otherwise. (thx for the decklist).  

Spoils of the Vault is golden, only costs 1 mana and finds THE card you need.

A second land greatly reduces the synergy with Charbelcher (I tested this A LOT).

I will test this build, let me know if you find different results.


Necrologia - Elvish Spirit Guide (ESG) is the tick tock in Belch.  It makes 7 mana first turn, or first turn channel possible!

The Vineyards are the weakest link in the deck slowing down the first turn but they setup the second turn win simular to metalworker in WMUD.

Regarding the WMUD matchup, Belch can easly play around the workshop disruption. A first turn Charbelcher followed  with a turn 2 kill is very easy.  Belcher is NOT effected by tangle wire, smokestack or sphere like Other combo.  The matchup is very favorable for Belch.

Truthfully, bargin has been an overlook.  It will certainly replace one vineyard pre-Jan. and one LED come Jan. 1st.

[Traveler]

I think a voltaic key should go in for a LED post Jan 1st.  It could be good now as it generates more colorless mana with the grim monoloth and mana vault and can get you colored mana with the moxes.

[ineffible]

wow this deck looks pretty good, but just to play devils advocate for a second. It seems to rely a lot on artifact crap. What about Chalice set at 0? Null Rod? Meltdown? Energy Flux? (all of the above could be played turn 1 easily)

I understand the unmask, duress control aspect will be helpful, but every major player in type 1 usually runs counters- Keeper, Hulk,  Vengeur Masque etc Mask runs duress and unmask (in some cases) as well, and so does Long.

Would you be relying pretty much on going first and hoping to set the kill turn 1?

just my .02

[Sympathy4theDevil]

Lime,
I've been playtesting your decklist alot, and I like it.  It really does go off like long.  Anyways, I wanted to hear what you were plan to do when LED and chrom mox get the shaft.  I think memory jar might be a possibility, but there should be more mana products to fill in for LED.  What are your ideas?

-Loren

[Lime]

Thanks for the comments guys!  

To answer each respectively:

ineffible - Belch plays two dynamic game strategies game 1 and 2.

Game 1 - The game plan of Belch is to win quick and easy.  Lucky the speed of this deck enables to out race the hate and if you approach every game with this mentality the deck will plow through the field.  

Game 2 - This game depends on an opponents opening play.  If nothing of consequence is played, proceed with Game 1 plan.  If the oppent does play a combo hoser i.e duress the game can stagnate over patience and timing.  

Notice I only mentioned duress as the hoser.  This is because proactive hate is the most proficent attack against Belch.  It can do nothing to prevent.  Fortunately, reactive hate such as counterspells (and I group null rod in this category) can be dealt with efficently with unmask, duress, or tutor for naturalize.

Sympathy4theDevil - Glad you enjoy winning on turn 1

I've done limited testing on post Jan. Belch.   Considering the deck is mana hungry and is losing 4 powerful sources, 3 LED and 1 chrome, those slots should be filled accordingly.  Thus far i've tested cabal ritual which feels promising.  Its not the punch of LED but provides a non-land accelerator.

I'm also condersing Fastbond's advise adding one draw 7 for rehabilitation, namely Timetwister.


Traveler - If more artifacts such as monolith or vault get printed (though I doubt it), Voltaic Key will be a consideration.

I'd enjoy hearing any comments regarding post Jan. 1 card choices.

I would like to note that Belch is an extremely easy deck to pick up and play, and it wins!.

[g0dzillA]

@Lime:

Nice decklist. Lot of innovative ideas in there on getting around the no land concept. I look forward to seeing your post-Jan. 1 build.

@Necrologia:

I was just thinking the other day how ESG is one of the only unrestricted mana accellerants in the format right now, and wondering if it might not see restriction sometime in the relatively near future. The fact that it produces green specifically may keep it off the list, though - especially since the majority of the decks that really use it to broken effect (the one posted here and PTW's 1.5 Spoils Dragon come to mind,) would be much more effectively neutered by restricting Spoils, which probably should have been on Dec. 1's list.

As a side note, it seems like most accellerants seem to dodge restriction if they are color specific (e.g. Workshop & artifacts, Ritual & black, ESG & green), so it's not likely to see restriction anytime soon, methinks.

[frimble]

Wow.  I am NOT a combo player at heart.  But, golly, this deck just seems to tick.  I am very impressed with it.

Fastbond, you seem to have a fantastic start of a list.  I would say a resounding NO to the workshops as they would disrupt the Belcher.  I am not seeing any lack of mana so far.

I am a touch concerned by what the side board would need to hold though.  What cards are you finding hurt the deck other than Duress?

[ineffible]

Lime- Thanks for the info.. What kind of sideboard are you running right now?

I have been playtesting the deck (albeit against no one yet) and it has drawn and worked very quickly. Next thursday I will have actual competition vs. keeper, mask, fish, workshop, and mudd. We'll have to see what happens.

Again thanks.

[Sympathy4theDevil]

@ Lime:
You are willing to splash blue for timetwister? I think the deck would be better off with only two colors, and memory jar instead.  If you splashed blue, you would have to change the whole deck around, adding tinker, possibly counters, and draw spells.  Is it worth it? I think the deck is strong as BG.

EDIT: Have you tried necrogen spellbomb?  It can draw cards or disrupt.  I don't know, just a thought.

@Frimble:
I don't know what Lime uses, but mainly, I use naturalize (nulrod, scepter+stifle, etc, chalice).  I'm not sure what else, maybe coffin purge, in case dragon is feeling really fast, and Belch is feeling really slow.  Essentially, you are looking to outrace your opponent, not find answers to the cards they  play... so you wont have a too substantial SB.
Just my thoughts... Lime should have a better answer for you

-Loren

[g0dzillA]

His deck doesn't splash blue, and there's no Timetwister in his list. Am I missing something?

[frimble]

To make the deck more consistant, I took out the Tolarian Academy and the Crop Rotation and put in a Lotus Petal and a Tropical Island.

This land is fetchable with Land Grant.  And Lotus Petal is another source of blue.

I am also toying with the idea of taking out 2 Force of Wills (I don't know yet if these are the right ones to cut) for a Demonic Tutor and A Vampiric Tutor.  I keep finding myself wanting to draw the 'belcher and no way of getting it.

[Smmenen]

Lime - good job coming up with this.

Steve

[Sympathy4theDevil]

godzilla - we are brainstorming ideas to take the place of the recently restricted LED and chrome mox come january.  Lime mentioned Timetwister... that's where it came from.

[frimble]

I took out the other 2 FoW's and now have Mystical Tutor and Regrowth in their place.  Again, this was to increase consistancy.  The regowth is to help against counters and Duress.  I have tested in Goldfish mode and consistantly go off on turn two.  Against Black Suicide or Nether Void, it kills also on turn 2 very consistantly (even duress or hymn).

I have yet to do much testing against Keeper or URphid.  
But I do have quite a bit of trouble against Supergro, and I toasted by Stax.

How have you been doing against control?  I imagine not great???

Has anyone any good ideas for a start of a sideboard?


Here is my newest Deck list:

4 Goblin Charbelcher

4 Duress

1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Necropotence
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Timetwister
1 Tinker
1 Windfall
1 Memory Jar
4 Brainstorm
1 Time Walk

1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Regrowth

1 Lion's Eye Diamond
4 Chromatic Sphere
1 Sol Ring
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mana Crypt
1 Black Lotus
1 Channel
1 Mana Vault
1 Grim Monolith
4 Dark Ritual
1 Chrome Mox
4 Land Grant
4 Eladamri's Vineyard
4 Elvish Spirit Guide
1 Lotus Petal
1 Bayou
1 Tropical Island

Any comments?

[Elyas Machera]

Frimble, your deck only seems to be 57 cards, did you forget or did I miss something?

Maybe a few Spoils or a few more Chromatic Sphere?

BTW Belcher Combo kicks ass