[Budget] R/G Crucible Beatdown

[M.Solymossy]

[Mana Base]
1 emerald
1 ruby
1 lotus
1 crypt
1 sol ring
4 wooded foothills
4 taiga
2 forest
2 mountain
4 wasteland
1 strip mine

[Creatures]
2 xantid swarm
4 river boa
2 troll ascedic
3 gorilla shaman
4 kird ape

[Utility]
2 null rod
3 fire/ice
4 rancor
4 exploration
3 crucible of worlds
3 oxidize

[][Sideboard][]
2 tormods crypt
3 ground seal
3 REB
2 Hurricane
2 maze of ith

This is my first attempt at a rogue deck for a competitive tournament.  The metagame for my area is very diverse... looking somewhat like this:

Fish
WTF
WTF/R
Grow-a-Tog
HulkSmash
Draw7
Belcher
Rector-tricks
4CC
Madness (U/G)
Dragon
FCGobo's
Affinity
Landstill
7/10
Trini-TNT
Slaver

about every deck possible in the format is actually being played, so if i missed any.... sorry

explanations you ask?  
Well, the mana base is pretty simple... factory for beats and colored mana.

The creatures were taken from a different R/G style.

2 xantid swarm:   there is a reason why force of will is a staple in any deck with blue... hense there is a reason why xantid swarm should be mainboard in any deck without blue.

4 river boa:   A regenerating Beatstick with Islandwalk that is a beast when rancored.

2 troll ascedic:  Untargetable beatstick that can regenerate and be targeted by my rancor.  

3 gorilla shaman:   the Crucible+exploration engine is to slow them to a complete halt.  Gorilla Shaman is to guarentee their moxen arn't as effective as they should be.

4 kird ape:   I really can't complain with another beatstick for 1 colored mana.
2 Null rod:  I have no problem shutting down my artifacts if I can shut down theirs.  

3 fire/ice:   Obviously I'm not going to use Ice.  I just hate welders enough to play fire.  And also, in Playtesting... even after i nuke madness to a complete standstill, they can still manage to get out a couple rootwallas.

4 rancor:  simple.  They speed the beatings.

4 exploration:  they speed the deck, without the damage that Fastbond gives me.  They are also AMAZING when crucible is in play, letting me normally waste/strip 2 to 3 lands a turn (with 2 expo's in play)

3 crucible of worlds:  what's not to love about tempo?

3 oxidize:   This is another one of those "I Hate Welder" cards.  If they can get out a fast trini or a beatstick, i'm normally sunk.  This is my handy little helper.

2 tormods crypt:  Dragon = bad against this deck earlygame

3 ground seal:  I can't risk someone messing with my strip's and wastelands.   might cut this to 2.

3 REB:  it's a counter against counters.

2 Hurricane:   Fish really annoys me, and  fish decks were there last tourney. one was me, but i am being replaced with a friend who's playing it.

2 maze of ith:  I realized that Tog and even madness have some troubles against the maze.  I might play something a bit more destructive like Startstorm.


Other card choices:

Grim Lavamancer:  I really don't fill my graveyard that quickly for him to be effective.

Cursed Scroll:  Paying 3 and having to make sure i only have 1 card in hand is kinda steep for only 2 damage.

artifact mutation:  I might play these, they're autowin against any artifact deck.

More later:  I have a job interview.

Tell me what you think should be changed!!!!

[Tobi]

If you plan to abuse Crucible, then why not to the max?

Try Mishra's Factory, Treetop Village, Crop Rotation, Sylvan Scrying. Crucible should be cast as soon as possible, and Explorations help here. If you want to get one out soon, and have some backup, run 4 of them.

Troll Ascetics are very hard to handle for many decks, so I would use 4. With Explorations and many Lands they come out fast.

Xantid Swarms are not really worth the spot. You have no critical move to be protected.

[apoc7k]

In all actuality theres alot of things that you can do. It seems that you want to use this as an aggro deck which is okay but you could do something a bit different. Theres a deck of a friends that has done really well over the time he's used it. The biggest question is that is red and green the best colors for the deck? My friend uses Blue Green and Black, and its a combo deck.

His deck is very well built because it can stand against nearly every deck and its combo is so abusable. The only deck he seems to have trouble with is fish but he hasn't said how the most recent playing is. And there are also easier ways to win. Also his win condition cant be countered or removed from the game via. STP.

His main winning conditions are between Barbarian Ring, Infinite life, and Glacial Chasm. Heres his build

4 Polluted Delta
4 Tropical Island
2 Underground Sea
2 Undiscovered Paradise
1 Bayou
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Strip Mine
3 Wasteland
3 Mishra's Workshop
1 Barbarian Ring
1 Glacial Chasm

1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Black Lotus

1 Memory Jar
1 Zuran Orb
4 Horn of Greed
4 Crucible of Worlds
2 Engineered Explosives

4 Exploration
1 Fastbond
1 Trade Routes

1 Regrowth
1 Time Walk
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Tinker
1 Timetwister
1 Yawgmoth's Will
2 Living Wish

1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Crop Rotation
1 Ancestral Recall
4 Brainstorm

SB:
1 Gorilla Shaman
1 Woodripper
1 Viridian Zealot
1 Platinum Angel

4 Null Rod
4 Damping Matrix

1 Wasteland
1 Glacial Chasm
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

One thing about the sideboard is The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale. First off i suggested it to him. Secondly it is so unbelievably powerful against creature decks. If they are pouring mana into creatures for upkeep costs each turn they are going to be hurting. Other than that its pretty simple.