Refining Budget Concepts - Slax

[MuzzonoAmi]

After wasting far too much time revising this deck after the release of Welder MUD, I'm finally ready to post the changes I'm running with Mirrodin cards. Most shockingly, I've dropped Blue in favor of Green, particularly for Root Maze and Artifact Mutation. This has forced me to up the redundency

Mana Sources(26 [30 with Metalworkers])
5 Mountain
4 Taiga
4 Great Furnace
1 Tolarian Academy
4 City of Traitors
4 Metalworker
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Valut

Lock(20)
4 Tangle Wire
4 Sphere of Resistance
3 Chalice of the Void
4 Pyrostatic Pillar
3 Root Maze
2 Ensnaring Bridge
2 Winter Orb


Draw(8)
4 Grafted Skullcap
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Memory Jar


Kill(8[5 without Workers])
1 Karn, Silver Golem
4 Goblin Welder
3 Metalworker

Sideboard(15)
4 Artifact Mutation
4 Duplicant
2 Tormond's Crypt
2 Bottle Gnomes
3 Blood Moon

The maindeck remains relatively straightfoward, the deck remains a Stacker variant but is more heavily influenced by 'hard lock' prison decks like Stax and MUD in this revision, the most notable changes being the removal of Ankh for a full complement of Tangle Wires, and the removal of my beloved Ark of Blight to increase redundancy and consistency without the Tinkers and Intuitions that blue gave us. The Skullcap/Bridge lock is now used over Triskelion and Serrated Arrows to keep creatures at bay, with Root Maze slowing down the development of fast decks to a more manageable pace.

Watch List

Psychogenic Probe

This was tested but ultimately rejected for more restrictive lock components such as Root Maze and Chalice of the Void. While it works wonders against many of the top decks in the format, Maze and Chalice have both served me better, albeit only slightly. This was more effective than Root Maze in the Hulk matchup, however, and that alone may push it into the maindeck.

Shrapnel Blast

In a more aggressive Mono-Red Slax build, these would be a 4-of, no question. As it stands, it may merit a slot in the sideboard, but with that portion of the deck already very tight, I'm not sure wether it belongs. If you fear Artifact Mutation and Shattering Pulse, then these deserve SB slots at the very least

Mesmeric Orb

With all the tapping Slax is capable of forcing on its opponents, this could be a backbreaker, especially with Tormod's Crypt. They were tested a few times as kill conditions, but proved too slow and milling only a few cards at a time, as we all know, does little more than shuffle your opponent's library for them. More testing is needed to be sure, but I think they will wind up being too slow to function as effective kills.

Sylvan Library

This has been moving in and out of the deck almost as much as Psychogenic Probe. I love the extra draws in some matchups, but oftentimes in those matches, Winter Orb is more effective. The Orb fits my playstyle better, so it is maindecked.

Null Brooch

I really want to fit these in, but I can't make room. If anyone sees something that can be cut, please point it out.

Titania's Song

A Wrath of Moxen that turns my lockies into beatsticks is nothing to laugh about, and its cheaper than Karn. But the fact that Karn can block all day long gives him the edge here.

Thought Prison

Another powerful effect I can't find the room for. If anyone can tell me where to squeeze this in, please tell me. I've been thinking about dropping Pillar for it, but Prison is siginificantly more expensive...

Mindslaver

So powerful, but so expensive. Is it worth it?\n\n

[Brendan]

I think you really need the Grim Monolith and 4th Metalworker to give yourself as much of the explosiveness you can get in budget Workshop.

That allows you the maximum chance of getting a first turn metalworker, allowing the ridiculousness to start on turn 2.

As for what to replace, maybe a mountain and............ a root maze?

[MuzzonoAmi]

You're right about the 4th Worker, but I can't find room for the Monolith. Root Maze has been too good to me to cut down on any further, especailly because its effectiveness drops drastically in the late game. Unless a great Red artifact tutor appears, I don't see Monolith coming back.

[Jacob Orlove]

Isn't there a red artifact tutor in Mirrodin?

edit: boo@Tony. You could run Gamble.  \n\n

[Ric_Flair]

The artifact tutor is blue.  I am correcting Jacob, only because I think I was the one that misinformed him during my rantings on the way to PT Boston.

[MuzzonoAmi]

I've tried running Gamble, but I can't say it's ever served me exceptionally well. Also, I just tested a few games with Thought Prison in place of Pyrostatic Pillar, and while I like the effect alot, especially with Welder, I'd like to try an get a second opinion. Has anyone tried them is Stacker yet?

[David Hernandez]

MuzzonoAmi: do you find that the Chalice cancels out your Pyrostatic Pillars, or are they working together to wreck whole strategies?

at first glance i thought that the Chalice would weaken your Pillars.

dave.

[MuzzonoAmi]

The Chalices have weakened the Pillars a bit, which is why I'm considering dropping  them for Thought Prison. They do however, combine to make the game completely unwinnable for Long.dec.

The problem is the cost of Prison versus the cost of Pillar. Even with Worker, 5 is alot. But then again, it is a Weldable Duress that shocks my opponent(and not me) for finding and playing another copy of that spell. I'm going to try swapping them out and then I'll post my thoughts when I have enough experience with them.\n\n