Stax Player would like some suggestions on stuff

[mattdeballer]

I'm just getting into the really competitive scene of MTG and would like some ideas of how I can go with the deck, as there may have been things that I missed. I play with MoxMonkey all the time so I should have a semi-competitive decklist, but any suggestions are helpful. Heres my list:

[edit] changed the deck a little. tell me what you think

3x goblin welder
2x mox monkey
1x karn
1x sundering titan
1x triskelion

1x balance
1x darkblast
1x ancestral recall
1x demonic tutor
1x vamp tutor
1x crop rotation
1x imperial seal

5x power moxen
1x black lotus
1x mana crypt
1x sol ring
1x mana vault
4x smokestack
4x tangle wire
3x sphere of resistance
3x crucible of worlds
1x mindslaver
1x jester's cap
1x trinisphere

4x wasteland
4x mishra's workshop
1x strip mine
1x tolarian academy
1x bazaar of Baghdad
2x tendo ice bridge
3x gemstone mine
3x city of brass

Sideboard:
3x tormod's crypt
3x STP
3x duress
1x jester's cap
1x sphere of resistance
2x ray of revelation
1x duplicant
1x triskelion

From Playing a little while, not competitively unfortunately, I have come to these conclusions about the deck:

1. Barbarian Ring Sucks! I played with it in my original list and didn't like it at all. Upon hitting threshold it is useless anyway, as my lands don't stay on the board. It's only useful with mox ruby on the board. I have trike and darkblast anyway, so it wasn't needed.

2. Bazaar > LOA. I tested with LOA for a while, but unless mind's eye was on the table or I got it opening hand, I would never be able to use it for card advantage. Also bazaar plus Mind's eye is just plain mean

3. Jester's Cap is awesome. It's another spell that many people have to counter if they don't want to lose. I took duplicant out of the main for it, so I could test cap, and I loved it.

4. Mindslaver is Great. I have won many games from going CS on my opponent. Nuff said!

5. I love Darkblast!! I think it could go to the sb, but I'm not sure what I would put in instead. It works in many situations, and it combos with bazaar very well.

6. I don't know how to sideboard in this deck. I'm just gettin used to running the mainboard, so I guess its OK for now. Any help in using it and even construction helps. Situations to bring stuff in(decks to use against) will help tremendously, as from logical reasoning, I could bring many of my sb in for many matches, so any clarifications would help.

7. Tangle wire is GOD! This is my favorite card in the deck! After first turn 3sphere, this is my favorite 1st turn move.

8. Tendo Ice Bridge is ALOT better than i used to think it was. When it first came out, I thought it was horrible. I thought, "It only makes 1 colored mana!" But after using it, I see the usefullness of the card. It gives me the color I need when I need it, and stays on the board for eternity, unlike gemstone mine.

9. Gemstone mine and City of Brass are the most frustrating cards EVER!! They are so difficult to work with. Mine goes away after a little while, and city kills you, thus making you more susceptible to random aggro decks.

10. Big Artifact Dudes = Super Good!! Titan kills lands and says "I'm HUGE!!" Trike eats little dudes and swings. Karn accelerates the win, by killing my opponent's board of moxen and such, as well as turning my artifacts into beaters. He also beats people in face.

That's what I can think of for now. Any and all suggestions are appreciated and I hope you enjoy my post.

[warble]

Uba Mask means you don't need welder to make bazaar broken.  Whoever said library of alexandria in stax was smoking something...and they should share it!  Stax empty hand = good, full 7 cards = where is my workshop.

BRing is the win condition with crucible, sometimes you just want to be able to win without casting spells cuz you locked yourself out.  Who cares if you lock yourself out when you only needed crucible and SOR + recurring strip mine.  Plus uncounterable welder control is good, as welders spell trouble unless you hit that trike or darkblast and have the black mana.

Aggro can't win against your acceleration or lock components unless they're, like, weird white weenie or something.  Tangle wire is good against aggro, if you are running it you shouldn't have problems.

This list only needs uba mask and 3 more bazaars to be uber.  Try it and see.

[sean1i0]

The list looks pretty good, but there are definitely a few things that I would change about it.  First I would definitely put an imperial seal in (that is if you have one or can proxy it).

Second, I would replace the 3 x tendo ice bridge with city of brass.  I definitely know (from standard) that tendo is awesome (amazingly so at times), but in vintage I would say that gemstone and city are definitely superior.  Despite the facts that gemstone mine will leave the board and city will sometimes deal you a ton of damage in the matter of a few turns, they always give you the option of producing colored mana.  I can also attest to the fact that I have many games gotten myself down to 1 life via city of brass and being attacked and still won.

Thirdly, I'll just say one word:  Balance!  Balance is so fucking busted in this deck.  It just wins so many games.  Especially with crucible of worlds out.  (I think the most busted balance play I've ever made was with 5c stax:  2-3 cards in hand, 0 creatures in play, 3-4 lands in play (2 of them wastelands).  I had a crucible out, so I wastelanded my own lands and cast balance with 1-2 cards in hand.)

Also, 1 maindeck swords to plowshares can be really amazing, too.  I've often considered cutting it, but the random game wins that it's bought me are too many to discount.