KCI for Vintage

[lordarcanis]

Hello!  As you all see by my post count, I am new to The Mana Drain, however, I have been following the site and Vintage as a format for a while.  I live in Kansas, and Vintage Magic is hard to come by here (we don’t have any support from cardshops in the area), but, I have group games at my house.  My metagame consists of Oath, Grim Long, Dragon, Bomberman, Fish, and random aggro.
I have never considered myself an innovator of any sorts, but here is my first attempt at a competitive deck that I created (at least I think I did):

Altar of fire.dec

4 Krark Clan Ironworks
4 Myr Retreiver
4 Disciple of the Vault
4 Chromatic Star
4 Terrarion
4 Cathodion
2 Chalice of the Void
2 Winter Orb
4 Thirst for Knowledge
2 Crucible of Worlds
2 Goblin Welder
1 Tinker
1 Memory Jar
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Yawgmoth’s Will
4 Vault of Whispers
4 Seat of the Synod
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Strip Mine
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Grim Monolith

The idea is to draw through most of your library using KCI and cantripping artifacts, while generating mana to play what you draw and kill with Disciple.  The minimal amount of control in this deck actually does more to hold back the onslaught than it may look.
This deck is mostly untested, so instead of explaining matchups, I will go over some of the card choices:

KCI, Retreiver, Disciple, Chromatic Star- This is the core of the deck, and is not really changeable as far as I see (I’m a pretty open minded guy, though).
Cathodion- Obviously, this generates me a lot of mana.  I don’t ever seem to run short of mana, so this could be taken out for something better if it presents itself.
Terrarion- Other than Chromatic Star and Solemn Simulacrum (which is too expensive), this is the only other artifact that draws me a card when sacrificed.  It is a terrible card, but I don’t seem to have enough draw without it.
Chalice/Winter Orb- This deck started off as a Stax variant.  This is all that remains.  Winter Orb is absolutely NUTZ in this deck, especially against fish.
Goblin Welder- These are KCI # 5 and 6.  They allow me to abuse Disciple if I don’t have KCI or just get back an artifact discarded with TFK.
Grim Monolith- Usually bad, but pretty good in here.

Cards that are not included:

Workshop:  I don’t seem to have too many mana issues, but I do miss the explosive starts.  If this is the direction I go, I may wish to remove some of the spells for more artifacts.
2sphere/3sphere:  Again, this used to be modified Stax, but these were moved to potential sideboard against Combo when I increased the amount of slots dedicated to the combo.

I’d love to make the deck stronger, and I think that it may need more mana denial, but every time I try to fit it in, my combo seems too diluted.

Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated!!

[EnialisLiadon]

Demonic Tutor, Demonic Consultation (your combo consists of 4-ofs) and Vampiric Tutor should find their way in here.  You could also use some bounce, since Null Rod, Chalice, Crypt, etc wreck you.  Duress is another option.  I also think Workshop should go in here--it's too good to cut.

[lordarcanis]

I agree that Duress is a good option- it can remove Mana Drain, Hurkyl's/Rebuild, and Null Rod which are the scariest cards I face. -4 Cathodion +4 Duress
E. Truth should be good to remove Null Rod and things like Meddling Mage which can set me back.  -2 Thirst +2 E. Truth.
Workshop...  I have now removed four artifacts, meaning that there are now even more cards that Workshop does not work with.  Like I said, I have an abundance of mana from KCI, so I don't think I need this.  If I did put it in, what should I take out?

[President Skroob]

Without non-artifact lands, your Echoing Truths won't blow Null Rods. I would think that using the artifact lands would be a real liability in many metagames.

[Harlequin]

I think Ashnod's Alter is better and more stable.

Cut artifact lands for stable rainbow lands. 

Find a way to add some of the following:
Crop Rotation
Possibly Myr Incubator (owns anything aggro)
Oxidize

[lordarcanis]

Why would Ashnod's Altar be better?
1.  Creatures have less utility and are less likely for automatic inclusion in a Vintage deck.
2.  Creatures are even more succeptible to kill.
3.  As far as I know, Solemn Simulacrum is the only creature that draws me a card when killed.
4.  It would take more cards to go infinite.
5.  Besides Mana Drain, Ashnod's Altar gets hit just as hard by Meddling Mage, Null Rod, and Hurkyl's/Rebuild.

Crop Rotation- The nature of my deck is to make a TON of mana.  More often than not, I find myself needing something to do with that mana.  I don't really need an Academy #2.
Myr Incubator seems like a good sideboard choice, though.  I remember it from the Extended version of this deck.  I was thinking about Ensaring Bridge, though.  It can stem aggro even more quickly, and doesn't require activation.

[lordarcanis]

Sorry to double post, but it looks like you guys (and girls I guess) aren't too interested in this deck.  I think there is some potential for brokenness here, as long as we can work past the hate.  I think rainbow lands are a good call.  What about this list?

4 Krark Clan Ironworks
4 Myr Retreiver
4 Disciple of the Vault
4 Chromatic Star
4 Terrarion
4 Duress
2 Chalice of the Void
2 Winter Orb
4 Thirst for Knowledge
2 Echoing Truth
2 Goblin Welder
1 Tinker
1 Memory Jar
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Yawgmoth’s Will
4 Underground Sea
4 City of Brass
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Strip Mine
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Grim Monolith

[EnialisLiadon]

Sorry to double post, but it looks like you guys (and girls I guess) aren't too interested in this deck.

It's been less than a day since you posted this--patience!

Anyhoo.  My point about Workshops is that it will power out fast Ironworks and Retreivors, as well as unloading your cantripping artifacts.  I figured since 2/3 of your combo is artifacts (and one costs 4) and that the deck plays lots of artifacts, Workshop would be a good addition.

As for Ironworks vs. Altar, I agree with lordarcanis in that Ironworks is preferrable.  With Altar, you lose synergy with cantripping artifacts and the ability to sacrifice moxen.

Also, any reason you've neglected the aforementioned tutors?

[Prometheon]

Myr Incubator is completely retarded in this deck. Also, maybe run a Mindslaver or two? You generate so much mana, that it could be good in case you don't 'go off' right away.

[EnialisLiadon]

Myr Incubator is completely stupid in this deck. Also, maybe run a Mindslaver or two? You generate so much mana, that it could be good in case you don't 'go off' right away.

Seems like Time Walk would be a better card for that purpose...which isn't in the deck either...

[lordarcanis]

Here’s the best I could come up with that includes both the black tutors and Workshops.  After some playtesting this weekend, I have to agree with EnialisLiadon that the tutors make my deck faster and more consistant.  I do miss the Mana denial strategy with Chalice and Strip Mine, but I was probably overreaching- this is a combo deck, and should have just enough disruption to not loose before it goes off.  Believe it or not, this deck (especially with 4 Workshops) can race Grim Long often enough to not just outright loose.  Playtesting of this version has done well against Long, Stax, and Dragon, but I loose HORRIBLY to Fish.  All testing has been done pre-board (as I don’t have a sideboard yet.

4 Krark Clan Ironworks
4 Myr Retreiver
4 Disciple of the Vault
4 Chromatic Star
3 Terrarion
4 Duress
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
2 Winter Orb
4 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Echoing Truth
2 Goblin Welder
1 Tinker
1 Memory Jar
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Yawgmoth’s Will
4 Mishra’s Workshop
4 Underground Sea
3 City of Brass
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault

Any more maindeck suggestions?  If not, how about a sideboard?

[Roat17]

The only cards that I can think of to help you against fish are:

Shield Sphere
Atog
Massacre
Triskelion
Razormane masticore
Masticore
Engineered Explosives