//precursor mana: 20
4
Lotus Petal4
Chrome Mox4
Lion's Eye Diamond4
Elvish Spirit Guide4
Simian Spirit Guide//cantrips: 12
4
Gitaxian Probe4
Street Wraith4
Manamorphose//further accel: 16
4
Rite of Flame4
Tinder Wall4
Desperate Ritual4
Seething Song//Win: 12
4
Goblin Charbelcher4
Burning Wish3
Recross the Paths1
Meditate//Sideboard: 15
4
Xantid SwarmEmpty the WarrensRecross the PathsNature's ClaimPyroclasmPyrokinesisInfernal ContractShattering SpreeFlame SlashDiminishing ReturnsPast in FlamesTendrils of Agony
Who needs to play Goblin tokens?
You guys have probably seen this version of Belcher before, but for those who haven't, here's an introduction.
Recross the Paths lets you stack your deck however you want if you have 0 lands. Basically, it's uber-Doomsday. Instead of 11 ways to combo out, you now have 11 ways to Charbelch. Forget making 1/1 tokens that can be killed. Forget passing the turn. You just win now.
Advantages of Recrossing:
-less passing the turn
-doesn't lose to creature hate
-fewer "fizzle hands" (no multiple land grants; no multiple spirit guides + EtW FTL; can use Chrome Mox without imprinting a critical mana source; not wrecked by Stifle as explained below)
-0 lands: Belcher never misses
-better use of sideboard cards: you can set up 1-ofs postboard without needing to wish into them. you can also support non-sorcery answers.
NOTE: You don't have to win with Recross. You can just win with the usual Belcher hand, and you can still Wish into Empty the Warrens if you want. But I'm only going to discuss the Recross paths to victory here since the others should already be well known.
Like Doomsday, you want to resolve Recross the Paths with mana floating and cantrips in hand. The exact pile you set up depends on the cantrips you have and the extra mana, if any.
BASIC BELCH KILL PILE:
----top of library----
*Street Wraith (only if you need to win clash to get Recross back, for imprinting on Chrome Mox or w/e)
*Setup1 (remaining mana needed to cast Meditate: LED, Manamorphose or Lotus Petal usually)
Meditate
LED
LED
Setup2 (usually an SSG/ESG/Petal/LED, but if you have extra mana floating this can be a hate-removal card like Cave-In or whatever)
Street Wraith
Goblin Charbelcher
*LED (if you expect Stifle, no harm in a back-up LED to Belch again next turn. also good if opponent Spell Pierces/Dazes Belcher and you run out of mana)
----bottom of library----
Each * represents an optional slot.
Easy guide to setup 1:
If you have 3 mana floating and 1 cantrip, setup1 = Manamorphose
If you have 0 mana floating and 2 cantrips, setup1 = LED
If you have 2 mana floating and 2 cantrips, setup1 = Street Wraith + Chrome Mox (better to save LEDs for other parts of the chain)
If you have 1 mana floating and Rite of Flame in GY and 2 cantrips, setup1 = Rite of Flame + Manamorphose
If you have less, you probably can't go off this turn and should set up a pass-the-turn pile (Wraith + LED on top of Meditate)
Here's how some of the piles would play out.
Example 1: you have 0 mana floating and 2 cantrips in hand after resolving Recross:
LED
Meditate
LED
LED
Lotus Petal
Street Wraith
Charbelcher
You cantrip once. Drop LED. Cantrip again, popping LED in response for UUU. Draw and cast Meditate. Drop LEDs and Petal. Cycle Wraith, popping for 7 mana in response. Draw and activate Charbelcher. If you only had 1 cantrip in hand instead of 2, you can make this a "pass the turn" pile.
Example 2: you have RR floating, Chrome Mox in hand and only 1 cantrip
Street Wraith
Manamorphose
Meditate
LED
LED
Lotus Petal
Street Wraith
Charbelcher
You win the clash off Recross (usually). Drop Chrome Mox, imprinting Recross, GRR in pool. Use cantrip to draw Street Wraith. Street Wraith to draw Manamorphose. Manamorphose to convert your mana into URR. Cast Meditate. Etc. Win.
Example 3: you have 2 mana floating, only 1 cantrip, and Meditate stuck in hand
Manamorphose
Rite of Flame
LED
LED
Lotus Petal
Street Wraith
Charbelcher
Cantrip into Manamorphose, making UR and drawing Rite of Flame. Rite of Flame up to at least URR. Cast Meditate FTW.
Contrary to what Griffin Hansen said, you don't auto-lose with Meditate in hand. You just can't use the LED+2cantrip set-ups.
If you have fewer resources, you can still set up a kill in a few turns as a Hail Mary. Passing the turn 2 times and Belching immediately may actually not be worse than casting Empty the Warrens for 8-12 this turn.
Example 4: you have 0 mana floating and no cantrips
LED
Gitaxian Probe
Meditate
LED
LED
SSG
Street Wraith
Charbelcher
This involves passing the turn twice. But then, when you have LED and Probe, you can cantrip into Meditate, cast Meditate, and Charbelch FTW. This shows you can still set up a 2-turn win even with 0 resources post-Recross, making mulligans to 5-6 and playing through Daze not auto-losses. Keep in mind EtW takes at least 2 attacks to win so this "bad case" is not any slower. Also, with even one cantrip you only have to pass the turn once.
Example 5: you have 0 mana floating and 1 Street Wraith. opponent has Thalia and Ethersworn Canonist but no other clock.
SSG
Seething Song
Cave-In
LED
Gitaxian Probe
Meditate
LED
LED
ESG
Street Wraith
Charbelcher
You pass the turn and take 4. Draw SSG. Take 4. Draw Seething Song. Street Wraith into Cave-In, pitch Seething Song and use SSG to cast Cave-In to kill the hatebears and any other dorks. Pass the turn. LED. Pass the turn. Probe into Meditate FTW. Yeah, yeah, it takes 4 turns. But it beats just losing to double storm hate.
If opponent drops Needles or Revokers or has some other kind of protection from Belcher, you CAN set up convoluted piles with extra mana and extra card draw and Burning Wishes to find answers, but it's easier to just Tendrils them instead.
BASIC TENDRILS PILE
----top of pile----
*Street Wraith
*Setup1
Meditate
LED
LED
Flex Slot
Gitaxian Probe
Manamorphose
Manamorphose
Manamorphose
Burning Wish
----bottom of pile----
Top two cards are as discussed earlier to set up Meditate. Crack LEDs for RRRGGG, Probe to see opponent's grip to ensure the coast is clear, cantrip to build storm count, converting to have at least 2 black mana, and then Tendrils with storm 10+. Note that Wish for Tendrils only takes 6 mana (2 LEDs) instead of the 7 for Belcher, so you have a flex slot for either more mana (to play around spell pierce/daze) or for an anti-hate card if you have the resources floating to cast it.
If you need to Tendrils through Leyline or some other hate, you can make this pile:
----top of pile----
*Street Wraith
*Setup1
Meditate
LED
LED
LED
Gitaxian Probe
Burning Wish
LED
Lotus Petal
answer card
Manamorphose
Manamorphose
Manamorphose
Manamorphose
Burning Wish
----bottom of pile----
Meditate into triple LED for RRRGGGBBB. Probe into Wish into Infernal Contract, drawing four with RRGG floating. Lotus Petal. Cast your answer card (Pyroclasm, Nature's Claim, Wish into something, whatever). LED for BBB, cantrip to build storm, Tendrils for 15+ storm.
If you need to kill a Leyline AND win around Gaddock Teeg, the last pile works too, but Grapeshot might be easier.
BASIC GRAPESHOT PILE
----top of pile----
*Street Wraith
*Setup1
Meditate
LED
LED
LED
Gitaxian Probe
Gitaxian Probe
Gitaxian Probe
Burning Wish --> Infernal Contract
Seething Song
Seething Song
Manamorphose
Burning Wish -> Hull Breach
Manamorphose
Manamorphose
*Gitaxian Probe/Manamorphose
Burning Wish -> Grapeshot
----bottom of pile----
Make RRRGGGBBB with LEDs. After Infernal Contract, you have RRGG left. Double Seething Song up to RRRRRRRG, Wish into Hull Breach with RRRR left, cantrip some more, then Wish into Grapeshot for 20.
If opponent has Needle/Revoker on LED or Null Rod or a Deed/EE@0 or some other artifact hate to stop you from using triple LED, you can do this:
RITE OF FLAME PILE -- Needs +1 initial mana or 1 Rite of Flame already in graveyard
----top of pile----
*Street Wraith
*Setup1
Meditate
Rite of Flame/SSG
Rite of Flame
Rite of Flame
Goblin Charbelcher (or 4 Manamorphose + Burning Wish + Tendrils)
----bottom of pile----
Triple Rite of Flame = 7 red mana, the magic number. You just need an additional 1 red precursor mana. If you already cast 1 Rite of Flame before Recross the Paths, you don't need the extra mana -- you can just use an SSG to get started, your 2 Rites will conveniently net +5 mana up to 6, and then you can pick the Tendrils win. Also a nice way to beat Null Rod.
Finally, I will post one pile of hilarity (Requiring slightly different deck configuration -- 1 Faithless Looting in SB and boarded in):
The LOLpile:
----top of pile----
*Street Wraith
*Setup1
Meditate
LED
LED
LED
Gitaxian Probe
Burning Wish -> Infernal Contract
Seething Song
LED
Faithless Looting
Rite of Flame
Rite of Flame
Rite of Flame
Rite of Flame
Manamorphose
Manamorphose
Manamorphose
Manamorphose
Past in Flames
Seething Song
Seething Song
Seething Song
Desperate Ritual
Desperate Ritual
Desperate Ritual
Desperate Ritual
Burning Wish --> Answer card 1
Burning Wish --> Answer card 2
Answer card 3
Answer card 4
Lotus Petal
Burning Wish
----bottom of pile----
Alright, what in the hell's name is this monstrosity? First thing's first: close the blinds, because this is some hardcore masturbating.
Meditate as usual, stack Probe and crack the LEDs for RRRGGGBBB.
Wish into Infernal Contract and draw 4.
Cast Seething Song up to RRRRRG.
Faithless Looting, discarding 2 Rite of Flame.
Flashback Faithless Looting discarding 2 Rite of Flame, with RG left.
Manamorphose and crack LED for RRR (plus RR when Manamorphose resolves).
Manamorphose some more.
Draw into Past in Flames and cast it with R floating.
Quad Rite of Flame and Seething Song up to 13 red mana.
Manamorphose 4 times to draw 4 cards and filter your mana into whatever colors you want (making sure to create at least BBBBU).
Cast the 3 Seething Songs up to 19 mana.
Cast Meditate to draw 4, down to 16 mana.
Cast Infernal Contact to draw 4, down to 13 mana.
Cast quadruple Desperate Ritual, Splicing onto Arcane as much as possible. That should bring you to 23 mana if done correctly.
Burning Wish for Pyroclasm to kill all hatebears. (19 mana)
Burning Wish for Hull Breach or Shattering Spree to kill a bunch of hate permanents. (13-15 mana)
Cast 2 more kill spells for the hell of it. (10+ mana)
Flashback Past in Flames. (5+ mana)
Flashback triple Seething Song and Quad Desperate Ritual for +10 mana. (15+ mana)
Flashback some more kill spells. (5+ mana)
Lotus Petal and pop for B.
Flashback Probe into Burning Wish.
Tendrils/Grapeshot with storm 57+
You probably never need that pile ever. But if you want to kill a whole crapload of random protection and 5 players at once, who's to stop you?