How to Win with Walls and Spies
Spy Combo took 2nd place at France’s biggest Pauper event, Sideboard 5 Lyon (132 players), proving this quirky walls‑based engine remains a powerhouse in diverse metagames. For new players, it’s deceptively simple: build a wall of mana dorks and blockers, then explode with Balustrade Spy for lethal dredge chains. Here’s a beginner‑friendly breakdown of the archetype, using the runner‑up list as our blueprint.
Core Concept
Spy Combo is a lands‑matter ramp deck disguised as a control shell. You deploy Walls (Overgrown Battlement, Tinder Wall) to ramp mana while blocking ground attacks, then cast Balustrade Spy to dredge your deck into a massive Dread Return targeting Lotleth Giant for a huge attacker or recursive value. The goal: survive early aggression, ramp ahead, and combo off by turn 4–5.
Win conditions (in priority):
Primary: Balustrade Spy + dredge enablers → Dread Return Lotleth Giant (often lethal trample).
Backup: Land Grant / Winding Way / Lead the Stampede for card advantage; Overrun effects via Giant or pumped Walls.
The List Breakdown
Here’s the 2nd‑place build from Benoît Antoniotti:
Lands (4)
3 Forest
1 Swamp
(Minimal basics; relies on ramp for fixing.)
Creatures (40)
4 Balustrade Spy (combo engine)
4 Overgrown Battlement (ramp + defender)
4 Sagu Wildling (defender + mana sink)
4 Saruli Caretaker (defender + ramp)
4 Generous Ent (mana dork + defender)
3 Gatecreeper Vine (fetcher + defender)
3 Masked Vandal (versatile artifact/enchant hate)
3 Tinder Wall (fast ramp)
3 Wall of Roots (mana + blocker)
2 Elves of Deep Shadow (early ramp)
2 Mesmeric Fiend (disruption)
2 Lotleth Giant (wincon)
2 Troll of Khazad-dûm (recursion engine)
1 Healer of the Glade? (lifegain? Wait, sideboard—main is walls focus)
Instants/Sorceries (14)
4 Land Grant (free ramp)
4 Winding Way (reveal ramp)
4 Lead the Stampede (draw/filter)
2 Dread Return (reanimation wincon)
Other (2)
2 Lotus Petal (explosive mana)
Sideboard (15)
2 Faerie Macabre (graveyard hate)
3 Haunting Misery (wipe small creatures)
4 Healer of the Glade (lifegain vs burn)
1 Flaring Pain (removal)
1 Jack‑o’‑Lantern (grave hate)
1 Masked Vandal
2 Mesmeric Fiend
1 Swamp
Budget note: Almost 100% commons; full playset under $50 TCGPlayer.
How to Play: Mulligan & Early Game
Ideal hand: 2–3 lands + 1–2 ramp Walls (Tinder Wall, Overgrown Battlement) + early defender. Keep anything with Land Grant. Mulligan flood or pure disruption hands.
Turns 1–3 (Ramp & Survive):
T1: Elves of Deep Shadow or Tinder Wall.
T2: Gatecreeper Vine or Wall of Roots (ramp while blocking).
T3: Overgrown Battlement (key ramp piece—protect it). Use Masked Vandal to answer artifacts/enchantments.
Pro tip: Always block. Your Walls trade favorably and buy combo turns.
Midgame: Assemble the Combo
Turn 4+ payoff: Cast Balustrade Spy. Dredge to hit Dread Return or ramp → reanimate Lotleth Giant (trample for lethal) or Troll for recursion. Lotus Petal accelerates this by 1 turn.
Common lines: Spy → dredge Wall → more mana → Giant. If disrupted, grind with Stampede value.
Sideboarding Basics
Aggro (RDW, Madness): +4 Healer of the Glade, +3 Haunting Misery; -4 Balustrade Spy, -2 Lotus Petal, -1 Lotleth.
Control (Counters): +2 Faerie Macabre; cut fragile Walls.
Combo (Gates, etc.): +1 Jack‑o’‑Lantern for GY; disruption like Mesmeric Fiend.
Matchup Tips for Beginners
Vs Aggro: Prioritize lifegain Walls; Haunting Misery post‑board.
Vs Control: Ramp fast, protect Spy with blockers.
Vs Combo: Slow them with Vandal/Mesmeric; your clock is quick.
Weakness: Heavy artifact hate or fast burn—sideboard shores it up.
Practice tip: Goldfish 10 games focusing on ramp turns. Play on MTGO Pauper leagues to test.
Spy Combo rewards patient piloting and metagame awareness—perfect for new players wanting an offbeat powerhouse. Sleeve it up and start ramping!