A couple of weeks ago I convinced my friend Rebell to play in a local Pauper League. Incidentally I got her to come back out two days later to play Premodern, but she did much better at the Pauper one and that was the first domino to fall in today's story.

Rebell is scratching the itch of an invigorated interest in paper Magic, partly because the New York community is so great, partly because what else are you going to do with your weeknight evenings that is any more worthwhile, and partly because I'm helping her on some new IRL Magic YouTube content that is absolutely going to slap. Think more stuff like this.

I posted a 3-0 with my trusty Red Deck that night... And I was pleasantly surprised to see that, cold and out of the gate, Rebell did too! What deck was she on? Another one of Pauper's best strategies: Spy Combo.

Spy Combo | Pauper | BigBucci

• Creatures (39)
• 2 Axebane Guardian
• 2 Lotleth Giant
• 2 Mesmeric Fiend
• 2 Quirion Ranger
• 2 Troll of Khazad-dum
• 3 Gatecreeper Vine
• 3 Masked Vandal
• 3 Wall of Roots
• 4 Balustrade Spy
• 4 Generous Ent
• 4 Overgrown Battlement
• 4 Sagu Wildling
• 4 Saruli Caretaker

• Sorceries (14)
• 2 Dread Return
• 4 Land Grant
• 4 Lead the Stampede
• 4 Winding Way

• Artifacts (3)
• 3 Lotus Petal

• Lands (4)
• 3 Forest
• 1 Swamp

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Acorn Harvest
• 2 Faerie Macabre
• 1 Flaring Pain
• 1 Masked Vandal
• 2 Mesmeric Fiend
• 4 Nylea's Disciple
• 1 Pilfer
• 2 Scattershot Archer
• 1 Swamp

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How Does This Deck Work?

There are a bunch of utility and value creatures in this deck, but the major reason people play it is that it 1) due to playing only four lands, 2) it can reliably cast Balustrade Spy with none of them still in the deck.

When you play this Vampire Rogue [with no lands in your deck] you will presumably turn the whole thing over into your graveyard... Along with at least one copy of Dread Return and at least one copy of Lotleth Giant.

There is almost no way this deck is going to get to turn four without three creatures in play (maybe even just including the Balustrade Spy) so you're very likely to have fuel for the Dread Return.

Lotleth Giant enters the battlefield, goes and looks at all its compatriots in the graveyard, and then brains the opponent for 30+

Now playing a deck with only four lands is kinda sorta not for the faint of heart. But while the actual count of basic lands is low, Spy Combo has lots of ways to search them up (at least after you've gotten your first mana).

Most of these cards break even, but sometimes you'll have an odd first turn where you break two Lotus Petals to cast an Overgrown Battlement in the hopes of tapping it for or even the next turn, in order to get your land searching party started.

If that sounds like an expensive way to get your Overgrown Battlement onto the battlefield, don't worry! Spy Combo boasts an exceptional suite of creature-focused card advantage spells.

Because the deck is nearly two-thirds creatures (and almost no lands) you will very often put three or even five cards into your hand. This is a great way to recover from just having Lotus Petal in your deck, and an even better way to punish opponents who are trying to answer your creatures one-for-one. Notably, while Spy Combo Tutors only for basic lands specifically, the deck's namesake is 1) an eligible candidate for Winding Way or Lead the Stampede, and 2) 4-5 cards closer to topdeck the regular way in the case that you miss.

On the subject of Overgrown Battlement, that card not only has Defender, but pays you off for all the other Defenders you play. Ditto on Axebane Guardian. Wall of Roots and company are great but kind of along for the ride.

With so many Defender creatures you're not likely to win a lot of games the old fashioned way, but Sagu Wildling can still throw its hat into the ring and its wings into The Red Zone once in a while... But really? This deck is mostly about combo. Luckily it's both consistent and fast.

"How did you do?" I asked Rebell at the end of her night.

"I played four lands and tapped three of them, six times," she responded.

Thus, inspired by Rebell's undefeated run, last Tuesday I decided to make myself less predictable in the local metagame. Weeks earlier I had lost my first Pauper match ever... But then not another one for several consecutive Leagues. 2-1 into 3-0 after 3-0. Sadly, it seems I was probably getting ahead of myself.

I had done so well in the short term that, even though I started a month and a half late, it looked like I could make the cut to the single-elimination League Finals. I don't know the Pauper players nearly so well as my Premodern family, but I just didn't want to be one-dimensionally metagamed in a format where I'd invariably be on the draw and my Top 16 (and probably Top 8) opponents would see me coming a mile away.

So, I hit my friend Rich Bucey up to swap decks. I started out barning Rich's Burn deck anyway, but he had been playing Spy more recently. Could I borrow the Black and Green? Spoilers: Rich easily went 3-0 with Burn.

So, Spy it was! Spy it would be!

ROUND ONE - Spy Mirror

Key Cards: I assume you know by now!

My opponent Colin was (is?) already qualified for the League Finals, and on something like a sixteen-win streak of his own... All with Spy. So not only had I decided to switch off of my Weapon of Choice, I started off the night against a distinctly superior Spy player in the mirror.

The games were relatively unexciting. Colin out-drew me two Balustrade Spies to zero in Game 1; and one to zero in Game 2. I was able to do a little disruption with Mesmeric Fiend in the first, but got topdecked anyway; and simply didn't have Faerie Macabre in hand when he went for it in the second.

A heartbreaking...

0-1 / 0-2

ROUND TWO - Izzet Skred Control

Key Cards: Snow-Covered Island, Tolarian Terror, Skred

I had no idea how this matchup was "supposed" to go, but I just kind of got ahead with acceleration and card drawing. Even though I was caught by a Spell Pierce for one of my land search cards, all those creatures with tap abilities let me out-mana simple land drops (Snow-covered or no).

Eventually I got Mesmeric Fiend to tell me how to navigate a turn, and Balustrade Spy did the rest.

Apparently, Spy is a tough matchup for these kinds of decks?

One of the things I didn't realize before I was actually playing it is that (especially when you're a Swamp and / or three Forests in) Generous Ent and Troll of Kazad-dum are just burlier than Tolarian Terror once on the battlefield. Terror is actually the superior combat creature, but the Lord of the Rings twins do an admirable (and ground-holding) Plan B.

1-1 / 2-2

ROUND THREE - Black Sacrifice

Key Cards: Carrion Feeder, Mortician Beetle, Infestation Sage

I got Game 1 then dropped Game 2 to... No lands. I mean literally no lands. I think I mulliganed to four? Anyway four Sagu Wildlings (but no way to cast them) later we were onto the decider.

I didn't make a play in Game 2, so I had plenty of mental energy to focus on his cards. I noticed a lot of 1/1 or so bodies. My 0/4 and 0/5 Walls were going to keep the rain off, but I realized a 3/3 would actually rule the battlefield.

So, I sided in all four Nylea's Disciple!

This turned out to be a great idea. Even though he could sometimes trade with my 3/3s, they had already paid me off in life points... And I was the one with Winding Way and Lead the Stampede!

2-1 / 4-3

... So what was my very costly mistake?

Choosing Spy to begin with, of course!

Remember when I said I might be getting ahead of myself? There are at this point only two weeks of League play left. I had been on a pretty great tear, but there are people with over 70 points already! If I am going to sneak into the Top 16 it's going to have to be with a little luck, and more-or-less the balance at 3-0.

2-1 put me at near-death for this season :(

Or... Maybe you will read an incredible underdog story a few weeks down the line! I guess we'll find out.

LOVE

MIKE