Balustrade Spy MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Vampire Rogue
Abilities Flying
Power 2
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Balustrade Spy offers card advantage through self-milling, setting up graveyard strategies effectively.
  2. Its potential for resource acceleration is notable in decks that utilize graveyard synergies.
  3. Instant-speed interaction is enhanced by prefilling the graveyard for strategic plays.

Text of card

Flying When Balustrade Spy enters the battlefield, target player reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals a land card, then puts those cards into his or her graveyard.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Balustrade Spy shines by potentially putting multiple cards into your graveyard, setting up the potential for reanimation or other graveyard synergies, effectively translating to a form of card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing mana, this card can accelerate your resources by milling combo pieces necessary to enact your strategy faster, particularly in decks designed to exploit the graveyard.

Instant Speed: While Balustrade Spy is not an instant itself, it facilitates instant-speed plays by stocking your graveyard with spells that can be cast or creatures that can be revived when you could make the most tactical impact.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Players must be aware that Balustrade Spy’s ability can force them to discard valuable cards. This mill strategy, while beneficial in some decks, could backfire if it leads to the loss of crucial cards needed for gameplay. Balustrade Spy’s role in your deck requires careful consideration due to this potential downside.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires both generic and black mana for its casting cost. While not inherently problematic, it does mean that the card is best suited for monoblack or multicolored decks that can easily generate black mana. Decks that don’t focus heavily on black mana might find it difficult to consistently cast Balustrade Spy when needed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a total of four mana, including two black, some players might find Balustrade Spy too mana-intensive for its onboard effect. In many game situations, there are alternatives that offer more impactful effects or creatures with a more aggressive stat line for the same or lower mana investment. Those looking for efficiency might see the mana cost as a limiting factor in deckbuilding and game progression.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Balustrade Spy holds a place in decks that capitalize on self-milling strategies or those designed to manipulate the library. It’s a card that can be seamlessly integrated into various archetypes, from reanimator to rogue decks.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combos, particularly with cards that benefit from a large graveyard. The ability to mill until hitting a land card can be a game-changer, filling the graveyard for strategic plays or enabling powerful finishers.

Meta-Relevance: As the meta evolves, Balustrade Spy’s utility in disrupting opponent’s strategies or setting up your graveyard-centric combos keeps it relevant. Whether the current meta favors grindy games or fast-paced, combo-driven matches, this card can adapt to the demands of competitive play.


How to Beat

Balustrade Spy is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering that possesses an intriguing ability to reveal cards from a player’s library until they hit a land card, subsequently putting all cards revealed this way into their graveyard. This card can be particularly disruptive, especially in formats where graveyard mechanics are prevalent. To effectively counter Balustrade Spy, it’s important to deploy strategies that either deny the card entry into play or mitigate its mill effect.

Consider using cards with flash or instant-speed removal to eliminate the Spy before its ability triggers, or employ graveyard hate cards like Rest in Peace and Leyline of the Void to nullify the milling effect entirely. In addition, creatures like Grafdigger’s Cage can prevent cards from directly entering the battleground from the library or graveyard, stalling the strategies that rely on Balustrade Spy. Strategic sideboarding and an anticipatory approach to deck building can ensure that you’re prepared for this particular type of disruption, maintaining a strong defense against Balustrade Spy’s potential impact on the game.


Cards like Balustrade Spy

Balustrade Spy serves a niche but pivotal role in Magic the Gathering strategies that exploit the top deck mechanic. Its most direct comparison is with Undercity Informer, which boasts a similar ability to reveal cards from the top of a library until a land card is revealed. While Undercity Informer requires a creature to be sacrificed to activate its ability, Balustrade Spy offers a self-contained package, triggering its effect on entering the battlefield without additional costs.

Another card that echoes a comparable mechanic is Millstone. While not as immediate since it’s an artifact and requires activation cost, it continues the legacy of forcing a player to mill their cards, potentially disrupting their strategy. Balustrade Spy does so in a more unpredictable fashion and has the added advantage of being a creature that can affect the board state.

Looking at these similarities and differences helps players make informed decisions about deck construction. Balustrade Spy shines in decks looking to rapidly churn through the opponent’s cards or set up graveyard strategies, marking its unique position in the Magic the Gathering card pool.

Undercity Informer - MTG Card versions
Millstone - MTG Card versions
Undercity Informer - Gatecrash (GTC)
Millstone - Antiquities (ATQ)

Cards similar to Balustrade Spy by color, type and mana cost

Hell's Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Rag Man - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Debaser - MTG Card versions
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions
Slinking Skirge - MTG Card versions
Gravedigger - MTG Card versions
Scandalmonger - MTG Card versions
Urborg Shambler - MTG Card versions
Whispering Shade - MTG Card versions
Filth - MTG Card versions
Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions
Bold Plagiarist - MTG Card versions
Dirge Bat - MTG Card versions
Gixian Puppeteer - MTG Card versions
Toxin Sliver - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Spirit - MTG Card versions
Nim Shambler - MTG Card versions
Bad Ass - MTG Card versions
Scourge of Numai - MTG Card versions
Akuta, Born of Ash - MTG Card versions
Hell's Caretaker - Chronicles (CHR)
Rag Man - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Phyrexian Debaser - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Slinking Skirge - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Gravedigger - The List (PLST)
Scandalmonger - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Urborg Shambler - Invasion (INV)
Whispering Shade - Odyssey (ODY)
Filth - Judgment (JUD)
Demon of Catastrophes - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Bold Plagiarist - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Dirge Bat - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Gixian Puppeteer - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Toxin Sliver - Legions (LGN)
Vampiric Spirit - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Nim Shambler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Bad Ass - Unhinged (UNH)
Scourge of Numai - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Akuta, Born of Ash - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Balustrade Spy MTG card by a specific set like Gatecrash and Iconic Masters, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Balustrade Spy and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Balustrade Spy Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2013-02-01 and 2024-01-12. Illustrated by Jaime Jones.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-02-01GatecrashGTC 572003normalblackJaime Jones
22017-11-17Iconic MastersIMA 802015normalblackJaime Jones
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 5702015normalblackJaime Jones
42020-09-26The ListPLST IMA-802015normalblackJaime Jones
52022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 682015normalblackJaime Jones
62024-01-12Ravnica RemasteredRVR 662015normalblackJaime Jones

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Balustrade Spy has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerBanned

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Balustrade Spy card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2017-11-17 If the target player has no land cards in their library, all cards from that library will be revealed and put into their graveyard.

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