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Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Card of the Day

Daily Since November 2001!

Balustrade Spy
Image from Wizards.com

 Balustrade Spy
- Gatecrash

Reviewed February 8, 2013

Constructed: 2.70
Casual: 2.70
Limited: 3.10
Multiplayer: 2.00

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.  3 ... average.  
5 is the highest rating

Click here to see all of our 
Card of the Day Reviews 

BMoor

Balustrade Spy

A 2/3 flyer for four isn't impressive enough for Constructed, but would be good in Limited. The mill effect is erratic, and can't really be relied on to mill anything important unless you've got some sort of Excommunicate effect. This is part of the reason Treasure Hunt never caught on outside of weird combos that could exploit it. "Until you hit a land" just isn't statistically enough to be reliable, and usually isn't very much at all. Attaching the effect to a mediocre creature doesn't help much either.

Constructed- 2
Casual- 2.5
Limited- 2.5
Multiplayer- 2

David Fanany

Player since 1995

Balustrade Spy
 
Some people look at cards like this and say "It seems pretty random." And yes, sometimes you'll only flip one card and that will probably make you feel bad. Of course, for each time you do that, there will be at least one time your opponent's deck is randomized in an odd (not in a cheating sense) way and you flip twenty cards. Heck, if they recently cast Boundless Realms, Balustrade Spy probably wins you the game on the spot. And either way, it's a 2/3 flying creature, which has always been just fine.
 
Constructed: 2/5
Casual: 3/5
Limited: 4/5
Multiplayer: 2/5

Paul

Welcome back readers todays card of the day is pretty interesting mostly due to the fact it is seeing legacy play in the oops no spells deck. In standard this card is at this time unexciting and simply a small flying vampire that may see some combo potential in the future. In modern the same concept applies the tools to make the combo work don’t exist and otherwise this is just a unexciting creature. In legacy this card is used alongside Undercity Informer to mill an entire deck that contains no lands and then proceed to assemble a graveyard based combo utilizing Laboratory Maniac and Azami Lady of Scrolls to win, the printing of a new card leading to a new deck to shake up legacy is indeed a big deal but otherwise this card falls flat and is just unimpressive. In casual and multiplayer some mill decks could utilize him as he is a body and can be somewhat abused with enter the battlefield effects but that doesn’t seem like the most effective use of deck space. In limited he is a solid flying creature with a relevant ability making him a solid choice. Overall this card is a lynchpin in a new combo deck and provides an exciting new deck type and a solid limited player.
 
Constructed: 4.0
Casual: 2.5
Limited: 3.0
Multiplayer: 1.5

Michael "Maikeruu" Pierno

Today's card of the day is Balustrade Spy which is a four mana Black 2/3 with Flying with a comes into play ability that has target player reveal cards in their library until they reveal a land then puts them into the graveyard.  Outside of very specific one turn kill decks in older formats this is a fairly mediocre card outside of mill decks in which it is a little better.
 
For Limited this is an evasive creature with a decent toughness and the somewhat useful Rogue type that is not badly priced if the comes into play ability is considered a benefit.  A 2/3 Flying for Black is very playable even at four mana and this is a good card to add in Sealed builds and well worth drafting third or fourth in Booster.
 
Constructed: 2.5
Casual: 2.5
Limited: 3.0
Multiplayer: 2.5

John
Shultis
Phoenix
Gaming
      Welcome back to the Pojo.com card of the day section. We close this week out by looking at the Balustrade Spy from Gatecrash. Balustrade Spy is a common creature vampire rogue that costs three generic and one black mana and is a 2/3. Balustrade Spy has flying, and also says that when it enters the battlefield, target player reveals cards from the top of his or her library until they reveal a land card, and then puts those cards into his or her graveyard. 

     Milling is all the rage in some circles, and is a common strategy for depriving your opponent valuable resources. In Gatecrash we have certainly seen many cards that have effectively made Milling a more successful ability. Balustrade Spy certainly continues the trend and offers yet another great milling card. 

    A 2/3 flier with this ability is certainly nice, and at a common, likely to be seen often. The Balustrade Spy becomes even more problematic when combined with Deadeye Navigator. Soulbond the two of these guys together and really watch the fun. Now, for one blue and one generic, you can Flicker the Balustrade Spy in and out as many times as you have mana for, and your opponent will have to mill until they hit a land as many times as you have paid for. That can definitely turn the game in your favor. And with all the cards that assist in your milling efforts, this can end the game, in the Flicker of an eye. 
 
Limited: 3/5
Constructed: 3/5
Casual: 3/5
Multiplayer: 2/5

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