Quote Originally Posted by Ramanas View Post
Ballustrade forces you to run no lands for max efficiency, which hurts your ability to fight against hate cards.
Well you can't run lands with Spy, but your point is fair.
What hurts is if you face considerable hate, Spy sits on the board, whereas Griselbrand doesn't necessarily, giving you more options for the side.
Running grisel free's up board space for options.

I ran Spy for a good 4-5 months on and off. Tried lots of tweaks to the list.
This list from the SCG that top8'd is not what I would run.
Being a combo deck essentially, it's probably fair the comparison between belcher/Pact SI and some other storm variants, but it's not like the Griselbrand list is hand-over-fist stronger than Spy, against extraction, counter & gravehate etc.

FWIW, I liked Spy, and I loved how speed could help you compete against combo, and I liked that I stole quite a few games with Spy.
But on the occasions that I lost games due to inflexibility of the landless spy-list, I wasn't too thrilled either.
Given game1 is your only chance to go all-in in a lot of match-ups, I want my planB to be strong, and I doubt how strong Spy can possibly be against focussed hate postboard.