Introduction
This deck is part of the Pauper Decks, which are made from only common cards. The great thing about Pauper is the majority of the cards are cheap to buy, and are still strong as there are quite a lot of good common cards over Magic's history.
Key Strategy
Walls Combo is a unique and intricate deck that uses the defensive capabilities of creatures with the Wall subtype to generate massive amounts of mana, which is then used to fuel various combo finishes. The deck is designed to be both resilient and explosive, allowing you to build up your defenses before unleashing a powerful combo turn.
Key Cards
Axebane Guardian and Overgrown Battlement: These are the heart of the deck, enabling you to generate large amounts of mana based on the number of defenders you control. Axebane Guardian can tap for any color of mana, which is essential for executing your combo.
Freed from the Real: This enchantment allows you to untap Axebane Guardian, generating infinite mana when combined with a sufficient number of defenders.
Quirion Ranger: This creature synergizes with your mana-producing creatures, allowing you to untap them by returning a Forest to your hand. This can be used to generate additional mana or to continue comboing off.
Drift of Phantasms: A crucial tutor in the deck, Drift of Phantasms can search for many of your key combo pieces thanks to its Transmute ability, making it easier to assemble your combo.
Lead the Stampede and Winding Way: These spells help you dig through your deck to find more creatures and combo pieces, ensuring that you can keep up the pressure and maintain your card advantage.
Reaping the Graves: This card provides recursion, allowing you to recover from board wipes or simply reuse key creatures from your graveyard to continue your combo.
Tinder Wall: This is an early game mana accelerator, providing both mana ramp and potential removal for early threats when sacrificed for red mana.
Secret Door and Valakut Invoker: These serve as potential win conditions once you generate infinite mana. Secret Door can be used to mill out your opponent, while Valakut Invoker can deal direct damage.
Gameplay Strategy
The primary strategy with Walls Combo revolves around setting up your mana engine with Axebane Guardian and Overgrown Battlement. Your early game should focus on getting these creatures into play as quickly as possible while using Quirion Ranger and Drift of Phantasms to find additional pieces of the combo.
Freed from the Real is your primary combo enabler. Once you have Axebane Guardian or Overgrown Battlement in play with a sufficient number of defenders, you can enchant Axebane Guardian with Freed from the Real to generate infinite mana by repeatedly tapping and untapping it. This mana can then be used with Valakut Invoker to deal lethal damage or with Secret Door to mill out your opponent.
If you don't have Freed from the Real available, you can still generate significant value by using Quirion Ranger to untap your mana-producing creatures and continue to build your board. Galvanic Alchemist is another untap effect that can be used to extend your mana generation, though it requires more mana to use repeatedly.
Your draw spells, Lead the Stampede and Winding Way, are essential for finding the pieces you need to continue comboing off. They also help ensure you don’t run out of gas as you execute your combo.
If your combo is disrupted or you're facing a slower matchup, Reaping the Graves allows you to rebuild by returning key creatures from your graveyard to your hand. This card can be particularly effective after a board wipe or in games where you need to grind out value over several turns.
Mulligan Guide
When deciding on a mulligan, prioritize hands that allow you to establish your mana engine early. A good opening hand should include a mana-producing creature like Axebane Guardian or Overgrown Battlement, and at least two lands to ensure you can start developing your board.
Hands with Freed from the Real and a mana producer are particularly strong, as they set you up for a potential early combo. If your hand lacks creatures or the ability to ramp, consider a mulligan to increase your chances of finding these key pieces.
If you have the option, keep hands that include card draw or tutors like Drift of Phantasms or Lead the Stampede. These will help you find the missing pieces of your combo more quickly and give you more flexibility in the early turns.
The Walls Combo deck is a powerful and unique strategy that leverages the defensive nature of Walls and other defenders to create an explosive combo finish. By carefully assembling your mana engine and using your tutors and draw spells to find the right pieces, you can consistently generate infinite mana and win the game in a single turn.
Key Cards
Cards to look for in the opening hand