Green has always been the color to specialize in tokens. Indeed, one of Green's most iconic creature types, Saproling, has never appeared in the type line of a creature! It exists only as tokens.

Green has another iconic 1/1 token, with a type that actually has been printed on a creature. Two, to be exact: Krosan Beast and Squirrel Mob.

Hello BMoor,

I absolutely love what you do as far as helping people with their decks, and because of your reviews that I've read (and I've read many, many a review) I've been able to make pretty outstanding decks that my friends simply can't beat and it makes them ask me for help all the times. In short, your articles have seriously helped a relatively inexperienced player become one of the better through advanced strategy starting in the build of the deck, thank you.

I would officially like to start off this e-mail with this. I've had this idea for a long time, but never got around to it. Long ago, I found this old card in my stack of randomness I call a shoebox called Squirrel Wrangler. Very basic card, one of the few rares that I actually found hilarious. I loved it, and no matter the green deck I built, he was there. Something appealed to me killing my friends with a squirrel. Then it struck me, why not make a squirrel deck? One built around tiny creatures that swarm through someone, much like a sliver deck without all the added unnecessary effects. (No offense to slivers). So, I went ahead and looked up these cards and have a very basic, and very bland layout for just that. It goes as follows.

Acorn Harvest x 4
Chatter of the Squirrel x 4
Deranged Hermit x4
Druid's Call x 4
Krosan Beast x 4
Nut Collector x 4
Squirrel Mob x 4
Squirrel Nest x 4
Squirrel Wrangler x 4
Swampyard x 4

16 Forests

The only problem I can see with this deck is that, on the off chance I play a red deck or a burn deck, he uses something like Seismic Shudder, or something to that effect, before I play my Nut Collector or Hermit. Something that takes my entire squirrel army and sends it running to my graveyard (metaphorically, since they're tokens). I also fear there may not be sufficient land to play the Wrangler's abilities or keep the Hermit in play. For these reasons, I'm wondering if I should tweak it and maybe even remove the Wrangler and Hermit from the list. I also fear a slow start, since everything except for my Chatter of the Squirrel is 3 mana each or more. In the end, I'm just left wondering what could spice up this very bland swarm deck to make it that much better. I would like it to remain monogreen and true to my squirrel theme, but any artifacts will be taken into consideration. Unfortunately, being as picky as I am with my decks, I will refuse any other colors into this deck. I'm also trying to cut back on the cost of this deck, since cards such as the Hermit and the Mob are rather expensive. I haven't yet ordered this deck, but I plan to soon and I'd love to make it the best it could be.

Thank you for being so awesome and helping so many, including myself in past days, out,
Jake

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The biggest quirk about your deck, Jake, the one that makes me raise my proverbial eyebrow andsay "Well, I wouldn't have done it that way", is the fact that you're running practically every card ever printed worth playing that makes Squirrel tokens, but none of the cards in your deck do anything other than make or benefit your tokens. Not even the Forests, since they're the most likely target for your Squirrel Nests. I think what you want, or even need, is some support spells. Those old standard spells which are almost never the focal point of a deck, but get a spot in countless decks solely on their universal utility and strength.

The first such card I can think of, the green support spell, is Giant Growth. It's the green Lightning Bolt, for goodness sake! It can save your creatures from toughness-based kill, turn ill-advised attacks into unwitting chump blocks, turn chump blocks into ill-advised attacks, and just hit your opponent for 3.

The next such spell I think of, a bit more specialized to your deck, is Fecundity. You said red burn decks give you trouble? Well, red doesn't get cards that kill enchantments, and with Fecundity out, every Squirrel of yours that dies draws you a new card--likely a card that can make more Squirrels. Your opponent won't dare to kill off your token army with this in play!

And the third and final card I'd prescribe for you is Beastmaster Ascension, from Zendikar Block. Since you'll be attacking with quite a few creatures, it shouldn't take much time at all to get this baby up and running, at which point all your Squirrels become at least 6/6's! And don't get me started on Krosan Beast.

Good luck!

~BMoor