Welcome to the Squirreled Away Upgrade Guide! This comprehensive resource helps players enhance the preconstructed Golgari token deck, focusing on squirrels and Food token synergies. Discover how to balance competitive power with thematic fun, ensuring your deck remains engaging while maximizing its potential for victory.
1.1. Overview of the Squirreled Away Preconstructed Deck
The Squirreled Away preconstructed deck is a Golgari (green-black) token deck from the Bloomburrow set. It focuses on generating and sacrificing tokens, with a thematic emphasis on squirrels and Food tokens. Led by commanders like Hazel of the Rootbloom or The Odd Acorn Gang, the deck offers a unique blend of synergies and fun gameplay. Its core mechanics revolve around token production and sacrifice outlets, making it a solid foundation for upgrades that enhance both competitiveness and theme.
1.2. Importance of Upgrading for Competitive Play
Upgrading the Squirreled Away deck is essential for competitive play, as preconstructed decks often lack optimization. While the deck is fun and thematic, its default configuration may struggle against more refined lists. Upgrading allows you to address weaknesses, improve consistency, and enhance synergies, ensuring the deck performs well in competitive environments while maintaining its charming squirrel and Food token theme.
Understanding the Core Strategy of Squirreled Away
The deck revolves around generating and sacrificing tokens, leveraging squirrels and Food tokens for value. It balances fun, thematic play with competitive potential, focusing on synergies and efficient resource use.
2.1. Token Generation and Sacrifice Synergies
The core strategy revolves around generating tokens, often through creatures like squirrels, and sacrificing them for value. Hazel of the Rootbloom excels at converting tokens into mana, while cards like The Odd Acorn Gang enable sacrifices to draw cards or gain advantages. This synergy ensures consistent card advantage and mana efficiency, allowing the deck to scale into late-game threats while maintaining a fun, thematic playstyle.
2.2. The Role of Squirrels and Food Tokens
Squirrels are the heart of the deck, generating tokens that fuel your strategy. Food tokens, produced by cards like Squirreling Away, provide mana storage and utility. Together, they enable consistent card draw, sacrifice synergies, and mana efficiency. This dual focus creates a unique playstyle that balances competitiveness with thematic fun, making the deck both powerful and enjoyable to pilot.
Choosing the Right Commander
Selecting the ideal commander is vital for optimizing deck performance. They define your playstyle and synergies, ensuring a balanced blend of power and thematic consistency.
3.1. Hazel of the Rootbloom: Abilities and Playstyle
Hazel of the Rootbloom excels as a Golgari commander, offering a unique playstyle centered around token generation. Her activated ability allows you to tap tokens for mana, enabling rapid plays and synergies. This versatility makes her an excellent choice for competitive decks, as she accelerates mana production while maintaining thematic consistency with squirrels and Food tokens.
3.2. The Odd Acorn Gang: Alternative Commander Option
The Odd Acorn Gang offers a unique alternative to Hazel, providing a fresh playstyle within the same deck archetype. Their abilities focus on enhancing token generation and interaction, making them a versatile choice for players seeking variety. This duality allows deckbuilders to experiment with different strategies while maintaining the core themes of squirrels and Food token synergies.
Upgrading Creatures
Upgrading creatures is crucial for enhancing token generation and maximizing sacrifice synergies. Focus on powerful squirrel cards and versatile creatures to boost your deck’s efficiency and fun.
4.1. Essential Squirrel Cards for Token Generation
Key squirrel cards like Reckless Squirrel and Marwyn, the Nurturer are vital for consistent token generation. These creatures synergize perfectly with Hazel of the Rootbloom, enabling early-game acceleration and mid-game value. Include cards that produce Food tokens or additional squirrels, ensuring a steady stream of resources for sacrifices and mana generation. Prioritize cards that enhance token production while maintaining the deck’s thematic integrity.
4.2. Powerful Sacrifice Outlets to Maximize Value
Incorporate powerful sacrifice outlets like Carrion Feeder and Altar of Dementia to maximize token value. These cards enable repeated sacrifices, generating card advantage and fueling Hazel’s mana-generating abilities. Sacrifice outlets ensure tokens like squirrels and Food are used efficiently, maintaining momentum and creating a resilient game plan. They are essential for converting early-game setup into mid-to-late-game dominance.
Enhancing Artifact and Enchantment Support
Boost your deck’s consistency with artifacts like Sol Ring and Arcane Signet for mana acceleration. Enchantments such as Beacon of Creation enhance token generation and synergies, ensuring smoother gameplay and amplified value from your squirrel and Food token strategies.
5.1. Key Artifacts for Mana Acceleration
Boost your deck’s power with essential artifacts like Sol Ring and Arcane Signet, which provide early-game mana acceleration. These artifacts enable consistent casting of token-generating creatures and sacrifice outlets, ensuring you maintain momentum. Additionally, Mana Crypt offers explosive starts, while Oracle’s Vault rewards token production with card draw, synergizing perfectly with your squirrel and Food token strategies.
5.2. Enchantments to Boost Token Efficiency
Enhance your token generation and survival with powerful enchantments like Beacon of Creation and Guard of the Guildless. These provide consistent token production and protection, ensuring your board remains populated. Additionally, Conclave Cavalier offers token generation and a power boost, while Harvest Season enables Food token creation, synergizing with your squirrel-themed deck for improved efficiency and thematic fun.
Optimizing Instant and Sorcery Cards
Enhance flexibility and consistency with strategic instant and sorcery choices. Cards like Heroic Intervention and Assassin’s Trophy provide protection and removal, while Demonic Tutor and Cultivate ensure smooth gameplay and resource management, complementing your squirrel and token strategy.
6.1. Instant-Speed Removal for Flexibility
Instant-speed removal is crucial for maintaining flexibility in competitive play. Cards like Assassin’s Trophy and Heroic Intervention allow you to address threats immediately, protecting your squirrels and Food tokens. These instants also enable strategic plays, ensuring your token generators remain safe and your board presence stays strong. Incorporating such cards enhances your ability to adapt to unexpected challenges during gameplay.
6.2. Sorceries to Enhance Deck Consistency
Sorceries play a vital role in ensuring deck consistency by providing card draw and token generation. Cards like Harvest Season and Return of the Wildspeaker offer significant value, drawing cards and creating tokens to fuel your strategy. These sorceries help maintain momentum, ensuring you always have resources to deploy. They are essential for smoothing out draws and keeping your game plan on track in competitive matchups.
Land Base Upgrades
Upgrading your land base is crucial for smooth mana fixing. Consider adding utility lands like Gaea’s Cradle or Bayou to enhance consistency and support token generation strategies.
7.1. Adding Utility Lands for Improved Mana Fixing
Enhancing your land base with utility lands can significantly improve mana consistency. Cards like Gaea’s Cradle and Bayou provide reliable mana fixing while synergizing with token generation. These lands ensure you can cast spells smoothly, supporting both Food token production and squirrel-themed strategies. Prioritize lands that offer additional benefits, such as mana acceleration or card draw, to bolster your deck’s overall performance without sacrificing thematic integrity.
7.2. Including Thematic Lands to Support Squirrels
Incorporating thematic lands like Forest, Swamp, and Overgrown Tomb strengthens the Golgari synergy, ensuring smooth mana access. Lands such as Gilt-Leaf Palace and Woodland Cemetery align with the deck’s forest theme, enhancing immersion while supporting squirrels and Food token strategies. These lands maintain thematic consistency, making the deck more cohesive and enjoyable to play.
Budget-Friendly Upgrade Options
Enhance your Squirreled Away deck without breaking the bank. Discover affordable cards that boost performance while maintaining the deck’s fun, thematic appeal and squirrel-focused strategy.
8.1. Affordable Cards to Improve Deck Performance
Boost your Squirreled Away deck with budget-friendly additions like Reclamation Sage for artifact removal and Ashnod’s Altar for sacrifice synergies. Guardian Project enhances token generation, while Sacred Knight provides early-game defense. These affordable options enhance performance without breaking the bank, keeping your deck competitive and fun while staying true to its squirrel and Food token theme.
8.2. Prioritizing Upgrades for Maximum Impact
Focus on upgrading cards that enhance token generation and sacrifice synergies first, as these are core to the deck’s strategy. Prioritize affordable, high-impact cards like Reclamation Sage and Ashnod’s Altar to improve consistency and value. Address weak or off-theme cards next, replacing them with budget-friendly alternatives that align with the squirrel and Food token theme. This approach maximizes efficiency while maintaining the deck’s fun factor.
Cards to Cut from the Preconstructed Deck
Identify and remove weak or off-theme cards to improve deck performance. Replace them with synergistic options that enhance token generation and sacrifice mechanics, ensuring a balanced and fun experience.
9.1. Identifying Weak or Off-Theme Cards
Begin by evaluating cards that lack synergy with the deck’s token and sacrifice strategy. Remove generic or inefficient options that don’t support squirrel or Food token generation. Focus on cutting cards that disrupt the deck’s thematic consistency or fail to provide meaningful interactions with Hazel of the Rootbloom or The Odd Acorn Gang. Prioritize removing cards that feel out of place or underperform in gameplay.
9.2. Lands to Replace for Better Optimization
Optimize your land base by replacing basic lands with utility or thematic options. Consider adding lands like Gilt-Leaf Palace or Temple of Malady for improved mana fixing. Prioritize lands that support squirrel or Food token generation, such as Foul Orchard or Overgrown Tomb. These upgrades enhance deck consistency while maintaining thematic integrity, ensuring smoother gameplay and better resource management.
Final Thoughts and Playstyle Tips
Embrace adaptability in your playstyle, adjusting strategies to suit your playgroup’s preferences. Maintain thematic integrity while ensuring fun and competitiveness, keeping the deck engaging for everyone involved.
10.1. Maintaining Fun and Thematic Integrity
Prioritize thematic consistency by focusing on squirrel and Food token synergies. Choose cards that enhance these elements while ensuring fun, engaging gameplay. Balance competitiveness with enjoyment to keep the deck appealing for casual and competitive playgroups alike. Emphasize unique interactions that celebrate the deck’s woodland theme, making it a joy to pilot and play against.
10.2. Adjusting Strategy Based on Playgroup Preferences
Adapt your deck’s power level and theme to suit your playgroup’s preferences. For competitive groups, focus on optimizing synergies and including high-impact cards. In casual settings, emphasize fun interactions and thematic plays. Balance competitiveness with enjoyment to ensure the deck remains engaging for all players, regardless of their playstyle or skill level.
The Squirreled Away upgrade guide equips you to enhance your deck’s competitive edge while maintaining its charming, thematic identity. Experiment, enjoy, and squirrel away victory!
11.1. Recap of Key Upgrades for Squirreled Away
Essential upgrades include powerful squirrel creatures, artifact mana acceleration, and efficient sacrifice outlets. Enchantments like Beacon of Creation enhance token production, while utility lands improve mana consistency. Budget-friendly options ensure accessibility without compromising performance. Cutting weak, off-theme cards refines the deck’s focus. These upgrades balance competitive strength with thematic charm, ensuring a fun yet formidable playing experience.
11.2. Encouragement to Experiment and Enjoy
Empower your gameplay by embracing creativity and enjoying the journey of upgrading your Squirreled Away deck. Magic is as much about creativity as it is about competition, so don’t hesitate to experiment with new strategies and card combinations. Each upgrade is an opportunity to discover exciting synergies and thematic flair. Remember, the goal is to have fun while building a deck that reflects your unique playstyle and personality.