Hello again, precon pals! We’re back with another EDHREC precon guide. Today we’re upgrading the Squirreled Away precon from Bloomburrow. In case you missed it, go check out my review for the deck, where we went over what’s in the deck and how to play it.

This precon got an average review due to its conflicting desire to have an aggressive token army and also wanting to sacrifice its tokens for value. So let’s see if we can fix these flaws and give the deck more focus.

Time to tune up.

What’s in the Original Deck?

Squirreled Away is green and black, and led by Hazel of the Rootbloom, a 3/5 Squirrel Druid that can make us X mana of any color combo by tapping her, paying two life, and tapping X untapped tokens we control. She also makes us a token copy of a token we control on end step, or two of those tokens if it’s a Squirrel.

The backup commander is The Odd Acorn Gang, a 5/5 Squirrel Warrior with menace, trample, and reach that gives our Squirrels the ability to tap themselves to give another Squirrel +2/+2 and trample until end of turn. It also gives us card draw when our Squirrels damage opponents in combat.

Here’s the original deck list:

(BLB) - Squirreled Away

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Commander (1) 1 Hazel of the Rootbloom Creatures (29) 1 Academy Manufactor 1 Arasta of the Endless Web 1 Beledros Witherbloom 1 Chatterfang, Squirrel General 1 Chittering Witch 1 Deep Forest Hermit 1 End-Raze Forerunners 1 Gilded Goose 1 Haywire Mite 1 Hazel's Brewmaster 1 Honored Dreyleader 1 Insatiable Frugivore 1 Moonstone Eulogist 1 Morbid Opportunist 1 Nadier's Nightblade 1 Nested Shambler 1 Ogre Slumlord 1 Plaguecrafter 1 Poison-Tip Archer 1 Prosperous Innkeeper 1 Ravenous Squirrel 1 Scurry of Squirrels 1 Skyfisher Spider 1 Squirrel Sovereign 1 The Odd Acorn Gang 1 Tireless Provisioner 1 Toski, Bearer of Secrets 1 Woe Strider 1 Zulaport Cutthroat Artifacts (9) 1 Arcane Signet 1 Chitterspitter 1 Golgari Signet 1 Idol of Oblivion 1 Maskwood Nexus 1 Skullclamp 1 Sol Ring 1 Sword of the Squeak 1 Talisman of Resilience Enchantments (7) 1 Bastion of Remembrance 1 Beastmaster Ascension 1 Binding the Old Gods 1 Gourmand's Talent 1 Moldervine Reclamation 1 Squirrel Nest 1 Wolfwillow Haven Instants (8) 1 Cache Grab 1 Deadly Dispute 1 Plumb the Forbidden 1 Putrefy 1 Saw in Half 1 Second Harvest 1 Tear Asunder 1 Windgrace's Judgment Sorceries (7) 1 Casualties of War 1 Chatterstorm 1 Decree of Pain 1 Maelstrom Pulse 1 Rootcast Apprenticeship 1 Shamanic Revelation 1 Swarmyard Massacre Planeswalkers (1) 1 Garruk, Cursed Huntsman Lands (38) 1 Barren Moor 1 Bojuka Bog 1 Command Tower 1 Evolving Wilds 1 Exotic Orchard 9 Forest 1 Golgari Rot Farm 1 Grim Backwoods 1 Haunted Mire 1 Jungle Hollow 1 Llanowar Wastes 1 Necroblossom Snarl 1 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood 1 Path of Ancestry 8 Swamp 1 Swarmyard 1 Tainted Wood 1 Temple of Malady 1 Terramorphic Expanse 1 Tranquil Thicket 1 Twilight Mire 1 Viridescent Bog 1 Woodland Cemetery

What Budget Cards Can We Add to Squirreled Away?

As always, we’ll break our upgrade into two parts, one for budget cards (less than $5) and one for non-budget ($5 or more).

First things first, let’s make more tokens with this token deck. We all know about the power of Scute Swarm, but it’s even better when its Insect creature type matters, like with Swarmyard and Swarmyard Massacre. There's also Awakening Zone to give us an Eldrazi Spawn each turn. Bootleggers’ Stash turns all of our lands into Treasure makers, which is triply potent with Academy Manufactor on the board. Fountainport can make us a Fish token for three mana and one life, or make a Treasure token for four mana, or even sacrifice a token to draw a card, which makes it a great mana sink for Hazel. Treasure Vault can be sacrificed for a Treasure trove in the late game. Jaheira, Friend of the Forest turns all of our tokens into green mana makers. And Peregrin Took adds a Food token whenever we make tokens of any kind.

With all of this token making, Mirkwood Bats will be a powerhouse that brings games to a much quicker end. For more life drain, we’ll throw in a Valley Rotcaller from the main Bloomburrow set. We’ve also got Marionette Apprentice hitting life totals when our artifacts and creatures go to the grave, and Champion of Lambholt turning our token army into an unblockable death machine.

The precon was missing some protection and recursion effects, so let’s add in Lightning Greaves, Whisper, Blood Liturgist, Phyrexian Reclamation, and Mudflat Village. And for one more finisher, or card draw if we prefer, we’ll add Return of the Wildspeaker.

These cards are getting left on the forest floor: Casualties of War, Evolving Wilds, Haunted Mire, Haywire Mite, Insatiable Frugivore, Maelstrom Pulse, Nested Shambler, Plaguecrafter, Plumb the Forbidden, Poison-Tip Archer, Prosperous Innkeeper, Skyfisher Spider, Sword of the Squeak, Terramorphic Expanse, Woe Strider, Zulaport Cutthroat

Here’s the budget upgraded list:

Squirreled Away Budget Upgrade

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Commander (1) 1 Hazel of the Rootbloom Artifacts (10) 1 Arcane Signet 1 Bootleggers' Stash 1 Chitterspitter 1 Golgari Signet 1 Idol of Oblivion 1 Lightning Greaves 1 Maskwood Nexus 1 Skullclamp 1 Sol Ring 1 Talisman of Resilience Creatures (28) 1 Academy Manufactor 1 Arasta of the Endless Web 1 Beledros Witherbloom 1 Champion of Lambholt 1 Chatterfang, Squirrel General 1 Chittering Witch 1 Deep Forest Hermit 1 End-Raze Forerunners 1 Gilded Goose 1 Hazel's Brewmaster 1 Honored Dreyleader 1 Jaheira, Friend of the Forest 1 Marionette Apprentice 1 Mirkwood Bats 1 Moonstone Eulogist 1 Morbid Opportunist 1 Nadier's Nightblade 1 Ogre Slumlord 1 Peregrin Took 1 Ravenous Squirrel 1 Scurry of Squirrels 1 Scute Swarm 1 Squirrel Sovereign 1 The Odd Acorn Gang 1 Tireless Provisioner 1 Toski, Bearer of Secrets 1 Valley Rotcaller 1 Whisper, Blood Liturgist Enchantments (9) 1 Awakening Zone 1 Bastion of Remembrance 1 Beastmaster Ascension 1 Binding the Old Gods 1 Gourmand's Talent 1 Moldervine Reclamation 1 Phyrexian Reclamation 1 Squirrel Nest 1 Wolfwillow Haven Instants (8) 1 Cache Grab 1 Deadly Dispute 1 Putrefy 1 Return of the Wildspeaker 1 Saw in Half 1 Second Harvest 1 Tear Asunder 1 Windgrace's Judgment Sorceries (5) 1 Chatterstorm 1 Decree of Pain 1 Rootcast Apprenticeship 1 Shamanic Revelation 1 Swarmyard Massacre Planeswalkers (1) 1 Garruk, Cursed Huntsman Lands (38) 1 Barren Moor 1 Bojuka Bog 1 Command Tower 1 Exotic Orchard 9 Forest 1 Fountainport 1 Golgari Rot Farm 1 Grim Backwoods 1 Jungle Hollow 1 Llanowar Wastes 1 Mudflat Village 1 Necroblossom Snarl 1 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood 1 Path of Ancestry 8 Swamp 1 Swarmyard 1 Tainted Wood 1 Temple of Malady 1 Tranquil Thicket 1 Treasure Vault 1 Twilight Mire 1 Viridescent Bog 1 Woodland Cemetery

Some other options to consider: Arachnogenesis, Camellia, the Seedmiser, Cloakwood Hermit, Dockside Chef, Dreadfeast Demon, Dreadhorde Invasion, Druid’s Call, Gala Greeters, Geometric Nexus, Slimefoot, the Stowaway, Squirrel Mob, Syr Konrad, the Grim, Thornvault Forager, Trading Post, Trailtracker Scout

How About Non-Budget Cards for Squirreled Away?

Hey, expensive cards like to make tokens too! Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools can drop off two Thrulls tokens each of our turns, or provide some card draw. And if you manage to pull off the ultimate, it’s basically game over (I’ve done it; it’s amazing).

Tendershoot Dryad gives us a Saproling token on every upkeep, Bitterblossom gives us a Faerie Rogue on our own upkeeps, and Black Market Connections can give us both a Treasure and a Shapeshifter token. 

We’ve also got Old Gnawbone to make Treasures whenever our Squirrels and other woodland creatures nibble on opponents’ faces. Revel in Riches makes us a Treasure whenever opponents’ creatures die, which is amazing with its alternate win condition. And Parallel Lives doubles all of our tokens.

We’ll close out our upgrades with a bit of protection in Heroic Intervention, and the big bad boogeyman of Commander, the king of all finishers, Craterhoof Behemoth.

These critters can’t hang: Arasta of the Endless Web, Bastion of Remembrance, Cache Grab, End-Raze Forerunners, Gourmand’s Talent, Moldervine Reclamation, Squirrel Sovereign, Whisper, Blood Liturgist, Wolfwillow Haven

Here’s our non-budget upgraded list for Squirreled Away:

Squirreled Away Non-Budget Upgrade

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Commander (1) 1 Hazel of the Rootbloom Creatures (27) 1 Academy Manufactor 1 Beledros Witherbloom 1 Champion of Lambholt 1 Chatterfang, Squirrel General 1 Chittering Witch 1 Craterhoof Behemoth 1 Deep Forest Hermit 1 Gilded Goose 1 Hazel's Brewmaster 1 Honored Dreyleader 1 Jaheira, Friend of the Forest 1 Marionette Apprentice 1 Mirkwood Bats 1 Moonstone Eulogist 1 Morbid Opportunist 1 Nadier's Nightblade 1 Ogre Slumlord 1 Old Gnawbone 1 Peregrin Took 1 Ravenous Squirrel 1 Scurry of Squirrels 1 Scute Swarm 1 Tendershoot Dryad 1 The Odd Acorn Gang 1 Tireless Provisioner 1 Toski, Bearer of Secrets 1 Valley Rotcaller Artifacts (10) 1 Arcane Signet 1 Bootleggers' Stash 1 Chitterspitter 1 Golgari Signet 1 Idol of Oblivion 1 Lightning Greaves 1 Maskwood Nexus 1 Skullclamp 1 Sol Ring 1 Talisman of Resilience Enchantments (9) 1 Awakening Zone 1 Beastmaster Ascension 1 Binding the Old Gods 1 Bitterblossom 1 Black Market Connections 1 Parallel Lives 1 Phyrexian Reclamation 1 Revel in Riches 1 Squirrel Nest Sorceries (5) 1 Chatterstorm 1 Decree of Pain 1 Rootcast Apprenticeship 1 Shamanic Revelation 1 Swarmyard Massacre Instants (8) 1 Deadly Dispute 1 Heroic Intervention 1 Putrefy 1 Return of the Wildspeaker 1 Saw in Half 1 Second Harvest 1 Tear Asunder 1 Windgrace's Judgment Planeswalkers (2) 1 Garruk, Cursed Huntsman 1 Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools Lands (38) 1 Barren Moor 1 Bojuka Bog 1 Command Tower 1 Exotic Orchard 9 Forest 1 Fountainport 1 Golgari Rot Farm 1 Grim Backwoods 1 Jungle Hollow 1 Llanowar Wastes 1 Mudflat Village 1 Necroblossom Snarl 1 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood 1 Path of Ancestry 8 Swamp 1 Swarmyard 1 Tainted Wood 1 Temple of Malady 1 Tranquil Thicket 1 Treasure Vault 1 Twilight Mire 1 Viridescent Bog 1 Woodland Cemetery

And a few more cards to consider: Braids, Arisen Nightmare, Doubling Season, Unwinding Clock, Ygra, Eater of All

Rodent Ruination

That’s it for our Upgrade Guide for Squirreled Away. We focused the deck more on token creation and less on sacrifice, giving us the ability to go wide more reliably. 

What do you think? Did I make the deck better? Any cards I missed? Have you ever pet the squirrels in Boston? Hit me up in the comments or on Twitter and let me know. And keep your eyes peeled here on EDHREC for more precon guides.

Precon Party:

Peace Offering Upgrade Guide - Bloomburrow

Tricky Terrain Precon Upgrade Guide - Modern Horizons 3

Graveyard Overdrive Upgrade Guide - Modern Horizons 3

Andy Zupke

Andy's been playing Magic on and off since Fallen Empires. He loves to travel, drink, eat, and spend time with family and friends.