Overview

Squirreled Away centres on a deceptively simple loop: make tokens, tap them for mana, and then watch Hazel copy them at the end of each turn. The more tokens you control, the more mana Hazel can generate by tapping them. That mana lets you cast even more spells, which produce even more tokens, which feed back into the engine. At the end of every turn, Hazel adds at least one token copy of something you already have in play, and if it was a Squirrel, two copies instead.

The deck operates on a Golgari axis: black provides sacrifice outlets and reanimation; green provides token creation and ramp. The Food subtheme is relevant here because Hazel can tap Food tokens to generate mana just like any other token. Cards like Hazel's Brewmaster produce Food tokens as a side effect of being in play, and those Foods feed directly into Hazel's activated ability. The dream line is establishing Hazel, building a wide board of Squirrel tokens, and then attacking with a mass of creatures buffed by Beastmaster Ascension or other token payoffs.

Key Cards

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Chatterfang, Squirrel General
Token Doubler · Sacrifice Outlet
Whenever one or more tokens are created, create that many 1/1 Squirrel tokens in addition. In a deck built entirely around token creation, Chatterfang effectively doubles every token produced. Combined with Hazel's end-step copies and a sacrifice outlet built into the card itself, Chatterfang rapidly turns a modest board into an overwhelming army.
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Toski, Bearer of Secrets
Card Draw · Indestructible Threat
Indestructible, must attack each combat, and draws a card whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player. In a wide token board, Toski converts every unblocked Squirrel into a card. It cannot be destroyed by conventional removal and demands an answer independently of the rest of the board, creating the kind of sustained card advantage that token decks often struggle to generate.
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Beastmaster Ascension
Combat Finisher · Token Payoff
Gets a quest counter whenever you attack with a creature. Once it has seven or more counters, creatures you control get +5/+5. In a deck capable of attacking with ten or more tokens in a single turn, Beastmaster Ascension can reach threshold in one combat step and immediately turn a board of 1/1s into 6/6s. This is the deck's primary game-ending threat.
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Hazel's Brewmaster
Food Engine · Mana Enabler
A new card from Bloomburrow that produces Food tokens as part of its function. Because Hazel's activated ability taps any token type to add mana, a steady flow of Food tokens doubles as mana acceleration. The Brewmaster fills dual roles as a flavourful tribal piece and as a consistent enabler for Hazel's exponential mana generation, making it one of the most synergistic creatures in the 99.

Playing the Deck

The opening turns are about establishing Hazel quickly and building a token base before opponents can interfere. The deck has reasonable ramp but does not flood with it, so a turn-three or turn-four Hazel is realistic but not guaranteed. Once Hazel is in play the priority shifts to creating tokens: even two or three Squirrels on the board allows Hazel to tap them for mana and then receive copies at end of turn, kickstarting exponential growth.

The mid game is a careful balance between width and sacrifice. The Golgari side of the deck wants to sacrifice tokens for value through outlets like Chatterfang, while the token swarm side wants to keep everything in play for a big combat turn. The correct path depends on the game state, but generally you should be attacking when possible to charge up Beastmaster Ascension and drawing cards off Toski. Sacrificing is best reserved for responding to targeted removal rather than as a proactive line.

The late game aims to end things in a single large combat with a fully charged Beastmaster Ascension, or to generate so much mana via Hazel that you can empty your hand in one or two turns. The deck does not have a dedicated combo line out of the box, which means it relies on combat math. With fifteen or more tokens in play under Beastmaster, even opponents with large blockers will struggle to handle the incoming damage from all directions simultaneously.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths: Hazel's end-step token copy is free and uncounterable once she is in play, meaning the board grows every single turn without requiring additional cards. Food tokens as mana sources give the deck unusual flexibility: they are artifacts, so they survive some board sweepers, and they double as life gain in a pinch. Squirreled Away is also one of the more resilient precons against targeted removal, since losing individual tokens rarely disrupts the overall engine.

Weaknesses: The deck has an identity tension between going wide for combat and sacrificing for value. Players new to the deck may find it difficult to know which mode to pursue, and the precon does not fully commit to either. Mass token sweepers like Ratchet Bomb or Massacre Girl can erase the entire board in response to a big attack, since the tokens are all 1/1s by default. The deck is also slow to close out games against life-gaining opponents.

Verdict
Squirreled Away is a satisfying precon for players who enjoy watching their board grow turn by turn. Hazel's doubling effect on Squirrels rewards staying in the creature type and gives the deck a clear upgrade path: more Squirrel payoffs, more token doublers, and a more committed sacrifice or combat plan rather than trying to do both. The Oracle can help identify the highest-synergy token producers and payoffs that push Hazel into a more cohesive and powerful build.

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Full Decklist

All 100 cards from the out-of-the-box Squirreled Away precon, enriched with current prices. Click any card to expand it.

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