Toski1 - Swarm

Commander / EDH* Mono-Green

zamiero

Evasion Creatures (25)

• 1x Brass Gnat
• 1x Gingerbrute
• 1x Gnarlwood Dryad
• 1x Jukai Messenger
• 1x Narnam Renegade
• 1x Scryb Sprites
• 1x Sedge Scorpion
• 1x Shanodin Dryads
• 1x Spire Tracer
• 1x Tajuru Blightblade
• 1x Treetop Scout
• 1x Wasteland Viper
• 1x Arcbound Stinger
• 1x Dryad Sophisticate
• 1x Hovermyr
• 1x Mire Boa
• 1x River Boa
• 1x Rushwood Dryad
• 1x Scryb Ranger
• 1x Silhana Ledgewalker
• 1x Skinshifter
• 1x Somberwald Dryad
• 1x Uktabi Faerie
• 1x Willow Faerie
• 1x Champion of Lambholt

Mass Removal (3)

• 1x Oblivion Stone
• 1x Boompile
• 1x Nevinyrral's Disk

Mana Development (48)

• 1x Blast Zone
• 30x Forest
• 1x Ghost Quarter
• 1x Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
• 1x Scavenger Grounds
• 1x Strip Mine
• 1x Tectonic Edge
• 1x Wasteland
• 1x Utopia Sprawl
• 1x Wild Growth
• 1x Ordeal of Nylea
• 1x Sakura-Tribe Elder
• 1x Sword of the Animist
• 1x Three Visits
• 1x Viridian Emissary
• 1x Cultivate
• 1x Harvest Season
• 1x Kodama's Reach
• 1x Nissa's Pilgrimage

Team Pump (6)

• 1x Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse
• 1x Beastmaster Ascension
• 1x Curse of Predation
• 1x Eldrazi Monument
• 1x Thunderfoot Baloth
• 1x End-Raze Forerunners

Commander (1)

Extra Draw (6)

• 1x Skullclamp
• 1x Lifecrafter's Bestiary
• 1x Overwhelming Instinct
• 1x Guardian Project
• 1x Harmonize
• 1x Soul of the Harvest

Targeted Removal (6)

• 1x Nature's Claim
• 1x Beast Within
• 1x Krosan Grip
• 1x Reclamation Sage
• 1x Force of Vigor
• 1x Acidic Slime

Must Block Squirrel (5)

• 1x Lure
• 1x Nemesis Mask
• 1x Noble Quarry
• 1x Seton's Desire
• 1x Worldslayer

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EDIT: Moved to "Failed Attempts" folder. I played a bunch of fast creatures, the commander on-curve, then the commander drew me a few cards and died to innumerable things after I did less than 10-15 damage the whole game (exile in blue and white Alter Reality and Ravenform , Swords to Plowshares and Anguished Unmaking , black sacrifice Living Death , but mostly just Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite ). Sometimes I would draw into an overrun effect, but it was mostly "play 1-drops, draw cards, cast more 1-drops and be inconsequential".

All right, I admit it: I love squirrels.

However I was extremely disappointed with the first black-bordered squirrel legend in Kaldheim Toski, Bearer of Secrets . It's the worst squirrel legend ever (at least silver-bordered Acornielia, Fashionable Filcher gives you two colors and isn't a lowly 4-mana 1/1). After agonizing for two weeks over how worse it is than Edric, Spymaster of Trest I decided to at least give it a try. Maybe I'll appear to do something while playing a disadvantageous strategy before getting crushed by strategies that aren't overly confining or restricted. I guess it's super flavorful, as the card design feels like it's missing something - reflected by its missing front paw in the art. Let's analyze Toski, Bearer of Secrets :

4 Mana

Comes out after everyone is done ramping. Unlikely to be played early enough where everyone doesn't have defenses set up yet.

Interestingly, 4 mana seems like a hinge point between "small" creatures and "large" creatures.

Conveniently can be played after a quick creature rush turns 1, 2, 3

Can be played before our deck can cast giant monsters, but this doesn't naturally help support a "go large" strategy.

Creature - Squirrel

No viable tribal synergies or bonuses. Nut Collector is not worth including in a deck as a 6-mana 1/1 that literally does nothing the turn it enters.

Not enough squirrel cards in Magic to make a dedicated tribal deck

Can't be countered

Not consistently useful

Might be helpful the turn we desperately cast our commander before losing

Indestructible

Damage and "Destroy" effects don't matter to our squirrel. Don't need to worry about attacking into an enemy 5/5 blocker!

It is still vulnerable to: Exile, sacrifice, bounce, -X/-X

Watch out for Shadowspear , Bonds of Mortality , Wither, and Infect!!!

Must attack each turn

First turn you play it, it can block

Besides the first turn, it will never block unless other cards give it Vigilance

Combat damage draws cards

Opponents will have incentive to block our creatures every single time

Toski itself will never damage an opponent without help. Who can't afford to block a 1/1?

Many creatures dealing damage will draw many cards

Could create a "positive feedback loop" with several creatures damaging opponents, drawing several cards, then repeat next turn...

Creatures with evasion are more likely to trigger this ability.

Forming a comprehensive strategy

• Mono-green (worse) Edric, Spymaster of Trest swarm that almost plays like a "storm" or red "big turn" combo deck. I'm guessing we need at least 25 creatures (CMC 2 or less) in the deck for this to work. You just don't have extra turns or Counterspell . Or exile removal. Or card draw that can't be taken away by a board wipe. Or Cyclonic Rift . OK I'll stop now...
• Forcing the opponent to block Toski, Bearer of Secrets to sneak in other creatures; can be used to trigger "combat damage" effects or just easily lower the opponents' life totals
• A deck filled with creatures just as resistant to death as the squirrel: Indestructible, Regenerate, High Toughness, Damage Prevention
• Cookie-cutter monogreen: Deploy one or two large trample monsters, then draw a few extra cards during the natural course of a game. We've all seen this deck before in the face of every green commander/general.
• Voltron commander to make a murder-squirrel of vengeance that is slightly resistant to removal. Remember it's still extremely vulnerable.

Date added	3 years
Last updated	2 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	3 - 0 Mythic Rares 20 - 0 Rares 22 - 0 Uncommons 25 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.57
Tokens	Beast 3/3 G, Cat 2/2 G
Folders	Failed Attempts