Interesting ability - you can hurt a target, or ping yourself to get a squirrel token. This will be very useful in any deck that has high-toughness creatures, because it's essentially 1, tap: Put a 1/1 Squirrel creature token onto the battlefield.
AnTzero
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(5 votes)
I was so hoping for a squirrel-type commander. This is a close second.
faisjdas
★★★★☆ (5.0/5.0)(36 votes)
This card is absolutely nuts!
Yea, I feel terrible just for typing that.
Queegon
★★★★☆ (5.0/5.0)(12 votes)
If this doesn't come with a new Squirrel Token, I shall be mildly annoyed.
scumbling1
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
It's a possible replacement for Nuisance Engine in EDH decks that would want such a card. But I can't seem to ever imagine myself using this for damage or removal; it won't kill anything, so why give them a token?
ZeroSheep
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Oh, the politics involved with this card will be hilarious. Can't wait to get one.
SwordOfKaldra
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
Hit your own creature enchanted with Druid's Call.
Splizer
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(7 votes)
How about about this with Forbidden Orchard and then dropping Massacre Wurm? Well, you get squirrel massacre, but also squirrel-spirit massacre
Squirrels were my first deliberately constructed deck, and they used to get a smattering of love every few sets. Their disappearance was one of the biggest losses in all of Magic.
When I saw this in the spoilers, I was duly unimpressed BUT it showed my the return of Squirrels for the first time in any form since Torment. I had a similar thrill of hope from Swarmyard, but that came to naught.
I hope this isn't a flash in the pan, I hope that the Squirrels will return to us soon.
If you think this card is bad, you're not even trying.
Tanaka348
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Sort of burying the lead there, since the squirrel part is way more important than the damage part. Then again, it kinda has to be worded that way.
It's mostly a token producer, that'll give you some pain if you don't have a tougher creature out but by 4 mana you probably will and if you get Wrathed you'll generally be happy to take the point anyway. The activation cost is low; you could probably get something better in green but you're not always going to go green. Plus you get extra utility in the ability to turn your opponents utility creatures like Prodigal Pyromancer into squirrels, or even get that extra point of damage to take down a big gun.
I don't imagine going for the head will usually be useful for anything more than the final point of damage, but let's not get greedy. Or run Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite and DO get greedy. :)
DarthParallax
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
The Squirrells are...well, not coming BACK any time soon, like, in a regular set. probably. I hope not. BUT- wizards recognizes that some players LOVE THEM- so we have this, Swarmyard, and Infernal Spawn of Infernal Spawn of Evil, and I'm sure in a few months there will be something else to remind people of that thing that was stronger than Faeries or Jund, and sillier than Goblins. Remember the Squirrels!
Zarth2k
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(8 votes)
I may just be getting old, but this just screams Fungusaur to me. =D
ClockworkSwordfish
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
Kills utility X/1s for a price (GODDAMMIT RHYS, STAY DEAD), but the main use is in pinging your own dudes. a turn cycle for a reliable squirrel is in practice really good. My main gripe with this is the lack of funny flavour text.
Also Phytohydra. And, oddly enough, Ghave.
Kazuhiro
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(9 votes)
Honestly, why would I even care how powerful this card is or isn't?
It FIRES SQUIRRELS AT PEOPLE. I had people promising not to attack me if I gave them a Squirrel. This card makes EDH more fun by its very presence.
sonorhC
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ClockworkSwordfish: Is Rhysreally the opponent you want to be handing tokens to? If your catapult ever gets destroyed, you're going to end up with an awful lot of squirrels, probably very large ones, in your face.
I was astounded to see this rated so low, since it's one of the best cards ever made. Every time this fires, you get some advantage AND it tells an amusing little story.
I have used this as a finisher in an EDH game with my friend, it is an awesome card and you must admit that killing people with squirrels and acorns is pretty cool.
Totema
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
1. Put a bunch of these in your deck, along with some Plant creatures. 2. Opponent plays with a zombie-themed deck. You are now playing a card-version of Plants vs. Zombies.
deadeye1387
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Hmph. This is a new one. Squirrel counters, anyone?
Narim
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Shooting yourself while having Leyline of Vitality out? Why not!
Kryptnyt
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Flavortext has me thinking that Kalonia(?) is a place. Remember Kalonian Behemoth? No, I didn't either, until I read this.
Certainly not a bad way to produce Squirrel tokens, it's just that nowadays, their are so many more efficient ways to do it (Doubling Season, Parallel Lives, Squirrel Nest, Parallel Evolution, etc.) it's almost just a waste to run in your deck. If it was a land card (as silly as that sounds for a catapult but, whatever) it would be great to combo with the already broken Squirrel Nest and Earthcraft combo. But, as an artifact, it would take too many cards to combo to make it worth it.
2/5
TheGigiBeast
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I created this combo for my squirrels EDH deck: enchant a creature with druid's call, then damage this creature to get 2 1/1 green squirrels for a generic mana!!!
Casimir_the_Great
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
You guys see the rulings for this? The last sentence of the first one: "No Squirrel will be created." Sounds like a...i dunno, but that's really funny!
Now we just need something like this for chickens for that Zelda feel! T, create a chicken. T, create a chicken. Your opponent hits one, then UNLEASH THE HORDE!
CrazyChucky
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This has to my favourite single card in Magic. The flavour is even funnier and more perfect than on Norin the Wary.
It also works really well in what I call my Masochism deck: things like Saber Ants and Nested Ghoul that make tokens when damaged, and plenty of sacrificing. Hit a Saber Ants with this for double the fun!
Stuflames
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Versatile - ping offense or create tokens for yourself. Potentially abusable. Colorless.
Comments (45)
Yea, I feel terrible just for typing that.
Squirrels were my first deliberately constructed deck, and they used to get a smattering of love every few sets. Their disappearance was one of the biggest losses in all of Magic.
When I saw this in the spoilers, I was duly unimpressed BUT it showed my the return of Squirrels for the first time in any form since Torment. I had a similar thrill of hope from Swarmyard, but that came to naught.
I hope this isn't a flash in the pan, I hope that the Squirrels will return to us soon.
It's mostly a token producer, that'll give you some pain if you don't have a tougher creature out but by 4 mana you probably will and if you get Wrathed you'll generally be happy to take the point anyway. The activation cost is low; you could probably get something better in green but you're not always going to go green. Plus you get extra utility in the ability to turn your opponents utility creatures like Prodigal Pyromancer into squirrels, or even get that extra point of damage to take down a big gun.
I don't imagine going for the head will usually be useful for anything more than the final point of damage, but let's not get greedy. Or run Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite and DO get greedy. :)
Also Phytohydra. And, oddly enough, Ghave.
It FIRES SQUIRRELS AT PEOPLE. I had people promising not to attack me if I gave them a Squirrel. This card makes EDH more fun by its very presence.
2. Opponent plays with a zombie-themed deck.
You are now playing a card-version of Plants vs. Zombies.
If only this card was standard...
5/5
Also abuseable with Natural Order and even Pattern of Rebirth.
None shall be spared from my joint zombie/squirrel army!
2/5
Surprised no one's mentioned Voltaic Key yet.
Now we just need something like this for chickens for that Zelda feel! T, create a chicken. T, create a chicken. Your opponent hits one, then UNLEASH THE HORDE!
It also works really well in what I call my Masochism deck: things like Saber Ants and Nested Ghoul that make tokens when damaged, and plenty of sacrificing. Hit a Saber Ants with this for double the fun!
Not bad.