Introduction
This deck is part of the Pauper Decks, which are made from only common cards. The great thing about Pauper is the majority of the cards are cheap to buy, and are still strong as there are quite a lot of good common cards over Magic's history.
Key Strategy
Squirrel Storm is a combo-oriented deck that leverages the storm mechanic to generate a massive number of Squirrel tokens in a single turn, often overwhelming the opponent before they can respond. The deck revolves around generating large amounts of mana, drawing through your deck, and casting spells in rapid succession to fuel a game-ending Chatterstorm.
Chatterstorm: The centerpiece of the deck, Chatterstorm is a storm card that creates a 1/1 Squirrel token for each spell cast before it during the turn. The goal is to cast a flurry of spells and then drop Chatterstorm to flood the board with Squirrels.
Ritual Spells (Dark Ritual, Cabal Ritual, Rite of Flame): These cards are the engine that powers your storm turn. Dark Ritual and Cabal Ritual generate black mana, while Rite of Flame produces red mana. Together, they give you the resources needed to cast multiple spells in a single turn, building up your storm count.
First Day of Class: This card is essential for turning your Squirrel tokens into immediate threats. When First Day of Class is cast, every creature that enters the battlefield that turn gets a +1/+1 counter and haste. This means your Squirrels can swing for significant damage the moment they hit the battlefield.
Manamorphose: A versatile card that serves as both a mana fixer and a way to draw deeper into your deck. Manamorphose allows you to convert red and black mana into green for Chatterstorm or other necessary colors, while also increasing your storm count.
Chromatic Star and Lotus Petal: These artifacts help fix your mana and contribute to your storm count without costing you card advantage. Chromatic Star replaces itself when sacrificed, and Lotus Petal provides a quick burst of any color mana.
Galvanic Relay: This card allows you to build up a large number of cards to cast in your next turn by exiling the top cards of your library, which you can play until the end of your next turn. It’s especially useful if you need to reload after an initial storm attempt or if you’re setting up for a massive combo turn.
Faithless Looting, Night's Whisper, Sign in Blood: These draw spells help you dig through your deck quickly, finding the pieces you need for your combo. Faithless Looting also allows you to discard unnecessary cards, keeping your hand focused on your win conditions.
Peat Bog, Sandstone Needle, Geothermal Crevice, Sulfur Vent: These lands are crucial for your strategy, providing the burst mana needed to fuel your storm turn. Peat Bog and Sandstone Needle come into play with depletion counters, giving you multiple uses before they are sacrificed, while Geothermal Crevice and Sulfur Vent can be sacrificed for two mana, helping you reach your critical mass.
The primary goal of Squirrel Storm is to build up a large storm count and then cast Chatterstorm to create a massive army of Squirrel tokens, ideally in combination with First Day of Class to give them haste and +1/+1 counters.
Early Game: Your early turns will be spent setting up your mana base, drawing cards, and finding your combo pieces. Use Night's Whisper, Sign in Blood, and Faithless Looting to dig through your deck. You may also want to play Duress early to disrupt your opponent’s hand and protect your combo.
Mid Game: Once you have the necessary pieces in hand and sufficient mana sources available, you can begin your storm turn. Start by casting your Rituals to generate a large amount of mana. Use Manamorphose and Chromatic Star to fix your mana colors and keep drawing cards. Galvanic Relay can help you set up a second wave if needed.
Combo Turn: When you’re ready to go off, cast First Day of Class followed by as many spells as possible to build up your storm count. Then, cast Chatterstorm to create a huge number of hasty Squirrels, which should be more than enough to overwhelm your opponent.
Look for hands that include a combination of mana acceleration (like Rituals), draw spells, and at least one copy of Chatterstorm or First Day of Class. You generally want to avoid hands that are too slow or lack the ability to generate enough mana quickly. A good starting hand will often include a Ritual or two, some card draw, and a way to fix your mana.
Squirrel Storm is a powerful, fast-paced combo deck that can win games out of nowhere by overwhelming opponents with a flood of Squirrel tokens. Its reliance on storm mechanics makes it an intricate deck to play, requiring careful planning and sequencing, but the payoff is immense. Whether you’re building up for a single massive turn or setting up multiple waves of Squirrels, this deck is all about turning the tide of battle in an instant.
Key Cards
Cards to look for in the opening hand