Chatterfang VS Toski MTG Magic Green Squirrel Commander

When creating a Squirrel commander (EDH) deck, there are really only 2 options if you want your commander to be a squirrel; Chatterfang, Squirrel General or Toski, Bearer of Secrets.

This may not be a popular opinion, but I love squirrels in Magic the Gathering. I've had a 60 card squirrel deck for over 20 years now since Odyssey. While I don't play it too often, it is an absolute menace when I pull it out for a round. 

Usually this is something that you'll want to play in a casual game with friends. Dropping a couple hundred squirrels with a Coat of Arms and an Overrun, Garuk, Kamahl etc. on folks you don't know will get you uninvited for the next MTG night. However, squirrels are so much fun to play with Teams, or a Free for All where you know you should have a few turns before anyone gets too aggressive. If they get going, they are incredibly hard to control.

Chatterfang and Toski both offer interesting and unique abilities that make them stand out from other commanders.

There are good arguments that Chatterfang is more powerful, offering the ability to add in black to the deck which opens up an entire color of possibilities that Toski can't offer, not to mention the double token production.

Toski, on the other hand, rewards players for attacking with creatures by allowing them to draw cards when they hit the opponent, making it a powerful card advantage engine. It's also indestructible which offers other commander strategy benefits, and it can't be countered!

With such distinct abilities, it's no wonder that players are eager to see how these two commanders stack up against each other.

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Let's take a closer look at what it is about Chatterfang and Toski that will drive your opponents, well, nuts!

Chatterfang vs Toski: Which Nutcracker is for You

Chatterfang, Squirrel General

Chatterfang is a legendary creature that costs 2 colorless and a green mana, though it's not a mono green commander.

It has the ability to create additional squirrel tokens whenever you create tokens through different means.

Create a zombie token? Here's a squirrel too!

Something give you a bunch of food tokens? Here come the squirrels to the picnic. 

Now that you've got an army of squirrels, you can use Chatterfang's last ability to pump another creature by sacrificing one.

This last ability costs a single black mana, and doesn't require a tap. Because of the black activation cost, Chatterfang's color identity is both green and black, opening up an entire other color of possibility to the squirrel tribe commander player.

Chatterfang has a big advantage over Toski, other than the addition of black, as well. Chatterfang can go “infinite” through combos and close out the game.

Toski, Bearer of Secrets

Toski is a legendary creature that costs 3 colorless and a green mana. It truly has a mono green color identity. Toski has the ability to draw a card whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player.

If you want to get ahead with a token deck like squirrels, you need to make a lot of tokens. Massive draw certainly helps reach that goal, getting you to the spells and creatures that you need to build that massive army of nutcrackers.

Some cards that have obvious synergy with Toski are enchantments such as Lure and Squirrel Nest. 

Lure on anything Indestructible is great. With Toski it helps your other attackers get through to draw those cards and refill your hand.

Add on a way to give Toski deathtouch with that Lure and this is a lethal combination for your opponents' armies.

Both Chatterfang and Toski are powerful squirrel commanders that offer different advantages. Chatterfang is great for a sacrifice-themed deck, while Toski is great for a combat-heavy deck.

Ultimately, the choice between these two cards will depend on your playstyle and the specific goals of your deck.

Key Cards and Combos

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Chatterfang's Army

Chatterfang, Squirrel General is a great commander for a squirrel tribal deck, but can also branch out, having great synergy with other types like Vampires.

He creates squirrel tokens whenever another token is created under your control, which means that he can quickly build up a massive army of squirrels.

Cards like Squirrel Nest, Deranged Hermit, and Deep Forest Hermit can all create additional squirrel tokens, making Chatterfang even more powerful. Add in a Coat of Arms to pump them and decimate your opponents.

Some of the key cards in a Chatterfang deck may be Vindictive Vampire or Bastion of Remembrance. These will throw a damage at each opponent and gain you a life for each creature you control that dies, synergizing greatly with Chatterfang.

Cards like Zulaport Cutthroat, Scurry Oak, and Pitiless Plunderer can also help set up some crazy combos that are as difficult to do anything about as a flying squirrel headed straight for your face!

Toski's Tactics

Toski, Bearer of Secrets is a different kind of commander.

Rather than focusing on creating a large army of creatures, Toski is all about card draw and dealing damage. Toski can helm a formidable Voltron style commander deck, as well as squirrel tribal.

Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, you draw a card. This means that you want to get as many creatures through to your opponent as possible.

One of the key cards in a Toski deck is Coat of Arms, which gives all creatures of the same type +1/+1 for each creature of that type on the battlefield.

Other cards like Squirrel Sovereign, Chitterspitter, and Squirrel Mob can also help to create, pump up, and run over an opponent with your squirrel army.

With a large army of squirrels, Coat of Arms can quickly turn the tide of the game in your favor.

Synergistic Cards with Chatterfang:

1. Ravenous Squirrel: Black/Green squirrel and sacrifice synergy with Chatterfang.
2. Pitiless Plunderer: This makes a chain combo with Chatterfang allowing you to infinitely pump up another creature. Sac a squirrel to Chatterfang for a pump, PP creates a treasure, Chatterfang creates a squirrel, use the treasure to activate Chatterfang again and sac the squirrel, repeat.
3. Vindictive Vampire: Whenever a creature you control dies, do a damage to each opponent and gain a life.
4. Bastion of Remembrance: Enchantment with the same ability as Vindictive Vampire, but also creates a soldier token as it comes into play.
5. Blood Artist: When a creature dies, target player loses a life and you gain a life. Combo synergy with Chatterfang.
6. Moldervine Reclamation: Every squirrel's sacrifice will not be in vain. Drawing cards and gaining life, this card reminds us that in the circle of life, every end is a new beginning… or at least a new card in hand.
7. Mirkwood Bats: Each opponent loses a life for every token you create or sacrifice. Sounds like the kind of flying furry menace that pairs perfectly with Chatterfang.
8. Zulaport Cutthroat​: Whenever a creature dies, each opponent loses a life and you gain a life. I'm sensing a theme here.
9. Poison-tip Archer: It's like Blood Artist took archery lessons. With the multitude of squirrels you'll be sacrificing, this archer ensures your opponents feel the prick of each arrow, er, squirrel.
10. Nadier's Nightblade: When one of your tokens (of any type) leaves the battlefield each opponent loses a life and you gain a life. 
11. Peregrin Took: Create an additional food token whenever a source you control creates any kind of token.
12. Assassin's Trophy: A way for a B/G squirrel deck to deal with ANY permanent an opponent has at instant speed.
13. Ashnod's Altar: Sacrifice meets strategy. This altar amplifies Chatterfang's abilities, granting you mana for each squirrel offered. Combine with other cards for explosive, combo-driven plays.
14. Gruesome Fate: Black sorcery that can do mass damage to all opponents based on the number of creatures you control.
15. Bootlegger's Stash: Gives all of your lands a tap ability that creates treasure tokens, in addition to their normal mana and other abilities.

Synergistic Cards with Toski:

1. ​Mirkwood Spider: Can give a legendary creature you control deathtouch until end of turn, great to throw on Toski.
2. Lure: Force all of your opponent's creatures to block Toski during combat. With indestructible this helps Toski clear the way for all of your other damage.
3. Beast Whisperer: Each creature you play refills that slot in your hand with a new card.
4. Avenger of Zendikar: Ah, the grand spectacle! While not a squirrel, this elemental brings along a plant army. But remember, each plant is a potential token to be sacrificed, bolstered, or synergized with our squirrel commanders.
5. Sylvan Library: Delve deep into the knowledge of the woods! This card's card advantage is essential, ensuring you always have answers or threats at hand.
6. Ohran Frostfang: Just as Toski relays secrets, Ohran Frostfang ensures each of your creatures brings knowledge (cards) and death (deathtouch). A perfect fit, especially when the board is bustling with critters.
7. Nature's Claim: Sometimes, simplicity is best. Nature's Claim is efficient removal for artifacts or enchantments that threaten your woodland dominion.
8. Deranged Hermit: This is an oldie, but still a goodie in squirrels. Creates 4 squirrel tokens and pumps all squirrels +1+1, drawback of an echo cost.
9. Worldly Tutor: When specific creatures call, Worldly Tutor answers. Need that Craterhoof or Ohran Frostfang? This spell fetches them from the depths of your deck.
10. Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse​: Token generation based on extra card draw, then pump for all of your creatures.
11. Champion of Lambholt: This creature protects those smaller than it, such as squirrels! Being easy to pump up, it then gives your furballs a close to unblockable advantage in combat.
12. Saryth, the Viper's Fang​: Give tapped creatures (such as a constantly attacking Toski) deathtouch, and untapped ones hexproof. Its additional ability would allow you to untap Toski after combat for blocking!
13. Colossification: Give a creature +20+20!
14. Beastmaster Ascension: Start that countdown to giving all your creatures +5+5.
15. Raised by Giants: Makes your commander base 10/10. What an efficient pump for a small indestructible like Toski.

Synergistic Cards with Both Chatterfang and Toski:

1. Deep Forest Hermit: Create several squirrel tokens at once and pump all squirrels. Vanishing can create interesting interactions and combos as well.
2. Squirrel Nest: Turn your land into token production with this enchantment that creates squirrel tokens. Chatterfang makes it create an additional!
3. Tireless Tracker: The clues aren’t just for mysteries. They're resources. With land drops common in Commander, this tracker ensures your squirrel army is accompanied by a stash of clues, providing card advantage.
4. Battle Royale (Triumph of the Hordes): Pump all your creatures +1+1, give them trample, and infect. With a large army of squirrels, this can be an instant kill, even when normal damage may not have been enough.
5. Squirrel Sovereign: A 2/2 squirrel for 2 mana that pumps your other squirrels +1+1.
6. Chatterstorm: Create a 1/1 squirrel token, with storm, then Chatterfang will double them!
7. Verdant Command: Versatility is key in Commander, and Verdant Command offers just that. Whether you're fetching more squirrels or fending off graveyard shenanigans, it's an efficient toolbox in our squirrel arsenal. The token it creates can be doubled by Chatterfang!
8. Scurry Oak: This little tree isn’t just offering shade. Every +1/+1 counter turns this oak into a squirrel-generating machine. Imagine pairing it with Ivy Lane Denizen! Now, that's a synergy that'll have your board bustling with bushy-tailed creatures in no time.
9. Ivy Lane Denizen: Partner in crime with Scurry Oak. Whenever another green creature enters, bolster it with a +1/+1 counter. You’re turning squirrels into formidable foes while generating more with Scurry Oak. Pure synergy magic!
10. Chatter of the Squirrel: The very chatter that might've inspired our mighty Chatterfang! Simple, efficient, and offers both an initial squirrel and flashback for another. That's two squirrelly triggers for the price of one!
11. Craterhoof Behemoth: The grand entrance of the behemoth is like the crescendo in a symphony of squirrels! With an army of squirrels, this beast ensures they not only chatter but also charge with monumental force. Craterhoof turns a mere whisper of woodland critters into a deafening roar of victory.
12. Chitterspitter​: Token creation, token sac, pump your squirrels and ONLY squirrels.
13. Skullclamp: Equip a creature for +1-1, and when it dies you draw 2 cards. You'd be hard-pressed to find better draw for a token deck.
14. Second Harvest​: Create a copy of each token you control. Not limited to creatures, can copy your treasures, food, etc.
15. Jaheira, Friend of the Forest​: Give all of your tokens a tap ability to add a green mana.
16. Coat of Arms​: Pumps all creatures of a type equal to how many creatures of that type are on the board. Have 14 squirrels out? They're each getting +13+13. Just be careful playing it against other tribal/typal decks.
17. Cryptolith Rite: Your squirrels aren't just warriors; they're druids in disguise. This enchantment turns them into mana dorks, adding layers of strategy and ramp to your game.
18. Gaea's Cradle: The veritable nest for our squirrel army. It turns your squirrel numbers into raw, green mana. A high-value target, but if it sticks, your plays can be monumental. May be cost prohibitive.

Combos

There are a few powerful combos that you can use in either a Chatterfang or Toski deck. For example, lets turn our small tribe into a neighborhood infestation that no exterminator is going to take out on their own. You'll want cards like Parallel Lives and Doubling Season, or one of my personal favorites for the end of your opponent's turn instant fun, Second Harvest.

Then it's time to pump that army of cute, furry friends into angry hulk-rodents. Meet Garruk Wildspeaker, Coat of Arms, and Overrun. Really any ability like these after you've built and doubled an avalanche of buck-toothed fury will do.

If you're playing a Golgari deck, Phyrexian Altar is a great way to generate a lot of mana. You can sacrifice your squirrel tokens to generate mana, and then use that mana to cast more creatures or activate other abilities.

Cards like Drey Keeper, Nut Collector, Scurrid Colony, and Ravenous Squirrel can all help to generate more tokens and more mana.

Chatterfang can lead to some deadly combos and synergies in the realm of Magic.

1. Chatterfang + Pitiless Plunderer + Ashnod's Altar: This combo can produce infinite mana. Here's how it works:
   • Every time a creature you control dies, Pitiless Plunderer gives you a treasure token.
   • When you create any token, Chatterfang creates an additonal squirrel token.
   • Sacrifice the squirrel token for mana from the Altar, Plunderer creates another treasure, Chatterfang another squirrel. Rinse and repeat!

2. Chatterfang + Earthcraft + Squirrel Nest: An old combo made even more potent with Chatterfang, creates infinite squirrels.
   • Enchant a basic land with Squirrel Nest. This allows the land to tap to create a squirrel.
   • With Earthcraft, tap a new squirrel to untap the land with Squirrel Nest.
   • Tap the enchanted land for another squirrel, tap the squirrel to untap the land, and repeat. Chatterfang will double the squirrel production. Infinite squirrel creation loop!

3. Chatterfang + Slimefoot, the Stowaway + Ashnod's Altar: Double the tokens, double the fun! Another infinite mana combo.
   • Tap 4 with Slimefoot to create a saproling, and a squirrel due to Chatterfang.
   • Sac the 2 tokens to Ashnod's Altar for 4 mana.
   • The saproling dying triggers Slimefoot dealing 1 damage to each opponent and you gain 1 life. Then so does the squirrel.
   • Use the 4 mana produced by the altar to activate Slimefoot for another saproling, and Chatterfang for another squirrel, repeat until all opponents are dead!

Toski, Bearer of Secrets, with its card-drawing ability and indestructibility, can lead a mono-green deck with strong synergies and combos as well.

1. Toski + Lure + Deathtouch: Destroy all of your opponents untapped creatures in one combat
   • Indestructible Toski, add Lure so everything has to block it, find a way to give Toski deathtouch. This wipes out all of your opponent's blocking creatures.
   • Anything that attacks with Toski gets through and triggers Toski's draw ability.

2. Toski + Beastmaster Ascension: A classic “overrun” strategy with a twist.
   • Toski ensures consistent card draw whenever it deals damage.
   • With multiple creatures, it's relatively easy to get the seven counters needed on Beastmaster Ascension.
   • Once active, all your creatures, including Toski, get +5/+5, making it a lethal combat phase and a huge card draw engine.

3. Toski + Squirrel Nest + Earthcraft: As mentioned previously with Chatterfang, enchant a basic land with Squirrel Nest and use Earthcraft to untap the land by tapping the squirrel it creates, creating an infinite squirrel army.
   • Toski is not really part of the combo, but does allow massive card draw as you swing with your squirrels. Be careful not to deck yourself if this won't end the game! If you've given your little indestructible menace Lure, then all of your other squirrels should get through.

One combo that's great for both decks is Tooth and Nail + Scurry Oak + Ivy Lane Denizen. T&N acts as your tutor to search for and if entwined drop an infinite combo on the board!

Need a green tutor or black tutor to ensure you get those combo pieces? Check out our write ups for both!

Chatterfang and Toski have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Chatterfang is all about building a large army of squirrels, while Toski is all about card draw and dealing damage. By using the right cards and combos, you can create a powerful deck that's sure to be a hit at your next MTG game night.

Community Perspective

As we dive deeper into the world of MTG Squirrel Commanders, we can see that there is a lot of chatter and excitement surrounding Chatterfang and Toski. Commander decklists for both Chatterfang and Toski can be found at EDHREC.com.

Another popular site for MTG players, MTGGoldfish, has published several articles and decklists featuring these two commanders as well. Fans of both Chatterfang and Toski have been vocal on social media, discussing the pros and cons of each deck and sharing their own unique takes on the matchup.

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We found that Chatterfang was a bit more challenging to play, relying on some risky combo pieces. However, the payoff of generating a swarm of squirrel tokens, or hitting infinite combos can be incredibly satisfying.

Toski, on the other hand, is a bit more straightforward, but can still be a formidable opponent with the right cards.

Both commanders offer unique and fun gameplay experiences, and we highly recommend trying them out to see which one suits you best.

Additionally, building a squirrel-themed deck can be a great way to add some lightheartedness and humor to your Magic the Gathering games.

With plenty of other cards that mesh with token themed green decks, you should be able to find your way into the trees with these little guys, and drop an acorn or two on your next friendly commander game.

My favorite resource for buying singles to put together a deck like this is TCGplayer, but Card Kingdom and Star City Games will get you there too!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some effective strategies for a Chatterfang squirrel commander deck?

When building a Chatterfang squirrel commander deck, it's important to focus on creating a swarm of squirrel tokens as quickly as possible. If the tokens are your focus find a way to pump them and swing at your enemies. But if your main win conditions are some of the combos that Chatterfang does so well, be sure to include tutors to find those pieces when needed!

How does Toski fit into a squirrel commander deck, if not the commander?

Toski, Bearer of Secrets is a great addition to a squirrel commander deck. Toski can generate card advantage by allowing you to draw a card whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player. This ability is particularly powerful in a deck full of small, evasive creatures like squirrels. Additionally, there are lots of uses for an indestructible squirrel.

How can Chatterfang's abilities be maximized in a squirrel deck?

To maximize Chatterfang's abilities, you'll want to focus on generating a lot of squirrel tokens and finding your combo pieces. Whether you're looking for those cards that sacrificing a squirrel will net you a life and deal a damage to each opponent, or an altar strategy for mass amounts of mana, you have to be able to get those pieces into play quickly.

What are some common pitfalls to avoid when playing a squirrel commander deck?

One common pitfall when playing a squirrel commander deck is focusing too much on generating squirrel tokens and not enough on protecting them. It's rough building an army of 20 tiny bushy tails just to watch them all die to a Pyroclasm. Cards like Heroic Intervention can be a lifesaver.

Another common pitfall is too much, or too little, token production. Too many 1/1 chittering menaces may not sound like a bad thing, but striking that final blow is usually a result of pumping them somehow or going infinite. Finding the balance in creating a good amount of tokens plus ways to use them is crucial, and too many of one or the other and the deck can easily misfire.

What are some lesser-known squirrel cards that can be powerful additions to a Chatterfang or Toski deck?

Some lesser-known squirrel cards that can be powerful additions to a Chatterfang or Toski deck include Squirrel Wrangler, which can generate a lot of squirrel tokens over time, Krosan Beast which can become a giant beatstick when you gain Threshold, and Squirrel Mob which can quickly become the biggest creature on the board.

What's the most damage you've ever caused with a scurry of squirrels? Let us know in the comments!

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