Then, whenever you attack with one or more elves, you populate
Personally, I think the companion mechanic has the potential to be one of the most broken mechanics added to Magic in a long, long time
its a fine utility creature in its own right
Cards that add +1/+1 counters are getting much more efficient, so between Innkeeper's Talent and Tribute to the World Tree, you can have a pretty powerful Warcaller leading your troops
Espeon V and Espeon ex from Prismatic Evolutions are both stunning anchors for a purple page, and Tinkaton ex from Paldea Evolved adds a fun bold element to the mix
If you can get your Squirrel engine moving quickly, you could be triggering this ability multiple times per turn, which puts you in a good position to then attack other players and leave yourself open to swingbacks without major repercussions