UGr Squirrel Opposition Primer

[RecursiveManaBurn]

UGr Squirrel Opposition Primer

Part 1. Introduction

Welcome. This is a primer for a top deck in the current type 2 format-- Squirrel Opposition. It is an excellent deck that has made quite a showing-- the most prolific being the first place finish at US Nationals by CMU member Eugene Harvey. The deck was not designed by Harvey, though-- it was the brainchild of Mike Turian, who first debuted the deck at GP: Milwaukee at top 4'ed with it. It was designed to be competetive in the Type 2 environment before Judgement came in, but it has only increased in power recently thanks to the prevalence of creature decks and the lack of common mass removal.

Part 2. Decklist and Analysis

Here's a decklist that has served me very well recently. The changes over Eugene Harvey's Nationals version are as follows:

-2 Call of the Herd
-1 Squirrel Nest
-1 Deep Analysis
+1 Fire/Ice
+3 Static Orb

7 Forest
5 Island
3 Karplusan Forest
2 Shivan Reef
4 Yavimaya Coast
4 Birds of Paradise
3 Llanowar Elves
3 Flametongue Kavu
4 Merfolk Looter
4 Wild Mongrel
3 Static Orb
4 Circular Logic
3 Deep Analysis
4 Fire/Ice
4 Opposition
3 Squirrel Nest

Before I start the card-by-card analysis, let me explain first why there are only 21 lands. Firstly, this deck does not need a lot to get started, and the odds of it drawing a mana accelerator are very, very high. The low land count helps in that you can squeeze in lots of low-cost speed spells and that your topdecks are phenomenal-- even an accelerator is another tapper. You also go through a lot more of your deck than you might think-- Deep Analysis and Merfolk Looter help a lot.

Let's begin!

Birds of Paradise and Llanowar Elves-- These make the deck very, very fast. Not only that, but after you get down Oppo, they're tappers-- they're always useful.

Flametongue Kavu-- One of the few removal spells this deck has, it deals with something you have to tap down as well as providing you with a tapper. Incredible card advantage.

Merfolk Looter-- One of the best cards in the deck. It provides you with incredible card quality as well as getting you that much closer to your combo parts. This makes the deck run infinitely smooth.

Wild Mongrel-- One of the best aggressive cards in the format, this is great for discarding Deep Analysis or Circular Logic to early on, not to mention changing the color to avoid Hibernation or any sort of trick like that.

Static Orb-- I recently put this card in and it is quite the savage mize, so to speak. Good against Tog, better against Deep Dog, best against White Weenie, which is played by a testing partner of mine at FNM-- he's won 4 of them in a row with it and I needed some way to keep myself from being thrashed. It's excellent in this metagame regardless of rogue decks, though-- the beatdown decks don't do too well when they can't attack.

Circular Logic-- The most tempo counter ever printed. You only need 4 counters because you will get enough card-drawing to make sure that you get these. They're excellent for protecting your Oppo or Nest when you need to get it down.

Deep Analysis-- An excellent card-drawing spell that can either be discarded early game and played or used late-game to replenish your hand. This helps you get to your combo parts or your creatures.

Fire/Ice-- A fantastic removal spell or cantrip. There are lots of 1-toughness creatures in the environment, especially in the mirror match or against G/U tempo-- killing an accelerator and a looter is insane, and even tapping down their land second turn can be quite the tempo boost.

Opposition and Squirrel Nest-- The combo. You make squirrels to tap down their lands and creatures and then swing in for the kill when you have enough. Kablam. Nest is excellent against Mono-Black or Tog as well-- hell, even against QRoar if they have yet to discard a Wonder.

[RecursiveManaBurn]

Part 3: Sideboard Possibilities

There are a lot of options here.

Phantom Centaur-- Excellent against Psychatog and against Black Beats, if that's popular in your area.
Simoon-- Amazing against SquirrelOpp mirrors and not bad against UG or Black Beats.
Rushing River-- This is mostly against White Weenie, but it's not terrible against Deed, Ensnaring Bridge, or SquirrelOpp.
Wonder-- Mainly against UG, as it lets Squirrel Nest actually block their wurms. Against other beats decks it's just Opposition 5 and 6. It lets you alpha strike for the win.
Krosan Reclamation-- Against Battle Screech, wurm tokens, wonder, glory, ad nauseum.
Gainsay-- Anti-Tog, pure and simple.
Unnatural Selection-- Anti-UG or SquirrelOpp. It basically prevents them from getting any looters or mongrels down, and against SquirrelOpp their army of squirrels becomes vastly diminished.
Envelop-- Against mono-black control or even Tog.
Upheaval-- Against White Weenie or against Tog, even. You can recover much better than they can.

Part 4: General Strategy

This deck is fairly self-explanatory to play, and one can pick it up fairly easily by playing through a dozen matches or so. You should get a first-turn mana accelerator, but if you don't it's no huge deal. Second turn you usually want to get down a discard symbiote of some sort, or if you have the Squirrel Nest and the mana to do it then by all means go for it. Third turn you can lay a Static Orb (though it's not recommended if you don't have mana accelerators), lay another discard symbiote, pitch a Deep Analysis and play it, or ideally, lay Opposition. Start tapping down your opponent's lands first. After that, you can go for their creatures, but mana denial is the MOST IMPORTANT THING in this matchup. You cannot give them any time to find an answer. Keep pumping out squirrels to tap down their lands and creatures. You can lay a Static Orb at any time before or after the Opposition, just as long as you can get it. Use Fire/Ice as either a removal spell for one or two of your opponent's creatures, as a way to tap your Static Orb, or to tap down your opponent's land second or third turn if you have the extra mana. Flametongue is fairly obvious in function, but helps a lot when alpha striking for the win. Remember, always tap your lands instead of your mana creatures when you can so the mana creatures can tap down your opponents' permanents. It doesn't matter if you take a few pings as long as you have the tappers to stay in control.

The only REAL way to learn this deck is practice, but once you learn it, it is not challenging to play and is quite good as well. It has all the power of UGr tempo but with the combo-lockdown aspect added. You can rifle through your deck lightning fast with Looter and Deep Analysis. Here's a few ideal games for you.

Turn 1: Mana Accelerator
Turn 2: Squirrel Nest
Turn 3: Opposition

Obvious enough.

Turn 1: Mana accelerator.
Turn 2: Mana accelerator, Looter (Always play looter over mongrel early game)
Turn 3: Deep Analysis, Mongrel
Turn 4: Opposition
Turn 5: Flametongue

This is good because you get out a fast supply of tappers and drawers early enough as well as some fairly powerful aggression. You want to tap down all of your enemies' permanents, and then while manufacturing squirrels you want to attack with the creatures you don't need to tap things down. Either that or keep making squirrels until you can swing for the win all at once.

[RecursiveManaBurn]

Part 5: Key Matchups

Psychatog: The most obvious. Against Tog with Cunning Wish, you will be in trouble if they draw it and you don't have a logic. You NEED to get the combo down quickly or else you're in trouble. Hibernation wrecks you. Don't forget, though, that you can change Mongrel's color. The Static Orbs help a lot, and you definitely want to side in more counters-- Gainsays, most likely. Take out Flametongues before you take out Fire/Ices, but those are the first few cards that should leave. RUB Psychatog is MUCH easier to deal with, as it doesn't have Cunning Wish and relies a bit more on sorceries.

Deep Dog/Quiet Roar/UG Madness: You OWN this matchup. A creature-based, land light deck is your ideal fight. You may want to bring in Wonders and you DEFINITELY want to bring in Unnatural Selections. You should cut Static Orbs first when boarding and after that, probably a Deep Analysis or two. This should not be too hard, though. Squirrels tend to block non-tramplers indefinitely, Fire deals very well with opposing looters, and Flametongue is fantastic against Mongrels. Have fun.

G/W Madness: Not too hard, really, as it's basically the same as the above matchup. Worship may be trouble, but ideally they never get the chance to cast it. Don't forget to tap things in response to the Glory. Take out the Static Orbs again, followed by either the Deep Analysis or the Fire/Ice-- not a lot of small creatures in this deck, though Firing Basking Rootwallas in response to their pump ability is pretty good.

Mono-Black Control: Oh wow is this easy. All you have to do is draw your Nest and their removal becomes worthless. Get an Oppo and they suddenly have trouble winning. This is an entirely Sorcery-based deck, so Static Orb works wonders as well. The only board I'd make is removing the Flametongues for Phantom Centaurs. No sense keeping in dead cards.

Black Beats: Again, not too hard. This is primarily a swarm deck, so Orb works wonders, as does Fire/Ice. Mongrel is just better than most of their creatures, and once you get the lock they're done. You definitely want to bring in the Centaurs against these guys, cutting either the Logics or the Deep Analyses.

Black/Green beats: Pernicious Deed is your nightmare. This is a bad matchup for you, but Static Orb and Opposition can save you. Keep them from untapping in order to make Deed, and then keep them from blowing it. If you can Logic the Deed, then you're in good shape. For boarding, you can take out the Fire/Ices for Phantom Centaurs and Rushing Rivers. Cut an additional Deep Analysis or two if you need more room.

White Weenie: Probably your worst matchup. Static Orb is what will make or break you. Early Opposition can save you as well, as if you can keep them from getting off a Battle Screech or Crusade effect then you're in good shape. For boarding, take out the Logics for Simoon and Rushing River, cutting Deep Analyses if you need a little more room. A skill-testing matchup, but not unwinnable.

Part 6: Conclusion

That's basically it. This deck is a lot of fun to play once you get good at it-- though it's not fun to be on the other side of the table once you get down the lock. Keep on practicing and soon you'll be winning FNMs left and right. There's nothing quite like seeing a beatdown player's reaction to you laying Opposition-- pure, unbridled terror. Have fun.

Addendum

Pardon my numerous string of posts-- my browser was acting funny when I tried to make them any larger. Please leave any comments, suggestions, revisions, praise, insults, proposals, death threats, or fat sacks of cash below or in my PM box.