TCG Match Making
patreon
Free OP09 Red Shanks Guide
🕑 Added 2024-12-17 16:16:00 +0000 UTC
Introduction
The Red Shanks deck is a powerful midrange strategy that focuses on controlling the game by establishing dominance with formidable late-game characters while steadily wearing down your opponent’s resources. By utilizing a blend of removal effects and rush units, Shanks can dictate the tempo, overwhelming the opponent with relentless board pressure to secure victory.
This guide will walk you through the essential components of the deck, key strategies, and how to get started. We'll also cover the critical starting turns to give you a strong foundation in the early game. For those looking for more advanced insights, the full version of the guide will include in-depth matchup analysis and advanced metrics—exclusively available to Yonko subscribers—to elevate your gameplay even further.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
Dominates longer games by deploying powerful late-game threats.
Effective against decks that focus on mid-sized characters, due to Shanks' power reduction and KO abilities.
Weaknesses:
Struggles against faster decks that can apply early pressure.
Highly dependent on hitting the right curve to maintain tempo and control of the board.
Decklists
In this section, we’ll delve into various decklist options for OP09 Shanks, highlighting builds that emphasize different combinations of offensive and defensive strategies. Each deck offers distinct advantages, allowing you to tailor your approach to specific matchups. For example, adding cards like Lucky Roux can help your performance against matchups like Purple Luffy. On the other hand, including more defensive events such as Radical Beam and Guard Point can help you stabilize against aggressive decks, enabling you to reach your late-game power plays.
Adaptability remains crucial as the meta evolves. By staying flexible and making timely adjustments to your decklist, you can keep Shanks competitive in a shifting environment. Below, we’ve outlined sample decklists that have proven successful in high-level play, providing a strong starting point for further customization as the meta develops.
This first deck is a classic, well-rounded list, featuring a balanced mix of 5-cost cards along with a full playset of Rayleigh, Dragon, and 10-cost Shanks.
This next list includes 2 copies of Lucky Roux, making room by removing 1 copy of the 5-cost Rayleigh and 1 Gol D. Roger. Adding Lucky Roux provides a strong play option on your 4-DON turn, increasing early-game flexibility and pressure.
This next list includes Radical Beam and Guard Point, prioritizing defensive stability. Notably, this is the same deck that secured a 2nd place finish in the Asia Championship, showcasing its effectiveness at the highest level of competition.
Starting Turn
When it comes to starting turns, we recommend going first in most matchups. The specifics for each matchup will be covered in the Matchup Section, but generally, going first allows you to execute your curve more efficiently, maximizing early tempo. Additionally, since many decks in the current meta prefer going first, this strategy has the added benefit of denying your opponent that advantage.
Example curve going 1st:
1 Don: Pass
3 Don: 8K Leader Attack or 5K Leader Attack > 2 Don Active for Redhawk Counter to KO
5 Don: Leader Swing > 5-Cost (Preferably Ace/Marco)
7 Don: Leader/Character Attack(s) > Benn Beckman
9 Don: Leader/Character Attack(s) > Rayleigh/Dragon/Benn Beckman
10 Don: Leader/Character Attack(s) > Rayleigh/Dragon/Benn Beckman/Shanks
Example curve going 2nd:
2 Don: Sanji or Pass
4 Don: Leader Swing > Play Lucky Roux > Sanji 7K Swing
6 Don: Leader/Character(s) Swing + 1K > Play 5-Cost
8 Don: Leader/Character(s) Swing + Rayleigh/Benn Beckmann/Dragon
10 Don: Leader/Character(s) Swing + Rayleigh/Benn Beckmann/Dragon/Shanks
The curve provided above serves as a general guide for how a typical game might play out but should not be followed rigidly. Shanks is a midrange deck that excels at managing the board to stabilize before transitioning into its powerful late-game plays. Flexibility and matchup awareness are key to maximizing its potential.
In certain matchups, it’s crucial to recognize when to shift your focus from attacking life to dealing with your opponent’s board. Your deck includes powerful reducers like Otama and Hongo, which can be paired with cards such as Marco, Benn Beckman, or Rayleigh for efficient threat removal. These combinations not only help neutralize your opponent’s key characters but also allow you to develop your own board, maintaining both pressure and control.
The most challenging part of piloting this deck often begins around your 7/8-DON turn, as this is the pivotal moment when the board state typically becomes more complex. At this stage, you’ll need to assess the situation carefully and determine which play will provide the most stability. Whether it’s prioritizing board control or continuing to apply pressure to their life, making the right decision in these moments will often determine the outcome of the match. By staying flexible and adapting your strategy to the needs of the matchup, you can effectively navigate these high-pressure turns and set yourself up for success.
Here are some important strategies and habits to adopt:
Efficient Attacking Order: Always attack with characters already on the board before playing new ones. This minimizes the risk of your fresh units being removed by trigger effects. Against Blackbeard, for example, this prevents your characters from falling victim to cards like Liberation or Finger Pistol.
Optimizing Dragon’s Effect: When playing Dragon on your 8-DON turn, it’s often optimal to play him first. Doing so allows you to attach 2 DON to your leader or another character via his effect, enabling more impactful and efficient attacks during your turn.
Using Red-Hawk Early: In the early game, leaving 2 DON available for Red-Hawk can help you counter your opponent’s aggression by KOing key searchers or low-power blockers. Don’t hold onto Red-Hawk exclusively for the late game—using it proactively can stabilize the board early, allowing you to deploy your larger threats with less risk later on.
Playing Sanji Thoughtfully: If you choose to play Sanji, remember that his ability requires you to take a life. This makes it especially important to consider countering your opponent’s attacks to minimize damage before you play Sanji. Proper timing and countering can help you maintain control of the board while mitigating the risk of falling too far behind in life.
By stabilizing early and playing adaptively, Shanks can maintain board control and transition smoothly into its mid- to late-game dominance. Always consider the unique demands of the matchup when deciding how to execute your curve and manage your resources.
Shanks Matchup Guide
In this section, we’ll explore strategies and tips for navigating the most prevalent matchups in the current meta. We’ll provide an in-depth breakdown of the overall game plan for each matchup, emphasizing key fundamentals and tactical adjustments to help elevate your win rate.
This exclusive content is available to Yonko Patreon subscribers or to anyone who purchases the Complete Shanks Guide.
