ST-23 RED Shanks

Overview

ST-23 RED Shanks is a mono-red starter built on the Red-Haired Pirates. Its Leader is a reprint of OP09-001 Shanks, with 5000 power and 5 Life. Once per turn, when your opponent attacks, it gives up to 1 of your opponent's Leader or Character cards −1000 power during that turn, and it costs no DON!!.

That small, free effect works every turn your opponent attacks. Lowering the attacker by 1000 means a smaller counter stops it, or that a 5000-power Leader survives an attack that would otherwise connect. On your own turn, Hongo and Yasopp (OP09-013) carry the same −power plan into attacks.

The box has 15 different cards, including ten OP09 reprints. It suits a player who wants a strong Leader with simple Characters, and it is a good first red deck to grow.

Shanks (Reprint)

OP09-001

OP09-001, 5000 power, 5 Life: once per turn, −1000 to an opposing attacker or other card

Every card in ST-23 is legal in Standard, including the OP09-001 Shanks Leader and the OP09 cards reprinted in the box.

Ratings

These are TurnZero HQ's own read of the cards, not tournament results or an official Bandai rating. How we rate starter decks →

How it plays

The deck wins by trading well early and landing a big Shanks late. In the first turns, use Come On!! We'll Fight You!! to find Red-Haired Pirates cards and play 3- and 4-cost Characters such as Hongo, Limejuice and Benn.Beckman. Benn.Beckman trashes a card from your hand to K.O. a Character with 4000 base power or less.

In the middle turns, Yasopp (OP09-013) gives your Leader +1000 until the end of your opponent's next turn, and Lucky.Roux is a [Blocker] that K.O.s a Character with 6000 base power or less when it is K.O.'d. Bonk Punch plays Monster from your hand for free, which puts two bodies down for one card.

Late, the 9-cost Shanks (ST23-002) costs 3 less if your opponent has a Character with 8000 base power or more, and it gives your Leader +2000 until the end of your opponent's next End Phase. Once it is on the field, Uta costs 4 less and adds a [Blocker] with a 2000 counter.

Tips for your first games

• Save the Leader's −1000 for an attack where it changes the counters you need, rather than using it on the first attack every turn.
• Use Hongo's −2000 before attacking a Character, so a 5000-power attacker can win the battle.
• Hold Monster until you can play Bonk Punch, since Bonk Punch puts Monster into play from your hand.
• Watch for an opposing Character with 8000 base power; that is when Shanks (ST23-002) gets 3 cheaper.
• Play Limejuice in the turn you attack, because its [Blocker] lock only lasts that turn.

Key cards in the box

Shanks

ST23-002

10000-power finisher that can cost 6, and gives your Leader +2000 for a full round

Benn.Beckman

ST23-003

Trash 1 card to K.O. a Character with 4000 base power or less

Lucky.Roux (Reprint)

OP09-015

A [Blocker] that K.O.s a 6000 base power Character when it is K.O.'d

Hongo (Reprint)

OP09-011

Rest it for −2000 on an opposing Character every turn, with a 2000 counter

Come On!! We'll Fight You!! (Reprint)

OP09-020

1-cost search for any Red-Haired Pirates card in the top 5

Uta

ST23-001

Costs 2 with a 10000-power Character out, and is a [Blocker] with a 2000 counter

Upgrade guide

Every upgrade below is legal in Standard and shares a color with the Leader. Prices are each card's base printing on TCGplayer on October 10, 2026; open a card for today's price.

Cheap Red-Haired Pirates searchers and −power tools

This is the budget upgrade. Uta (OP09-002) searches the top 5 for a Red-Haired Pirates card, which adds a second copy of the box's search effect. Building Snake and Red Force give your opponent's Characters −3000 or −1000, which stacks with the Leader and Hongo, and Nobody Hurts a Friend of Mine!!!! is −3000 that can also draw. Shanks (OP16-006) is a 4-cost K.O. for a Character with 4000 power or less, and has a 2000 counter. All of these are cheap. They replace Monkey.D.Luffy, Monster and Howling Gab.

Uta

OP09-002

1 cost: adds a Red-Haired Pirates card from the top 5

Building Snake

OP09-008

Bottom-deck it for −3000 on an opposing Character

Nobody Hurts a Friend of Mine!!!!

OP09-019

−3000 to a Character, and draws 1 if they have a 5000-power Character

Red Force

OP09-021

Stage: rest it for −1000 on an opposing Character each turn

Shanks

OP16-006

Rest 2 DON!! to K.O. a Character with 4000 power or less; 2000 counter

Bigger Shanks and Benn.Beckman finishers

The box has one 9-cost finisher. These add more late-game threats that remove a Character as they arrive. Shanks (OP09-004) has [Rush] and gives all of your opponent's Characters −1000 while it is on the field, Shanks (OP06-007) K.O.s a Character with 10000 power or less when played, and Benn.Beckman (OP09-009) trashes a Character with 6000 power or less. The 5-cost Benn.Beckman (OP16-012) is a [Blocker] that can put Shanks into play once you have 10 DON!!. They replace Rockstar and Bonk Punch, which makes the curve heavier.

Shanks

OP09-004

10 cost, [Rush], and all opposing Characters get −1000 power

Shanks

OP06-007

10 cost: K.O. a Character with 10000 power or less on play

Benn.Beckman

OP09-009

7 cost: trashes an opposing Character with 6000 power or less

Benn.Beckman

OP16-012

[Blocker] that can play Shanks from hand when you have 10 DON!!

Extra defense around the Leader

The Leader already shrinks one attack a turn. These cards make the other attacks harder too. Shanks (OP12-008) is a 6000-power [Blocker] that trashes a card for another −2000 on your opponent's attack, Divine Departure is a +3000 counter for your Leader that doubles as removal, and Rockstar (OP16-018) protects your Red-Haired Pirates Characters by trashing a big Character from hand. Lucky.Roux (PRB02-003) is the priciest card here; skip it on a budget.

Shanks

OP12-008

4-cost [Blocker] that can trash a card for −2000 on an attacker

Divine Departure

OP10-019

+3000 counter for your Leader, or a K.O. for 8000 or less on your turn

Rockstar

OP16-018

Saves a Red-Haired Pirates Character from a K.O. by trashing a 6000+ card

Lucky.Roux

PRB02-003

[Blocker] that trashes a 6000-power Character from hand to draw 2

What to cut first

Bandai's list doesn't say how many copies of each card the deck has, so cut by card: take out every copy of these before anything else, and keep the deck at exactly 50.

Monkey.D.Luffy

ST23-004

Not Red-Haired Pirates, so searches miss it, and its −1000 costs a DON!!

Monster (Reprint)

OP09-012

Only useful with Bonk Punch; on its own it is a 3-cost 4000 vanilla

Howling Gab (Reprint)

OP09-006

A 5-cost 7000 vanilla that adds nothing to the Leader's plan

Every card in ST-23

Bandai's card list for ST-23 has 15 different cards. Every one of them is legal in Standard. Legality follows Bandai's block icons and its banned list effective October 12, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions