Interview: Maurizio - Back to back topped with Shanks!
- rubentruong
- May 9
- 6 min read
Player: Maurizio „Mauzio“ Intini Favourite leader: UB Sakazuki (if banned Leaders are allowed, otherwise Shanks) Favorite character: 10C Haki Shanks Best one piece art: OP01-073 Donquixote Doflamingo AA
Socials:
Maurizio secured back-to-back tops with Shanks! I was really curious to hear his thoughts, especially since Shanks has been getting a lot of criticism for being a “boring” or “easy” deck. But I don’t believe you can just get lucky twice in a row at Regionals! Let’s find out what he thinks about the deck and its future.
Congrats on topping twice with Shanks! So, why was Shanks your pick? Thank you very much! I always played control decks like Sakazuki and Lucci. After the ban list from 1st April 2025, I tried out Shanks because I could build it control oriented, a playstyle I felt very confident with. The OP10 meta, often referred to as „the jungle“, was very diverse. A lot of different decks were viable. Shanks has a generically powerful leader ability. Its versatility makes learning and playing the deck sustainable for future formats because it can be built very diversely, adapting to the meta. With my hybrid build it had a very balanced matchup spread throughout the OP10 meta. That’s the reason I picked Shanks for the big tournaments in London and Mülheim. What would you say is Shanks' hardest matchup in OP10 and EB? For OP10 I struggled a lot with RP Luffy (ST10). They follow the same game plan as you (deploying big bodies) but can do it a lot faster due to their ramp abilities.For EB02 it will depend on the Shanks build. The rush build will have a hard time against GP Luffy while the control build will be disadvantageous against BB. You’ve got the agony of choice: Giving up one of those matchups to greatly improve the other or finding the right balance. Do you think Shanks will change a lot in the EB format? If the meta turns out as expected, then definitely yes. With GP Luffy being the deck to beat in EB02, the Shanks list must adapt to that. This means a lot more control tools. Even though this will hurt the BB matchup, it will enhance most other matchups. Ultimately Shanks role in the meta will probably stay the same as it will remain in the top 3 meta decks, but the lists will be adjusted. Shanks often gets criticized for being an “easy” or “lucky” deck. But topping twice in a row doesn’t seem lucky to me. What’s the key to performing at your best with Shanks? As I said, I have played heavy combo decks like Sakazuki and Lucci extensively in the past, but they are nothing compared to Shanks’s complexity.. Ok jokes aside. I must admit that Shanks does not look like the hardest deck to play at first glance. But it shines at expressing your fundamentals and knowledge about the deck your opponent is playing. One Piece TCG is a game of mistakes. Whoever makes less mistakes and takes most advantage of the opponent’s mistakes will most likely end up winning the game. Knowing the limits of you and your opponent helps a lot, that’s why I try to study most of the meta relevant decks in preparation for bigger tournaments. The key to performing with Shanks starts with the deckbuilding. There are lots of different Shanks lists out there and I always suggest playing what you feel most comfortable with. That’s why I built my deck as consistent as possible (brick count as low as possible and mostly 3- and 4-of cards) knowing I must play 10 rounds of Swiss plus potentially Top Cut. Unlike most other decks, Shanks often only sees around 15/50 cards each game. That means “mastering” the Mulligan becomes one of the most important things as a Shanks player. Evaluating when to keep playable hands and when to risk mulligan is crucial. What’s your opinion on running Search 1C vs. no search? I have tested every possible Shanks build: Red-Haired Pirates package with Uta searcher, Straw Hat package with Nami searcher and no searcher at all. The 1c bodies also help a lot in the BB matchup. Additionally, Shanks already has limited access to cards due to the lack of card draw and filter options. That’s why I opted against a non-searcher build. Nami only searches for early game (3c Sanji, 5c Luffy) and defensive power (Events, 2c counter). I found most success with Uta because she’s not only fixing your curve (Lucky Roux, Yasopp, Beckman) but also searches for your boss monsters which are your win condition in many matchups. I take consistency over high roll any day of the week. Will you keep playing Shanks in EB? As of right now, I’m most likely playing Shanks going into EB02. I already invested enough time and effort into the deck to comfortably evaluate each card and its purpose. One of the biggest strengths of the deck is its flexibility in deckbuilding. It’s easy to adapt to the meta due to the powerful generic leader ability. I had most success in the past with sticking to a deck that’s established in the meta, is fun to me in the long run and fits my playstyle, rather than change the deck every other week. For now, Shanks fulfills those conditions so there’s no reason for me to change going into EB02. I saw a sneak peek on your X that hinted at a control Shanks build. Would you mind sharing the list and explaining the idea behind it? Sure, I see no problem in sharing my list. It provides a base for everyone new to Shanks and opens for a discourse with more experienced players (PS: Hit me up on socials, I’m down for more in-depth testing ;))
But anyways, that’s the list I’m currently working on (still under maintenance):
My idea is to shift to a heavy control-oriented version of the deck to have a grip on the presumably most popular deck – GP Luffy. With the addition of Red Force, Beckman and Rayleigh can hit the one and only card I need to worry about in this matchup – Sanji & Pudding. The big downside of this list is the lack of rushers (5c Luffy, 8c Dragon) which makes the BB matchup a lot harder. Also running more bricks than I’m used to, so I must test if this still feels consistent enough for me to bring it to the big stage. Would this list be a good pick (i.e., would you play it) in a Chinoize Cup? That would be one of the big stages I was talking about ;)I’ve seen a lot of GP Luffy and black decks attending and even succeeding in the last couple Chinoize Cups. This list should at least stand a chance against those decks, so I guess we’ll find out soon(?). (Edit: Spontaneously played a Chinoize Cup with this very list while writing this. Turns out Lucci’s still a problem :D) How do you think the deck performs into the most popular deck right now—GP Luffy? I had little success with the hybrid build against GP Luffy, so I switched to the more control-oriented list from above. I feel way more comfortably knowing I can answer S&P on curve because this card has crazy snowball potential. Obviously, targeting this specific matchup, it performs pretty well (but at what price..? Ze-hahaha) What cards would you like to see in the upcoming Shanks starter decks? What does a deck that seemingly already has everything really need..
But if I had three wishes I would take:
- 3c Red-Haired Pirates with some form of card draw/cycle (looking at you 3c Sanji)
- 8/9c Red-Haired Pirates either with some form of removal or Blocker tag
- Searchable Counter Event
Or trade all of this wishes for this little guy: (A man’s dream will never die!)
Last fun one: If you could ban and unban one card, what would they be?
If I could I’d instantly unban my favorite leader of all time: OP05-041 Sakazuki – the most enjoyable competitive deck I’ve ever played.
For the banned card, an obvious choice looking into OP11 would probably be OP09-078 Gum Gum Giant.
As for my personal vendetta, I would ban 8c OP01-051 Eustass “Captain” Kid. I know, this card is greens only out to a lot of decks, but that card is haunting me since OP01, where I just couldn’t deal with it while playing Doffy.
In-depth explanations of his runs at the last Regionals can also be found in the YouTube videos by OPTCGGrinder (https://x.com/OPTCGgrinder) — make sure to check them out!
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