In 60 Seconds
- The plan
- dig on turns 1-2 (the 1-cost Shirahoshi, My Name is Shirahoshi!!). Your 3rd turn: two 5-costs (pay for Bird Neptunian, your Leader plays Chonmage). Your 4th: Scaled Neptunian from your Leader. On 10 DON!!, Shanks rests their whole board. Every time you use your Leader, turn the Life card back face-down with Chonmage.
- The list
- 4 each of My Name is Shirahoshi!!, the 1-cost and 3-cost Shirahoshi, Megalo, Madara, Bird Neptunian, Chonmage, Tori and Scaled Neptunian; 3 each of You're Not My Type..!, the 2-cost Shirahoshi, Electrical Luna and Shanks; 2 Hody Jones. It's in The Deck.
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- Keep or redraw
- keep two dig cards (the 1-cost Shirahoshi, My Name is Shirahoshi!!, Madara). None: send it back. One: your call.
- The matchups that matter
- Buggy: players won 62%; go 1st, by a lot (76% vs 52%).
- Nico Robin: 41%; go face.
- Trafalgar Law: 51%; go 1st, by a lot (66% vs 42%).
- Top 3 mistakes
- Leaving your Life card face-up, so your Leader is off next turn.
- One 5-cost on your 3rd turn instead of two.
- The wrong turn order against Xebec and Luffy ST10.
Shirahoshi in one line: players win 48% of their EB05 games with Shirahoshi (1,302), and the deck runs on its Leader: once a turn, rest 1 DON!! and turn your top Life card face-up to play a Neptunian from your hand for free. Our Pro AI plays it worse than people (40%), so this guide is built on players' games.
What Is Shirahoshi?
In short
- Your Leader can't attack; once a turn it plays a Neptunian or Megalo from your hand for free.
- The catch: it turns your top Life card face-up, and it only works while that card is face-down.
- Weak spots: Kaido (22%) and Xebec (30%).
- The Leader's play: rest 1 DON!! and turn your top Life card face-up, then play a Neptunian or Megalo with a cost up to the DON!! on your field (rested ones count). On 7 DON!! that's Scaled Neptunian.
- What it can't play: the Shirahoshis, Hody Jones and Shanks cost DON!!.
- Dig cards: the 1-cost Shirahoshi (two Neptunians from the top 5), My Name is Shirahoshi!! (draw 2) and Madara.
The Deck
In short
- The core: Scaled Neptunian, My Name is Shirahoshi!!, Bird Neptunian, Chonmage, Megalo, Madara, the 1-cost and 3-cost Shirahoshi, and Shanks.
- Chonmage is the other half of the engine: it turns your Life card back face-down.
- Tori is in the deck as a 2000 counter.
The list
| Card | Copies | Its job |
|---|---|---|
| My Name is Shirahoshi!! (EB05-020) | 4 | Rest your Leader: draw 2 (it can't attack anyway) |
| You're Not My Type..! (OP11-115) | 3 | +4000 counter |
| Shirahoshi (EB05-014), the 1-cost | 4 | Take up to two Neptunians or Megalos from your top 5 |
| Shirahoshi (OP12-102), the 2-cost | 3 | Saves a cost 6 or less from their effect (turns your Life face-up instead) |
| Shirahoshi (EB03-052), the 3-cost | 4 | Trash it: +1 Life and your Neptunians +1000 |
| Electrical Luna (OP08-036) | 3 | Their rested Characters don't stand up next turn |
| Megalo (EB04-018) | 4 | 2000 counter; K.O. one of their rested 8000-or-less |
| Madara (OP11-036) | 4 | 4-cost: find a Neptunian or a Shirahoshi |
| Bird Neptunian (EB04-016) | 4 | 7000; set 1 DON!! active; rests one of theirs when attacking with 3+ Neptunians |
| Chonmage (OP11-107) | 4 | 6000 Blocker; turns your top Life card face-down, then stands up |
| Tori (OP11-033) | 4 | 7000 with a 2000 counter |
| Scaled Neptunian (EB04-011) | 4 | 8000; can attack Characters at once; draws a card per Neptunian, then trash as many |
| Hody Jones (OP06-035) | 2 | 8000 Rush; rests two of theirs |
| Shanks (OP17-022) | 3 | 12000 Rush; rests all their Characters |
Mulligans
In short
- Keep two dig cards: players' kept hands won 54%.
- None: send it back.
- One: your call; a lone Madara leans mulligan (it costs 4, so it can't dig on turn 1).
TWO DIG CARDS = KEEP. NONE = MULLIGAN. ONE = YOUR CALL.
| Dig cards in the hand | Kept hands won | Mulliganed hands won |
|---|---|---|
| Two or more | 54% | 44% |
| One | 50% | 44% |
| None | 39% | 42% |
- Our same-hand test agrees: with two or more dig cards, keeping won 39% and sending back 30%; with none, 19% and 32%.
- Keep: My Name is Shirahoshi!!, Madara, Bird Neptunian, Chonmage, the 3-cost Shirahoshi. Mulligan: Bird Neptunian, Megalo, Tori, Chonmage, Shanks (no dig).
Turn Order: By Matchup
In short
- Overall it's even: players win 50% going 1st and 47% going 2nd.
- Go 1st against Buggy and Law (by a lot), Xebec and Kaido.
- Go 2nd against Luffy ST10 (by a lot). The rest lean one way or are even (the table).
The Game Plan, Turn by Turn
In short
- Dig on turns 1-2; your 3rd turn, two 5-costs; your 4th, Scaled Neptunian from your Leader.
- On 10 DON!!, Shanks: it rests their whole board.
- The kill comes on your 5th to 7th turn, Shanks last most often.
| Your turn | Your Leader plays | From your hand |
|---|---|---|
| 1st-2nd | nothing yet (going 2nd, Madara on 4 DON!!) | The 1-cost Shirahoshi, My Name is Shirahoshi!! |
| 3rd | Chonmage or Bird Neptunian | The other 5-cost |
| 4th | Scaled Neptunian (72-78% of strong players' turns) | Dig cards, Chonmage |
| 5th | Scaled Neptunian or Chonmage | Dig cards, the 3-cost Shirahoshi |
| 10 DON!! | - | Shanks, then Bird Neptunian's DON!! |
- The kill: your 5th to 7th turn (123 of strong players' 191 wins). Shanks made the last hit most often.
- Shanks before Bird Neptunian's DON!!: after Bird Neptunian sets a DON!! active, no Character can that turn, Shanks included.
Fundamentals: Your Leader and the Life Card
In short
- Your Leader needs a face-down top Life card: after you use it, turn the card back with Chonmage.
- With Chonmage turning it back, the Leader worked the next turn 98% of the time; left face-up with no hit, 8%.
- Your 3rd turn: pay 5 for Bird Neptunian, its DON!! stands back up, and your Leader plays Chonmage.
AFTER YOUR LEADER, TURN THE LIFE CARD BACK WITH CHONMAGE.
| After using your Leader, you... | Your Leader worked next turn |
|---|---|
| turned the card back with Chonmage | 97-98% |
| added a Life card with the 3-cost Shirahoshi, then got hit | 52% |
| left the card face-up, and they hit you | 95% |
| left the card face-up, no hit | 8% |
- A hit turns it back too: the face-up card goes to your hand. So at 4-5 Life, a hit on a face-up card gives you a card and your Leader back.
YOUR 3RD TURN: PAY 5 FOR BIRD NEPTUNIAN, ITS DON!! STANDS ONE BACK UP, YOUR LEADER PLAYS CHONMAGE, CHONMAGE TURNS THE CARD BACK.
- Why it matters: going 1st, strong players who put out two 5-costs on their 3rd turn won 67% (one 5-cost: 46%); going 2nd, 63% against 41%.
- Going 2nd with the card already face-up (from your 2nd-turn Madara): pay 5 for Chonmage first, then your Leader plays Bird Neptunian.
Defending and Attacking
In short
- At 5 Life, take the hit: strong players countered 12%.
- A third of their attacks go at your Characters; Chonmage is your Blocker.
- Board first, then face once they're at 2 Life or less.
| Your Life | Strong players' counters | Got through |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 12% | 86% |
| 3 | 37% | 54% |
| 1-2 | about half | 43-44% |
- Counter with Tori and Megalo (2000s), then You're Not My Type..! (+4000).
- Board or face: strong players aimed 33% of their attacks at the Leader at 5 opponent Life, 65% at 2, 86% at 1.
- The lock: Shanks's 2 DON!! plus Bird Neptunian's 1 make 3, the cost of Electrical Luna: their rested board stays down through their turn.
Matchups
In short
- Good: Buggy (62% for players), Rosinante (62%), Luffy ST10 (55%) and Sabo (52%).
- Against you: Kaido (22%) and Xebec (30%); go 1st against both.
- Against Nico Robin (41%), go face: K.O.ing her Wisdom Characters gives her Life cards.
XebecPlayers do much better than our AI30%13%
Buggy62%56%
SaboPlayers do much better than our AI52%32%
Nico Robin (EB05)Players do much better than our AI41%24%
Trafalgar Law51%48%
Luffy & Ace37%41%
Rosinante62%60%
Luffy (ST10)55%46%
Kaido22%16%
Sugar40%47%
Luffy (OP13)44%34%
Enel (OP05)too few games–18%
Enel (OP15)43%30%
Shirahoshi's win % in each matchup: players on the EB05 ranked ladder, and our Pro AI in its own games. The thin line is 50%; past it, Shirahoshi wins more than it loses. Tap a row for the number of games.
| Opponent | Players | Players 1st / 2nd | Our Pro AI | Pro 1st / 2nd | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xebec | 30% (89) | 37% / 21% | 13% | 10% / 16% | 1st |
| Buggy | 62% (147) | 76% / 52% | 56% | 69% / 44% | 1st, by a lot |
| Sabo | 52% (86) | 57% / 48% | 32% | 27% / 37% | lean 2nd |
| Nico Robin (EB05) | 41% (107) | 44% / 36% | 24% | 19% / 29% | lean 2nd |
| Trafalgar Law | 51% (100) | 66% / 42% | 48% | 50% / 46% | 1st, by a lot |
| Luffy & Ace | 37% (35) | 33% / 41% | 41% | 42% / 41% | Either |
| Rosinante | 62% (40) | - | 60% | 63% / 57% | lean 1st |
| Luffy (ST10) | 55% (60) | 45% / 68% | 46% | 46% / 46% | 2nd, by a lot |
| Kaido | 22% (54) | 29% / 17% | 16% | 18% / 14% | 1st |
| Sugar | 40% (42) | 41% / 44% | 47% | 42% / 52% | lean 2nd |
| Luffy (OP13) | 44% (36) | - | 34% | 32% / 36% | lean 2nd |
| Enel (OP05) | - | - | 18% | 10% / 26% | lean 2nd |
| Enel (OP15) | 43% (37) | - | 30% | 38% / 22% | lean 1st |
Players: EB05 ladder games, every bounty level, with farmed games removed (the same two accounts playing each other 8+ times, one side winning 85%+); '-' under 30 games, or under 15 a side for the split. Our Pro AI: 300 games per matchup for the seven most played decks, 100 for the rest. Bold marks where the two are 15 or more points apart.
Buggy (OP09-042)
- Go 1st, by a lot (76% vs 52%) and clear the board: Buggy goes wide, and Bird Neptunian, Megalo and Shanks are built for wide boards.
- The 10-cost Buggy bottom-decks one of yours: the 2-cost Shirahoshi saves a 6-cost or smaller if your top Life card is face-down.
Nico Robin (EB05-010)
Practice vs Nico Robin · Hard AI
- Go face: her Leader adds a Life card when a Wisdom Character is K.O.'d. Only 40% of her attacks on your Leader got through.
- Her Megalo K.O.s your rested Bird or Scaled Neptunian; with the 2-cost Shirahoshi out they're out of reach on her turn.
Trafalgar Law (OP14-001)
Practice vs Trafalgar Law · Hard AI
- Go 1st, by a lot (66% vs 42%), and clear the board: every body you remove takes away one of Law's swaps.
Xebec (OP17-039)
- Go 1st (37% vs 21%); our Pro AI's games lean the other way, so it's a players' call.
- They come for your board (44% of their attacks). Gloriosa bottoms a cost 5 or less (the 2-cost Shirahoshi can save it); Shiki gives one of yours -3000.
Sabo, Luffy ST10 and Kaido
- Sabo: board first. Loki K.O.s your cheap Characters (total cost 4).
- Luffy ST10: go 2nd, by a lot (68% vs 45%), and go face. Their swings hit hard (the 10-cost Luffy, an extra turn).
- Kaido, your hardest: go 1st and go face (79% of strong players' attacks went at Kaido's Leader). Its 10-cost Kaido K.O.s a cost 6 or less of yours.
The rest
- Rosinante (62%): goes for your board (58% of its attacks).
- Luffy & Ace: goes face (92% of its attacks); its Luffys are 9000s on your turn.
- Purple Enel: lean 1st. Luffy OP13: count its active DON!!: each one rested is +2000 against your attack.
The Mistakes That Cost Games
In short
- Leaving your Life card face-up after using your Leader.
- One 5-cost on your 3rd turn instead of two.
- The wrong turn order against Xebec and Luffy ST10.
| The spot | Strong players | What wins |
|---|---|---|
| Leader used, card left face-up | 430 of 1,119 turns | Chonmage: Leader back next turn 98% |
| Two 5-costs on your 3rd turn going 1st | 103 of 201 | 67% won with two, 46% with one |
| Against Xebec, go 2nd (when choosing) | 10 of 17 | Go 1st: 37% vs 21% |
| Against Luffy ST10, go 1st (when choosing) | 7 of 12 | Go 2nd: 68% vs 45% |
Cheat Sheet
- Your Leader: once a turn, rest 1 DON!! + turn your top Life face-up = a free Neptunian or Megalo up to your DON!! count. Turn the card back with Chonmage.
- Mulligan: two dig cards = keep; none = send it back.
- The plan: dig on turns 1-2; two 5-costs on your 3rd; Scaled Neptunian on your 4th; Shanks on 10, then Bird Neptunian's DON!!, then Electrical Luna.
- Turn order: 1st against Buggy, Law, Xebec and Kaido; 2nd against Luffy ST10; the rest lean or are even.
- Defense: take it at 5 Life; Chonmage blocks. Board first, face once they're at 2 Life or less.
Practice It
Play Shirahoshi against our AI, free in your browser at optcgwebsim.com, no download and no account.
Our other EB05 guides: Xebec, Sabo, Buggy, Nico Robin, Trafalgar Law, Kaido, purple Enel, Luffy ST10, yellow Enel, Luffy & Ace, red-green Luffy, Rosinante, Moria, Sugar and Boa Hancock.
Players: EB05 ladder games (updated 10-26); turn plays, the Life-card loop and counters from strong players' 384 games with every decision. Our Pro AI: its EB05 games (updated 10-25).