Interview: Jude Macarana who won 4 flagship with Purple Luffy Deck
Interview Jude Macarana
Introducing My Journey in the World of OPCG: Conquering Flagship Tournaments
Greetings, dear readers! I am Jude Macaranas, proudly representing Team Asiong from the beautiful Philippines. I recently had the honor of achieving a significant milestone in my OPCG journey by clinching the Flagship Serial Shanks tournament not once, but twice! Allow me to take you through my adventures during the first week of September and the thrilling climax of the last week of the same month, where I emerged victorious using the formidable [Purple] Luffy.
The OPCG (One Piece Collectible Card Game) has been a source of immense joy and excitement for me, especially when competing against close friends in the current meta. One of the key strategies I employ is my unwavering commitment to taking the first turn in every matchup. This allows me to leverage my leader's abilities on both turn 2 and turn 3, paving the way for the deployment of formidable characters like Urashima and the formidable Kaido 9-cost [ST04-003]. My primary game plan centers around stalling my opponent's advances with Magellan's effects while harnessing the advantage of DON!!! through my leader and Kid 5-cost [OP05-074].
Given my preference for going first, I often mulligan for cards like Scratchmen Apoo [OP01-103] or Page One [ST04-012], followed by strategic plays involving characters like Urashima, Paulie, or Magellan, depending on whether I'm facing off against [Blue/Black] Sakazuki, [Yellow] Katakuri, or [Yellow] Enel.
Now, let's dive into the exhilarating matchups that unfolded in the Flagship Serial Shanks tournaments.
September 9, 2023 [32 Players] - Forge Hobby Place – Flagship – Serial Shanks
- Round 1 – [Yellow] Katakuri – Victory
- Round 2 – [Green/Black] Issho – Victory
- Round 3 – [Purple] Luffy – Victory
- Round 4 – [Black/Blue] Sakazuki – Victory
- Round 5 – [Yellow] Katakuri – Victory
September 23, 2023 [32 Players] - GamersShop GS – Flagship – Serial Shanks
- Round 1 – [Yellow] Katakuri – Victory
- Round 2 – [Yellow] Enel – Victory
- Round 3 – [Yellow] Enel – Victory
- Round 4 – [Purple] Luffy – Victory
- Round 5 – [Purple] Luffy – Victory
September 24, 2023 [32 Players] - Roll Play Game Lounge – Flagship – Serial Shanks
- Round 1 – [Purple] Luffy – Victory
- Round 2 – [Red/Green] Law – Victory
- Round 3 – [Red/Green] Law – Victory
- Round 4 – [Purple] Luffy – Victory
- Round 5 – [Yellow] Katakuri – Victory
September 25, 2023 [32 Players] - PopCulture Community – Flagship – Serial Shanks
- Round 1 – [Purple] Luffy – Victory
- Round 2 – [Blue/Yellow] Queen – Victory
- Round 3 – [Purple] Luffy – Victory
- Round 4 – [Purple] Luffy – Victory
- Round 5 – [Purple] Luffy – Victory
While I enjoyed substantial success, I must admit that my most challenging matchup was against [Red] Zoro, mainly due to my lack of Kid 7-cost [ST10-013] or Uta 4-cost blocker [ST05-004] to mitigate my opponent's aggressive plays. On the other hand, I found my deck tailored perfectly to counter [Yellow] Katakuri and [Yellow] Enel, which are some of my easiest matchups. Playing Magellan became my priority, as it exerted substantial pressure on opponents who fielded [Purple] Luffy, [Blue-Black] Sakazuki, [Yellow] Enel, and [Yellow] Katakuri.
I often relied on Magellan to counter various other decks, as its disruptive nature proved invaluable, especially in mirror matchups.
When facing Sakazuki, my strategy involved playing two characters on turn 2, utilizing Ulti [ST04-002] to play Page One [ST04-012], if possible. On turn 3, I prioritized Paulie over Magellan, even if there were no knockouts, to secure that crucial +1 DON!!! advantage. This setup allowed me to play two characters with a 5-cost on the fourth turn while safeguarding all my characters from enemy attacks.
Against mirror matchups featuring [Purple] Luffy, I consistently chose to take the first turn. This enabled me to introduce Urashima on the third turn and deploy the formidable Kaido 9-cost [ST04-003] on the fourth turn, establishing a dominant board presence.
In bouts against Enel or Katakuri, I adhered to my preferred first-turn strategy, ensuring that when I played Magellan on my third or fourth turn, their DONs!!! became odd numbers. In these matchups, Magellan was my trump card, and finding it among my first five hand cards almost guaranteed victory.
In closing, my journey of improvement and success in Flagship tournaments would not have been possible without the invaluable support of my friends. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Team Union Armado for their deck-building wisdom, Team Asiong for those late-night practice sessions, Gerald Mercado for his unwavering support, and Emmanuel Lazarte for introducing me to this incredible game and providing invaluable guidance and practice assistance.
Thank you for joining me on this exciting journey through the world of OPCG, and I look forward to sharing more adventures with you in the future.
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