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Sakazuki, also known as Akainu is a leader introduced during the [OP5] of the card game (Awakening of the new era). He is part of the Metagame from his beginnings.
Sakazuki is a dual color leader: Blue and Black; this is a strong combination, linking together two colors with a good control power based on the cost of the opponent character.
He is considered as the best deck of the [OP5] because he can deal with every match up, can play on first or second (You often choose second to have more options).
This leader has two effects and both will be really important for his gameplay:
- Cycling your hand, help you finding your key cards and feeding your trash
- Cost reduction, help you to reduce opponent board
Main Strategy
All your deckbuild, strategy and gameplay will be focused around the 4-cost Rob Lucci and the 4-cost Rebecca.
He lost his 1k counter but being able to kill two characters and put pressure at the same time (6k 4-cost) is insane. He deals with little characters, but you will be helped by a lot of cost reduction to handle bigger characters: Leader effect, Hina3, Great Eruption, Ice Age.
Lucci and Rebecca are not leader-restricted; you can play them in every black deck, you just need to have cards in your trash. Well done Sakazuki.
Rob Lucci and Rebecca are not Navy, what happens if I trash them with Brannew?
You have access to Mansherry for both and Rebecca for Lucci. It will be a part of the RHL loop:
Rebecca allows you to bring back in hand what you need: Cost reduction? Destruction? Blocker? 2K Counter?
After that you can put a 3-Cost (or less) Black Character from your hand in play. That makes all 3-Cost, black cards with an “On Play” effect very good, such as Hina3 for cost reduction or even a Koby3 for destruction.
The strength of Sakazuki is to be able to control all your opponent boards and at the same time apply pressure with your characters and leader. When you do the RHL loop, you put one 5k, one 6k and one blocker on the same turn in addition to the double destruction of Lucci.
Borsalino7 and Hound Blaze are amazing at putting pressure and removing opponents' boards without destroying them! You put opponent characters at the bottom of the deck, so they are super effective versus cards with an “On KO” or with a “Can’t be destroyed”. Yes, for the mirror match.
Decklist Example
We have a lot of good options for the 3Don turn, depending on the match up. For the mirror, we want Hina3. For decks without removal like yellow or purple, Ulti3 is really strong.
I’m not a big fan of boss monsters like Mihawk9 or Kaido10 ; Borsalino7 should be enough to deal with everything in the game with cost reductions. Kaido is good for Rebecca and Enel MU. Mihawk can be played, but he is an addition to Borsalino7, not a substitution.
Matchups
Sakazuki Mirror
Mirror match is a chess game, each player will destroy the opponent board and put pressure. You have to be smart with your hand and trash. Don’t be afraid to discard a 2k counter.
You can disturb your opponent loop by sending at the bottom of the deck (with a Hound Blaze and Borsalino7) a part of the RHL combo: Lucci and Hina.
Katakuri
You have to put pressure to not die after 3 BM10 but you don’t need to rush too much and be punished by triggers. Focus on having a huge board and do a lot of little swings. Keep in mind that you will have to deal with a trigger character (with Hound blaze, Lucci, …).
Enel
Don’t push with your board early, Enel doesn't want to kill you, he wants to take the board. Put characters that don’t die versus the effect of Gedatsu in the early game : Borsalino4, Sabo.
Take your time and remove everything. You need to gradually gain the advantage before winning the game. Of course Kaido10 is a wincon in this matchup, but not mandatory.
Purple Luffy / RP Law
Lucci. Cost reductions. Win.
These two decks will try to swarm you (put a lot of characters on the same turn), you will need your Events, Great eruption and Ice Age will be gamebreaking in these MU.
RP Luffy / WB
You don’t have a lot of 2k counters but you will need them. You defend early 6k, take the 7k. You will put the blockers later. If they have a lot of rush it can be hard, don’t forget Luffy5 and Diable Jambe so you have to stay at 1 life. Keep in hand something to deal with big characters, maybe they will spam 9-cost Newgate.
