Red Roronoa Zoro has made a strong comeback in the OP10 and OP11 metas, dominating slower decks before they can execute their game plans. Over multiple expansions, the Red aggressive deck has evolved into the “Animal Zoo” version, which uses Tony Tony Chopper and other Animal-type Characters to flood the board and set up multiple attacks in a single turn.
This deck applies pressure in two key ways: developing multiple Characters and deploying Rush attackers, ensuring opponents have little time to stabilize as you keep pushing your offense.
Leader
Attaching 1 Don!! to Roronoa Zoro activates his effect, granting all Characters on the field a +1,000 Power boost. This effect scales with a wider board, amplifying Leader Zoro’s ability to apply pressure through sheer aggression. The goal is to activate this ability as often as possible, forcing opponents to burn their Counter cards.
This deck thrives on relentless attacks, primarily focusing on the opponent’s Leader to quickly drop them to a single Life card. This approach creates openings for two decisive attacks, one from the Leader and another from a Rush attacker to close out the game.
We are less concerned about opponents attacking our Leader, as they will typically be more preoccupied with managing our field rather than aggressively pushing to end the game.
Red Roronoa Zoro Decklist
How to Play
Early Searcher
Since we play multiple cards per turn, searchers are crucial for maintaining a steady flow of future plays. Nami helps by finding a {Straw Hat Crew} Character like 3-cost Roronoa Zoro or Tony Tony Chopper.
Dr. Kureha specifically draws a {Tony Tony Chopper} or {Drum Kingdom} Character. If we don’t draw Tony Tony Chopper, we can still pull useful cards like Hiking Bear, Robson, and “Shut Up and Come With Us!”.
Just Shut Up and Come with US!!!! is a search card to play an OP08 Tony Tony. Chopper during your defensive turn. You need to hold 1 Don to play it and expect the opponent to attack so you can activate the Counter card. You’re potentially developing two Characters during your opponent’s turn for 1 Don, lining up an aggressive upcoming turn.
Going Wide
The OP04 and OP08 Tony Tony Choppers play a core part in the Roronoa Zoro list, enabling us to develop more than one Character in a turn for less Don commitment, forcing the opposing player to a defensive approach.
The OP04 Tony Tony Chopper, with 3,000 Power, can play an {Animal} type Character with 3,000 Power or less. So it can play Hiking Bear for free. It’s less versatile than the OP08 version, but still plays its role in the going wide strategy.
As for the OP08 Tony Tony Chopper, with 5,000 Power, he has a play effect that allows you to look at the top 5 cards of your deck and play one {Animal} type Character with 4000 Power or less in a rested state. This enables you to deploy one of the other two Choppers, Robson, or Hiking Bear. If this Tony Tony Chopper attacks, he can reactivate his effect, allowing you to develop another {Animal} type Character.
So you’re gaining an extra card, since the Character you’re playing isn’t from your hand, but from the deck, while also playing it on the field, making OP08 Tony Tony Chopper your stronger play in this deck. Your opponents will almost always focus down the OP08 Chopper, and whenever possible, you’ll try to protect him and gain more value from his effect.
Animal Characters
The other two Choppers require attaching Don to activate their effects. One lets you trash a card to retrieve a 4-cost or less {Straw Hat Crew} Character from your trash, such as Nami for value or 3-cost Roronoa Zoro for aggression. Since you need to trash a card for this effect, choose a card you are unlikely to play.
The EB01 Chopper is a blocker, protecting your Leader or Characters, and can, with 2 attached Don, lower the Power of an opponent’s Character by -3000. This ability helps you weaken a Blocker or KO a rested Character more easily.
Attaching a Don to Hiking Bear lets you give +1,000 Power to one of your Animal-type Characters, creating more aggression with the additional Power gain.
As for Robson, it’s a 4,000 Power, Animal type Character that gains the Rush keyword if you attach 2 Don to it. So when needed, you can make use of the Rush keyword for an extra attack on your opponent.
Rush Attackers
Roronoa Zoro is a low-cost rush attacker, going for a 5,000 Power attack for only 3 Don. In most cases, you’ll give him more Power, so you’ll have a more threatening attack using Zoro.
Another strong Rush attacker is the 5-cost Monkey D.Luffy, and even though he doesn’t have the highest Power, his effect makes him worth adding to this list. When attacking, Luffy attached to your Leader or one of your Characters 1 rested Don, empowering their attacks. Activating this effect multiple times throughout the game will increase your overall aggression and bleed your opponent from Counter cards.
Monkey D. Dragon is the strongest Rush attacker in this deck, boasting a 9000 Power attack. Additionally, he can attach 2 rested Don to your Leader or one of your Characters. This allows you to play Monkey D. Dragon with 8 Don and still activate Leader Roronoa Zoro‘s +1000 Power boost.
+2,000 Counters
Makino boosts the power of one of your 1-cost Characters by +3000. It can be used on Nami or Dr.Kureha to turn them into an attacker.
The ST21 Sanji can be used for his On Play effect, letting you choose a Character with 6,000 Power or more and during this turn, that selected Character can’t be blocked. So now you have a great finisher to win you the game on the spot if your opponent is at 0 Life cards.
Events
Diable Jambe is an answer for a blocker on the opponent’s side of the field. We want to play it when setting up the finisher play and give it to a high-power attacker, ignoring the opponent’s blocker and going straight for their 0 Life card Leader.
Gum-Gum Mole Pistol reduces the Power of one of the opponent’s Characters by 5,000 and if you have a 6,000 Power or more Character in play, you can KO a 2,000 Power Character. So with Gum-Gum Mole Pistol, you can KO a Character with up to 7,000 Power.
Mulligan
- 1-cost Nami and 1-cost Just Shut Up and Come with US!!!!
- OP08 Tony Tony Chopper.
Turn-Based Gameplay
Going First
- Turn 1 (1 Don): 1-cost Nami.
- Turn 2 (3 Don): 3-cost OP08 Tony Tony Chopper.
- Turn 3 (5 Don): 5-cost Monkey D.Luffy and attach Don to your Leader. Or keep going wide with OP08 Tony Tony Chopper and save 1 Don for Just Shut Up and Come with US!!!!
- Turn 4 (7 Don): 5-cost Monkey D.Luffy and attach Don to your Leader. Or keep going wide with OP08 Tony Tony Chopper + Roronoa Zoro.
- Turn 5 (9 Don): Monkey.D.Dragon.
- Turn 6 (10 Don): Monkey.D.Dragon.
Going Second
- Turn 1 (2 Don): 1-cost Nami.
- Turn 2 (4 Don): 3-cost OP08 Tony Tony Chopper. Save 1 Don for Just Shut Up and Come with US!!!!
- Turn 3 (6 Don): 5-cost Monkey D.Luffy and attach Don to your Leader. Or keep going wide with OP08 Tony Tony Chopper.
- Turn 4 (8 Don): Monkey.D.Dragon. Or 5-cost Monkey D.Luffy and attach Don to your Leader. Or keep going wide with OP08 Tony Tony Chopper + Roronoa Zoro.
- Turn 5 (10 Don): Monkey.D.Dragon.
Other Cards to Include
- Radical Beam is a Counter event that gives your Leader or one of your Characters +2,000 Power. If you’re at 2 Life cards or less, Radical Beam will instead give a +4,000 Power boost.
- EB02 Tony Tony Chopper to add more consistency, giving you an additional option to cheat out through OP04 Tony Tony Chopper. If you attach 2 Don to it, it gains +2,000 Power during your opponent’s turn, making it harder to KO. On Play, it lets you attach a Don to your Leader to activate Zoro‘s effect.
- Kid & Killer is a strong rush attacker when you fall to 2 Life cards. The 5,000 Power Character gains a 2,000 Power boost when it goes for the attack, turning into a high Power attacker to threaten an opponent’s Life card. They’re forced to commit more Counter cards if they wish to protect themselves from a Kid & Killer attack.
