Gunkan Suship Card Tier List
Priority crafts and cuttable slots ranked for Master Duel and TCG pilots.
Not every sushi ingredient carries the same weight. This internal tier list ranks Gunkan Suship cards within the archetype — not against all of Yu-Gi-Oh! — so you know what to craft, what to max out, and what you can leave at one copy for budget lists. Pair it with the meta tier hub for format context and the craft cost tool for dust math.
S Tier — non-negotiable engine pieces
Gunkan Suship Shari sits alone at the top. Every competitive line begins with Shari special summoning itself and setting Gunkan Sushipyard from the deck. Without three copies, your opener frequency collapses. This is the first SR you craft in Master Duel.
Gunkan Sushipyard (listed in some sets as Sushipyard Seaside Supper Spot) is the Field Spell that defines the deck. It lets Gunkan Suship monsters attach from the deck as Xyz Material and provides follow-up attachment from the graveyard. One copy is technically playable thanks to Shari’s search, but experienced pilots run the maximum legal copies supported by their collection — and always prioritize having the field online turn one.
Gunkan Suship Shari Red bridges consistency and extension. It special summons like Shari, sets yard, and can attach from the hand during Xyz summons. Red Shari turns broken hands into playable ones and enables higher-Rank lines. Budget lists can start with two copies; optimized lists want three.
A Tier — core Xyz targets and Nigiri
Gunkan Suship Shirauo-class Carrier is your Rank 4 anchor. Its detach negate protects your board and stuns key plays. You rarely need more than one Carrier on field, but owning the UR is mandatory for any build posting real results.
Gunkan Suship Uni-class Super-Dreadnought provides omni-negate by detaching material — the closest thing Suship has to a modern boss monster. Run at least one; two copies improve grind games when the first is answered.
Gunkan Suship Ikura-class Dreadnought is the beatstick. It pressures life points, protects itself in battle, and closes games when Carrier already handled interaction. Second copy is format-dependent; first copy is not optional.
Gunkan Suship Ikura and Gunkan Suship Uni fill complementary roles. Ikura excavates when used as material, fishing Shari and yard pieces. Uni grants an extra Normal Summon and special summons from hand when attached. Most lists run two to three of each; see main deck breakdown for ratios.
Gunkan Suship Shirauo draws a card when attached — pure value on the way up to Carrier. One to two copies suffice; the third is luxury.
B Tier — strong support and tech
Gunkan Suship Catch-of-the-Day is continuous trap search that fixes names mid-game. Excellent in longer duels; slightly slow on turn one. One copy is standard; second copy helps grind-heavy metas.
Gunkan Suship Daily Special searches on activation and rewards set-up turns. Flexible but not as central as yard or Shari. Include when you have space after staples.
Painful Decision (generic but ubiquitous in Suship lists) sends a Normal Monster to search a Level 8 or lower Normal. It finds Shari when the heart of the deck is missing. Budget players craft this before luxury traps.
C Tier — optional spice and format calls
Extra copies of Daily Special beyond one, niche hand traps, and pure flavor tech like extra Normal Monsters without Gunkan Suship names fall here. They win local games but rarely change the deck’s ceiling.
Generic staples — Ash Blossom, Infinite Impermanence, Called by the Grave — are not ranked on this list because they belong to every Master Duel deck tier list globally. Slot them after core Suship pieces in the craft guide.
How to use this list
Craft in tier order unless a build page specifies a festival or Primite package. Cross-check ratios with combo requirements — some lines need a third Uni before a second trap. When in doubt, simulate costs in the craft cost estimator before spending UR dust on vanity copies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers duelist ask most often.
What is the first card I should craft?
Gunkan Suship Shari — max three copies if possible. Every opener depends on seeing Shari or searching it with Painful Decision.
Is Shari Red mandatory?
For optimized lists, yes. Budget decks can temporarily use two copies, but Red Shari's hand attachment effect is too important for high-Rank plays and recovery.
How many UR ships do I need?
At minimum one Carrier, one Ikura Dreadnought, and one Uni Super-Dreadnought. Competitive lists often add a second Dreadnought before luxury spells.
Can I skip Catch-of-the-Day?
You can on an ultra-tight budget, but you lose mid-game fixing. Most pilots treat one Catch as A-tier support rather than a cut.
Does this list apply to Primite hybrid?
Core Suship tiers stay the same. Primite cards like Ether Beryl rank separately — see the [Primite Gunkan guide](/guides/primite-gunkan/) for mashup priorities.