The vigilance buff being the easiest to get is definitely nice since it lets you keep up a stable defense which prevents your life total from dropping in conjunction with your opponents
If a card would be put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere, exile it instead.
Given how game-winningly nasty that ultimate, might I suggest Green for the counter adding and manipulation of Doubling Season et all
These cards just increases the mana cost of your opponent's spells, and while Thalia, Guardian of Thraben is a symmetrical effect (it affects you too), it is an extremely good card to drop in Turn 1 or 2 while your opponents are trying to play mana rocks or ramp their lands
Casting Intuition at the end of the opponents turn for three Ill-Gotten Gains allows you to untap in a position where you are very likely to win
Shanks also benefits from having a very clear crew identity, which makes the deck feel cohesive rather than just a pile of strong red cards