6 One Piece Decks to Try in the OP-17 Format

The World's Strongest Warriors, the 17th main set of the One Piece Card Game, is finally here! And with it comes one of the most open formats that we have ever seen in the four years of the One Piece Card Game.

In this article we will present six deck lists, one for each color, to help y'all tackle this new format and use the new Characters and Leaders introduced in OP-17!

#1 Red Portgas.D.Ace

The new red Leader from this set, OP17-001 Edward.Newgate, is a decent defensive Leader for the Whitebeard Pirates archetype and comes with a lot of new support. However, most players agree that OP16-001 Portgas.D.Ace is stronger with the same cards. We will mostly be talking about Ace in this article, but do note there is room for Newgate to be viable as well with a lot of the similar cards.

• 1 OP16-001 Portgas.D.Ace
• 4 OP13-016 Monkey.D.Garp
• 4 OP17-016 Rakuyo
• 4 OP16-015 Monkey.D.Luffy
• 4 OP16-017 LittleOars. Jr
• 3 EB01-002 Izo
• 4 OP16-014 Marco
• 4 OP16-011 Vista
• 4 OP16-004 Curiel
• 4 OP17-006 Kingdew
• 2 OP16-005 Thatch
• 3 OP16-003 Edward.Newgate
• 4 OP17-005 Edward.Newgate
• 2 OP04-016 Bad Manners Kick Course
• 4 OP16-021 Moby Dick

Buy This Deck on TCGplayer

Key Cards: 

• OP17-005 Edward.Newgate: The most important card for the archetype released in this set. Not only is it able to make your Leader 8000 base power until the end of your opponent's turn, but Ace's Leader effect can give it rush. Lastly, with many 10000+ power Characters in the format right now, including OP17-119 Loki, it's very common to be able to play him for 6 DON!! He can be a brick in hand at times, but definitely a four-of in any build.
• OP16-015 Monkey.D.Luffy: This card is Leader-specific to Ace, so can't really be used in Whitebeard, but it's here for a good reason. Being able to discard a card, especially 8000-power cards without counter, and make your Leader's power 7000 makes it one of the best defensive cards in the deck. Additionally, it can be used offensively late game by being an 8000-power rush card for 4 DON!! (taking into account its -2 cost in hand when you have 6 or more DON!! cards on your field). Another four-of for the deck.
• OP17-006 Kingdew: It surprises me how often I'm excited by cards without effects in the One Piece Card Game, and Kingdew is one of them. Though a carbon-copy of OP16-004 Curiel, it has 8000 power, +2000 counter, and the Whitebeard Pirates type, which makes it the best +2000 counter in the deck. You additionally have the option for a slight upgrade with Kingdew having a Pandaman alternate-art in this set.

Again, if you like the more defensive style that this set's Edward.Newgate Leader provides, I think he can still be a viable Leader. There are some additional Newgate-specific cards to consider if you do, such as OP17-008 Jozu, OP17-003 Izo, OP17-007 Kouzuki Oden.

#2 Green Dracule Mihawk

OP17-020 Shanks is the new Green Slash-type Leader from OP-17, and would have a lot of potential in this format…if OP14-020 Mihawk wasn't a thing. Mihawk has a tendency of taking advantage of generic green support cards, and OP-17 is no exception to this.

• 1 OP14-020 Dracule Mihawk
• 4 OP07-022 Otama
• 4 ST32-001 Kin'emon
• 4 OP12-034 Perona
• 4 OP06-033 Vander Decken IX
• 4 OP12-023 Kawamatsu
• 4 ST32-002 Kouzuki Oden
• 4 OP17-031 Yasopp
• 4 OP13-031 Trafalgar Law
• 2 OP06-035 Hody Jones
• 3 OP17-022 Shanks
• 2 OP14-037 For Fun
• 2 OP13-040 I Know You're Strong... So I'll Go All Out from the Very Start!!!
• 3 OP06-038 The Billion-fold World Trichiliocosm
• 4 OP01-055 You Can Be My Samurai!!
• 2 OP14-039 Coffin Boat

Buy This Deck on TCGplayer

Key Cards:

• OP17-022 Shanks: This card is disgustingly strong. It rests ALL of your opponent's Characters, one of the strongest effects in the game. On top of that, it has 12000 power, rush, and gives you 2 DON!! back active. Using this in Mihawk allows you to have 5 DON!! active after playing Shanks, making it perfect for you to play either OP08-036 Electrical Luna or OP13-040 I Know You're Strong... So I'll Go All Out from the Very Start!!! to freeze the cards you just rested. Since it's the finisher of the deck it's not necessarily a four-of, but I would run at least three in most builds.
• OP17-031 Yasopp: Yasopp is not included in every Mihawk deck, but due to its ability to rest Characters, it has been pretty popular in interaction and removal-based builds of Mihawk. Not a mandatory card, but the builds that do use it run it at four copies.

Mihawk is a pretty flexible Leader, and there are a lot of different builds and tech cards available for him. This build leans more towards removal and interaction, especially with the inclusion of OP06-033 Vander Decken IX. He will definitely continue to be a powerful force in the OP-17 format, and he rewards players who commit the time to learn his ins and outs.

#3 Blue Rocks.D.Xebec

Every couple of sets, the One Piece Card Game introduces a deck that disregards one of the pillars of deck building for the game. In OP-17, it's the Rocks.D.Xebec Leader. There are a lot of cards in the game that are balanced by the fact they don't provide counter while in hand, and Rocks is a deck where essentially all of your Characters have no counter. Despite this limitation, this deck is quite terrifying in early testing.

• 1 OP17-039 Rocks.D.Xebec
• 4 OP08-051 Buckin
• 4 OP17-050 Streusen
• 4 OP17-045 Kyo
• 4 OP17-054 Miss Buckingham Stussy
• 4 OP17-046 Gloriosa
• 3 OP17-044 Captain John
• 3 OP17-042 Kaido
• 4 OP17-049 Charlotte Linlin
• 4 OP17-040 Edward.Newgate
• 4 OP17-048 Shiki
• 4 OP17-118 Rocks.D.Xebec
• 4 OP17-056 Rocks Pirates
• 4 OP17-055 There's No Authority in the World That Lasts Forever!!!

Buy This Deck on TCGplayer

Key Cards:

• OP17-118 Rocks.D.Xebec: The defining card for the deck and the only +2000 counter Rocks Pirates Character in OP-17. It's sometimes difficult to have it hit the board, but when it does it makes quite the impact. It can additionally be given unblockable with OP17-055 There's No Authority in the World That Lasts Forever!!!, which can make it one of the best finishers in the deck as well. It's a bit of an expensive card at the moment, and you can probably get away with running two or three while you're learning the deck, but a fully realized deck should be running four.
• OP17-048 Shiki: I'll be honest, I despise playing against this card. It is great offensively or defensively, and if the first one survives on board, the second hurts even more. Mandatory four-of for Rocks.D.Xebec decks, likely more important than the Rocks Secret Rare above.
• OP17-046 Gloriosa: A lot of cards in this archetype aren't locked specifically to the Rocks.D.Xebec Leader or the Rocks Pirates archetype. Likely the most versatile one is Gloriosa: a blocker with a removal effect that bypasses On-K.O effects and protections. It definitely rivals 4-cost Marco as one of the blue blockers in the game.

Due to the nature of Rocks.D.Xebec, this deck is made entirely of OP-17 cards outside of OP08-051 Buckin. The deck is a bit of a double-edged sword for new players. You can make it if you get a good amount of OP-17 cards, but it doesn't necessarily teach the core fundamentals of the One Piece Card Game. I do think Rocks is in contention for the best deck of the format though, so I do think the deck is a good investment regardless.

#4 Purple Kaido

Kaido was one of the first Leaders in the One Piece Card Game, with him being the focus of ST-04 when the game first released. Four years later, he returns with his second mono-purple Leader with OP17-058 Kaido. Though a lot of his original support rotated out of Standard back in April, he still has a couple of old tools that work well with his new support in OP-17.

• 1 OP17-058 Kaido
• 4 EB04-032 Queen
• 4 OP17-073 Basil Hawkins
• 4 OP17-074 Yamato
• 2 ST18-001 Uso-Hachi
• 4 EB04-031 King
• 4 OP17-070 Scratchmen Apoo
• 2 OP17-065 Queen
• 3 OP17-061 Lead Performers
• 3 ST34-004 Charlotte Linlin
• 4 OP17-062 Kaido
• 2 OP17-063 Kaido
• 2 OP13-076 Divine Departure
• 4 OP15-078 Mamaragan
• 4 OP07-077 We're Going to Claim the One Piece!!!
• 2 OP09-077 Gum-Gum Lightning
• 2 OP07-076 Slow-Slow Beam Sword

Buy This Deck on TCGplayer

Key Cards:

• OP17-062 Kaido: This Kaido has a lot of synergies with our Leader and playstyle in general. After using the DON!!-1 effect from our Leader, it allows us to have at least 2 DON!! left active, even on the turn we spend ten DON!! to play him. Additionally, a 12000-power blocker can be very difficult to interact with, and it's a strong first step toward exerting control over a match.
• OP17-063 Kaido: If you're like me, it might have taken you a moment to realize there are TWO different 10-cost, 12000-power, Super Rare Kaidos in this set. Though this is the lesser of the two, it definitely has its perks and usages. Personally, I think two of him is the sweet spot for the deck.
• OP17-061 Lead Performers: This deck has no shortage of high-costed cards without counter, so it's understandable that it's tough to try and find room for more. However, I do think Lead Performers is a necessary inclusion for the deck at two or three copies. It's good at healing in the mid/late game, and in case you miss EB04-031 King on curve, it can convert itself into King later in the game. 

Some mandatory older cards for the deck include EB04-032 Queen and EB04-031 King to help us ramp consistently to 10 DON!! as quick as we can, as well as keep our DON!! healthy after a string of DON!! minus effects. This deck also takes advantage of the powerful removal combo of ST34-004 Charlotte Linlin and OP15-078 Mamaragan, which can pressure and remove most cards in the game, even if they're active.

#5 Black Monkey.D.Luffy

Luffy returns with another Leader, this time for the new Elbaph archetype introduced in the set. Though his effect is a little basic, and a bit confusing at first since the max base cost of cards in One Piece is 10, it gets a lot of unique interactions due to it being the only Elbaph-typed Leader in the game.

• 1 OP17-079 Monkey.D.Luffy
• 3 OP17-086 Nami
• 4 OP17-094 Rodo
• 3 OP17-084 Tony Tony.Chopper
• 3 OP17-090 Franky
• 3 OP17-087 Nico Robin
• 3 OP17-095 Roronoa Zoro
• 3 OP17-082 Sanji
• 4 OP17-080 Usopp
• 4 OP17-081 Gerd
• 4 OP17-089 Jaguar.D.Saul
• 3 ST14-003 Sanji
• 4 OP17-119 Loki
• 4 OP17-093 Monkey.D.Luffy
• 2 OP17-098 Gum-Gum Kong Gun
• 3 OP05-094 Haute Couture Patch★Work

Buy This Deck on TCGplayer

Key Cards:

• OP17-119 Loki: I look at this card and think about how far the game has come. Loki K.O.s up to 4 cost-worth of cards, is an 18-cost while on the field, and has 11000 power on your opponent's turn. Considering the fact that our Leader gives him blocker, it's obvious that he is a mandatory four-of in the deck. 
• OP17-093 Monkey.D.Luffy: The second most important card in the deck, right behind Loki. This card oozes value as a 8000-power Rush Character that draws a card AND plays a Character from the trash. Pair it with OP17-081 Gerd and you get a blocker that ALSO draws essentially any Character from your trash. Another four-of for the deck.
• OP17-080 Usopp: Ussop is part of the two-cost Elbaph Straw Hat Crew cards for this deck. Not only does this card draw and fill up your trash, but like the other two-cost Straw Hat Crew cards, it's able to turn into a 5000-power attacker relatively easily. Include him and whatever other two-cost Straw Hats you desire. 

This deck is the one I have been doing the most testing with in OP-17, so my build is a little more personalized than the others in this article. In general, I think everyone will have their own personal choice of which two-cost Straw Hats they want to run. Additionally, I tech my build a little more removal-heavy with ST14-003 Sanji and OP05-094 Haute Couture Patch★Work. OP15-088 Pirates Docking Six is additionally a pretty popular tech choice for the deck, especially with ST14-017 Thousand Sunny to make it a 12-costed card.

#6 Yellow Charlotte Linlin

Charlotte Linlin continues the unofficial tradition of polarizing yellow Leaders for the One Piece Card Game. Let's be honest, you likely already knew before you opened this article if Linlin was your favorite or least favorite Leader in the set. However, it is currently one of the cheapest decks in the game to make, and I think it can be a good start for anyone currently looking to get into the One Piece Card Game.

• 1 OP17-099 Charlotte Linlin
• 4 OP17-113 Streusen
• 4 OP11-106 Zeus
• 4 OP17-104 Charlotte Cracker
• 4 OP17-107 Charlotte Daifuku
• 2 OP17-111 Charlotte Mont-d'or
• 4 OP17-109 Charlotte Pudding
• 4 OP17-102 Charlotte Oven
• 4 OP17-106 Charlotte Smoothie
• 4 OP17-103 Charlotte Katakuri
• 4 OP17-114 Sweet 3 Generals
• 4 OP17-110 Charlotte Perospero
• 4 OP17-112 Charlotte Linlin
• 2 OP17-115 Don't you know that even in the cruel world of pirates there's still a code of honor?!!
• 2 OP17-117 Maser Saber

Buy This Deck on TCGplayer

Key Cards:

• OP17-112 Charlotte Linlin: The only "mandatory" Super Rare in the deck, and the most important single card for the engine. It has the unique effect of turning your 4000-power Characters into 8000 power on your turn. Mandatory four-of for any yellow Big Mom Pirates build.
• OP17-109 Charlotte Pudding: The amount of card draw Pudding offers is absurd. A discard-one-and-draw-three is unheard of in the One Piece Card Game, especially on a card with counter. Run four copies of this card, play it early in the game, and then make it an 8000-power Character later with OP17-112 Charlotte Linlin.
• OP17-114 Sweet 3 Generals: Though this card isn't anything too crazy, it's quickly become one of my favorite cards in the set. Being able to heal one and apply pressure on the board makes it one of the most flexible cards in the deck. You're playing four-ofs for most cards in your deck, but make sure this is one of them.

Unlike a lot of the decks in this article, the Big Mom Pirates archetype is less about the specific cards you use. The majority of cards in the archetype work generically, and we've been seeing players trying the package in Leaders such as OP08-058 Charlotte Pudding, OP14-041 Boa Hancock and OP09-062 Nico Robin. Again, this is one of the cheaper archetypes in the game right now, and I believe it could be a good investment for players who are interested in a flexible and open-ended archetype.

Conclusion

To echo how we started this article, this is likely the most open meta that we have ever seen in the history of the One Piece Card Game. That's exciting, but I also know how intimidating it can be to try and build your first deck in a format like this. I hope that this article has been helpful for those diving into OP-17 headfirst. Additionally, these are just templates and suggestions for the beginning of this format—don't feel like these are the only decks, or the only way to build these decks. 

Thank you for checking out my builds, and I hope y'all enjoy the OP-17 format!