The Best One Piece Decks for New Players

As we enter the halfway mark of the OP-16 meta, interest has continued to grow for the One Piece Card Game. Whether you're watching the new season of the One Piece anime, saw the One Piece Card Game booth at Anime Expo, or you were heckled to sell your Luffy DON!! card from the Dodgers game this month, One Piece has been very tough to ignore.

With this renewed interest, you may find yourself wanting to build you first One Piece Card Game deck and get into the game more. So to help you out, here are four decks that I recommend for anyone interested in playing the current meta of the One Piece Card Game, whether it's your first time checking out the game, you're coming from another card game, or you're revisiting the One Piece Card Game.

Looking for a Starter Deck?

Before we get into it, I do want to quickly mention some sealed products for anyone who has never played the One Piece Card Game before. ST-30 is the newest One Piece starter deck to come out, and gives new players a solid experience out of the box. I'll go over an upgrade to this deck later in the article.

Additionally, at the end of the month, there will be a wave of six new starter decks that bring new cards and reprints for older Leaders. I'll write another article later this month going over those decks specifically, but they're shaping to be another great product for helping newer players get in the game.

Green Blue Monkey.D.Luffy

The newest Monkey D. Luffy Leader in the One Piece Card Game, OP16-022 Luffy focuses on the Impel Down archetype that was released in OP-16. This deck is in contention for one of the best decks in the current format, and due to it mostly consisting of cards from OP-16, it's one of the easiest and cheapest to build as well.

(All deck images via Egman Events)

• 1 OP16-022 Monkey.D.Luffy
• 4 OP16-034 Monkey.D.Luffy
• 4 OP16-055 Mr.2.Bon.Kurei(Bentham)
• 4 OP16-054 Mr.1(Daz.Bonez)
• 2 ST30-014 Mr.3(Galdino)
• 3 OP16-026 Emporio.Ivankov
• 4 OP16-056 Mr.3(Galdino)
• 4 OP16-045 Crocodile
• 4 OP16-048 Buggy
• 2 OP15-032 Brook
• 8 OP16-042 Prisoner of Impel Down
• 3 OP16-032 Boa Hancock
• 1 OP12-037 Demon Aura Nine Sword Style Asura Blades Drawn Dead Man's Game
• 1 OP13-040 I Know You're Strong... So I'll Go All Out from the Very Start!!!
• 2 OP16-038 Let's Go!! To The Navy Headquarters!!
• 2 OP08-036 Electrical Luna
• 2 OP06-058 Gravity Blade Raging Tiger

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The key cards to consider for this deck are: 

• OP16-056 Mr.3(Galdino): One of the best blue Super Rares in the game currently, and a staple for any blue deck in the meta. It prevents an attack, draws two cards, is a +1000 counter, and (in this deck specifically) it's very searchable. One of the more expensive cards in the deck, but definitely a good investment for any blue deck in the future as well.
• OP16-032 Boa Hancock: Probably the best finisher in the deck. Though it is a little expensive to get on board at times, preventing a card from being rested is the best form of "stun" in the game currently. This prevents attacking, blocking, and any other resting-based effect. Additionally, have the rare "unblockable" ability means it can go for game despite your opponent blocking up. A mandatory two to three-of for the deck.
• OP15-032 Brook: Brook released last set in OP-15, but it has been slowly gaining momentum as one of the stronger green cards in the format right now. Though it is missing the Impel Down type that the rest of the deck has, it is able to remove itself from the field with its activate main effect and allow you to use your Leader effect the same turn that you play it. A fantastic alternate win condition for the deck.

At a glance, OP-16 Luffy appears to have limited deck-building options, but we've seen a lot of new tech cards and adaptations appear in the last couple of weeks. Though this is a "safer" build of the deck, it's a fantastic starting point for anyone not only trying to learn the Leader itself, but also the One Piece Card Game in general.

Black Yamato

Like Luffy, Yamato is a new deck from OP-16 that is mostly self-contained within OP-16 as a set. It's a little more linear than Luffy deck-building and playstyle-wise, but it's still a solid budget deck for anyone wanting a deck to start playing the game. 

• 1 OP16-079 Yamato
• 4 OP16-091 Nami
• 4 OP16-092 Nico Robin
• 2 OP16-081 Otama
• 4 OP16-087 Shinobu
• 2 OP16-095 Monkey.D.Luffy
• 2 OP16-088 Shimotsuki Ushimaru
• 2 OP13-093 Morgans
• 4 OP16-082 Kin'emon
• 4 OP16-084 Kouzuki Momonosuke
• 4 OP16-098 Yamato
• 4 OP16-096 Yamato
• 4 OP16-097 Yamato
• 4 OP16-085 Kouzuki Momonosuke
• 2 OP14-096 Ground Death
• 4 OP16-099 I've Come Here To Cut Those Chains!

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The key cards to consider for this deck are: 

• OP16-098 Yamato: The most important card for the deck. The entire deck revolves around finding this Yamato and using its ability to play other Yamato from the trash (and letting your Leader give them Rush). Mandatory four-of in the deck. and I would run more if I could.
• OP16-082 Kin'emon: A strong consistency card in the deck, Kin'emon is your best play on four or five DON!! cards. It doesn't just let you find cards (like the aforementioned Yamato), but it additionally puts cards in your trash. Plus, it being a 7-cost on the board makes it a little tricky for some decks to interact with. Another four-of for the deck.
• OP14-096 Ground Death: One of the few cards in the deck not in OP-16, and as of writing, the most expensive. Not a "mandatory" card like the previous two, but Ground Death is a super flexible option that can be used defensively and offensively. You can play the deck without it, but run two copies if you can get them.

As of writing this article, this deck is under $50 USD based on TCGplayer Market Price. There's not a lot of tech space in this deck compared to the Luffy deck, and it is a bit linear. However, I still believe this is a fantastic first deck for anyone interested in dipping their toes into the One Piece Card Game.

Red Green Luffy & Ace

Luffy & Ace comes from the starter deck that was released alongside OP-16. Its relevancy has been debated, but Tetra's Top 4 finish at the Bielefeld Regionals last weekend has put it back on a lot of players' radars. Due note, the exact deck list for this Leader is a lot more volatile compared to the others in this article. However, there have been some front-runner cards for this deck already.

• 1 ST30-001 Luffy & Ace
• 4 ST30-004 Emporio.Ivankov
• 4 ST30-002 Inazuma
• 3 OP14-031 Nami
• 4 ST30-012 Monkey.D.Luffy
• 4 OP12-008 Shanks
• 3 OP12-002 Edward.Newgate
• 4 OP12-118 Jewelry Bonney
• 4 ST30-005 Jozu
• 4 OP16-118 Portgas.D.Ace
• 4 OP13-031 Trafalgar Law
• 2 OP12-018 Color of the Supreme King Haki
• 3 ST30-016 Can You Still Fight, Luffy?! Of Course!!
• 2 OP13-040 I Know You're Strong... So I'll Go All Out from the Very Start!!!
• 3 OP08-036 Electrical Luna
• 2 OP16-021 Moby Dick

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The key cards to consider for this deck are: 

• OP16-118 Portgas.D.Ace: Though you aren't able to really take advantage of its +2000 counter ability in this deck, the simple search effect on play and on KO really makes up for it. Though it's unlikely that the card will be K.O.'d once it hits the board, it's able to find a lot of key pieces in the deck. Not a mandatory four-of per se, but I would run four if you own them.
• OP12-118 Jewelry Bonney: In a deck that revolves around cards with 6000 power, Bonney is one of the best generic 6000-power units in the game. It fixes hands, and helps keep DON!! open for your defensive events. As of writing, it's the most expensive card in the deck, but worth the price in my opinion.
• OP14-031 Nami: The flexibility of this card can't be overstated. It's a blocker that is also able to be used offensively to rest your opponent's characters. Pair it with Electrical Luna and you can fully stun an opponent's board. Definitely run two or three copies.

Again, Ace & Lucy is a bit of a unique deck to not only build but also to pilot. It is definitely one of the more viable starter decks that exist in the game, so if you're able to find one or two starter decks in the wild, you should pick it up. 

Red Blue Lucy

Lucy released in the previous set, OP-15, to mixed results. However, despite not getting any new cards from OP-16, it has been finding a surprising amount of success in the meta. The deck is also almost entirely contained within OP-15 so it shouldn't be too difficult to build currently.

• 1 OP15-002 Lucy
• 4 OP15-053 Rebecca
• 2 OP05-015 Belo Betty
• 4 OP15-052 Leo
• 4 OP15-040 Viola
• 2 OP15-014 Bartolomeo
• 4 OP10-045 Cavendish
• 2 OP08-047 Jozu
• 4 OP15-046 Sabo
• 1 OP09-118 Gol.D.Roger
• 2 OP05-019 Fire Fist
• 4 OP15-055 Go Ahead and Use 'Em, Mr. Luffy!!!
• 4 OP15-054 And No One Else Can Have It! It's Our Memento of Him
• 3 OP15-021 Just Watch Me, Ace!!!
• 4 OP10-060 Barrier-Barrier Pistol
• 4 OP15-020 Fire Fist
• 2 OP15-057 Dressrosa Kingdom

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The key cards to consider for this deck are: 

• OP15-046 Sabo: The playmaker for the deck, many of your games will be decided by how many copies you are able to find. Mandatory four-of for the deck. 
• OP10-045 Cavendish: One of the older cards in the deck, Cavendish got some new life due to its synergy with OP15-054 And No One Else Can Have It! It's Our Memento of Him. It additionally got a new SP printing in OP-16 if you want to add a little flare to your build as well!
• OP09-118 Gol.D.Roger: One of the few red staples in the game, Gol.D.Roger has a unique effect to let you win in a situation you should have otherwise lost. One copy of the card is half the price of the deck, but Roger is a good investment for anyone who wants to continue playing red. Also, due to Roger having a Manga printing, the card will never rotate from the Standard format as well.

The deck list for Lucy has been pretty finalized for a while, and outside some personal ratio choices, you should be pretty confident that this build is solid for the deck. As of writing, this deck is under $100 on TCGplayer (with half the cost being one copy of Gol.D.Roger).

Closing Remarks

The OP-16 meta of the One Piece Card Game is one of the most diverse metas the game has ever seen. While I believe in the four decks we went through today, I think there are many additional Leaders and builds out there for you to find. I hope this article helps you enjoy the One Piece Card Game!