The Best Rogue Decks in the One Piece TCG
I think it is safe to say that the OP-12 format is pretty much defined in terms of what decks are the best and which ones are, well… not.
I know plenty of One Piece Card Game enthusiasts who prefer not to play the best decks. There's something soul-crushing about playing Green Zoro and facing five or more mirror matches. We had a similar thing going last format before the update to the Banned List.
Since the format has rolled over into the OP-12 format, we're seeing a lot of the expected decks up at the top of the leaderboard. Green Zoro, Bonney, Rayleigh, and two different Luffy decks are still taking up most of the top seats at events. However, there are a few other decks here and there that still see play.
These are the types of decks you'll see mainly at your locals if the scene isn't too competitive. Most of these decks have been seeing a little bit of success in the OP-12 format across different tournaments.
Stealing wins and sneaking in
Earlier this month a deck that hasn't seen as much play since the OP-09 format was able to sneak in and steal a win in an Online Treasure Cup. Let's take a look at OP09-001 Shanks!
Red Shanks by Isaac Low
- Shanks (OP09-001)
- 4 Otama (OP01-006)
- 4 Uta (OP09-002)
- 4 Building Snake (OP09-008)
- 4 Hongo (OP09-011)
- 2 Limejuice (OP09-014)
- 4 Lucky.Roux (OP09-015)
- 3 Shanks (OP12-008)
- 3 Marco (OP03-013)
- 2 Uta (ST23-001)
- 4 Benn.Beckman (OP09-009)
- 3 Edward.Newgate (ST15-002)
- 4 Silvers Rayleigh (OP08-118)
- 2 Shanks (OP06-007)
- 2 Shanks (OP09-004)
- 2 Divine Departure (OP10-019)
- 1 Gum-Gum Fire-Fist Pistol Red Hawk (OP01-026)
- 2 Red Force (OP09-021)
![Lucky.Roux [Reprint]](/cards/RED01XXOP09015ST23X634277.webp "Lucky.Roux [Reprint]")
This deck is all about removing the opponent's characters. Red decks typically play a very aggressive strategy centered around characters with Rush and those with removal effects. Shanks decks always feel really fair while the deck is getting to 10 DON!! Your low-cost characters like Uta (OP09-002), Lucky.Roux (OP09-015), and Shanks (OP12-008) help you establish a solid board while you build up to your heavy hitters.
The heavy hitters of this deck are still your Shanks (OP06-007) and Shanks (OP09-004), along with Silvers Rayleigh (OP08-118). Rayleigh and Benn.Beckman (OP09-009) both have huge removal effects that you can make even stronger thanks to Red Force (OP09-021), a card that wasn't seen in older Shanks lists. One notable aspect of this list is that it also employs a balanced 10-drop Shanks ratio. With 2 Rush Shanks and 2 of the removal Shanks, you're always putting a ton of pressure on your opponent in the late game.
Red/Green Smoker by Mrolas
- Smoker (OP10-001)
- 4 Vergo (OP10-004)
- 3 Kujyaku (OP11-004)
- 2 Koushirou (OP12-027)
- 4 Sanji (OP10-005)
- 4 Tashigi (OP10-032)
- 2 Donquixote Rosinante (OP09-032)
- 4 Tony Tony.Chopper (OP10-011)
- 4 Smoker (OP10-030)
- 3 Jewelry Bonney (OP12-118)
- 3 X.Drake (OP11-017)
- 4 Hody Jones (OP06-035)
- 2 Benn.Beckman (OP09-009)
- 3 Dracule Mihawk (OP12-030)
- 2 Demon Aura Nine Sword Style Asura Blades Drawn Dead Man's Game (OP12-037)
- 2 Ten-Layer Igloo (OP10-018)
- 4 Gum-Gum Mole Pistol (ST21-017)
Smoker (OP10-001) has been an incredibly powerful rogue pick pretty much since Royal Blood was released. Green has some really powerful cards and got a ton of cool support in OP12. The three new characters from OP12 in this deck are all Blockers with awesome added effects. Dracule Mihawk (OP12-030) makes for insane combos with Smoker (OP10-030) and your Leader. Together they let you ready up to seven DON!! per turn, meaning you can potentially have a 17 DON!! turn!
I don't know about you, but I think that being able to play multiple big characters and still attach multiple DON!! to my Leader or other characters is kinda crazy. Especially when you're talking about characters like Jewelry Bonney (OP12-118) and the one and only Hody Jones (OP06-035). Alternatively, you can also use these huge DON!! turns to set up a crazy defensive board with cards like Tashigi (OP10-032)i and Donquixote Rosinante (OP09-032).
Nobody ends games like Hody Jones.
Black/Yellow is still around, just in two different decks…
Marshall.D.Teach (OP09-081) (Blackbeard from here on out) and Charlotte Katakuri (OP03-099) are two strategies that haven't really seen as much play lately. Blackbeard, sure, has been consistent. But I think in the last year, Katakuri has maybe topped one or two events? I'd consider both of them to be rogue strats now, all things considered.
Black Blackbeard by Victor M. Martinez
- Marshall.D.Teach (OP09-081)
- 4 Stronger (OP09-089)
- 4 Caribou (OP11-083)
- 3 Laffitte (OP09-095)
- 4 Doc Q (OP09-090)
- 3 Jesus Burgess (OP09-086)
- 2 Laboon (EB01-048)
- 2 Shiryu (OP10-086)
- 1 Sanjuan.Wolf (ST27-004)
- 4 Van Augur (OP09-083)
- 4 Kuzan (OP10-082)
- 3 Marshall.D.Teach (ST27-005)
- 3 Marshall.D.Teach (OP09-093)
- 3 Tempest Kick (OP07-096)
- 3 My Era...Begins!! (OP09-096)
- 2 Black Vortex (OP09-097)
- 1 Black Hole (OP09-098)
- 4 Fullalead (OP09-099)
Since its release in OP09, Blackbeard has pretty much been the definitive "anti-meta" One Piece deck. It is the only deck that has effects that completely shut off the opponent's cards. That's pretty anti-meta if you ask me.
Blackbeard is also just designed in a way that it doesn't feel like other mono-Black decks. Most of the time, when we think of mono-Black, we think of Rob Lucci, or we might even think of Blue/Black Sakazuki (that, you know, mostly just plays Black cards). Black strategies usually rely on cards like OP05 Rebecca and other characters with On Play effects. Since Blackbeard shuts off all your On Play effects, most of the "staple" Black cards are off limits. You are forced to play mostly cards that fit into the Blackbeard Pirates type.
Your big hitter with this deck is still Jesus Burgess (OP09-086), alongside your powerhouse Marshall.D.Teach (OP09-093). These two cards are typically the ones that are going to close out games for you. If your opponent manages to get rid of your Burgess, or if you mill him off of your Events and such, you can always bring it back with the Kuzan (OP10-082)!
Yellow Katakuri by Jimmy Huynh
- Charlotte Katakuri (OP03-099)
- 3 Charlotte Pudding (OP03-112)
- 4 O-Nami (OP06-101)
- 4 Zeus (OP11-106)
- 4 Capone"Gang"Bege (OP04-100)
- 4 Charlotte Brulee (ST20-003)
- 3 Charlotte Brulee (ST07-007)
- 3 Charlotte Perospero (OP03-113)
- 4 Kikunojo (OP06-104)
- 4 Basil Hawkins (OP10-109)
- 4 Nami (OP08-106)
- 4 Bartholomew Kuma (OP12-119)
- 1 Eustass"Captain"Kid (OP10-112)
- 4 Charlotte Linlin (OP03-114)
- 4 You're the One Who Should Disappear. (OP06-115)
Oh Katakuri. I wasn't playing the One Piece Card Game when this was the deck to beat, but I heard all sorts of horror stories about it. Charlotte Katakuri (OP03-099) is actually one of the many Yellow decks that got a huge wave of support in the new Bartholomew Kuma (OP12-119). In fact, this, like many other mono-Yellow decks, now plays four copies of everyone's favorite Warlord.
Katakuri is really strong because his effect lets you rearrange your Life cards as needed, while also turning him into a 7000 power attacker for only one DON!! Both of these effects combined make for a dangerous combination. This deck still plays the signature boss card of Charlotte Linlin (OP03-114), which has an insane On Play effect for a two-Life swing. You gain a Life and your opponent loses one, which is super strong.
There are more rogue strategies than this to behold in the One Piece Card Game! These are just some of the ones that have stood out recently to have strong tournament finishes. With Bandai Card Fest right behind us, we got to really see some of the strongest decks in the OP12 format just before PRB02 comes out. I'm excited to see how the new cards will shape up the format as we move into the October Regional season!
