How to Play one Piece card Game

One Piece Trading Card Game (OPTCG) made a significant impact worldwide when it hit the Western market in December 2022. Its rapid rise in popularity and an ever-expanding player base were nothing short of impressive. One Piece, originally a beloved Japanese manga, later transformed into an equally cherished anime series, continues to thrive. This article serves as a comprehensive introduction to fans eager to pit their favorite characters against each other in Bandai's latest iteration of the card game. We will delve into the game's rules, explore available products, guide you in finding tournaments, and offer recommendations for various deck options.

Game Rules: Let's take an in-depth look at the game's rules. For a quick-start guide, you can refer to the official Overview Sheet.

The game is designed for two players, each equipped with their Leader card, a 50-card deck, and a 10-card DON!! deck. Both players present their Leader to the opponent and place it in the center of the board. A random method, often a dice roll, determines who goes first. Players shuffle their decks and draw five cards. Both players have the option of a "mulligan," allowing them to return their entire hand to the deck, shuffle, and draw five new cards. Subsequently, they place cards equal to their Leader's life in the top-left section of the board, referred to as the Life Area. The player going first draws one card from their DON!! deck and places it face-up in the Cost Area below their Leader. They do not draw an additional card to begin their turn.

Leader Card: DON!! cards all function identically, serving as resources in OPCG, similar to mana in other card games. They are used to cover costs indicated in the top-left corner of regular cards. Costs are paid by rotating an appropriate number of DON!! cards in your Cost Area, essentially resting them by turning them 90 degrees sideways. Instead of using them to pay a cost, players can also attach any number of active DON!! cards to a character they control. This attachment grants 1000 power to the character for each DON!! attached, but only during the current player's turn. Once DON!! cards are attached, they cannot be returned to the Cost Area or attached to other characters.

DON!! Card: At the beginning of their turn, players return all DON!! cards attached to characters or the Leader to the Cost Area. Any rested cards are set to active, returning to their vertical orientation. A card is then drawn from the deck, and two new cards from the DON!! deck are placed in the Cost Area. This unique resource system separates itself from the deck and gradually builds up to a maximum of 10 DON!!, enabling more significant plays as the game progresses.

Character Card: The deck consists of three main card types: Character, Event, and Stage. Character cards are the most common, indicating their power in the top-right corner and any effects in the center text box. They are played in the Character Area above the Leader and remain there until defeated in combat. Event cards offer one-time-use abilities with potent effects, placed directly in the Trash (graveyard) pile beneath the deck. Stage cards are positioned in the Stage Area to the right of the Leader and remain there until removed by an effect. A player may only control one Stage card at a time, and playing a new one will replace the old one. Each card in the deck must belong to the color(s) indicated in the Leader's bottom-left corner, with a maximum limit of four copies per card.

Event Card Stage Card

Combat Mechanics: Combat can only be initiated by the turn player. This process involves resting an active character or Leader and declaring the attack target. Attacks can exclusively target the opponent's rested characters or their Leader, whether rested or active. Characters cannot attack on the turn they are played. Combat unfolds in four steps:

1. Attack Step: During this step, the attacking character's "When Attacking" effect is activated.
2. Block Step: The opponent has the opportunity to redirect an attack during this phase using a "Blocker" effect of one of their characters.
3. Counter Step: The defender may enhance the power of their battling character or Leader during this battle by playing any number of "Counter" cards from their hand. Counters are indicated on the left border of character cards, while some Event cards possess Counter effects, allowing them to be used only during the Counter Step of the opponent's turn.
4. Damage Step: In this final step, the power of the attacker and the defender is compared, with the attacker winning if their power is equal to or greater than the defender's. If the defending player loses combat with a Character card, that character is knocked out (K.O.'d) and placed in the Trash area below the deck. If the defending player loses combat with a Leader card, they draw a card from the top of their Life Area. Certain Character and Event cards feature "Trigger" effects that can be utilized only when a card is drawn from the Life Area. If the attacker loses combat, no adverse consequences befall their Character or Leader. The primary objectives for winning the game are to attack and succeed in combat against an opponent's Leader when that player has no cards in their Life Area. Alternatively, you can win by causing your opponent to run out of cards in their Deck.

Event Card with Counter The turn player may alternate between playing new cards, attaching DON!!, or attacking as they see fit. With readily available resources every turn, a built-in comeback mechanic through the game's Life system, and the defending player having the final say in combat outcomes, One Piece games are thrilling back-and-forth duels that reward strategic thinking.

What to Purchase: Currently, One Piece Card Game offers five commercially available products, including four different color Starter Decks and the Romance Dawn booster set. The fifth Starter Deck is scheduled for release in February, with the second booster set, Paramount War, arriving in early March. It's important to note that these product releases pertain to the Western market, as the already-released Japanese language cards are not eligible for tournament play outside of Asia.

Irrespective of your card game experience, the best way to embark on your One Piece adventure is to purchase one of the Starter Decks. These decks contain everything needed to play your first game, including one of the four unique color Leaders, a 50-card deck, 10 DON!! cards, and a rulebook. If you find yourself enjoying the ebb and flow of the game and seek to enhance your experience, acquiring a second copy of the same Starter Deck is often the best route. Some of the most valuable cards come with only two copies in the deck, and you'll want to ensure a complete set.

If you've exhausted the possibilities of the Starter Decks, you can explore booster packs or even boxes of Romance Dawn. Each 12-card pack comprises cards of varying rarities and colors, with a predominant focus on "commons." Typically, a pack includes two or three "uncommon" cards, zero or one Leader card (unique to Romance Dawn), one "rare" card, and one "rare" or higher card (such as "super rare" or "secret rare"). Some rare and higher rarity cards come with alternate artworks, making them highly sought-after collectibles. If you prefer not to leave your card draws to chance, many online platforms offer individual card sales, allowing you to obtain the specific cards you need. Cardmarket is a reliable choice for those in the European Union, while TCGplayer caters to the USA's player base.

It's important to note that One Piece currently faces product availability shortages due to the game's popularity exceeding expectations. In many places, product prices surpass the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP). Be sure to exercise common sense when deciding whether a purchase is worthwhile. Bandai, as a company with strict quality control measures, has limited printing capabilities. Additional printings of each product are anticipated based on their involvement in other card games, but there is no official announcement or timeframe for this.

Tournaments: Bandai oversees multiple card games and manages Organized Play for each of them, including One Piece. Stores around the world can participate in the Organized Play program and reward players with unique promotional products. Magic Omens, for instance, is one of the partners hosting such events. If you happen to be in Zagreb, Croatia, you can participate in Digimon locals on Tuesdays and One Piece gaming on Fridays, where Tournament Packs and Film: Red promo packs are up for grabs.

To discover tournaments near your location, download Bandai's TCG Plus application and register your account. This app offers an event search feature that allows you to find events in your city, country, or anywhere around the world.

For those aiming to ascend to the pinnacle of the game, high-level events are already in the works. OPCG's Event page lists multiple Treasure Cups and online Regionals that players can participate in, with more to be added in the near future. It's advisable to start slowly, hone your skills in the game, and, when you feel ready, seize the opportunity to compete in a Treasure Cup when one is hosted nearby.

What to Play: The perennial questions arise: "Which deck should I play? Can I see a decklist? How much does it cost?" While this section could potentially evolve into a series of detailed articles, let's keep it concise and to the point in addressing these queries. Hopefully, you'll find a deck that suits your preferences.

Red Deck: The color red embodies aggression, not just in One Piece but in card games in general. Red decks summon numerous small units and employ a barrage of attacks to overwhelm their opponent's defenses. Featuring the Straw Hats, the primary pirate crew in the series, red decks have quickly become a fan favorite. Whether using Luffy as the Leader from the starter deck or Zoro from Romance Dawn, the strategy remains the same: deploy multiple units and use their attacks to chip away at the opponent's life. When your Leader is attacked, there's no need to protect him, as you want to draw additional fuel for your attacks. Use counters only to safeguard your rested characters. Conclude the game with two predominant red mechanics: "Rush," which allows characters to attack on the turn they are played, and blocker evasion, the effects of characters and events that prevent blockers from being used on that critical final attack at the opponent's life. Due to the Straw Hats' popularity, some singles, such as Zoro and Shanks from Romance Dawn, can command a relatively high price. The cost of two starter decks combined with the necessary singles should amount to around 150€, with a significant portion allocated to the four copies of Zoro and two copies of Shanks.

Green Deck: In One Piece, preserving board presence often involves not attacking with your valuable characters until you can protect them with blockers or counters. Green decks have access to Wano cards, which can forcibly rest the opponent's characters, creating additional attack targets alongside the Leader. The green color also features the Supernovas, the most promising rookies of the new generation of pirates. They offer a wide range of effects, favoring efficient options that allow for board control. Green decks prove to be solid choices against red decks and engage in intense matches when facing other green decks. Additionally, green decks boast the best "Blocker" characters in the game. If you appreciate flexible toolbox decks where your decisions significantly impact the game's flow, green is the way to go. Green decks primarily use cards from starter decks, and their upgrades are affordable and low in rarity. The exceptions are 2-3 copies of Trafalgar Law and 2-3 copies of Eustass "Captain" Kid from Romance Dawn, both super rares and powerful additions. You can expect the full competitive deck to cost around 90€.

Blue Deck: The color blue brings together two elite factions from One Piece: the Four Emperors and the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Blue appears to be a versatile choice, excelling in multiple areas but not mastering any particular one. Its current niche focuses on effects that return the opponent's characters to their hand, with some options sending these characters to the bottom of the deck. Furthermore, there are numerous effects designed to gain card advantage through additional draws. This strategy revolves around temporary removal to seize tempo, making it particularly effective against decks that rely on building their board. Blue characters can easily overwhelm the board while resetting the opponent's previous turn. The blue deck includes a range of large units, a fair number of blockers, and 2k counters to gain and maintain control of the board. The deck is primarily budget-friendly, with Boa Hancock and Dracule Mihawk from Romance Dawn (2-3 copies each) being the main exceptions, elevating the cost to around 70€.

Purple Deck: The standout color in the game's first set is purple. Featuring Kaido and his Animal Kingdom pirate crew, purple is all about displaying overwhelming power. The strategy is straightforward: summon formidable characters, eliminate weaker opponents, and crush the opponent. Many high-cost purple characters, especially King and Kaido, possess effects that immediately eliminate the opponent's units. With unmatched removal capabilities, these effects come at the cost of returning DON!! cards to your deck. To support this powerful approach, purple features several "mana ramp" tools that allow you to retrieve cards from the DON!! deck faster than the usual two-per-turn schedule. The Onigashima Stage card accelerates your DON!! acquisition, allowing you to summon your formidable characters more quickly and meet their cost requirements. The purple deck also includes plenty of blockers, 2k counters, and Event counters. The plan is simple: play blockers early, accumulate free DON!!, and start summoning Kings and Kaidos to clear the opponent's board. Event counters and blockers will protect your life, while Kings and Kaidos will overpower the opponent with their immense strength. What's more, the purple Kaido Leader deck is the most budget-friendly choice! Two starter decks upgraded with Romance Dawn cards, including multiple copies of super rare Kings and Kaidos, will cost around 50€ in total. It's an effective and straightforward strategy, ideal for taking on green decks.

Multi-Color Decks: Some leaders have the ability to utilize more than one card color, compensating for this by starting with four life instead of the standard five. These decks, while offering diverse and effective strategies, can be intricate to both build and pilot. They are best suited for players who are already well-versed in the game.