How to Play One Piece Card Game: Complete Guide to Playing One Piece TCG

Like the rowdy adventures of Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates, the One Piece card game is making serious waves.

Since its release in 2022, card game fans and One Piece enthusiasts have come together to explore Eiichiro Oda’s universe in new and exciting ways.

Whether you’re a seasoned card game pro or have memorized every frame of the One Piece manga, learning the game is relatively simple.

This guide will show you how to play One Piece card game, taking you from a newbie sailor to a Pirate King (of card games) in no time.

Once you learn the basics, you can continue learning by picking up One Piece card game essentials like starter decks at Danireon. We’re the #1 card game store in North America, with a friendly community and team that will show you how to play One Piece TCG. 

We have a free Discord server, and we encourage you to join if you’re looking for friends to play with!

What is the One Piece Trading Card Game (TCG)?

The One Piece card game is a treasure trove rivaling some of the best finds Luffy’s crew stumbles upon along their journey.

You may have questions, like when did One Piece TCG come out and how many One Piece TCG sets are there?

The game was first teased in 2022. The Japanese version was released in July 2022, and the worldwide release came in December of the same year.

Since then, there have been new sets released roughly every 3 months. There are 8 Japanese and 7 English sets covering over 90 manga chapters. One more set is planned for 2025, so now is the perfect time to jump in!

From the moment you open your first pack, you can tell the game is a beautiful homage to the world of One Piece. Iconic characters like Monkey.D.Luffy (119), Shanks (OP06-007), and Boa Hancock (051) all have several cards across the 8 (and counting) set releases.

Every card features scenes from the manga, anime, or card-game exclusive artwork. This makes for jaw-dropping art that lets you appreciate One Piece characters like you’ve never seen them before.

While the game has deep complexity that makes it enjoyable for seasoned card game experts, it’s also easy for beginners. You can learn how to play One Piece card game with just the information in this guide and a basic starter deck.

As you play your first few matches, you'll quickly pick up advanced strategies. It won’t be long before you teach your friends how to play One Piece TCG to spread the fun!

How to Play One Piece TCG: Complete Guide to Getting Started

Now that you know how the game works, let’s teach you how to play One Piece card game. We’ll go from basics to intermediate strategies to give you everything you need to dominate your local game night.

General Guidelines for Building a One Piece Deck

The first step in learning how to play One Piece TCG is understanding how decks work.

Each deck is centered around a “Leader” card. This leader sets the tone for your entire deck based on color and abilities.

If you’ve ever played Magic: The Gathering, One Piece’s Leaders work similarly to the Commander format.

Each deck will contain 50 cards from the Character, Event, and Stage categories. One of the most essential parts of learning how to play One Piece card game is finding the right balance between these card types to fit your strategy.

There’s a 5th card type: DON!! Cards. These cards are One Piece’s version of mana, energy, or land from other card games. Many of these DON!! Cards contain iconic artwork, so fill your deck with your favorite scenes and moments from the anime and manga.

The best decks have a cohesive and focused strategy. We recommend starting with One Piece TGC starter decks to get you started on the right foot.

Key Phrases You Need to Know

Picking up a new card game can sometimes feel like learning a second language. But One Piece’s terminology is straightforward.

There are a few categories to remember when you’re learning how to play One Piece card game, so let’s break them all down for you.

Card Types

• Card Color: The One Piece TCG uses several colors in gameplay. All cards in your deck must be the same color as your leader.
• Leader: Your Leader is the lynchpin of your deck. They come in 1 or 2 colors and have powerful abilities that can turn the tide of battle. For example, Boa Hancock (038) lets you draw a card whenever you remove a character from the field. Similarly, Jewelry Bonney (019) enables you to prevent an enemy card from acting each turn.
• Character: Characters are the muscle of your deck. These cards can attack, block, or provide powerful supportive effects to influence your victory. For example, Camie (OP06-025) can help you draw more Merfolk cards to bolster that strategy.
• Event: Event cards are a must-have in any deck. They can quickly flip the script on any battle with their effects. For example, You’re the One Who Should Disappear (OP06-115) grants +3000 power to a card, often enough to change the outcome.
• Stage: While Event cards are single-use, Stage cards transform your entire strategy. They feature potent effects when activated, like The Ark Noah (OP06-041), which rests every card your opponent has.
• Don!! Cards: Every player needs 10 Don!! cards. They are the game’s form of energy used to summon new characters or events. While all Don!! cards have the same effects you’ll find iconic artwork like the Don!! Card (Alternate Art) from Wings of the Captain that makes collecting them a blast!

Mechanics

• Attack: Attacking is how your character cards deal damage. You can attack an opposing card or your opponent’s life cards. Note that it can’t attack on its first turn in play unless your character has Rush.
• Banish: Banish is often found on effect cards. It sends cards straight into the Trash Area.
• Block: Blocking is how your characters protect you from damage. You can use blockers to replace an attacked card, which may cause the opponent’s attack to fail!
• Counter: Counter abilities can be used to respond to opponent moves. This can mean adding extra damage to your attacker, banishing an opponent, or activating an event.
• Double Attack: A card with Double Attack deals two damage to the opponent rather than one after a successful attack.
• Life: Your ‘health points.’ Reduce your opponent to zero before they do the same to you!
• On Play: These effects activate when the card enters the battlefield.
• Rest: Resting a card turns it sideways, meaning it can’t be used the rest of the turn. Note that many effects let you Rest an opponent's card, which forces them to delay their plans.
• Rush: Like Haste in Magic: The Gathering, Rush allows a card to attack on its first turn.
• Trash: The Trash area resembles the Graveyard in other card games. Your cards end up here after banishment or failed attacks.
• Trigger: This indicates that an effect or ability occurs after a particular set of conditions. This can be following an attack, when an Event is played, etc. 

Overview of One Piece TCG Gameplay

Once you know all the vocabulary, it’s time to start playing! To win a match of One Piece TCG, you need to reduce the opponent’s Life to zero. Players go back and forth through these action phases until one player wins!

• Refresh: At the start of every turn, you reset all your rested cards, end any effects that say “until the end of your turn,” and return your Don!! Cards to be reused for the new turn.
• Draw: You then draw a card from the top of your deck. The lone exception to this is on the very first turn of the game, where the player who goes first does not get to draw. (This is done to balance the advantage that the first player has)
• Don!! Phase: You’ll then draw two Don!! cards from your deck to use. This will give you +2000 energy to use. Again, the lone exception is on the first turn, where the first player only draws one Don!! card.
• Main: The main phase is where the action begins. You can play as many cards as your Don!! allows. You can attack, play new characters, attach your Don!!, or activate abilities.
• End: In the End Phase, you pass your turn over to your opponent. This ends any effects that only last for one turn, so keep those in mind before planning your next strategy! 

Tips for Success

You know all the basics of playing One Piece TCG, but we’re not done yet. Let’s go over a few tips to get you some immediate wins.

You need to know your deck inside out. Whether you begin with a starter deck or create your own, it should be like second nature.

What cards do you want to play in the early game? How do you plan to use your Leader’s effects? What cards are you using to win the game later on?

As you play your first games, you’ll get a clearer idea of how these combos work. Sometimes, you’ll play a card too early or too late and be punished. Note these moments and use them to improve your gameplay for next time.

Once you master your deck, try deciphering your opponent’s strategies. As you repeatedly see the same gameplay, you’ll develop a second sense of which cards your opponents will play next.

This will let you plan out your game plan multiple turns in advance. If you have a good idea of what your opponent’s game-winning card might be, you’ll be able to prepare a counter for it.

With some practice, you’ll be on your way to becoming a fantastic One Piece TCG player.

Your journey has to start somewhere, though. The best way to begin is by picking up a starter deck and listening to the advice of experienced players.

Thankfully, we have both waiting for you here at Danireon!

Get Started Playing One Piece TCG at Danireon Today!

Danireon is here to help you learn the One Piece TCG! Our friendly team and community have decades of experience playing trading card games, starting with the Pokémon TCG.

As North America's #1 card game store, we were thrilled when the One Piece game was announced. We knew the iconic IP would be an instant hit among fans, but even we couldn’t have foreseen its popularity.

Since the first set’s release, we’ve stocked our inventory with One Piece TCG booster boxes and One Piece TCG booster packs directly from the source. We’ve even built a sizable collection of One Piece TCG singles from our community.

We provide speedy shipping, authentic cards, and trade-in opportunities to help you grow your collection. We also sell the starter decks from each set release to help you get into gameplay without worrying about deckbuilding.

Our friendly team loves talking about card games. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us for any questions. Whether you want to know how to play One Piece TCG, which Leader card to use, or how to make the most of your Stage cards, we’ve got you covered.

Parting Thoughts on How to Play One Piece Card Game

You now know all the basics to start playing One Piece TCG. The game’s mechanics go deeper than all the oceans that Luffy and his crew sail on, but it’s easy to pick up and start playing.

The best way to get a game-ready deck is to shop at Danireon!

With our supportive team, diverse inventory, and friendly community, you’ll be battling your friends like a seasoned pro in no time.

Check our free Discord server to connect with other One Piece TCG players. We’ll see you inside!