If you are a TCG enthusiast who’s also into One Piece, the One Piece Card Game will certainly pique your interest. Created by Carddass and licensed by Shueisha, the decks of this TCG were opened for pre-order, starting in December 2022.
One Piece Card Game can be played between two players only, and it is turn-based. The rules and the overall gameplay are not too complex, and veteran TCG players can easily pick them up.
However, TCG noobs might struggle to understand the game, even after referring to the detailed rule manual given on the official website.
I have compiled a beginner’s guide for all the newbies who wish to play the One Piece Trading Card Game, so you can have fun without stressing about the rules.
Types of cards in One Piece Card Game
A total number of 61 cards, including 10 Don!! Cards and a single Leader Card can be held by a single player.
Leader Card: This card leads the other cards. Once it’s attacked five times successfully, the game ends. Leader Card can be used to attack other Leader Card or rested Character Cards.
Character Card: This card attack other character cards or leader cards, apply effects and trigger effects, and counter other cards.
Event/Stage Card: These cards don’t attack, but rather, they boost stats and apply effects to other cards.
Don!! Cards: Don!! Cards can be used to make other cards perform actions. These cards are used as a cost to make the cards act, similar to money.
Setting up One Piece Card Game
Before you begin to play, you need to make sure everything is in its position. Shuffle your deck, and place it in the deck area. Place your leader card face-up in the leader area.
Then, draw 5 Character Cards and place them in the Character Area. Now draw another five cards and place them in the Life Area. This will act as your HP bar. Finally, your 10 Don!! Cards will be placed on the Don! Deck Area.
One Piece Card Game rules
1. To use every card, you need to pay the cost. The cost is mentioned in the upper-right circle of the card. 1 cost means one active Don!! Card, 2 means two cards, and so on.
2. Your deck can’t have more than 4 cards of the same card number.
3. You can increase the power of a card by attaching a Don!! Card to it.
4. All the cards in your deck should match the leader card’s color. You can’t add the blue cards to a deck that has a red Leader Card.
5. If you and your opponent have effects that activate at the same time, the person who is currently on their turn will activate their effect first.
6. You can’t attack the cards of your opponent during the first turn.
7. A character can’t attack during the turn it is played.
8. You can choose to reshuffle your five character cards only once if you wish before the game starts.
9. Effect and Stage Cards can be used only once, and are trashed after their usage.
10. When a character card with attached Don!! Card is K’O-ed, the Don!! Card returns to the cost area in a rested state.
One Piece Card Game gameplay
One Piece TCG has five distinct phases for every turn. These phases are called Refresh Phase, Draw Phase, Don!! Phase, Main Phase, and End Phase. Use Rock-Paper-Scissors to determine who will go first.
To understand the gameplay, we will use Player A and Player B as examples. Player A will go first, since they won Rock-Paper Scissors. I will explain how to play the game through a simulated turn-wise match.
Turn 1: Player A
1. During the first turn, the Refresh Phase and Draw Phase get skipped. Instead, they will start with the Don!! Phase in which they will draw one Don!! Card, since it’s the first turn in the match. They will place that card in the cost area.
2. Player A will play a Character Card and place it in the Character Area. The Don!! Card will be placed in a rested position, which means it can’t be used again in the same turn. Their turn ends.
Turn 1: Player B
1. Player B skips the Refresh Phase as well, and draws one Character Card from the deck. This card is added to the 5 Character Cards they currently hold.
2. Then, they draw two Don!! Cards. They can ‘rest’ these cards to place a Character Card in the Character Area.
Turn 2: Player A
1. Player A can finally go through Refresh Phase in this turn. This means, all the rested cards become ‘active’. These cards can be used to attack, cause effects, or draw new cards in the current turn.
2. Player A draws another card during Draw Phase and two cards for Don!! Phase.
3. Now, Player A can finally attack the character in the Main Phase. They will rest their active Leader or Character Card and attack the leader or a rested character of the opponent. If they have the same or more power than the opponent’s card, they win.
4. If a character card is attacked and beaten, it will be ‘trashed’ and can’t be used again. In case a Leader Card is attacked, they will lose one card from the Life Area, which will be added to their hand.
Turn 2: Player B
1. Player B follows the same steps as Player A in Refresh, Draw, and Don!! Phase.
2. Player B will try to attack using their cards, but Player A can defend themselves by using an Event Card/Stage Card counters or Character Card effects and counters. Event and Stage Cards can boost your other cards, such as increasing the power of your opponent.
The game goes on until your opponents’ Life reaches 0, or they have no more cards left in their deck. The one who has cards or Life left becomes the winner!
About One Piece
One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 22, 1997.
The man who had acquired everything in this world, the Pirate King, is Gol D. Roger. The final words he said at the execution tower were “My treasures? If you want it, I’ll let you have it. Look for it; I left all of it at that place.” These words sent many to the seas, chasing their dreams, headed toward the Grand Line, in search of One Piece. Thus began a new age!
Seeking to be the greatest pirate in the world, young Monkey D. Luffy also heads toward the Grand Line in search of One Piece. His diverse crew is joining him along the way, consisting of a swordsman, marksman, navigator, cook, doctor, archaeologist, and cyborg-shipwright, this will be one memorable adventure.
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