Hello, my names Kai, I go by many handle names but on Twitter you can always find and refer to me by Kai (@ikailakai). I'm a Japanese player, playing in Japan since day 1, so I've seen all of the metas come and go so far. ^^

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I'm just a player like you who loves this game. I love building decks and analyzing metas, and my favorite deck is Kid. I play him in every set regardless of meta because his power is so consistent. However, this isn't an article on a single deck (let me know if you want that). The goal of this is to look at the cards that are restricted and predict the sort of decks that might show up.

I will go over each card being restricted, an overview of the meta that may ensue, and suggest template decks.

The End of Whitebeard?

To preface, I don't think that Whitebeard is the strongest deck in the meta, I think Zoro is. However, Zoro is probably the most difficult deck in the game, while Whitebeard is one of the relatively easier ones. There is actually an incredible amount of depth to the Whitebeard mirror, so unless you are a good Whitebeard player, you will end up losing the mirror maybe 7 out of 10 times. However, against other decks, the deck tends to play itself.

If international events end up happening where the Asian and Western metas collide, the gap in matchup knowledge will make bringing Whitebeard very difficult. If you play against a really good Zoro like Nekomaru (@nekomaru_pro) or a really good Whitebeard player like うぃんだ(@taokaka0222), you can tell that there is a difference between your average Atmos➡Thatch➡Marco+Marco➡Whitebeard enthusiast and a good Whitebeard. 

Even to this day in the OP04 meta in Japan where Whitebeard is still top-tier, there are constant debates on the correct way to play the Whitebeard mirror. Some prefer going first, some prefer going second, some prefer Marco on turn 2, some prefer Atmos, some even prefer to hit for 10000. All I want to say is that, there is a chance that the restriction on these cards is lifted, and it may be a good idea to keep practicing the Whitebeard mirror without restrictions to have a competitive advantage.

In Japan, the OP03 meta was very stale.

It sucked. Honestly.

Whitebeard / Zoro / Ace, every game.

Occasional yellow enthusiast there to ruin that 1 Ace player's day.

Occasional Law enthusiast ready to miss 3 searches in a row

Red is by far the strongest color, resulting in the entire meta being Zoro Whitebeard and Ace, with Kid rising towards the end. Despite how horrible the Yellow vs Whitebeard matchup was, there was still a reasonable amount of Yellow as it could fight into Zoro and Ace. However, if you wanted to win, you could not bring anything except Red. This was a fact for a majority of OP03, so it's understandable that Bandai would do something to break this power dynamic. However, now that the [Whitebeard Pirates] attribute is getting gutted, other colors will be able to come into the meta possibly.

Before I go further, let's check out the bans and what they really change. 

Card Restrictions Effective July 28

Firstly, it's important to note the distinction between 'Banned' cards, and 'Restricted' cards. Moby Dick and Cabaji are banned, meaning that you are not allowed even a single copy in your deck. For Cabaji this distinction doesn't make a difference, as you would never put Mohji in your deck hoping to draw your single Cabaji.

Moby Dick on the other hand, if only restricted to one copy, would absolutely still be used, and you would never hear the end of "He drew stage and I didn't" as an excuse for going 4-3 in regionals.

Restricted cards limit a card to a single copy per deck. Certain decks such as [Whitebeard Pirates] Whitebeard relied on 9 cost Whitebeard so much that those decks simply will not be able to function anymore. However, other decks that have other avenues of play aside from 'play 9 cost Whitebeard twice in a row,' can consider adding these cards as a 1 of's for a little spice and power. We will explore these options as well.

OP02-004 Edward Newgate

One of the strongest cards in the game. No doubt. The true power of this card came to fruition when 1 cost Izo was introduced, making playing multiple in a row not just a hope, but a consistent game-plan. Those who played in OP01 may remember the dominance of 8 cost Kid as it effectively made your leader 8000. There was a general saying around this time in Japan that if Kid survives rested for 2 turns, the game was over. To keep 8 cost Kid alive, it was important to know when to take life, when to use blockers, and also when to actually play Kid to ensure he stays on the board. However, Whitebeard can do this with a single card. Your leader is guaranteed to stay at 8000 until the next turn, and if played twice in a row…. Yea that's Kid with less steps, more card draw, and higher base attack power. The strength of this card comes from being able to play multiple in a row as Whitebeard. Now that this is not possible, Whitebeard as we know him will not exist anymore.

SPOILER: WHITEBEARD IS NOT DEAD

I know, it sucks. They should really just ban the leader in my opinion

I do not know if this was ever popular overseas, but before Whitebeard established itself as the meta leader, Zoro used 9 cost Whitebeard as a strong finisher. The reason this card stopped being used was because the merit of making your leader 7000 was overshadowed by leader Whitebeard's merit of making his leader 8000. Now that Whitebeard's lategame dread is gone, and Zoro will likely take the top spot, adding even a single Whitebeard to get an edge in the mirror could be very strong, especially if you already have Izou and other searchable [Whitebeard Pirates].

OP02-018 Marco

Another valuable card to Whitebeard as well as Zoro and Ace. With this card, you could defend any attack regardless of power for 1 [Whitebeard Pirates] card in your hand, once. The One Piece Card Game, unlike games like Pokemon, has very little card draw, making it an important resource like your life. If you run out of cards in your hand, it's basically the same as running out of life. To be able negate an attack for a very small cost over multiple turns ends up with a bigger and bigger resource advantage that ultimately helps you win the game.

Depending on the meta, this card can still be used as a 1 of. It was a card that was especially useful into Whitebeard due to the high base power of all of their cards. Depending on how slow the meta becomes, the usage of this card can be re-considered even at 1 copy.

OP01-029 Radical Beam!!

Radical Beam is not the only 1 Cost +4000, but it is the only one that is effectively free. This card is so strong that it is used in every red deck and will probably have the biggest influence in terms of shifting the meta away from red as a whole if that ends up happening. There isn't much to say besides the fact that this card was too strong, and is a good candidate to be restricted or banned even in Japan. This is the sort of card that regardless of meta can find space in a deck. I really wish I had this card in green in OP01. It's crazy no one used it until mid-way through OP02.

Of the 3 cards being restricted, all of them given the right circumstances, can still be used even at 1 copy. Consider these cards as options still especially at the beginning of the restriction when people are expecting the number being utilized to be zero.

OP03.5 Tierlist

Obviously this is not every single deck, but these are the decks that I understand the strengths and weaknesses of. Decks like Magellan for example may not be terrible, but I simply do not know enough about the deck to correctly rank it. This is my opinion and will definitely be different from other people's tierlist.

When you make a decklist. You need to consider your leader's strengths, and balance it with cards that negate other leader's strength. Thus in this game, the leader's that can utilize their leader abilities the best, end up being the strongest.

The way the next part will be structured is that I will select a few important leaders from the top tier, talk about their strengths and weaknesses, and suggest a few template decks that work as a starting point depending on your meta-read.

I will not go into full detail on every list, as I could make an entire article on each deck's playstyle and matchups. If this is something you might be interested in, let me know.

Template decks refer to decks that have a set gameplan, and work as a good base to jump off of and tweak to the player's own liking. If you choose to use the Zoro deck for example. It's a very good practice to try a deck, play a few games and change cards 1 by 1 until you find something that you are most comfortable with.

I anticipate at least at the beginning that the meta will be dominated by Yellow and Zoro, so creating decks with this, as well as the occasional Law in mind is a good starting point. However, Whitebeard may explode back into the meta if people aren't tired of playing it.

Edward Newgate

……let's address the elephant in the room…..

Maybe this isn't very well known. But [Whitebeard Pirates] Whitebeard originally was a deck created to stop Strawbeard as it started to dominate the end of OP02 in Japan. OP02 was a battle of Zoro and Kinemon until Strawbeard was made and stomped the meta for 2 whole weeks until [Whitebeard Pirates] Whitebeard finally made its way into the meta. Unfortunately it hasn't left. There wasn't much time for this deck to dominate as OP03 was right around the corner, but oh my god it was strong.

Pros:

• Extremely easy

• Extremely strong

Cons:

• Extremely boring (unless you just like winning)

• Mirror absolutely sucks

All this deck tries to do is to pump as much damage as possible into the enemy leader's face. There were not many decks that could keep up with this pressure in OP02, and thinking about the meta, I can't currently think of there being many cards that would improve this matchup. Two cards that come to mind as strong card into Strawbeard are 4 cost Marco, and 9 cost Whitebeard………

I see a problem…

I might be completely wrong because I haven't seen anyone talk about Whitebeard on Twitter, but as someone who witnessed this deck starting to destroy the meta at the end of OP02, this deck scares me.

The goal is to put as much damage on the board and pressure the enemies life while your entire board is 6000 power of higher making it very hard for them to fight back. I am suggesting the most simple version of this deck as I know this has worked in the past, but perhaps consider the inclusion of cards like Thatch in certain situations.

Tips:
Be careful of the timing that you play Chopper to not get destroyed by 5 cost Marco
Prioritize your survival by leaving don for event over going for a small chance for lethal
Hitting at 6000 repeatedly is oppressive enough so don't feel obligated to make your characters 7000 at the sacrifice of another Luffy or saving don for events
Protect your characters more than your leader. (But don't defend something crazy like a 8-9000 vs 6000)
Nami search priority is 
Luffy (even if you already have 1)> Counter events > 2000 counters
You won't need the start deck Zoro or 4/6000 Vanilla passed the 2nd turn, so this card takes priority in search if you will 100% play it next turn.

Roronoa Zoro

Pros:

• Extremely consistent

• Can fight out of most matchups if the player is good enough

• If you learn Zoro, you can play any deck

Cons:

• Extremely hard

Old lists used to run both 4 cost Marco and 5 cost Marco, making Zoro an unstoppable force that's hard to kill. With the hits to [Whitebeard Pirates] as an attribute, aggro Zoro with Strawhat cards may be stronger if you look at its relationship with every deck. However, in the mirror, 5 cost Marco warps the matchup too hard, that if Zoro exists in the meta, you must use 5 cost Marco to fight the mirror. Therefore this list is centered more around [Whitebeard Pirates] to combat the mirror more effectively. Cards like Vista can be beneficial in the mirror as well as the Law matchup, and situationally effective against yellow in combination with Blamenco or Gordon.

If Whitebeard comes back into the meta, I don't think you'll be able to afford to utilize cards Vista or Blamenco and can consider cards like Marshall D. Teach or 4 cost Brook* if the meta allows for it.

*I would use 4 cost Brook in my decklist above if I have the space, but as I am not currently utilizing Nami in my deck, Blamenco was easier to slot in. This is a point of improvement if a good balance of Strawhat and Whitebeard Pirates can be found.

I honestly am not a very good Zoro player, so there isn't too much insight I can give into playing the deck, but people who are good at piloting Zoro will find a list that works best for them individually, and spin it like they've never drawn a bad card in their life.

Trafalgar Law

Deck building is hard, I'm working on it.
I'll update this when I get a good deck together

Law as a deck has always been an interesting one. It's the only 2 color leader that has managed to stay in the meta for any period of time due to 1 main reason. It negates the demerit of being 4 life. Law's leader ability's value is crazy, letting you return a card to your hand and play a 5 cost for only 2 don. While this is strong, the real 'problematic' part of Law is that he gets to retrieve his searchers and search again. He's the only red deck that can gain cards essentially, and if the early game is good, can set up to get the perfect board.

However, the fundamentals of the deck can be hard to grasp, and of the top decks, Law is less consistent that things like Zoro and Whitebeard. The other downside of Law is that despite being strong enough to fight at 4 life, it still does not get over the main 4 life problem of losing to Zoro.

Pros:

• Super fun

• Very good into many matchups including yellow

Cons:

• Low-lows and high highs

• Loses to Zoro

Recently Law has gotten to a point that it can beat Whitebeard consistently. However, if Whitebeard's playrate takes a hit, so might Law's. If Zoro's popularity surges and lists like the ones above that utilize Fire Fist and Vista go up, then Law will have difficultly staying in the meta.

I still rate Law highly as it's winrate against decks other than Zoro are very solid, and if Yellow gets an increase in players, Law is still totally viable. 

If you love playing Law, keep playing Law.
If you've never played Law, there are easier decks to win with (*but maybe not more fun^^ *)

Eustass "Captain" Kid

I swear I'm not that biased

Sadly as much as I love 8 cost kid, he is not viable in a meta where Ace and Zoro(Gordon) exist. This deck is my passion and I still use it in OP04. It's still strong (in my opinion).

If you see a deck like this, the first thing you think is "How does this win?" The strongest cards in this deck are Nami, and the leader Kid. You overwhelm the board, but regain your resources with Nami, and pressure life with your leader ability. One of the harder matchups was Whitebeard as when he played 9 cost Whitebeard, and your whole board was 7000 power or less, it became harder to make the last push over the finish line. With 9 cost Whitebeard and 4 cost Marco, Kid's least favorite cards, going away, I can see this deck being sleeper OP at least in the early meta where people are still trying things out.

Pros:

• Beats Zoro and Yellow fairly easily

• Easy to use

• The leader is deceptively strong and can catch people who didn't play in OP01 off guard

• Unexpected. We call this 初見殺し or "Kill at first sight." People who don't know what will happen, will lose.

Cons:

• Law can be difficult

• The timing of using the leader ability needs some getting used to

• The cards are ugly

The goal for this deck is to repeatedly hit at 5000 and chip away at the enemy's hand while retaining and regaining yours. They spend their time taking back your board while you are pressuring their life and setting up for your leader ability. If they do not manage you or your board fast enough, they lose. It's a very simple deck concept that just ends up working.

Now that 4 cost Marco is gone, the value of Punk Gibson has gone down, allowing for green to utilize cards that benefit in the Law matchup like 5 cost blocker Law.

Edit: I realized that Bartoromeo is an expensive card overseas. This card is especially helpful for the Zoro matchup so you can hit with Luffy and restand him again at the end, but is not crucial for other matchups. If you don't have 4, don't feel forced to use 4. Find what works for you

Tips:
Important: Kid is an Aggro-Midrange deck. Find timings to attack with Law and especially Luffy, even if you don't have Bartoromeo in hand
If you don't know whether to take first or second, Second is a safe choice
If you can't use Nami's ability on play, consider saving her and playing Usopp instead
Feel free to take your life early as they will be forced to take your board and you want more cards in your hand to protect them (within reason)
(Against yellow, hit the characters that are 5000)
Keep calculating your lethal and find openings to pressure with leader ability
7 Luffy with Paradise Waterfall is Radical Beam
Be wary of Gordon ➡ Fire Fist against red

Charlotte Linlin / Katakuri

I have 2 yellow lists so 1 at a time.

Pros:

• Very easy to use

• Very powerful against most decks

Cons:

• Whitebeard is still miserable

• Mirror can come down to Rock-Paper-Scissors

This deck can be changed to Charlotte Katakuri by exchanging ① 7 cost Linlin for ① 10 cost Linlin, and Yamato for 4/6000

This list is designed to destroy the mirror. If Whitebeard is gone, and yellow takes over. You will need cards that give you an edge in the mirror.

In the mirror, I prefer to take 1st and play 7 cost Linlin as fast as possible. Being ahead an 8000 unit is very powerful in the mirror. The [on play] effect regardless of the enemy's choice guarantees a +1 life exchange. Either you gain 1, or they lose 1. If they choose to 8 Katakuri you the next turn, you lose a character, but you gain a life, resulting in a net +2 shift in life. From here on 9 don if you play your own 8Katakuri or 7Linlin, you can keep applying pressure and set up for your 10cost Linlin.

The reason I prefer the leader Linlin is that in the mirror, you have the option to take the 8Katakuri or 7Linlin back out of your life after they put in into your life with 8Katakuri, giving you more guaranteed lategame. The side that runs out of 'big stuff' first ends up losing, and Linlin can win out this battle most of the time while also putting things such as Brulee or Thunderbolt into her life.

The benefit of Katakuri in the mirror is that you can constantly check the opponent's life and ensure they do not get the triggers they want. Whichever leader you end up preferring, make sure you utilize their strengths to the fullest, even if the decklist is very similar.

Regardless of if you are playing Linlin or Katakuri, be careful in the mirror with what is on the top of your life when they are about to reach 10 Don. Putting a Shirahoshi on top of your life just for it to get banished by 10 Linlin feels miserable and is a speedrun to losing.

Tips for both:
Always take your first life
If you put don on your characters you make your board weaker so only do so as a last resort

Tips for Katakuri:
If you see a card that you don't immediately need and doesn't have trigger, put it to the bottom and hope your next card has trigger.
In the mirror and against Nami, prioritize checking the enemy's life, otherwise check your own.

Tips for Linlin:
Don't take a ton of early damage to use your leader ability early, it's a powerful lategame skill
Remember you can take cards from the bottom with your leader ability

Charlotte Linlin

I just wanted to mention this deck as it is a Yellow deck that can fight better with Whitebeard than other yellow decks. This deck centers around using the leader ability earlier while swarming the board with multiple 4/6000 bodies to pressure the enemy's life. 

Brief Thoughts on other decks

Doflamingo

Has potential, but the inconsistency, and the Zoro matchup will always be a struggle without more support. If you enjoy Blue, this may be the best deck to use right now, but it does not feel top tier.

Nami

Honestly it's a pretty strong deck. It can actually beat Whitebeard, however it struggles against Zoro and Law. In a meta where these both exist, Nami will struggle.

Ace

There's nothing wrong with Ace, I just think that the heavy board control gimmick that he has in red is not suited to the current meta. In theory he would be good into Law and Zoro by clearing the board quicker than they can set it up, but Ace's strength comes from clearing larger bodies off the board, and can be overwhelmed by smaller bodies that continuously hit.

Lucci

I love Lucci, but his strength was his overwhelmingly good matchup into Whitebeard. A good Zoro will almost never lose to a Lucci. If you think your Lucci can beat Zoro, I almost certainly guarantee you that the Zoro you fought was not very good. I studied black with several very strong Japanese players for months, and the conclusion ended up being every time. "Yea, but it still can't beat Zoro." I want a Fire Fist for black.

Luffy

Thanks to Pell or Vivi in OP04, Luffy has a bit of an identity, but currently, his only identity is being weaker than Zoro. He strength comes in being able to utilize cards such as Robin for free, but in a meta that will be about retaining board control, a 4000 power line will not survive long. Another strength was that he could put a don on his leader for free and hit Whitebeard. But if Whitebeard's presence goes down, I do not see Luffy being used.

Zephyr

Like Lucci, Zephyr cannot beat Zoro if the Zoro knows what they are doing. On top of this, he has 4 life. There is a chance that because he utilizes 10cost Kuzan, that he can fight Yellow better than Lucci can, but Zephyr can never reach a level where he can KO 10cost Linlin, which will be Zephyr's downfall.

Closing

Thank you so much for reading up until here. I hope that even if there was lots of content, that you could find the contents useful or interesting. This is my take as a Japanese player who is also known for using weird decks, so this is not indicative of how most Japanese players think. The deck building and theory crafting in this game is some of the most fun aspects, so please let me know if you have some crazy spice deck that stomps every deck in the meta.

I really want to know

There is a paid section. However, you have read all of the content. If you want to drop a few dollars I would be very thankful, but I am making this just because I thought it would be fun to imagine the meta that might shape up. Thank you again for reading this far. I know my English an explanation skills can be rough sometimes, but I hope everything was clear. If you have any questions, hit me up on twitter @ikailakai

If you do pay for this article, there will be a few pictures of my cat, and I'll get her a snack in your honor.

Anyway! Thank you again