5 things beginners should know about One Piece Card Game in 2022

One Piece Card Game debuted in Japan in July 2022, and will come to the West later this year. With roots in a variety of card games like Dragon Ball Super, Magic: The Gathering, and Pokemon, gamers with an affinity for card games will be able to easily pick up and learn the game. Regardless, this game will undoubtedly be tried by newcomers who wish to set sail with Monkey D. Luffy and his crew.

This list focuses not just on players trying out card games for the first time, but will also explain things that veterans need to know about One Piece Card Game.

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What to know about One Piece Card Game before its release in the West

Card games often borrow mechanics and systems from one another because they fit the overall design that the developer has in mind. This will also be the case for One Piece Card Game. The life system borrows from Pokemon and uses resources similarly.

The game's deckbuilding feels like a mix of Magic: The Gathering and Dragon Ball Super, among others. It looks like a card game that is easy to learn but hard to master. Only some of the cards have been revealed thus far, but there will be more expansions to add to its deckbuilding possibilities.

Tips for players

• Do not forget about the tutorial app
• How the leader system works
• How to build a deck for One Piece Card Game
• Players can win one of two ways for now
• How One Piece Card Game’s resource system works

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5) Do not forget about the tutorial app

Though One Piece Card Game is currently unavailable in the West, there is already a tutorial app on mobile storefronts to guide players through the game.

The Tutorial accurately covers what players need to know going into the game (Image via Bandai Namco)

The tutorial takes players through all the important aspects of the card game. It shows an attacking style similar to Hearthstone. Players can tap (“rest”) their cards to declare an attack and pick a target, just like in Hearthstone.

It is a valuable asset, so players are advised not to neglect it, even as seasoned card game players.

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4) How the leader system works

Fans of Magic: The Gathering’s Commander meta and Dragon Ball Super's card game will see something familiar in the title. Each deck has a leader, or a main character, that the deck is built around. The example given is Monkey D. Luffy, who has 5000 life points. That means he has five life point cards, which are taken from the player's deck.

Each leader will have its own strengths and weaknesses, so plan ahead (Image via Bandai Namco)

Each leader has their own amount, which can lead to a wide variety of deck styles and strategies. If players win an attack, their opponent loses one of their life cards, and vice versa.

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3) How to build a deck for One Piece Card Game

There is no in-depth guide to deckbuilding yet, as not all the strategies have been developed. However, there are preconstructed decks and boosters that will be available for purchase.

According to the manual, each deck needs the following:

• 1 leader card
• A deck of 50 cards that are all the same color as the leader (EG: Luffy is a red card, so all cards must be red)
• A DON!! deck that is 10 cards

DON!! are resource cards and are doled out two at a time at every turn. This will not apply to players who go first, though, as they can only draw one to put into play.

Players will have three types of cards on their decks:

• Character cards
• Event cards
• Stage cards

All of these cards use DON!! to activate, as it is the primary resource. The number on the top left of a card shows how many DON!! must be used to play a card. Character cards represent the various characters of One Piece and can be used to attack other characters/leaders.

Stats and abilities also vary from character to character. Event cards are essentially spelled cards and effects. They power up, weaken, or remove cards from play. Once their effect is used up, they leave play.

Stage cards can support the player’s leader and characters with a variety of useful effects. Only one stage card can be in play for each player at a time. Decks can have a maximum of four cards per round.

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2) Players can win in two ways at the moment

There are, at present, two ways a player can win, but like Magic: The Gathering, this could change in the future.

The primary way to win a game is through combat. If a player loses a bout and have no life cards left, they lose. In combat, players can play their event cards as counters or buffs/debuffs to help their leader come out on top, so be wary before attacking recklessly.

Players can also lose if they run out of cards and need to draw, similar to Magic: The Gathering.

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1) How One Piece Card Game’s resource system works

All players start with a deck of 10 DON!! cards, which are the resource/land system for the game. Two of these are played from the DON!! deck at every turn, except on the very first turn. They can be used by resting them to activate their abilities and play cards. The number of cards needed is visible at the top of every character, event, and stage.

Unused DON!! cards can be expended to give a leader or character card +1000 attack power. Though it is a powerful combat tool, players must be mindful of how many resources are being spent, and what their other cards might require.

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There is so much more to learn about the One Piece Card Game, but it has yet to launch in the West. Thankfully, there are resources like the tutorial app to help players get familiar with it before its debut. These tips, however, will help players get ready to be the King of the Pirates.