Full OP08 Black Yellow Luffy Guide

Hi, I'm James Neumann, known as "Twisted" on Discord. With over 20 years of experience in trading card games, I've always leaned toward a competitive approach. While I enjoy the casual side of TCGs, my focus is on refining strategies and building decks that excel in competitive play. Today, I’ll be diving into a guide on Black/Yellow Luffy, breaking down its key cards, strategies, and how to maximize its potential in the current meta. Let’s get started!

Objective of the Deck:

The main goal of this deck is to reduce your life to zero and activate your leader's ability every turn. Once you reach zero life, the strategy is to keep using Gecko Moria to maintain momentum. If you can’t do that, using two Baby cards is another option. This setup makes the most of your leader’s effect, giving you high power and making it hard for your opponent to win against you.

Pros of the Deck:

• Strong Defense: With the ability to be at 9,000 power for several turns, 0-1 life left, and a blocker, you can defend against most decks.

• High Draw and Search Power: The deck provides a lot of ways to draw cards and search for the ones you need.

• Rewards Skilled Players: This deck is difficult to master, but once you do, you can win a lot. The effort you put in will pay off.

• Stays Strong in OP08: We believe this deck will stay powerful in OP08, especially with new cards like Jack. Players might switch to Lucci or Black Luffy, and this deck performs well against them.

Cons of the Deck:

• Weak Against Nami Decks: The deck doesn’t include Ace, which makes it hard to beat Nami decks.

• Mistakes Can Be Costly: One mistake with this deck can lose you the game.

The Decklist

Here’s the current decklist. We’ll explain some of the card choices later on, but feel free to experiment with different options. It’s also a good idea to check the OPBounty high-rank deck lists each week to see what’s working best.

Card Choices

4C Kuzan is a key card, especially on your fourth Don turn when you’re going second. It draws a card, replacing itself while helping you find important pieces like Gecko Moria. It also has a reduction effect, which makes the Bonney matchup easier, turning it from tough to winnable. With 4C Kuzan and Ice Age, dealing with big threats like 9C Zoro becomes much simpler, making this card a game-changer.

Ice Age is used mainly to counter Bonney’s 9C Zoro and 8C Kidd, which can be difficult to deal with. This card helps you handle them right away. You can also use it against Gecko Moria or Issho in black matchups to deal with their 9k power characters. It’s also useful against non-meta decks, making it a versatile card.

Finger Pistol is good for dealing with Bonney’s Cavendish and can also be useful in mirror matches to take out Adult Luffy. The card hasn’t been exceptional, but it hasn’t disappointed either. Often, it’s discarded by the leader’s or Sabo’s ability. Sometimes, you might get lucky with its trigger, but it’s not something to rely on. We’re keeping it as a potential addition for now.

At first, we didn’t include Yellow Sabo (Thunderbolt Sabo) in the deck because we were using a 1-1 Ace package. But Ace wasn’t used much, so we wanted more reliable search targets. After trying one copy of Yellow Sabo, we quickly saw its value and added it to the deck. The card has exceeded our expectations. It’s great against Bonney for removing Cavendish and helpful in mirror matches for dealing with 4C Kuzan & 5C Luffy. It’s usually used in the midgame to remove a threat while advancing your strategy. Since it’s searchable, it makes finding key cards easier.

When to take life?

Most of the time, when your opponent attacks, you’ll want to take life immediately. However, a common situation is when you’re left with 2 life and your opponent has 3 characters that haven’t attacked yet. They’ll usually attack with their leader for 5k first. You should counter this attack. If you don’t, they might follow up with bigger attacks (like 9k) which would force you to use more cards from your hand, because we might not have any blockers deployed at this stage of the game. Be careful—this mistake can lose you the game.

Early Game Strategy:

At the start of the game, focus on finding any key cards you’re missing. The most important part of your deck is the Sabo engine first, followed by the Luffy engine. This deck plays best when you go second, so if you win the dice roll, choose to go second.

Reducing Life Points: To lower your life early (especially if your opponent isn’t attacking), use Adult Luffy and ST-13 Adult Sabo. Later, you can switch to Hiyori and Flampe to activate your leader’s ability more efficiently.

Search Priority List (General Guideline):

• Blocker Sabo

• Baby Sabo

• Baby Luffy

• Adult Luffy

• Rocket Luffy

• Thunderbolt Sabo

Best Curve Going Second:

• 2 Don: Double Garp

• 4 Don: Kuzan

• 6 Don: Any 5-drop (preferably Adult Luffy if they aren’t attacking your life)

• 8 Don: Double Baby + leader effect, or Gecko + leader effect

• 10 Don: Gecko Moria + Leader Effect

Best Curve Going First:

• 1 Don: Play Garp, Brothersbond, or Flampe (only use Flampe against Bonney or mono-black decks).

• 3 Don: Put 3 Don on Garp and attack for 5k twice, or use more searchers and put the remaining Don on your leader.

• 5 Don: Choose the best 5-drop for your situation:

  • Adult Luffy to take life

  • Thunderbolt Sabo to pop a character (usually Kuzan)

  • Blocker Sabo to cycle more cards if your hand is bad

  • Adult Luffy is usually the best choice.

• 7 Don: If your opponent is aggressive, use your leader effect with Babies. Aim to go to 1 life with a 7k leader. You usually won’t need to go to 9k yet since your opponent is likely preparing to go to 8 Don and hasn’t played anything too big.

• 9 Don: Use double Baby and set up chain Geckos.

• 10 Don: Either chain Geckos or, if you haven’t drawn one, use another two Babies.

Matchups Overview:

In this section, we’ll look at strategies and tips for dealing with the most common decks in the metagame. This deck is challenging to master and requires strategic thinking and practice. Learning to adjust your strategy for each matchup and staying calm during games will give you the advantage. By understanding how to handle different opponents, you’ll improve your chances of winning.

Mirror Match: Aim to Go First

In mirror matches, going first gives you an edge. Mirror matches usually come down to who has better card advantage, and by going first, you can force your opponent into a defensive position right away. This forces them to respond to your plays rather than setting the pace of the game themselves.

Your main goal is to reduce your opponent’s life to zero as quickly as possible. The faster you can get them to low life, the fewer cards they’ll have to work with. Gecko Moria is important here because it attacks for 9k without using any Don. This keeps up the pressure while wearing down your opponent’s resources.

When you’re not preparing for a finishing attack, focus on playing Sabo and Rocket Luffy instead of Adult Luffy. Rocket Luffy helps generate extra card draw, which is crucial when your board is limited. Its value lies in generating card advantage even when you’re not targeting an opponent’s character, helping you maintain a big hand size.

For your final attack, Adult Luffy is your go-to card to push through damage. Before committing to the final swing, always check how many cards your opponent has in hand. You need to see if your 11k attack will force them to discard two cards or rely on a blocker. If you can’t finish the game in one turn, consider stalling by playing Gecko Moria into double Sabo. This creates a strong defense but should only be used sparingly since it’s resource-heavy.

Mastering the mirror match is about knowing when to be aggressive and when to wait. Knowing when to push for a game-ending move versus stalling is often the difference between winning and losing.

Vs. Bonney: Go Second

In the Bonney matchup, the game is more reactive, with a focus on disrupting Bonney’s early strategy. Going second helps because it lets you respond to Bonney’s searchers and stop them from gathering too many resources. Bonney depends a lot on searchers to build up its hand, so removing them early is key. This is where Garp shines, as it can take out multiple searchers in one turn. If Garp isn’t available, an early Flampe can also help stop Bonney from gaining too much of a card advantage.

In the midgame, Kuzan becomes critical. Playing Kuzan at the right time helps you control the board while pressuring Bonney’s hand and life. Also, Thunderbolt Sabo is great for removing Cavendish, one of Bonnie’s best cards. By removing Cavendish, you slow down Bonney’s gameplan which buys you time to build your board for the late game.

One good tactic is playing Kuzan before Bonney’s 9 Don turn. This makes it harder for them to safely play Zoro since they know you can remove it with Kuzan’s ability. Alternatively, if you have Ice Age in hand, you can hold off on playing Kuzan, bait them into playing Zoro, and then remove it with Ice Age. Be careful of Hody Jones, Bonney’s strongest card, and avoid overextending your board to avoid rest effects.

The earlier you secure Thunderbolt Sabo, the easier it is to control the game. Removing Cavendish as early as possible helps you manage Bonney’s tempo and prevents them from overwhelming you.

Vs. Lucci: 

The Lucci matchup is usually straightforward because Lucci’s strategy focuses on starving you of resources while building a strong board. You can counter this by being more proactive and using Thunderbolt Sabo to remove key threats like Kuzan, while staying aggressive to prevent Lucci from building too much momentum.

One of the best ways to pressure Lucci is by using Adult Luffy to attack their life directly. Adult Luffy’s consistent attacks force Lucci to defend, which uses up their resources. Keep up this pressure throughout the game to keep Lucci on the defensive.

The main threat Lucci brings is the ability to summon multiple 9k attackers in the midgame. If they manage to get a strong board, you’ll need to rely on removal cards like Rocket Luffy to take out these threats. Setting up Gecko Moria will also help counter Lucci’s aggression, as Gecko Moria’s effect gives you the resources you need to stay in the game (Helps you deploy multiple threats while buffing leader). Since Lucci usually only has 6-8 2k counters, swings from Adult Luffy and Sabo (with Don attachments) can break through easily and usually put him in lethal range.

Deploying Kuzan before Lucci’s 8 Don turn helps stop their big plays. By clearing their bigger threats and applying pressure with Rocket Luffy, you can make it very hard for Lucci to win.

Vs. Black Luffy: A Harder Version of Lucci

The Black Luffy matchup is tougher than Lucci because of Black Luffy’s access to 8-cost cards and the leader’s ability to boost to 6k power. This makes their leader harder to deal with, as they can tank early hits, keeping them at a healthier life total. Also with their leader effect, Rebecca becomes a 5-cost character, which makes Rocket Luffy less effective at removing her.

To win against Black Luffy, focus on quickly removing their 8-cost characters. Use Kuzan and Ice Age to clear these threats and stop them from building an overwhelming board. While the matchup is still favorable, you’ll need to be more cautious than in the Lucci matchup since Black Luffy’s characters are harder to remove.

Balancing offense and defense is key. While you want to keep pressure on Black Luffy’s life, you also need to be careful not to overextend, as Black Luffy can punish you with counterattacks. By holding onto your key removal cards and using them at the right time, you can slowly wear down Black Luffy’s board and gain the upper hand.

Vs. Reiju: Favorable Matchup

Reiju aims to set up a full board and finish you off with multiple attacks in one turn using Pudding. To counter this, keep your hand size low. Pudding becomes more dangerous when you have a large hand, so playing out your cards early will minimize the damage. Playing your 2-drop Babies early helps reduce your hand size and gives you more utility.

Once you activate your leader ability, the game becomes easier as your attacks get stronger, and you can focus on pressuring Reiju’s life. In this matchup, ignore Reiju’s characters and focus your attacks on the leader.

With careful planning and smart play, you can keep Reiju from setting up their win condition and stay in control of the game.

Vs. Nami: Go Second

The Nami matchup is one of the hardest for this deck. Nami can trigger powerful effects that can quickly change the flow of the game. Going second helps you a bit by denying Nami an early card draw.

Your best chance is to keep playing as many Adult Luffys and Gecko Morias as possible to keep pressure on Nami’s life. However, be cautious if Nami leaves a lot of Don untapped, as they’re likely holding defensive cards to counter your attacks. In these cases, it’s often better to pass your turn and wait for a better chance to strike.

9K or higher power attackers are key in this matchup, as Nami will need to commit a lot of don to counter a chain of 9K attacks.

Vs. Katakuri: Go Second

The Katakuri matchup is easier if you stay aggressive and avoid falling into their traps. In this matchup, focus on attacking Katakuri’s leader directly, ignoring smaller threats like Perospero and Kikunojo. Doing this forces Katakuri to play defensively, quickly depleting their available counters.

A key thing to watch out for is dropping to 1 life, as Katakuri can use Big Mom to remove your last life easily. Keep your life at 2 or more to avoid this, and stay in control.

If Katakuri gets multiple Big Moms into play, deal with them quickly while keeping pressure on the leader to prevent them from stabilizing.

Vs. Enel: Go Second

The Enel matchup is favorable as long as you build a strong board and time your attacks right. The key is to build a board of 5 characters and bring Enel down to 2 life before making your big push. Keep your characters standing until you’re ready to launch a major attack, making it hard for Enel to remove them.

Play Sabo right before Enel has enough Don to play Yamato, as this will stop Yamato from KO’ing your characters. With good planning and careful trigger management, you can keep pressure on Enel and win the game.

Vs. Zoro: Go Second

The Zoro matchup is solid but requires careful management of Zoro’s aggression. Your main goal is to stop Zoro from building a big board before you can activate your leader ability. If Zoro has Don open for Shut Up and Come with Us, it’s better not to attack that turn, as this event card can slow you down. You don’t need to rush to finish the game.

A smart strategy is to keep your own life at 1 minimum, which makes cards like Diable Jambe and Rush Luffy less effective. Once you’ve set up your combo, use your characters to clear their board. Having your leader be at 7K-9K, will make it extremely difficult for them to push lethal damage onto you.  While Zoro decks have bigger threats like Dragon and Silver Rayleigh, they shouldn’t be a big problem, especially with Ice Age available.

Vs. Boa and Doflamingo: Play Carefully

Both Boa and Doflamingo can be tricky because of cards like Gravity Blade and Pudding, which can disrupt your plans. These decks rely on controlling the board and punishing you if you overextend.

Be careful of Gravity Blade, as it can be devastating if played at the right time. Pudding is another key card that lets your opponent discard cards from your hand. To minimize its impact, play your 2-drop Babies early to keep your hand size low, reducing the effect of Pudding.

Some players discard 1k 5-drops when attacked for 7k to have them in the trash, reducing Pudding’s effectiveness later in the game. While this is a clever tactic, be careful not to discard too many cards early, as it can leave you vulnerable.

In this matchup, be aware of Perfume Femur, which can make their leader or characters unblockable. Even if you have blockers set up, this card can sneak through lethal damage, so always be cautious and stay at 1 life minimum.

Conclusion

The B/Y Luffy deck is a versatile but challenging deck that combines aggressive and control strategies, making it adaptable to many matchups. Its strength lies in balancing powerful attackers with resource management and disrupting your opponent's game plan using key cards like Gecko Moria, Kuzan, and Thunderbolt Sabo. This makes the deck strong in both early-game tempo and mid-to-late-game control.

However, mastering this deck requires more than just knowing its core cards. You need to make precise decisions at every turn, manage your card advantage carefully, and know when to go on the offense or defense. Players who take the time to understand the deck's matchups will find it rewarding, especially as they adapt to different strategies in real-time.

In competitive play, B/Y Luffy can be a top choice for those who play it with precision. With versatile removal, powerful finishers, and strong card advantage, this deck can dominate tournaments and leave a lasting impact on the metagame.

Ultimately, B/Y Luffy rewards patience and strategic thinking. Master these aspects, and you’ll have a strong deck ready for any competition you enter.