Heya everyone! The August 22, OP12 release for the West is fast approaching, and new leaders and cards are coming to the game! This also means that the Sealed Pre-release event is something to look forward to!
The Release Events will take place between August 15 and August 21, 2025. The format is the organizer’s choice. It can be the traditional constructed format or a sealed format. The latter is what matters to us for this article.
The Rules
- Players open a set number of booster packs from specified sets and build their decks using only the cards they open. (Players who purchase 1 booster box during the event period will receive 1 additional Release Event Pack.)
- Unlike the standard play, you can ignore the normal deck-building color restrictions based on your leader and can include cards of any color in your deck. There are additional special rules for deck building.
- 6 Packs is the suggested number of packs. Each participant should use the same number of packs.
- You may bring your leader (including those from previous sets) to use in the event.
- Bring 10x DON!! cards.
Deck Construction Rules
After opening 6 packs, players build a 40-card deck, and a 10 DON!! card deck. There are no banned or restricted cards, and players can include as many copies of cards with the same card number as they like. (There is no 4-card limit and 5 or more copies of a card with the same card number can be included in decks.) Any cards left over from deck construction are treated as sideboard cards.
Suggested Match Format
Use a Swiss draw format to match players with the closest win rates.
Sideboard
Cards not used in decks are treated as sideboard cards. In between games, players can exchange cards in their deck with cards in their sideboard. Players can exchange as many cards between deck and sideboard as they like, so long as they have a legal number of cards in their deck.
Special Game Rules
In sealed format games, players can ignore deck color requirements based on their leader. For example, if you are playing with the Red starter deck as your leader, you would be restricted to only having red cards in your deck. However, in sealed, you can use cards of any color in your deck, even though your leader is only Red.
All other card restrictions still apply as normal, including effects listed on leaders that specify names or colors.
Example 1: With your leader as Blue Donquixote Doflamingo, you may search for [The Seven Warlords of the Sea] type of Character cards when triggering his ability.
Example 2: When using the ability of OP01 7-cost Crocodile “Blue Event cards in your hand cost 1 less to play” would only apply to Blue Event cards – This would not apply to Event cards of other colors.
Prizes
Participation
P-092 Koby
Leader Card
OP-12 Pre-Release Pack
- 2 cards per pack
- 75 types in total
- Release Gold Stamped cards are LEGACY OF THE MASTER [OP-12] Common and Uncommon cards.
Winner
P-092 Koby (Silver Foil + Gold Stamp)
Players Application Period
August 1, 2025 onwards Apply here!
Leaders
When selecting a Leader, it’s best to choose one that isn’t limited by specific deck-building requirements or card types. Ideally, your Leader should have abilities that remain useful no matter how your deck ends up. Since players can bring their own Leader to the event, you’re not restricted by the randomness of OP12 packs. That said, some stores may require everyone to use the Rainbow Luffy Leader, so be sure to check with the organizer in advance.
Sanji’s effect works only on 8-cost or lower Characters that don’t have an On Play ability, allowing you to give them the Rush keyword the turn they enter play. This creates immediate pressure by letting your Characters attack right away, forcing opponents to use up their Counter cards. Since Vanilla Characters are especially strong in prerelease events, and you’ll likely include as many as possible, Sanji’s effect adds even more value to them, turning your Vanillas into serious threats.
I believe Sanji will be one of the strongest leaders in this format, especially since we have a lot of Vanilla Characters to include in this format.
Jewelry Bonney is a defensive Leader designed to slow down your opponent’s aggression, and she saw success during previous prereleases. Her ability to rest an opposing attacker makes her great for stalling the game, though it requires you to keep 1 DON!! available during your opponent’s turn. However, unlike in OP07, Bonney no longer has access to the same support cards, so her performance will likely be weaker this time around.
Monkey D. Dragon has a solid standalone effect, allowing you to reassign attached DON!! to another Character. This gives you flexibility and helps maximize your offensive potential by enabling more aggressive plays.
Another strong Leader in this format is Eustass “Captain” Kid, known for his ability to attack multiple times. His effect requires 3 DON!! to activate, making it more suited for the late game. When timed well, it allows you to pick off rested Characters, pressure your opponent’s hand by forcing Counter cards, or shift into an aggressive strategy by attacking the opposing Leader directly.
Charlotte Katakuri’s +1000 Power when you attach a Don on him is crazy good for powerful attacks that could force 2 Counter cards from opponent. Getting to look at the top Life Card gives you crucial information. Usually, we’re more used to looking at our own Life Cards to find a Trigger card. However, we might not have access to many Trigger cards in this format, so we’ll opt to look at the opponent’s Life Cards and put them at the bottom if it’s of any use to them in their upcoming turn.
Yamato is one of the best Leaders for applying pressure with Double Attack, enabling aggressive plays regardless of your deck composition. In many cases, Yamato can carry the game on her own. However, Blockers can disrupt your strategy by shutting down your Double Attacks, especially if you don’t have removal options. It’s also worth noting that facing 5-life Leaders can be challenging, as many players will likely favor them in this format
Yamato also gives 2 Rested Don to one of your characters, maximizing the aggressiveness of the deck.
Other Leaders
These are all strong Leaders with powerful effects that aren’t locked into a specific deck build.
Rainbow Luffy can be a powerful Leader in this format, especially when paired with cards like Nico Robin, Crocodile , Armament Haki, and To Never Doubt–That Is Power! that can still activate their effects even if they’re designed for a specific Leader type. You gain access to effects normally restricted to specific Leaders or card types, allowing you to make use of powerful abilities that would otherwise be unavailable.
OP12 Leaders
Among the new OP12 Leaders, Green Roronoa Zoro is your best choice. The ability to attack a rested Character and then re-stand your Leader for a second attack can go a long way in this format, offering a control option while also pressuring the opponent’s Life cards. However, having to attach 3 Don to Roronoa Zoro to activate this effect can be a bit expensive, especially since we’re trying to develop a board presence.
There are a lot of cards in OP12 that are locked to Zoro, so we can get access to their effect with this Leader.
General Tips
- Protecting your rested Characters can go a long way in this format. Removal options are usually limited, so opponents will rely on sheer attacks to win the field.
- Since removal options are limited, Blockers are extremely valuable in this format, taking a hit for you to protect your Life cards or a key rested Character.
- +2,000 Counter Characters are generally good to have in your deck, making it easier to protect yourself from attackers.
- Vanilla high-stat characters are usually not played in the majority of OPTCG decks. However, for this format, big bodies are good. We want to add as many to our deck as possible.
OP12 Cards
- This set doesn’t have a lot of Rush attackers. Your only good Rusher is the 8-cost Doflamingo, which is a Rare card, so you’ll likely not see it.
- No good Power reduction effects in this, so you can’t rely on lowering a Character’s power to KO it.
- No strong hard removal effects, be it from Characters or Events. You’ll be heavily relying on your attacks to control the board.
- We have less Vanilla cards than the previous set, but still, there are a lot of Vanilla cards to add to your deck. We have a lot of 3 to 6-cost Vanilla cards to take advantage of. So we can go either first or second, depending on how we build the deck.
- No low-cost chump Blockers other than Koushirou.
- A lot of cards in OP12 are locked to certain Leaders, so playing Rainbow Luffy would unlock those effects and potentially give you an edge.
Vanillas
Standard Vanilla
Vanilla cards are excellent in this format; they don’t rely on specific synergies and offer high power for their cost, making them strong, straightforward threats. Since they’re all commons, you’ll have no trouble finding plenty to include in your deck.
We have a lot of options to choose from, but we should avoid the 2-cost one since 4,000 Power isn’t creating much of a threat. If we’re planning to go first with our deck, a 3-cost Vanilla would make sense to play on turn 2 instead of swinging for an 8,000 Power Leader attack.
+2,000 Vanillas
These are Vanilla Characters with a +2,000 Counter, making them excellent additions to your deck, whether you use them defensively for their Counter effect or play them to build board presence. Compared to standard Vanillas, they trade 1,000 Power for the added Counter value. While that makes them weaker on the field, their higher Counter makes them much more effective at protecting you from attacks. These are all uncommon, so you have good odds of hitting these!
You’ll generally prefer these +2,000 Counter Characters over most effect-based ones, as they offer better overall value, both as defensive options and as solid plays when you need to put them on the field. I’ll feature the other +2,000 Counters later in this guide, and we’ll talk more about them!
Vanilla Stats With Effect
These are Characters with an effect but have the standard Vanilla statline. Naturally, there’s a trade-off—while they offer both solid stats and an effect, they come with no Counter, making them dead cards in hand during your defensive turn. Still, they’re worth including for their strong on-field presence and useful abilities.
4-cost Roronoa Zoro is the only exception here since he only gains the +1,000 Power through his effect. You need to have a <Slash> attribute Leader to get the +1,000 Power boost and the <Slash> immunity, so Green Roronoa Zoro or Rainbow Luffy would be perfect to get the most from your 4-cost Zoro. Worth noting that if your opponent is playing Rainbow Luffy, they can’t KO 4-cost Zoro with a Leader attack, since technically, their Leader has the <Slash> attribute.
Shanks is one of the strongest cards in OP12 to add to your list. He’s a 6,000 Power Blocker that lets you trash a card from your hand to give your opponent’s Leader or one of their Characters a -2,000 Power reduction. He’s a massive defensive play to lower the opponent’s offensive pressure and you get to trash any dead cards in your hand.
Crocodile is another defensive play, but only works with Baroque Works type Leader or Rainbow Luffy. You can return 1 Don to gain a +2,000 Power boost on your Leader or one of your Characters. You’re not dropping down on card resources, and in the late-game, the -1 Don won’t affect your plays.
As for Tashigi, she’ll shine most with Leader Zoro or Rainbow Luffy, resting an opponent’s Character and attaching 3 rested Don to your Leader to go for a heavy attack. You can still include her with other Leaders just for the Vanilla stats and resting effect, but the 3 Don you attach makes it much easier to attack and KO a rested Character.
Blockers
Blockers are incredibly valuable in this format, as most opponents won’t have consistent ways to remove them. This means you can reliably block attacks to protect your Life cards or key rested Characters.
Strongest Flexible Blockers:
- Shanks, Helmeppo, 6-cost Bonney, and Dracule Mihawk are strong blockers that you’ll want to include in your deck.
- We already talked about Shanks, so I’ll skip him and go straight to Helmepoo and Mihawk. Mihawk is basically a 4-cost 8,000 Power blocker as he’s setting 4 of your Don as Active, enabling you to make additional plays. If you happen to pull Mihawk, he’s an instant inclusion in your deck.
- As for Helmeppo, he’s a 5,000 Power blocker, capable of becoming an attacker. However, when KO’d, Helmeppo gets to rest one of the opponent’s 5-cost or less Characters, potentially shutting down one of their attacks.
- Bonney is a value blocker, drawing you 2 cards and trashing 1 card. You can only get access to this effect in the later stages of the game, but still worth it for the added card draw.
- Sabo is both a blocker and a card value Character, but he does force you to take a Life card, which can put you in a more vulnerable spot to your opponent’s attacks.
Some Blockers come with drawbacks or restrictions:
- Carne only gains the blocker keyword if you have 4 or more Events in the trash. In a pre-release format, this isn’t likely to happen unless you include a lot of Events in your deck, which isn’t a good deck-building approach. We’d rather not include Carne in the deck at all.
- Vinsmoke Reiju and 6-cost Emporio Ivankov also require you to have 4 or more Events in your trash to get the most out of them. However, you can include them in your deck for their stat line. Reiju is a 5,000 Power blocker, so she works fine in the deck even without the +2,000 Power boost. As for Ivankov, he’s a 7,000 Power Character capable of putting pressure through attacks, and if KO’d, you get access to one of your Events from the trash.
Synergistic Blockers with Rainbow Luffy:
- Borsalino can’t be removed by an effect, but you’ll rarely find use for this effect in the prerelease format. If you’re playing a Navy Leader or Rainbow Luffy, Borsalino gains the Blocker keyword and a +1,000 Power boost, making him a premium card to add to your list.
- Hack gains the blocker keyword if you’re playing a Revolutionary Army type Leader or Rainbow Luffy. When KO’d, he gets to KO an opponent’s 4-cost or less Character. He’s an amazing card to add to your deck if you’re on Revolutionary Army or Rainbow Luffy, but awful if you’re playing another Leader.
- Nico Robin helps you win the value war, forcing the opponent to trash 2 cards from their hand if they’re holding on to 5 or more cards. This drops down their resources and can make it harder for them to counter your upcoming attacks. She gains the Blocker keyword if you’re playing Rainbow Luffy; having a 7,000 Blocker on the field can slow down the opposing player’s aggression.
- Ipponmatsu synergizes with Slash attribute Leaders, so Green Roronoa Zoro or Rainbow Luffy. He’s a low-cost chump blocker that can’t be rested by an opponent’s effect.
High-power Blockers (6,000+ Power) are always excellent choices. They can safely block 5,000 Power attackers and typically require less Counter investment to keep alive compared to taking the hit to your Life.
Control Characters
- We already talked about Tashigi, and although her effect isn’t technically removing a Character, she is putting it at risk of getting KO’d by your attacks and forcing your opponent to commit their counter resources to protect it.
- Gyukimaru is a weaker option, requiring you to attach 3 Don to one of your attackers to get his resting effect. However, Gyukimaru has a counter effect, so he doesn’t end up a dead card during your defensive turns. Also, Gyukimaru only activates his effect when attacking, so it doesn’t have an immediate impact like that of Tashigi.
- Kuzan trashes a card from your hand to prevent one of the opponent’s Characters from attacking on the upcoming turn. You’re basically slowing down the opponent’s aggression and saving up Counter cards if you shut down a high-power Character from attacking.
- Ms. All Sunday gets to KO a 3-cost or less Character but ramps 1 Don for the opponent. She could come in handy to remove a Vanilla 3-cost Character or a blocker shutting down one of your attacks.
Card Value
Cards that give us more value are usually good in this format, as they ensure we don’t fall behind in the late game. Some of these cards are too strong and should be an immediate addition to your list if you’re lucky enough to pull one.
- 6-cost Bartholomew Kuma is the strongest card here, giving you a Life card when he’s played and another Life card when KO’d. This puts your opponent in a tough spot, forcing them to make a difficult decision on whether to attack Kuma or completely ignore him. The 7,000 Power is perfect for forcing multiple Counter cards when he attacks.
- If you’re down to 2 Life cards, Doflaimingo becomes a Rush attacker. Rush is a strong keyword in this format since you’re immediately gaining value from your Character. Although you’re not gaining direct card value from Doflamingo, if your opponent decides to KO him, you get to add the top card of your deck to your Life Area. I don’t really expect your opponent to commit their attacks on Doflamingo, as they’d rather try to race you at that point in the game. Still, Doflamingo is a great option for the Rush keyword.
- Kalgara is another great card to add, as you’re gaining a card draw if you or your opponent takes a Life card. This effect only activates during your turn, so you’ll likely only get the draw if you damage your opponent’s Leader, as this set doesn’t have many self-damage cards. Regardless, Kalgara is still worth including for the card draw.
Leader Locked:
- Sakazuki is another Character tied to a specific Leader type. If you’re on Rainbow Luffy, then Sakazuki is a great card to add, drawing you two cards when he’s played. Sakazuki can also trash a card from your hand to attach a rested Don, usually best used to trash a dead card and go for a heavier attack.
- If your opponent is holding onto 5 cards or more, Karasu will force them to trash a card of their choosing, increasing the resource gap between you and your opponent.
+2,000 Counters
In OP12, we have access to a wide range of +2,000 Counter Characters. In most cases, these cards are included primarily for their Counter value, helping you shut down incoming attacks and defend key turns. However, we’ll usually favor the Vanilla +2,000 Counter Characters over most of these.
Hina is a standout here as she can shut down 4-cost or less Blockers, allowing you to attack the opponent’s Leader and potentially win the game.
Shimotsuki Kouzaburou can rest a 2-cost blocker, but in OP12, you’re only target will be Koushirou. So you’ll mainly add Shimotsuki Kouzaburou to your list for the +2,000 Counter.
Events
We don’t have to include Events for our deck to perform well, but running two or three events could still come in handy.
Counter Events
This set offers access to several powerful Counter Events, but a lot of them are Leader locked. It’s important not to include too many, as our main goal is to consistently develop the board. Prioritize Characters that help you maintain pressure and presence on the field while using Events as support tools, not the core of your strategy.
- Dead Man’s Game gives your Leader a +3,000 boost to counter one of the opponent’s attacks. It can also be used for its main effect, allowing you to rest 2 of the opponent’s Characters or Don. This comes in handy if you’re lining up the winning turn and your opponent has blockers or event plays shutting down your finisher attack.
- Ice Block Pheasant Peck is trashing a card from your hand to get a +4,000 Power boost on your Leader or one of your Characters. You can trash a dead card to protect yourself from an attack.
Rainbow Luffy Event Synergy
- Slam Gibson is a strong consideration to add to your list. It’s a versatile card that can be used to control the board or to be played as a Counter event to protect your Leader. Slam Gibson rests 5 Don to place a 9-cost or less Character at the top or bottom of the opponent’s Life card. Usually great if you need to remove a high-cost win condition, but it’s locked to Supernovas type Leaders. So Jewelry Bonney or Rainbow Luffy can make use of its control effect. You can still use Slam Gibson for its Counter Event regardless of the Leader you’re playing.
How to build the deck
It’s important to make sure your deck has a smooth curve. Once you’ve added your Blockers, Vanillas, +2,000 Counter cards, and late-game win conditions, take a step back and review your list. You want to ensure you can develop on the board every turn after Turn 1 (if you’re going second). We don’t want to end up with a bunch of unplayable cards in hand and be forced into an awkward turn that puts us behind.
Your turn order should also match your deck’s curve. For example:
- If you’re running a lot of 4-cost and 6-cost Vanillas, going second lets you start playing them right away.
- If your deck leans more on 3-cost, 5-cost, and 7-cost Characters, then going first is usually the better choice.
Also, be careful not to overload your deck with cards that have no Counter value. Running too many of them can make it difficult to defend against attacks, leaving you vulnerable and incapable of defending a rested Character or your Life card.
Practice
You can use a pack-opening simulator here.
Closing Words
A pre-release sealed event is a fun and exciting way to play the One Piece card game, and the prizes are often quite valuable. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the cards before the event; it’ll make deckbuilding easier and help you play more effectively during matches!
This is it from me, I wish the best for your event, good luck! If you want to keep up with my content, consider following me on Twitter or BlueSky.
