The Navy Black Green Issho from the OP04 box showed up in an OP10 East local tournament, using its effect to re-stand Characters to keep them out of harm’s way from the opposing player’s attackers.
This is a unique off-meta Leader that we rarely see played, so if you’re exhausted from the popular meta picks, sit down, relax, and let me explain what we’re trying to do with GB Issho!
Leader
Issho has two effects, the first requires you to attach a Don to your Leader to activate, giving all your opponent’s Characters a -1 cost reduction. This can help you put Characters in range for your effects to target.
As for his second effect, at the end of your turn, you can rest a Don to set one of your rested Characters with a cost of 5 or less as Active. This can make it more challenging for opponents to KO our Characters, but it also means we can attack with our Blockers and still have one of them as Active to protect us.
This list makes use of the second effect the most, going for aggressive attacks while still keeping the valuable Character Active. The cost-reduction comes into use when we’re using cards like Carrot or T-Bone, letting us target a higher-cost Character.
Black Green Issho Decklist
How to Play
Early Searcher
The list is heavy on Navy-type Characters, so having Brannew in the list gives you an early searcher to find what you need. We’ll also likely replay Brannew from the trash through 8-cost Gecko Moria, getting more cards in our hand to outvalue the opposing player.
Blockers
This list is heavy on blockers, which makes sense since we can attack with a Blocker and still have it Active to protect our Leader. Also, we’re running the Fortress strategy with 8-cost Eustass”Captain”Kid, so having low-cost blockers is a must.
Donquixote Rosinante and Killer are 2-cost Blockers to protect you from an attacker. Rosinante is a better defensive option since his effect prevents your opponent from KOing one of your Characters through an effect by sacrificing himself. He’s a perfect defensive blocker if you want to keep a valuable Character in play.
As for Killer, you can attach a Don to him and draw a card when he goes for the block. However, you need to have 3 Characters on the field for Killer‘s effect to activate.
Borsalino and Sabo are powerful blockers, that work perfectly with your Leader effect, allowing you to attack with them and still use their 6,000 Power to block an attack.
Borsalino can’t be KO’d easily thanks to his KO immunity, so opponents will have to rely on other means to deal with him. As for 5-cost Sabo, his On Play effect gives all your Characters a KO immunity until the start of your next turn. This can be a whole shutdown for specific decks that rely on KO effects to control your field.
Additionally, Sabo can filter your hand, drawing 2 cards and then letting you trash 2 of your choice, helping you fix your hand and find the cards you need.
Rebecca is a value blocker, adding a Black Character with a cost of 3 to 7 to your hand and then playing a Black Character with a cost of 3 or less. With this list, you’re usually playing a Brannew from hand or deciding not to for anything and just play Rebecca alone to block an attack.
Green Duo
Carrot is great for keeping one of the opponent’s 6-cost or less Characters rested, preventing it from attacking on the upcoming turn. You can reactivate Carrot‘s effect when she attacks, so she quickly becomes annoying and a prime target for opponents to KO. We’ll try to protect her whenever possible, especially since we can target a 7-cost Character with Carrot when we reduce its cost using Leader Issho’s effect.
As for 5-cost Smoker, it’s a 7,000 Power attacker with the Banish keyword, which means our attack will usually be directed at their Leader to force them into playing Counter cards. Smoker sets one of your rested Don as Active through Activate: Main effect, making it easier for you to activate your Issho‘s effect to re-stand a Character.
Fortress Strategy
Eustass”Captain”Kid enables the fortress strategy, acting as a wall to protect you from attackers. Attaching a Don to Kid and having him rested will force opponents to remove him first before they get to attack anything else on your field, including your Leader. Eustass”Captain”Kid can also cheat out a 3-cost or less Character from your hand, so usually want to go for Rosinante or Killer as blockers to protect Kid from a high-power attack.
In the case, you don’t have Rosinante in hand, and you’re worried your opponent has the removal option to deal with Kid, you can cheat out Tashigi. 3-cost Tashigi can protect Kid from a removal effect, forcing your opponent to deal with Kid the good-fashioned way, attack him.
Late-Game Moria
8-cost Gecko Moria is your strongest value play, letting you play two Characters from your trash. You can play Borsalino + Brannew through Gecko Moria, or if you don’t have Borsalino in the trash, you can go for Rebecca and activate her effect for added value.
+2,000 Counter
Tsuru and T-Bone are +2,000 Counters, but they can be used for their effects. Tsuru gives your opponent’s Characters -2 cost-reduction, helping you put Characters in range for certain effects, like Carrot.
As for T-Bone, he can KO an opponent’s Characters with a cost of 2 or less, combined with Leader Issho effect, you can KO a 3-cost or less Characters. Add Tsuru to the mix, you can now KO a 5-cost or less Character.
Mulligan
- If you’re going second, Borsalino is great as a turn 2 play.
- Smoker or Carrot for a great turn 3 play.
- Eustass”Captain”Kid and Gecko Moria for strong late-game.
Turn-Based Gameplay
Going First
- Turn 1 (1 Don):
- Turn 2 (3 Don): Brannew, Rosinante, or Killer.
- Turn 3 (5 Don): Smoker or Carrot.
- Turn 4 (7 Don): Smoker, Carrot, or Sabo. Save 1 Don to re-stand a Character.
- Turn 5 (9 Don): Eustass”Captain”Kid +blocker or Gecko Moria.
- Turn 6 (10 Don): Eustass”Captain”Kid +blocker or Gecko Moria.
Going Second
- Turn 1 (2 Don): Brannew, Rosinante, or Killer.
- Turn 2 (4 Don): Borsalino.
- Turn 3 (6 Don): Smoker or Carrot.
- Turn 4 (8 Don): Gecko Moria. If you have Smoker you can go for Eustass”Captain”Kid +blocker
- Turn 5 (10 Don): Eustass”Captain”Kid +blocker or Gecko Moria.
