The Red Purple Monkey D. Luffy is a fun Starter 10 Leader that combines the Red and Purple colors to hold its own in the OP09 meta. This Leader can be built in three different ways: aggressively by running Rush attackers, midrange by having a powerful mid-game plan, and late-game by running high-cost options.
The popular Red Purple Luffy choice in OP09 meta is the late-game approach, including high-cost cards to overpower opponents in the late-game. The mid-range approach is also a consideration if you want to dominate the mid-game, so I’ll include cards you can run to switch it up.
Check out our OP09 Meta Tier list to learn about all the other competitive decks. Don’t forget to follow us on our Twitter Account to support and keep up with One Piece card game content.
Decklist
1xST10-002
4xOP01-016
2xOP05-010
2xOP09-014
4xST18-001
4xOP05-067
4xEB01-061
4xOP07-064
2xOP09-009
2xOP09-065
4xOP07-015
4xOP02-004
4xOP09-119
2xOP05-119
1xOP03-072
4xOP09-078
1xST01-016
2xOP08-076
How to Play
Leader Red Purple Luffy
Leader Red Purple Luffy only has 3 Life cards, so he might seem a bit vulnerable to aggressive decks. However, the 6,000 Power makes it more of a challenge for opponents to get their attacks through and will require fewer Counter resources from you to shut down attacks.
Leader Red Purple Luffy effect lets you ramp 1 Active Don, letting you make bigger plays. However, you can only activate it on Don 0 and 8, this means when we’re at Don 8+ we can play a higher-cost Character or set up a stronger turn. The only time we’ll get to activate on Don 0 is when we play 10-cost Monkey D.Luffy, which is useful to add to our aggression.
1-cost Characters
The 1-cost Nami is a searcher card, letting us choose 1 {Straw Hat Crew} type card from the top 5 cards in our deck. Your card choice will be dependent on your current hand and what you’re planning to play on the upcoming turns. You can choose a Character to develop, a late-game carry, or a defensive card to Counter an attack.
1-cost Nico Robin is an addition to the list depending on the meta and popular decks. It can be played to KO a Character with 1000 Power or less, so KOing Characters like 4-cost Rebecca or 4-cost Bon Clay.
Ramp Plays
This list has multiple Ramp cards to speed up our game plan and get to Don 8 as fast as possible.
If you go first, Zoro-Juurou or It’s to Die For are the best plays. Zoro-Juuro only ramps you up when he attacks, so you’ll have to wait until the upcoming turn, but he does give an Active Don. On turn 3 you’ll be at 5 Don, attacking with Zoro-Juuro will put you at 6 Don, but since he’s only a 4,000 Power attacker, in most cases you’ll attach Don to him to force the opponent into playing a Counter card. In some cases, you might opt to avoid attaching a Don to him to play a high-cost card. For example, if you’re going second and attacking with Zoro-Juuro on turn 3, you’ll be at 7 Don, capable of playing either Ben Beckman or 7-cost Sanji.
It’s to Die For is another option to play if you don’t have Zoro-Juuro. Although it has a second effect to ramp up another Don if the opponent has a 6,000 Power or more Character, you’ll likely never find use for it at that stage of the game. Its Trigger effect can ramp you up as well, but it’s extremely situational.
As for Mr 2 Bon Clay, they’re best played on turn 2 if you’re going second, giving you an Active Don to attach on your Leader and attach for 7,000 Power or play a 1-cost Nami. Mr 2 Bon Clay can match the Power of one of the opponent’s Characters when it goes for the attack, so its pressure is reliant on what the opponent has in play. When rested, Mr 2 Bon Clay is extremely vulnerable with their 1,000 Power, so you’ll almost always let them go when the opponent attacks them.
Mid-Game Control
7-cost Benn Beckman and 7-cost Sanji are both control options capable of KOing one of the opponent’s Characters. Benn Beckman can trash one of the opponent’s Characters with a power of 6,000 or less. The ability to trash instead of KO is more valuable as it bypasses the KO immunity of cards like 4-cost Borsalino and 5-cost Sabo.
As for 7-cost Sanji, you can return 1 Don to activate his effect, gaining the Rush keyword and resting one of the opponent’s 6-cost or less Characters. This allows you to attack that rested Character with your Leader and/or Sanji to KO it and remove an attacker from the opponent’s side.
Rush Characters
Rush attackers pose a threat on the turn they’re played, either attacking the opponent’s Leader or attempting to KO a rested Character. 8-cost Monkey.D.Dragon puts more aggressive pressure through his On Play effect. He’s a 9,000 Power attacker that gives two rested Don to your Leader or one of your Characters, turning them into high Power aggressors along with him.
As for 9-cost Monkey D. Luffy, he’s a 10,000-power that gains the Rush keyword and draws you a card when you return a Don. Returning a Don at 9 Don won’t put you behind on the upcoming turn, you’ll still be at 10 Don. You can play 9-cost Monkey D. Luffy on Don 8 after ramping with Leader Luffy.
Strongest Plays
9-cost Edward Newgate gives your Leader +2,000 Power on the turn he’s played. That +2,000 Power will remain on your Leader until the end of the opponent’s upcoming turn. So with that extra Power, Leader Luffy packs a heavier punch when he attacks and at the same time, it will be difficult for opponents to damage an 8,000 Power Leader.
Attaching 2 Don to Edward Newgate will activate his When Attacking effect, KOing one of the opponent’s Characters with 3,000 Power or less. This might not find use in most situations, but it could come in handy if there’s a Characters like 4-cost Rebecca shutting down one of your attacks.
The 10-cost Monkey D.Luffy is the strongest play in this deck, giving you an extra turn through his effect. You have to attack with all your Characters before you play him since his On Play effect will place them all at the bottom of the deck and return 10 Don. This is a huge drawback, but once you end your turn, you’ll get to start a new turn immediately, giving you more attacks to set up.
Before you end your turn, ramp with Leader Luffy since you’re at 0 Don, then ramp with 10-cost Money D.Luffy, and then attack with Leader Luffy, forcing Counter plays from the opposing player. When you end your turn, you’ll start a new one, giving you an extra 2 Don along with the 2 Don you’ve just ramped.
In your new turn, you’ll have 4 Active Don to work with and you can attack with Leader Luffy and 10-cost Monkey.D.Luffy, potentially setting up the winning attack turn.
Events
The 0-cost Gum-gum Jet Gatling can trash one card you need the least in your hand to gain +3,000 Poqwe on your Leader of one of your Characters. In most cases, you’ll trash a card with no Counter effect.
Gum Gum Giant is a powerful defensive event that returns 2 Don to give your Leader or one of your Characters +4,000 Power and draws two cards, ensuring you have more plays to make or even find more Counter cards. Since Gum Gum Giant is returning two Don, you want to play when you’re at 8+ Don so you don’t struggle to play your high-cost Characters on the upcoming turn.
Other Cards to Include
- Queen is a 6,000 Power blocker that returns 1 Don to draw two cards and trash 1. He’s a defensive play that gives more resources.
- 7-cost Eustass”Captain”Kid gives your Leader +1,000 Power that remains on him until the end of the opponent’s turn. This turns Leader Luffy into a 7,000 Power Leader, difficult for attacks to go through.
You can run more of the {Straw Hat Crew} along with 4-cost O-Nami/
- 4-cost Zoro-Juuro and 5-cost San-Gorou are value Characters that draw you cards through their effects.
- 7-cost Luffy-Tarou lets you go wider on the field, playing a 5-cost or less {Straw Hat Crew} type Character alongside him.
Turn-Based Gameplay
Going First
- Turn 1 (1 Don): 1-cost Nami.
- Turn 2 (3 Don): 3-cost Zoro-Juuro or It’s to Die For
- Turn 3 (5 Don): 4-cost Bon Clay.
- Turn 4 (7 Don) (8 or 9 Don): You can ramp with Leader Red Purple Luffy for extra Don. 8-cost Monkey.D.Dragon or 9-cost Monkey.D.Luffy if you need a Rush attacker. 9-cost Edward Newgate if you favor the +2,000 Power on your Leader. If the opponent has an Active Character you want to KO, you can play one of your 7-cost Characters.
- Turn 5 (9 Don): 9-cost Monkey.D.Luffy if you need a Rush attacker. 9-cost Edward Newgate if you favor the +2,000 Power on your Leader.
- Turn 6 (10 Don): 9-cost Monkey.D.Luffy if you need a Rush attacker. 9-cost Edward Newgate if you favor the +2,000 Power on your Leader. 10-cost Monkey.D.Luffy is a consideration on this turn or the next, depending on the state of the game.
Going Second
- Turn 1 (2 Don): 1-cost Nami.
- Turn 2 (4 Don): 4-cost Bon Clay.
- Turn 3 (6 Don) (7 Don): 7-cost Benn Beckman or 7-cost Sanji.
- Turn 4 (8 Don) (9 Don): Ramp with Leader Red Purple Luffy. 9-cost Monkey.D.Luffy if you need a Rush attacker. 9-cost Edward Newgate if you favor the +2,000 Power on your Leader.
- Turn 5 (10 Don): 9-cost Monkey.D.Luffy if you need a Rush attacker. 9-cost Edward Newgate if you favor the +2,000 Power on your Leader. Usually, you don’t want to play 10-cost Monkey.D.Luffy this early unless you can set up an extremely aggressive turn to win the game. You’ll wait until turn 6 or 7.
