We had amazing OPTCG games at the North American Nationals during Bandai Card Fest in Orlando, where the best players did their best to make it into the World Championship. To qualify for the 2025 World Championship, players need to make it into the top 3, which means players who fail to make it into the finals still have to face off against one another for intense games to determine which player gets to go through.
Interestingly, IShowSpeed was a special guest in this event, news that none of the players expected when they first saw it revealed on Twitter. The first-place winner also got a signed card by IShowSpeed.
Many of the top decks had a great showing, like Blue Doflamingo, Purple Luffy, and Red Shanks. But Black Rob Lucci seemed like the toughest foe in these tournaments, a control deck that was once at the top of the food chain. Black Rob Lucci’s kryptonite is none other than Black Yellow Luffy, which we got to witness in the finals of NATs, as the top 2 players faced off to show us how tough this match is for the Lucci player.
1st Place BY Luffy – Cross_aii
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4xOP06-106
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1xST13-008
1xST13-012
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2xEB01-059Cross showed up with an interesting Black Yellow Luffy list and managed to crush every player in his path, making it to the finals and beating Black Rob Lucci to claim first place.
Two cards stand out in this, the 4-cost Shirahoshi and Kingdom Come. Kingdom Come makes sense in this meta against decks that develop a high-cost Character, allowing you to KO it for 6 Don. This does require you to be at 1 Life card or you’ll end up trashing valuable resources, but the Black Yellow Luffy player won’t struggle to be at low Life cards. Decks like Red Shanks and Black Marshall D. Teach have 10-cost win conditions they’ll usually play, so Kingdom Come is a perfect answer. Additionally, Kingdom Come’s Trigger effect can be a game-swinger if it manages to KO one of the opponent’s attackers.
As for Shirahoshi, she’s a 4-cost Blocker that gives one of the opponent’s Characters -4 cost-reduction, perfect if you follow her up with 5-cost Egghead Luffy to KO a high-cost Character. Shirahoshi being a blocker is perfect to protect your Leader in the late-game.
The Black Yellow Luffy deck wants to take early hits and fall down to 0 Life cards, allowing you to activate Leader effect and start putting 2 Adult brothers in your Life area. You can then cheat them out on the field using your kid brothers, which in turn will give your Leader +2,000 Power for each kid you’ve activated.
The plan is to hit Don 10, be at 0 Life cards, and start playing 8-cost Gecko Moria to bring back the kid brothers from the Trash and activate their effects. This deck is exceptionally strong because the Power you gain from the kid brothers will stick on your defensive turn, making it difficult for opponents to get through, especially if you have blocker Sabo in play.
2nd Place Black Rob Lucci – Kstryder
1xOP07-079
2xEB01-043
4xEB01-046
3xOP02-106
2xOP03-080
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1xOP04-083
4xOP05-091
4xOP05-093
4xOP06-086
3xOP07-080
2xOP08-079
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1xST06-010
2xST08-002
4xOP02-117
1xOP03-097
4xOP07-096I honestly believe that Kstryder could have won it all if his opponent wasn’t Black Yellow Luffy. He played his Rob Lucci games amazingly, and there were turns where he could have made a comeback against the awful BY Luffy matchups. Cross having 4 Gecko Morias in the first game made things extremely difficult for the Lucci player, especially since the first game was winnable if the fourth Moria didn’t drop. Nonetheless, making 2nd place at Nats is an amazing achievement, and guaranteeing a spot for Worlds is the main goal for these players.
Black Rob Lucci is a control deck that relies on reducing the cost of the opponent’s Characters and then using Characters like Brook, Rob Lucci, and Jack to KO the opponent’s Characters. The cards in your trash are important since you’ll be using Rebecca and Gecko Moria to fetch them back into the game.
8-cost Gecko Moria is this deck’s strongest value card, allowing you to develop multiple Characters in one turn. The usual play is Gecko Moria > Rebecca > Helmeppo/Tsuru. Rebecca then plays Spandine, which lets you cheat out Rob Lucci from the trash to KO opponent’s Characters.
You’ve successfully developed KO’d one or two of the opponent’s Characters, played two attackers, and have Rebecca as a blocker to protect you. Gecko Moria isn’t tied to this combo only, as you can go for other Characters like Kuzan and Spandam for the extra draws.
9-cost Kaido is perfect to trash one of the opponent’s Characters, which found use in the BY Luffy matchup to bypass the Sabo KO immunity effect. It also forced the opposing player to trash a card from their hand and Kaido remains in play as a high-power attacker.
This list is also on 2-cost Uta, a cost reduction option that can’t be KO’d through attacks from the opponent’s Leader, so they’ll be forced to use a Character or an effect to remove it.
3rd Place Blue Doflamingo – Yonas
1xOP01-060
4xST03-005
4xST03-004
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3xOP06-047
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4xST17-002
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2xOP06-058
2xOP07-057The King of OP09 meta didn’t manage to make it into the finals, but still, it fought tooth and nail for that spot in the World Championship. Blue Doflamingo changed a lot with the release of new support cards, turning into a more aggressive deck as it relies on developing multiple Characters a turn and unleashing a barrage of attacks.
Using Leader Doflamingo’s effect, you can cheat out a {The Seven Warlords of the Sea} type Character from the top of your deck for less Don. This allows you to go for high-power attacks with your Leader while still developing threats in play. The 4-cost Trafalgar Law has become one of the strongest plays for this deck, giving you interaction with the opponent’s side of the field while still throwing a body on the field. The ability to return a 4-cost or less Character to the opponent’s hand means they’ll have less control on the field, removing one of their attackers and slowing them down in the early game.
This deck doesn’t run out of resources easily, and if you’re not careful, it can burn your resources using Pudding.
Yonas’ list has two copies of Gravity Blade Raging Tiger to return 2 of the opponent’s 6-cost or less Characters to the bottom of their deck. This is a strong Event in the current meta, finding use against decks like Black Yellow Luffy, Blue Doflamingo, and Black Teach.
4th Place Black Rob Lucci – Tyler
1xOP07-079
2xOP02-096
1xST06-008
1xST06-010
3xOP02-106
3xOP03-081
3xOP03-086
2xOP04-083
4xOP05-091
4xOP05-093
4xOP06-086
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3xOP07-080
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4xOP07-096Another Rob Lucci players end up in the top 4, just short of making it into the Worlds. The Black control Leader is still one of the strongest decks in OP09 meta, proving can go far in these events.
This list is on Soap Sheep, to give two of the opponent’s Characters -2 cost reduction. This is perfect against Blue Doflamingo, who develops multiple Characters a turn. Playing Soao Sheep and following it up with 4-cost Rob Lucci makes it easier for you to KO their Characters.
Finger Pistol is a great Event to KO a 5-cost or less Character, and if it happens to be in your Life area, you’re getting a KO without having to use up any Don.
Top 8 Purple Luffy – SPZ_Danie
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4xOP09-078The Ramp Purple Luffy made it to top 8, using {Straw Hat Crew} type Characters as part of its strategy. This deck can play Characters a turn earlier than expected, allowing you to put pressure on the field and force opponents to take a defensive approach.
7-cost Luffy-Tarou lets you cheat out a 5-cost or less Purple {Straw Hat Crew} type Character, developing two Characters on turn 3, which can be rough for most decks to keep up with.
9-cost Monkey D. Luffy and 9-cost Charlotte Linlin are your late-game win conditions, each serving a different role. 9-cost Monkey D. Luffy goes for a Rush attack, capable of KOing a rested Character or even playing aggressively and attacking the opponent’s Leader. As for Charlotte Linlin, she’s good to remove a 6-cost Character from the opponent’s side of the field and giving you an extra Life card, buying you more time to win the game.
Top 8 Purple Luffy – tyranitar
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2xST04-005
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4xOP09-078Top 8 Black Rob Lucci – Nightloaf
1xOP07-079
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2xOP02-106
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4xOP03-081
3xOP03-086
1xOP04-083
4xOP05-091
4xOP05-093
4xOP06-086
1xOP08-079
3xOP08-084
3xOP08-091
1xST06-008
2xST06-010
4xOP02-117
2xOP03-095
4xOP07-096Top 8 Green Bonney – Silent Kwak
1xOP07-019
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4xEB01-015
2xOP01-039
3xOP01-051
2xOP04-021
4xOP04-031
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4xOP05-030
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4xOP08-023
4xST02-007
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2xOP05-037Green Bonney is a stall Leader, letting you rest one of the opponent’s attackers and preventing them from attacking. This saves you from playing Counter cards and stretches out the game until you can win the game. Carrot backs you up by keeping Characters rested, weakening the opposing player’s aggression, and forcing them to find a way to remove Carrot.
Eustass”Captain”Kid is your Fortress strategy, shutting opponents down from attacking anything other than Eustass”Captain”Kid. And with blockers, especially Rosinante, it can be difficult for most decks to break through and will force a lot of resources from them.
9-cost Shanks and 10-cost Doflamingo are late-game plays to carry the game. Shanks can KO a rested Character, helping you control the field. As for Doflamingo, he can keep three attackers rested, halting them from attacking on the upcoming turn, which remove a lot of pressure off of you and gives you the time to set up the winning turn.
