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The One Piece manga series continues to overtake iconic American comic books in terms of sales and value. The recent news that Eiichiro Oda’s magnum opus has overtaken the original issue of Action Comics has sent ripples through the entertainment sector. The popularity of the property has gone far beyond anything that we have seen from other Shonen Jump franchises. The live action show seems to be a huge success for Netflix for example.
What does that mean for the One Piece Trading Card Game? The sales charts of the past year indicate that the OPTCG is the fourth most sold card game of the year. Trading card games in general seem to be gaining a lot of traction in the current era. The success if iGaming has reignited a passion for blackjack and poker. Fans of online casinos are learning as much as they can from the Warcraftmovies review of fast payout casinos and similar such platforms.
Becoming Pirate King
One Piece detractors often cite the story’s length as a detriment. But any fan of the manga and anime will say that the seemingly unending tale is a feature that they enjoy. Luffy’s quest to become Pirate King is engrossing and inspiring. But it would not be nearly so touching if Oda did not take his time to flesh out each individual character. It would be rather disappointing if the ultimate treasure ultimately ended up in Blackbeard’s hands though.
That sentiment can also be felt for players who may be new to the One Piece Trading Card Game. Learning the ropes and building fun decks can certainly be thrilling. But there is just as much fun to be had in a game where you are winner. The One Piece trading card game’s success has steadily been growing. New players are discovering the game and growing intrigued. Some may want to slowly uncover the secrets of the game and craft their own strategies. But others surely need a push in order to understand the meta.
Play with a DON!!
The beloved character who built the Pirate King’s ship did everything with gusto. Tom the Builder emphasized the need to seize life to the fullest by uttering his iconic catchphrase “With a DON!!” It is that very motto that the One Piece card game references with the DON!! card type. But new players who may be used to alternatives like Magic: The Gathering or Yu-Gi-Oh! will often make the mistake of hoarding DON!! cards in hopes of making better use for them down the line.
This is a huge mistake for two reasons. The first is simply that there may never be a better time to use the DON!! down the line. Hoarding resources is a viable strategy in some card games. But the best play is almost always to hit the opponent hard and fast right from the start. The second reason lies in the very structure of the OPTCG, which separates it from its better-known competitors.
The One Piece card game is structured in a way to prevent dead draws. That is to say a player will always have options to pull off a play of some kind. This means that there is simply no reason for a player to be so stingy with DON!! cards, which when used properly could guide you on the path to victory. So it is certainly fair to say that when you play OPTCG, you should go all out with a DON!
Support for the Captain is Crucial
Not every pirate captain can have the raw charisma of Luffy or the impressive presence of Newgate. But the truly beautiful aspect of One Piece is that even those lesser captains do their best to achieve their dreams. But only the ones whose crew has their backs can truly make it to the top of the New World. The One Piece Trading Card game reflects this with their leader cards. Leader cards are permanent staples of the board, around which the entire deck must be built.
When it comes to licensed card games like the OPTCG, it is very tempting for players to select the cards representing characters that they like most. But the truth is that without a proper deck building strategy you are unlikely to win a game. What is worse, it is highly likely that players won’t get to have any fun at all. So when you pick your Leader card, make sure that you’ve studied and analyzed their effects and where they shine. Build your deck from there by adding cards that synergize with the leader’s abilities.
Take Some Notes from Luffy
The story of One Piece would not be the same were it not for the lovable and light-hearted protagonist. Monkey D. Luffy is a boy whose body is made of rubber. He may not know much about sailing, ship repair, cooking or medicine. But what he does know is that he has one dream for which he will do anything. After a decade of training his rubber body to its full potential, Luffy sets out to find the Pirate King’s treasure and become the sea’s ruler.
A rubber body may not sound all that impressive on paper. But any One Piece fan has been impressed by the offensive and defensive ways in which Monkey D. Luffy has used his strange physiology to his advantage. Players of the One Piece card game might learn something from the Straw Hat captain. The first lesson that they can learn is that hitting hard is not always the best way to win. Offensive cards are enticing and certainly the most fun. But you need just as much of a focus on defense if you want to prevail.
But Luffy’s most impressive power is his imagination. That is where the use of event and stage cards comes in. Truly effective players who’ve mastered the game know how to implement these extra cards in order to give their characters an opening and opportunity to seize the moment. So players who want to rank among the best should take some inspiration from Luffy and go all out to achieve their dream.
