Table of Contents
Itching to play more Black control? Rob Lucci is the best Leader to pick up in OP08 for the full control experience! This deck wants to make sure opponents don't get to keep their Characters on the board for too long, preventing them from attacking.
This guide will help you understand Rob Lucci's game plan, how certain cards synergize with one another, and how to approach different matchups.
Gameplan
When Rob Lucci OP07-079-rob-lucci attacks he trashes the top two cards in your deck and lets you reduce the cost of one of the opponent's Characters by 1. So when building a Rob Lucci deck, we must consider those two effects and include cards that can benefit from them. Black color has many cards that benefit from cost-reduction and looking at Trash for cards.
The Black Rob Lucci is a control deck aiming to KO threats on the board before they can attack. With Leader OP07-079-rob-lucci's effect and the many cost reducers, cards like OP05-093-rob-lucci and EB01-046-brook can KO Characters and slow down opponent's pace.
This deck's game plan is tied to cards in the Trash, whether to activate specific effects or play cards from Trash. You have to be mindful of the cards you have and work on adding as many as possible with Leader OP07-079-rob-lucci's effect.
The later stages of the game will rely on getting value from cards in Trash, using EB01-043-spandine, OP05-091-rebecca, and OP06-086-gecko-moria to KO opponent's Characters while also developing multiple Characters on the board to overtake the game.
OP08-084-jack and OP08-079-kaido are new additions to this deck, improving your control strategy with their removal effects. They also stay on the field as high-power attackers, ready to start swinging on the opponent's Leader to try and win the game.
Early Turns
For the early turns we're looking to play OP03-086-spandam to draw one of the top 3 cards in the deck and shape up our future turns. We can only draw a {CP} type card, so depending on our hand, we'll pick the needed card. For instance, if we lack a removal card, we can pick up OP05-093-rob-lucci or OP03-080-kaku. If we needed a cost reducer, then OP07-096-tempest-kick is a great choice.
Keep in mind that OP03-086-spandam is trashing the other two cards revealed. This means we can take advantage of those cards later on, by either playing them on the field or using them to activate our cards' effects.
Removal Cards
OP05-093-rob-lucci is the premium card in this deck for board control. With our cost reduction cards, we can put the opponent's Characters down to 2-cost and 1-cost, allowing OP05-093-rob-lucci to KO them. OP05-093-rob-lucci is the center of the deck because he can be played multiple times throughout the game with cards like EB01-043-spandine and OP06-086-gecko-moria. This means we're not too worried about OP05-093-rob-lucci getting trashed, if anything, we want him in there to get the combo going. I'll discuss the combos more in the upcoming sections, but let's first focus on our other removal options.
As for EB01-046-brook, he's our cheapest removal play but will need extra steps to put a target in range. EB01-046-brook can only KO 0-cost Characters, so we need to have the resources to drop something down to 1-cost, play EB01-046-brook, use his -1 cost reduction effect, and KO the target. EB01-046-brook remains on the field as a removal threat when he attacks, reactivating his cost-reduction and KO effects. So this will force the opponent to find a way to remove him from play or they'll risk having one of their Characters KO'd. EB01-046-brook is only a 4,000 Power Character, so attaching 1 Don will turn him into an attacker that threatens to KO a 5,000 Power rested Character or damage the opponent's Leader (if that Leader is 5,000 Power.)
Since he's a 3-cost, he can be an option to bring from trash through OP05-091-rebecca or OP06-086-gecko-moria, but it's more dependent on what we have in the Trash, since almost always, we'll prefer to pull out OP05-093-rob-lucci.
OP08-084-jack's effect lets you rest him to draw and trash a card, filtering your hand, and KO a 3-cost or less Character. So through his Activate: Main effect, you can KO a Character on the turn he's played. If played on Don 7, you can KO a 4-cost Character with the Leader's -1 cost reduction.
Keep in mind that OP08-084-jack needs to rest for his effect to activate, so although you can activate his effect on the turn he's played and KO a Character. However, this can put him at risk of getting KO'd if the opponent has a high-power Character ready to attack him. Also, for our upcoming turn, we'll need to decide whether we prefer to reactive his KO effect and rest him or make use of the 8,000 Power and attack an opponent's rested Character or their Leader.
Additionally, OP08-084-jack gaining +4 cost when he's in play makes him a nuisance for specific decks/cards to remove him. For example, Rob Lucci, Black Luffy, and Black Yellow Luffy decks won't be able to remove him through their cost-reliant KO cards.
Cost Reduction
OP02-096-kuzan is the best play early into the game, giving you a draw when played and forcing the opponent to find an answer to him immediately. When OP02-096-kuzan attacks, he can reduce the cost of one of the opponent's Characters by 4, allowing you to KO that Character with Brook or Lucci without having to expend cost-reduction resources.
OP07-096-tempest-kick is a 1-cost Event that reduces the cost of the opponent's Character by 3, while also drawing us a card. So we're not losing hand size when playing the Event. However, this card isn't playable in the early turns since its condition requires you to have 10 cards in the trash. With OP07-079-rob-lucci trashing the top 2 cards in the deck every time he goes for the attack, we should be able to get 10 cards in the trash by the mid-game and start using OP07-096-tempest-kick for board control.
ST06-010-helmeppo is one of our strongest cost reducers that we'll take advantage of multiple times in the game. We're fine trashing ST06-010-helmeppo if we don't want to spend the 2 Don to play him. Instead, we'll rely on OP06-086-gecko-moria to play him from the Trash and get access to that -3 cost reduction.
[cardOP02-117-ice-age[/card] is a low-cost Event to reduce the cost of one of the opponent's Characters by 5. It works best on high-cost targets and can be played alongside OP06-086-gecko-moria in the late game.
These are +2,000 Counter cards but can still serve for cost reduction. OP02-106-tsuru is the easiest to play, offering -2-cost for 1 Don. She can also be fetched by OP06-086-gecko-moria in case we don't have ST06-010-helmeppo in the Trash.
OP03-081-kalifa and OP07-080-kaku are a bit difficult to set up as combo plays with your removal cards. They can reduce the cost of a specific target, but they cost 4 Don to play, so you'll only find value from their effects in the late game. They still present an attack threat if left unchecked, but in most cases, you'll be using them for their +2,000 Counter effect.
OP03-081-kalifa's play effect also filters our hand, helping us find our much-needed late-game cards. The 2 cards we trash can put us a step closer to hitting 10 cards in Trash.
Trash Value
Alright, let's get to the fun part! This deck heavily relies on cards in the Trash, not just for activating certain effects of cards like OP05-093-rob-lucci and OP03-080-kaku, but to also play cards from the trash and gain a value edge over the opponent. Looking at our trash and planning out our next plays is crucial to piloting this deck correctly.
EB01-043-spandine can play a 4-cost or less {CP} Character from the trash. This means we're using EB01-043-spandine to get OP05-093-rob-lucci from the trash and activate his KO effect.
In a lot of cases, EB01-043-spandine will end up in our trash, so we'll need OP05-091-rebecca to pull him from the trash and play him for free. Then we can activate his effect and play OP05-093-rob-lucci. So for 4 Don, we're playing a blocker, and 2 Characters.
OP06-086-gecko-moria is the carry in this deck, offering insane value and board control with his effect to play two Characters from the trash.
Before playing OP06-086-gecko-moria, we need to look at our trash, understand what we're planning to do, play any of our cost-reduction cards in our hand, and then play OP06-086-gecko-moria.
The sequence is important since we'll be pulling a removal Character from our Trash through OP06-086-gecko-moria, and we need the cost of the opponent's Character low enough to KO.
So there are different ways to go about playing OP06-086-gecko-moria. The simplest way is dropping OP06-086-gecko-moria, playing OP05-093-rob-lucci from Trash, and playing ST06-010-helmeppo for the cost-reduction. We activate ST06-010-helmeppo's effect first, then we KO two targets with OP05-093-rob-lucci.
A better way to use OP06-086-gecko-moria if we have all the right pieces, is to bring back OP05-091-rebecca instead of OP05-093-rob-lucci. With OP05-091-rebecca's effect, you can play EB01-043-spandine, which he'll use to play OP05-093-rob-lucci. This is an extra step play, but it provides a OP05-091-rebecca blocker on the board to protect your Leader or rested OP05-093-rob-lucci.
In some cases, you might not have ST06-010-helmeppo in the trash, so we'll rely on OP02-106-tsuru for that -2 cost reduction. If for some reason you don't need the cost reduction, we still want to get value from OP06-086-gecko-moria's second card, so we'll instead play OP03-086-spandam to draw a card.
If we don't have OP05-093-rob-lucci in the trash, we'll have to rely on EB01-046-brook to at least KO 1 Character.
Late Removal
OP08-079-kaido is a late-game removal play for Don 9/10, capable of trashing one of the opponent's 7-cost or less Characters, bypassing the "KO immunity" effect. We have to trash a card from our hand to activate the effect, but on the plus side, OP08-079-kaido forces the opponent to trash 1 card of their choosing from their hand.
If we play OP08-079-kaido on Don 9, we can trash an 8-cost Character on the opponent's side of the field with the help of the Leader's cost-reduction effect. OP08-079-kaido will also remain on the field as a 9,000 Power attacker, difficult for opponents to deal with.
Gameplay Video
Techs and Options
OP07-085-stussy is a powerful removal card that can KO a Character regardless of its cost. So we're usually playing OP07-085-stussy when there's a big threat we need to get rid of. To activate OP07-085-stussy's effect, we need to trash 1 of our Characters on the board. So we need to have a low-cost sacrificial Character like OP02-106-tsuru, OP03-086-spandam, or EB01-043-spandine.
When attacking, this card can Trash one of the opponent's 2-cost Characters and since we have a lot of cost-reduction cards, we can put higher cost targets in range for OP07-091-monkeydluffy to Trash. Since we have a lot of cards in Trash, OP07-091-monkeydluffy can become a heavy hitter, gaining a lot of Power and presenting a threat.
The effect saying "Trash" instead of KO means it can go through OP04-083-sabo's effect.
card]OP07-118-sabo[/card]'s effect is similar to that of OP05-093-rob-lucci, but stronger, which can KO two characters with the costs of 5 and 3. With Leader effect, OP07-096-tempest-kick, and OP02-117-ice-age, we can reduce the cost of higher-cost Characters and put them in range for OP07-118-sabo. Playing OP07-118-sabo can be a huge field presence swing, especially since OP07-118-sabo's 9,000 Power is no laughing matter.
OP03-078-issho is for the slow matchup. He's not offering board pressure on the turn he's played, but if he sticks on the field, you can attach 1 Don to him and lower the cost of all the opponent's Characters by 3. This makes it exceptionally easier for you to KO your opponent's Characters, especially if they're high-cost. He's also a beefy Character, technically attacking for 10,000 Power a turn.
If you play OP03-078-issho when the opponent has 6 cards in hand, you can trash 2 of their cards, cutting them out of valuable resources and potentially shutting down their game plan.
OP06-092-brook is a meta call, countering decks that shut down your KO effects. Since his text reads "Trash" instead of KO, it can bypass immunity effects like OP04-083-sabo. This is good for the mirror matchup and against the popular Black Yellow Luffy.
OP03-080-kaku is more suited if we have one target to remove. Unlike OP05-093-rob-lucci, OP03-080-kaku can KO a Character at 3-cost or less, so we might not need to commit as much resources to put the target in range. However, to activate his effect, you'll need to have 2 {CP} type cards in the trash to place them at the bottom of the deck. So always look at your Trash and check if you have the cards needed to activate his effect.
A +2,000 Counter card with {CP} type which can be used to KO a 3-cost or less Character. You'll likely use it as a Counter card over playing him on the field though.
General Tips
- When playing cards like OP05-093-rob-lucci and OP06-086-gecko-moria we need to know the cards we have in the trash to take full advantage of our effects.
- When returning cards to the bottom of our deck through OP05-093-rob-lucci we need to pick cards we won't be playing anymore in future turns. For example, cards like OP07-096-tempest-kick, OP02-117-ice-age, and OP06-086-gecko-moria cannot be played from Trash, so we're fine with returning them to the bottom of our deck.
- We want as many cards in the Trash as possible, especially in the early stages of the game. This means we'll always activate Leader effect even if we do not need the cost reduction. Trashing 2 cards gets us a step closer to activating OP07-096-tempest-kick and can help us find the cards we need in the trash.
- OP05-091-rebecca isn't only tied to OP03-086-spandam. You can play EB01-046-brook from Trash through her or you can pick another Black card like OP07-080-kaku and play something already in hand through OP05-091-rebecca.
- In a lot of cases, we'll have a full field of Characters. When playing a Character over another on the field, choose the low-cost Character we want in the trash to remove off the field. So ST06-010-helmeppo or EB01-043-spandine are usually cards we want in the Trash.
- OP06-086-gecko-moria isn't tied to the OP05-093-rob-lucci combo. If we're feeling safe on the field and there's no threat we want or can't remove, OP02-096-kuzan can be a choice to play for draw value. Also, if we have a Jack in play, we can pick a 4-cost Character with a cost-reduction effect like OP07-080-kaku to put a target in range for Jack to remove.
Mulligan Tips
- OP03-086-spandam and OP05-093-rob-lucci are the main cards we want in our hand.
- OP02-096-kuzan is a great card to have in the opening hand, setting the stage for a powerful early game that forces the opponent to find answers.
- OP06-086-gecko-moria is a late-game card we'd rather have in our hand so we don't trash it.
Important Matchups
Black Luffy
- The Leader Black Luffy + cost effect might force more cost-reduction resources out of us. However, they can only play 1 Character a turn, so we can control the field and take things to the late-game.
- OP08-084-jack will be the toughest to KO, so we'll mostly have to attack him instead of using KO effects.
- Don't let EB01-046-brook stick on the field for too long, we don't want him to attack and KO a Character.
- A lot of lists include OP03-078-issho, so try not to hold more than 5 cards in hand so they don't trash two of them.
- This will end up a resource game, and Gecko Moria will be a huge play to gain more resources and outvalue the opponent.
- Jack is problematic for both sides since he forces too much resources to KO through effects. Both will rely on their high-cost Characters to attack and KO him. Using Counter resources to protect him is usually worth it.
Purple Blue Reiju
- They can play aggressively with Porche cheating out a Character, so our main focus will be to control their side of the field, taking things to the late game.
- Don't hold too many cards in hand to avoid Pudding losing your valuable resources.
- They don't have removal tools for your high-power Characters like Gecko Moria, Jack, or Kaido. So they'll either ignore them or rely on Ichiji's Power reduction.
- If they play a Black Maria, we need to KO her as fast as possible so they don't gain back Don throughout the game.
Green Jewelry Bonney
- We're mostly focusing on removing their Characters and running them out of resources.
- OP07-021-urouge and EB01-012-cavendish are important cards to KO immediatly. They're giving opponent Active Don and enabling an easier game plan.
- They're not presenting much of an offensive threat outside of OP06-035-hody-jones and OP06-118-roronoa-zoro. OP06-118-roronoa-zoro is a must-target for us to remove, we can't afford to take a triple attack turn.
- You'll have to KO OP07-029-basil-hawkins by attacking it over using KO effects since it can rest one of your Characters and nullify it. You can though KO it with Jack, since activating his effect will rest him. However, make sure you don't have any Active Character on the field when activating Jack's effect.
Black Yellow Luffy
- This is a tough matchup since we want to avoid attacking their Leader recklessly, but at the same time, we need to attack to Trash cards from the top of the deck. Try to attack only when the opponent is above 2 Life Cards. The plan here is to make it difficult for them to set up the Gecko Moria play.
- KO ST13-015-monkeydluffy as soon as possible before they activate his self-damage effect multiple times.
- OP04-083-sabo is the main problem for us as his effect shuts down all our KO effects. This lets them build a threatening board while also keeping a wall of blockers protecting their Leader.
- We want to have multiple high-cost Characters in play, like Gecko Moria and Kaido, to present an attacking threat. Kaido's trash effect will be useful in this matchup to bypass the OP04-083-sabo effect.
Yellow Enel
- This will be a slow matchup and will come down to the value game plan.
- Avoid dropping them below 2 Life Cards until you've established multiple Characters that can unleash a barrage of attacks and either win the game on the spot or force tons of resources from them.
- Having them at 2 Life Cards means they won't gain a Life Card from OP04-112-yamato, won't gain Rush on OP07-119-portgasdace, and will have to trash a Life card if they play EB01-059-kingdom-come.
Closing Words
Rob Lucci is difficult to master as there are always different plays you could make on certain turns that can change the game's outcome. Regardless, these types of decks are always enjoyable to play, as well as learning how to approach different matchups and when you should hold off on playing certain removal cards to save them for bigger threats.
This is it from me, hopefully, you found the guide useful! If you want to keep up with my content, consider following me on Twitter.
