Table of Contents
The Chief of Staff
OP13-004-sabo is a great choice if you’re looking for a well-balanced deck that can go toe-to-toe with powerful OP13 leaders like OP13-079-imu and OP13-002-portgasdace, as well as popular OP12 staples such as OP12-001-silvers-rayleigh and OP12-020-roronoa-zoro. Often overlooked by many players, this underrated dark horse can give you an advantage in matchup familiarity, as it catches opponents off guard with its flexible game plan.
This leader offers a strong mix of offense and defense, supported by a smooth and reliable engine built around Revolution Army cards. With the right deck build and skillful piloting, OP13-004-sabo can adapt to almost any matchup, giving you a fair shot at winning against any deck across the board.
Welcome to your comprehensive deckbuilding guide for OP13-004-sabo, a versatile Red/Black leader in the OP13 format. This guide explores core strategies, essential card choices, and flexible tech options that define this well-balanced deck.
- Deck Core: Cards that are an absolute must-includes or are found in nearly every winning list.
- Tech Cards: Specialized options for fine-tuning the deck against specific matchups or for personal playstyle.
- Sample Decklists: Proven lists that combine the core engine with the right tech choices, offering practical examples of how Sabo achieves consistent results
OP13-004-sabo is a resilient leader that takes time to set up during the early game. Its passive effect reduces its power by 1000 when you have 4 or more life cards, effectively making it a 4000-power leader. However, this drawback is minor because Sabo starts with 5 life cards, giving you the flexibility to convert life into extra hand resources as you transition from the early to mid game.
What truly makes this leader capable of punching above its weight class is its [DON!! x1] effect. When this leader has 1 DON!! attached and you control a character that costs 8 or more, both your leader and all your characters gain +1000 power. This boost not only makes your attacks stronger but also helps your board survive enemy pressure. Since the effect is also active during your opponent’s turn, Sabo can reach 6000 power when you have 3 or fewer life cards—making it a real threat on offense and easy to defend leader at the same time.
Beyond its powerful effect, OP13-004-sabo also stands out for its excellent deck-building flexibility. It synergizes perfectly with Revolutionary Army cards such as OP05-021-revolutionary-army-hq and OP12-086-koala for consistency, OP13-120-sabo-284 and OP12-089-hack for strong mid-game plays, and finishers like OP12-094-monkeyddragon and OP07-015-monkeyddragon. Together, these cards make OP13-004-sabo a formidable and well-balanced deck that can hold its own against top-tier leaders.
Ready yourself and trust OP13-004-sabo, the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army, as we build this deck card by card to liberate the oppressed and bring justice to the world!
Core Cards
Every strong OP13-004-sabo deck starts with a solid core. These key cards form the backbone of Sabo’s strategy by consistently searching for vital Revolutionary Army pieces, building and stabilizing your board, and gradually dominating the battlefield with an unending wave of pressure until your opponent has no way to recover.
The Searchers
A reliable 1-cost searcher, OP12-086-koala comes with a crucial [On Play] effect. When played under a leader with the Revolutionary Army type, you can look at the top 3 cards of your deck, reveal 1 Revolutionary Army card other than Koala or up to 1 Nico Robin, and add it to your hand. This ability helps you find your key pieces right when you need them, such as OP05-021-revolutionary-army-hq for consistent hand filtering, OP13-120-sabo-284 to stabilize your mid-game board, or OP12-094-monkeyddragon to swarm the field in your favor. On top of that, the 2 cards you don’t reveal are sent directly to your trash, which helps power up your late-game plays by enabling strong effects from cards like PRB02-014-sabo and OP12-094-monkeyddragon, both of which benefit greatly from having a large trash pile.
Run 3-4 copies as recommended.
A powerful new searcher for Three Brothers red decks, OP13-016-monkeydgarp is a 1-cost card that greatly improves the consistency of OP13-004-sabo. Its [On Play] effect lets you look at the top 4 cards of your deck, choose 1 card with a cost of 3 or higher to add to your hand, and place the remaining cards at the bottom of your deck in any order. This makes Garp a versatile searcher that can find both Revolutionary Army cards and other key combo pieces. When paired with Sabo’s flexible deck-building options, Garp becomes a valuable support piece that fits naturally into many different decklists and playstyles.
Beyond consistency, Garp also excels at helping you find exactly what you need at every stage of the game. During the mid-game, it can fetch stabilizers like OP12-089-hack or OP13-120-sabo-284 to maintain a strong board presence and transition smoothly into the late game. Once you reach that stage, Garp allows you to search for finishers like OP12-094-monkeyddragon or OP07-015-monkeyddragon, ensuring you always have the tools to close out matches.
Run 2-4 copies as recommended.
A powerful and consistent value engine, OP05-021-revolutionary-army-hq is a 1-cost stage that keeps your deck flowing turn after turn. Its [Activate: Main] effect lets you rest this stage and trash 1 card from your hand to look at the top 3 cards of your deck. You can then reveal up to 1 Revolutionary Army type card and add it to your hand, placing the rest at the bottom of your deck in any order.
This effect greatly improves your consistency, helping you find key cards like OP12-094-monkeyddragon and OP07-015-monkeyddragon to finish games, or defensive counters like OP13-090-hack and OP12-093-morley when you need to protect your board. In addition to that, the discard requirement actually works to your advantage. By trashing 1 card from your hand, you can set up powerful plays that activate effects from cards like PRB02-014-sabo and OP12-094-monkeyddragon by feeding your trash pile. It also makes OP13-120-sabo-284 an ideal discard target since it has no counter and can be played directly from the trash thanks to OP12-094-monkeyddragon’s effect. Altogether, OP05-021-revolutionary-army-hq serves as a vital engine that holds the Sabo deck together, powering both its combos and overall consistency.
Run 4 copies as recommended.
The 2k Counters
A staple defensive option, PRB02-014-sabo is a 6-cost, 6000-power [Blocker] with a 2000 counter. It becomes even stronger once you have 15 or more cards in your trash, as its cost is reduced by 3, letting you play it for just 3 DON!! instead of 6. While reaching 15 cards in the trash might sound difficult, OP13-004-sabo’s support cards like OP12-086-koala and OP05-021-revolutionary-army-hq make it easy to achieve by the mid to late game. This makes PRB02-014-sabo a highly flexible card—serving as both a reliable [Blocker] and a searchable 2000 counter when needed.
Run 4 copies as recommended.
A cost-efficient enabler, OP12-093-morley is a 4-cost card with a 2000 counter that can also be searched easily. It has an effect that increases its own cost by 4 as long as your leader has the Revolutionary Army type, effectively making it an 8-cost character. This interaction helps activate OP13-004-sabo’s [DON x1] effect earlier, boosting both your offense and defense by powering up your entire board. However, Morley often works best as a hand counter, since the deck has more effective options for meeting Sabo’s condition—such as OP12-089-hack.
Run 0-4 copies as recommended.
Another staple hand counter, OP13-090-hack is a 6-cost card with 7000 power and a searchable 2000 counter. Despite its above-average stats, Hack’s true value in a OP13-004-sabo deck comes from being a reliable 2000 counter, helping you defend key units or preserve your life cards when it matters most.
Run 0-4 copies as recommended.
A niche but essential defensive card, OP12-098-hair-removal-fist is a searchable 1-cost event counter that shines in clutch situations. When used to defend your leader or one of your characters, it provides a 2000 power boost. But if you already have a character with a cost of 8 or higher on your field, the chosen unit gains an extra 2000 power—effectively turning this into a massive 4000 counter for just 1 DON!! This makes it perfect for protecting key units or surviving a crucial defensive turn that gives you the chance to strike back and win in the late game. On top of that, it features a [Trigger] effect that lets you draw 1 card and then trash 1 card from the top of your deck, giving you a handy cycling option when you need to find specific cards or fill your trash pile.
Run 0-4 copies as recommended.
The Utility Blockers
A reliable mid-game stabilizer, OP12-089-hack is a 4-cost card that synergizes perfectly with OP13-004-sabo’s main strategy — requiring an 8-cost unit in play while you have 3 or fewer life cards. Hack’s passive effect lets him increase his own cost by 4, effectively becoming an early 8-cost unit while gaining the [Blocker] keyword. This is crucial for defending against opponent attacks, as long as your leader is a Revolutionary Army.
On top of that, Hack also provides strong board control through his [On K.O.] effect, which allows you to remove one of your opponent’s Characters with a base cost of 4 or less, provided your leader is a Revolutionary Army. This makes him a solid mid-game option when contesting the board, especially against decks that like to go wide such as OP12-001-silvers-rayleigh, while also enabling OP13-004-sabo’s powerful [DON!! x1] effect.
Run 2-4 copies as recommended.
OP13-120-sabo-284 is one of the deck’s key cornerstones, acting as a main combo piece alongside OP13-004-sabo and OP12-094-monkeyddragon. It features a strong [Activate: Main] [Once Per Turn] effect that increases the cost of one of your Characters by 2—including itself, effectively letting it function as an 8-cost unit one turn earlier, until the end of your opponent’s next turn. After that, you can give up to 1 rested DON!! card to your Leader, helping you trigger your Leader’s effect more consistently.
This interaction essentially makes OP13-120-sabo-284 an 8000-power body the moment it enters the field, while also improving your overall board presence by providing a +1000 power buff across your team each turn. It synergizes perfectly with OP13-004-sabo’s ability, enhancing both offense and sustainability.
On top of that, the card carries the [Blocker] keyword, adding extra value and making it an excellent target to revive from the trash using OP12-094-monkeyddragon’s effect. This combo offers both offensive pressure and defensive reliability—giving you two sturdy bodies while still enabling your Leader’s ability to maintain momentum.
With a 7000-power base (or 8000 when boosted by your Leader), OP13-120-sabo-284 can efficiently block attacks, protect your Characters, and defend your Leader. Overall, it serves as one of the deck’s main win conditions and a crucial core piece of your entire strategy.
Run 4 copies as recommended.
R.A Supreme Commander
The deck’s main win condition, OP12-094-monkeyddragon, is an 8-cost, 8000-power Character with a powerful [On Play] effect that can easily turn the tide of a game. When played, it lets you play up to 1 Character card with a cost of 6 or less from your trash after placing 3 Revolutionary Army-type cards from your trash at the bottom of your deck in any order. Because of this, having a large trash pile greatly improves the deck’s consistency, especially with trash feeders like OP05-021-revolutionary-army-hq and OP12-086-koala.
Despite its strength, OP12-094-monkeyddragon’s [On Play] effect requires careful sequencing and planning, as your choice of revival target can make or break your chances of winning. Below are the best revival targets and when to use them:
- OP13-120-sabo-284 – Your premium target. It provides a reliable [Blocker] while instantly activating your Leader’s effect, boosting your overall board presence.
- OP12-089-hack – A solid secondary option if OP13-120-sabo-284 isn’t in your trash. Hack enables your Leader’s effect and acts as a dependable [Blocker] that can remove low-cost key units from your opponent’s board. This is especially effective against decks like OP07-019-jewelry-bonney, which rely on cheap blockers such as 3-cost PRB02-004-jewelry-bonney.
- OP12-086-koala or OP13-016-monkeydgarp – Niche but practical targets when OP13-120-sabo-284 isn’t available. They help you search for key units like OP13-120-sabo-284 or OP07-015-monkeyddragon to close out the game.
- OP13-081-koala or OP04-083-sabo – Strong tech options and legit alternative targets if OP13-120-sabo-284 isn’t in your trash. Both provide tempo advantage — OP04-083-sabo offers protection, while OP13-081-koala helps activate your Leader’s effect.
Thanks to OP12-094-monkeyddragon’s flexibility and sheer power, you can outlast opponents and gain steady board control across matchups, cementing its role as the deck’s true finisher and one of its most valuable cards.
Run 3-4 copies as recommended.
OP07-015-monkeyddragon serves as the deck’s aggressive alternate win condition. As an 8-cost, 9000-power Character with the [Rush] keyword, it can immediately pressure the opponent by taking out key units or threatening lethal to close out the game. That alone makes it a strong core piece, but this card also comes with a powerful tempo [On Play] effect.
When played, it allows you to give 2 rested DON!! to your Leader or one of your Characters, instantly enabling OP13-004-sabo’s [DON!! x1] effect. This interaction effectively turns OP07-015-monkeyddragon into a 10000-power Character, while also giving you the flexibility to attach an extra DON!! to another Character or double down on your Leader.
By activating your Leader’s effect to grant a +1000 power boost across your board, OP07-015-monkeyddragon further strengthens your field presence. Overall, it perfectly fits its role as both a core piece and a reliable alternate win condition in the deck.
Run 0-2 copies as recommended.
Tech Cards
With the core of the OP13-004-sabo deck established, it’s time to explore the Tech Cards. These flexible options let you fine-tune your strategy and adapt to different matchups, giving you the tools to handle whatever threats the meta throws your way.
Popular Option
As the only other black deck aside from OP13-079-imu, OP13-004-sabo gains a unique advantage by being able to include powerful black removal options—most notably OP07-085-stussy. This flexibility gives the deck a distinct edge in the OP13 meta, where most black decks struggle to find stable footing due to Imu’s dominant presence.
With top-tier decks often relying on high-cost units like OP13-002-portgasdace, which can repeatedly summon OP13-042-edwardnewgate, and many green decks running OP06-118-roronoa-zoro, OP07-085-stussy serves as a crucial removal tool against these powerful threats. Another reason OP07-085-stussy fits so well in this deck is that it’s searchable with OP13-016-monkeydgarp, giving you a better chance to draw it when you need it most. With her consistent utility and impact across matchups, OP07-085-stussy truly earns her spot as the most successful and popular tech card in OP13-004-sabo decks.
Run 3-4 copies depending on personal preference.
Army Reserves
If you need to boost your deck’s consistency, OP05-015-belo-betty is a solid tech choice to consider. As a 1-cost card with an [On Play] effect that lets you look at the top 5 cards of your deck and add 1 Revolutionary Army-type card other than Belo Betty to your hand. This makes it a useful tool for finding key pieces like OP13-120-sabo-284 and OP12-094-monkeyddragon. That said, it serves more as a supplementary search option rather than a core one, since it doesn’t feed the trash like OP12-086-koala or provide the recurring hand filter of OP05-021-revolutionary-army-hq.
Run 0-3 copies depending on personal preference.
An extra 2000 counter, OP05-006-koala is a 2-cost Character with a niche [On Play] effect. If your Leader has the Revolutionary Army type, you can give up to 1 of your opponent’s Characters −3000 power for the turn, making it easier to remove key units. Although this card isn’t searchable with OP13-016-monkeydgarp or OP12-086-koala, it can still be found through OP05-021-revolutionary-army-hq, keeping it a consistent and searchable hand counter option. However, the main value of this card lies in its reliability as a 2000 counter for protecting your Characters and Leader.
Run 0-4 copies depending on personal preference.
If you want a safety net against control decks that rely on effects to K.O. your units, OP04-083-sabo is the best card to include. Its [On Play] effect prevents any of your Characters from being K.O.’d by effects until the start of your next turn, effectively making your board immune to removal cards like OP13-091-st-marcus-mars. This protection lets you maintain a strong board state and set up a powerful counterattack on your following turn. On top of that, OP04-083-sabo has the [Blocker] keyword and 6000 power, making it a solid and dependable addition to the deck.
Run 0-2 copies depending on personal preference.
A solid alternative as an enabler for OP13-004-sabo’s effect, OP13-081-koala is a 5-cost, 6000-power Character with a strong cost manipulation ability. If your Leader has the Revolutionary Army type, her cost increases by 3. She also features an [Activate: Main] [Once Per Turn] effect that lets you give 1 rested DON!! to one of your Characters, usually your Leader, by returning 1 card from your trash to the bottom of your deck.
Aside from having above-average power, both of OP13-081-koala’s effects make her an excellent self-sufficient enabler for OP13-004-sabo, while also steadily improving your board state each turn. This versatility allows her to serve as a strong substitute or an additional copy of OP13-120-sabo-284, ensuring the deck maintains consistency even on unlucky draws.
Run 0-2 copies depending on personal preference.
Event Options
This low-cost card subtly enhances the deck’s overall consistency. OP12-097-captains-assembled is a 1-cost Event that functions like an additional copy of OP12-086-koala. Its [Main] effect lets you look at the top 3 cards of your deck, add 1 Revolutionary Army-type card (other than Captains Assembled) to your hand, and trash the remaining cards. This not only helps you search key pieces but also feeds your trash pile, making your late-game plays more reliable. On top of that, it has a [Trigger] effect that lets you draw during your opponent’s turn, giving you extra options and flexibility on both offense and defense.
Run 0-3 copies depending on personal preference.
If you’re facing many OP12-020-roronoa-zoro decks, OP09-097-black-vortex is one of the best tech cards to include in your list. It has a powerful [Counter] effect that negates the effect of up to 1 of your opponent’s Leader or Character cards and gives that card −4000 power for the turn. This can completely disrupt your opponent’s play, especially against decks that rely on attacking with a few big units or depend heavily on their Leader’s effect, like OP12-020-roronoa-zoro. All of this for just 2 DON!! makes it extremely efficient.
Additionally, its [Trigger] effect can come in handy in certain situations, letting you negate the effect of up to 1 of your opponent’s Leader or Character cards for free during the turn it activates. While it doesn’t include the power reduction, it still provides strong utility, making specific matchups significantly easier to handle.
Run 0-4 copies depending on personal preference.
Finisher Option
OP09-118-goldroger is the perfect tech option if you’re looking for a card as an absolute win condition. This 10-cost boss unit boasts 13000 power and the [Rush] keyword, making it a formidable threat that can immediately remove an opponent’s key unit or push for lethal the turn it’s played.
What truly sets this card apart, however, is its [Aura] effect, which bends the game’s mechanics in your favor. OP09-118-goldroger’s ability states that whenever your opponent activates a [Blocker] while either player has 0 life cards remaining, you instantly win the game. In practice, this turns every late-game attack into an unblockable threat, making 10-cost Roger the perfect finisher once you’ve chipped away your opponent’s life and hand resources.
In grindy matchups where your opponent sits at 2 or less life and relies on a wall of blockers, you can even let your own life drop to 0 at the right moment to trigger his ability. This creates a lose-lose situation for your opponent—they must depend entirely on hand counters to survive or risk an instant loss.
This effect completely shuts down blocker-heavy decks like OP13-079-imu or OP07-019-jewelry-bonney, turning their strongest defense into a liability. To make things even better, Roger is searchable through OP13-016-monkeydgarp, giving your deck consistent access to one of its most devastating alternate win conditions.
Run 0-2 copies depending on personal preference.
Sample Deck Lists
Decklist Placement: Champion - StorePrelims - 4 wins / 0 lose
This list focuses on consistency and balance by running 16 searchers, including OP05-015-belo-betty as an extra option alongside the core searchers. It also includes OP07-085-stussy to handle troublesome boss units like OP13-042-edwardnewgate, and OP09-097-black-vortex to counter the ever-popular OP12-020-roronoa-zoro deck in the OP13 meta.
Decklist Placement: 3v3 Bandai OPFest - 1st Place
Running OP05-006-koala and OP04-083-sabo adds extra resiliency to the deck, while OP07-085-stussy offers premium removal for problematic boss units like OP13-042-edwardnewgate and OP06-118-roronoa-zoro. At the same time, OP09-118-goldroger serves as a powerful alternate win condition, all while maintaining OP13-004-sabo’s balanced and versatile playstyle.
Decklist Placement: 3v3 Bandai OPFest - 2nd Place
This list leans into OP13-004-sabo’s deck-building flexibility by including a bit of everything to provide specific tools for different scenarios. It adds OP13-081-koala as a fail-safe in case of unlucky draws and includes OP12-097-captains-assembled as an extra copy of OP12-086-koala, further showcasing OP13-004-sabo’s versatile and adaptable deck-building potential.
Conclusion
To wrap up, OP13-004-sabo stands out as one of the most flexible and well-rounded leaders in the OP13 format. Its adaptable Red/Black identity allows it to seamlessly shift between offense and defense, enabling a dynamic playstyle that rewards patience, timing, and smart resource management. With reliable searchers like OP12-086-koala and OP13-016-monkeydgarp, stabilizers such as OP13-120-sabo-284 and OP12-089-hack, and finishers like OP12-094-monkeyddragon and OP07-015-monkeyddragon, the deck flows naturally from setup to domination.
Sabo’s unique [DON!! x1] effect rewards board development and timing, creating a self-sustaining engine that grows stronger the longer the game goes on. Whether you’re defending behind a wall of Revolutionary Army units or rallying for a full-scale counterattack, Sabo offers the consistency and resilience needed to outlast top-tier decks like OP13-079-imu or OP13-002-portgasdace.
At its core, this leader embodies the Revolutionary Army’s ideals—discipline, coordination, and freedom through balance. What may appear as a slower setup at first evolves into an unstoppable force once your field is assembled and your trash is full of resources waiting to be revived.
Lead the revolution, stand your ground, and let the world feel the unwavering resolve of OP13-004-sabo. Once the flames of revolution ignite, there’s no turning back.
