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Greetings, One Piece Card Game strategists! Today, we turn our attention to the calculated and disruptive force of Black. This color is generally characterized by its strategic use of both cost reduction mechanics and cost-based KO abilities. These provide crucial removal options to control the board.
In case you missed our other deep dives into the upcoming card rotation, you can find quick links to each color's analysis below:
- Block 1 Rotation Guide For Red
- Block 1 Rotation Guide For Blue
- Block 1 Rotation Guide For Green
- Block 1 Rotation Guide For Purple
- Block 1 Rotation Guide For Yellow
- Block 1 Rotation Guide For Black
The upcoming Block 1 rotation will significantly impact Black's arsenal, particularly affecting many of its staple cost-reduction cards. Let's delve into the specifics of which cards will be leaving the Standard format and how this might shape Black's future strategies.
Rotation-Proof Cards
Manga Rare cards are confirmed to be immune from rotation, and Black has one such card in its Block 1 pool: OP04-083-sabo-629. Since its release, OP04-083-sabo-629 has been a consistent and valuable asset for Black decks. It serves as a multi-functional blocker, offering crucial KO protection for your entire board, while also providing a useful hand-filtering ability to get rid of less desirable cards. Black deck enthusiasts can certainly rejoice in knowing that this iconic unit will remain a viable inclusion in their strategies for the foreseeable future!
Block 1 Notable Black Leaders
Meta and Semi-Meta Black Leaders
Several notable Black leaders will be rotating out of the Standard format next season, with OP02-093-smoker-505 being a particularly significant loss. While OP02-093-smoker-505 hadn't seen much play for a while, he experienced a resurgence with the introduction of new Navy support cards like ST19-003-tashigi and ST19-002-sengoku from his most recent starter deck. Consequently, prior to the OP06-086-gecko-moria-parallel ban, OP02-093-smoker-505 was a top-tier Black leader alongside OP07-079-rob-lucci-317 and OP09-081-marshalldteach-633. Currently, he has fallen out of favor again due to the lack of a suitable replacement for the powerful boss unit OP06-086-gecko-moria-parallel provided.
OP02-002-monkeydgarp-451 offers a distinct removal-based strategy but is generally considered weaker than OP02-093-smoker-505 or OP07-079-rob-lucci-317. However, some dedicated players have been experimenting with OP02-002-monkeydgarp-451, achieving decent results in smaller events. The loss of OP06-086-gecko-moria-parallel is also a considerable blow to this leader's competitive prospects. Similar to OP02-093-smoker-505, OP02-002-monkeydgarp-451 likely needs the introduction of a strong Black boss character to regain his footing in the meta. The question remains whether this much-needed support will arrive before his rotation.
As mentioned in the Blue Rotation Guide, OP04-039-rebecca-109 will also be rotating out, taking several key Dressrosa cards with her. This could spell trouble for the other Dressrosa leader, OP10-042-usopp-752, who relies heavily on Block 1 Dressrosa support. While this seems concerning, it's possible that Bandai will either reprint these crucial Dressrosa cards or introduce new support to compensate for the rotation.
High-Potential Black Leaders
OP04-020-issho-318 and OP03-077-charlotte-linlin-876 are two leaders with potentially strong leader effects. Their multi-colored nature, in theory, should have provided them with more strategic options due to a wider card pool. Unfortunately, neither leader received significant support cards from their secondary colors. This ultimately made them inferior choices compared to other leaders within their primary archetypes. For instance, players would generally prefer OP07-079-rob-lucci-317 or OP02-093-smoker-505 over OP04-020-issho-318. OP03-099-charlotte-katakuri-722 or OP08-058-charlotte-pudding-965 are also preferable over OP03-077-charlotte-linlin-876.
Block 1 Black Staples and Tech Cards
Black is a color fundamentally focused on cost-based removal. To support this playstyle, there are typically two key categories of cards: cost-reduction cards and cost-based removal cards themselves. With the upcoming rotation, many of the staple Black cards falling into these categories will be leaving the Standard format next year.
Cost-Reduction Staples
We're starting off with the cost reduction staples from Block 1! OP02-096-kuzan-380 and OP02-106-tsuru-162 have been fundamental cards included in almost every Black deck aiming to utilize cost reduction strategies. OP02-096-kuzan-380 provides immediate card replacement upon play. It can trigger its effect multiple times if it remains on the board, making it a premium early-game play. OP02-106-tsuru-162 is a very useful 2k counter that can reduce the cost of a card by 2 for just 1 DON!!. Both of these cards see consistent play in several meta decks, including OP07-079-rob-lucci-317, OP02-093-smoker-505, and OP06-080-gecko-moria-parallel. ST06-006-tashigi-732 is another cost reduction character that also provides a 2k counter, but OP02-106-tsuru-162 is generally the more preferred option due to its lower DON!! cost for the reduction effect.
ST06-008-hina-parallel and ST06-010-helmeppo-670 are two more staple Black characters with On Play effects that reduce cost. This synergy made them valuable with cards that revive characters from the trash. This includes those featuring OP05-091-rebecca-460 and EB02-044-sengoku-626. With OP06-086-gecko-moria-parallel's ban, these two cards have seen a significant drop in play. However, it wouldn't be surprising to see them regain relevance if Bandai prints a suitable replacement for the banned card.
ST08-002-uta-parallel and ST08-006-shirahoshi are more niche, deck-specific cost reduction cards that often served as tech choices for players looking to add a surprise element to their strategies. ST08-002-uta-parallel saw play in some OP07-079-rob-lucci-317 builds as a replacement for OP03-098-enies-lobby when it was banned. This card is effective against decks that plays a single character each turn such as OP07-019-jewelry-bonney-910 or OP09-001-shanks-233. ST08-006-shirahoshi was utilized as a cost reduction card in ST13-003-monkeydluffy decks. She was used in combination with OP06-086-gecko-moria-parallel and OP07-109-monkeydluffy-202, effectively enabling the removal of any character costing 8 or less.
KO Staples
Removal-focused Black decks can't function on cost reduction alone; they need corresponding KO cards! OP02-099-sakazuki-581, OP02-098-koby-887, and ST06-012-monkeydgarp are three such KO cards from Block 1, allowing players to KO units at the cost of discarding a card from hand. These types of KO effects tend to be less efficient compared to more modern KO cards. For instance, OP08-084-jack-413 and EB01-046-brook-244 don't require discarding at all. That being said, these units still see occasional use in Navy-focused builds, as they are searchable within those specific archetypes.
Boss Staples
Block 1 features some impactful Black boss units that even see play in the current meta! Following the ban of OP06-086-gecko-moria-parallel, OP02-121-kuzan-481 has become the primary boss unit for the most popular Black leader, OP07-079-rob-lucci-317. OP02-121-kuzan-481 serves both as a cost reduction card and a KO card. This makes it an ideal boss unit for removal-based Black strategies. Current OP07-079-rob-lucci-317 builds heavily rely on OP02-121-kuzan-481's cost reduction effect. He is usually played after setting up KO cards like OP08-084-jack-413 and EB01-046-brook-244. This setup ensures opposing units don't survive once OP02-121-kuzan-481 is on the board.
OP03-078-issho-712 is another boss unit that saw play in some Black decks in the past, particularly in OP06-086-gecko-moria-parallel decks upon their initial release. Hand destruction effects are generally rare in this game due to their potential strength. However, OP03-078-issho-712 hasn't seen much competitive play lately, as none of the current top-tier Black leaders are optimally positioned to leverage its hand destruction effect to its full potential.
Utility Cards
While cost reduction and removal form the core of Black's card pool, the color also possesses some key utility cards, several of which will be rotating out of Standard next year! First and foremost is the iconic Black blocker, OP02-114-borsalino-348. OP02-114-borsalino-348 is frequently included in metas where Black is prominent due to its valuable anti-KO effect combined with its respectable defensive stats. This card was particularly crucial in Black mirror matches, especially during the dominance of OP05-041-sakazuki-374.
OP03-089-brannew-906 is another premium utility card specifically for Navy builds. It serves the dual purpose of searching for Navy cards and efficiently filling up the trash. OP03-089-brannew-906 currently sees limited play in the competitive meta due to the overall weakness of Navy leaders.
ST08-007-nefeltari-vivi can't quite be considered a "staple", but rather a tech utility card that can occasionally surprise opponents with its Trigger effect. It has seen minimal competitive play recently in some OP09-081-marshalldteach-633 decks.
Finally, we have OP03-097-six-king-pistol. Like the 0-cost counter events of all other colors, Black's version will also be rotating out of Standard next year.
Banned Cards
Before we move on, it's crucial to mention two staple Block 1 Black cards that were deemed so powerful that Bandai ultimately had to ban them. These are OP02-117-ice-age and ST06-015-great-eruption, both incredibly efficient and low-cost cost-reduction events that significantly fueled the effectiveness of most of Black's removal strategies. Bandai has stated their intention to support a format where all rotated cards can still be played. Perhaps this format will also see the unbanning of these powerful cards? For now, this remains purely speculation!
Block 1 Archetype-Specific Black Cards
Now that we've covered most of the staple cards in Black, let's look at the archetype-specific support cards that will be rotating out of Standard next year!
Cipher Pol
We're starting this section with Cipher Pol (CP) support characters! These cards rotating out of Standard will directly impact one of the most prevalent leaders in the current meta, OP07-079-rob-lucci-317. OP03-086-spandam-448, OP03-081-kalifa-351, and OP03-080-kaku-637 are important CP support characters that have been integral to OP07-079-rob-lucci-317 builds for most of its competitive lifespan. OP03-095-soap-sheep is a less common tech option used in metas where aggressive strategies are prevalent. While it hasn't seen much inclusion in top-tier competitive builds, it still warrants a mention in this article.
However, as previously discussed, recent OP07-079-rob-lucci-317 builds have shifted their focus towards OP02-121-kuzan-481, and these CP support cards have begun to see less play in competitive lists. Perhaps the rotation won't hurt OP07-079-rob-lucci-317 as much as initially anticipated?
Finally, it's also worth mentioning another one of Black's banned cards, OP03-098-enies-lobby. Similar to OP02-117-ice-age and ST06-015-great-eruption, this powerful cost-reduction Stage might see an unban once the "unlimited" format for OPTCG becomes available.
Here are some more niche Navy support cards. While they haven't necessarily seen widespread competitive play, they might be missed by deck builders who enjoy incorporating unique tech choices. An exception here would be ST06-017-navy-hq, which did achieve some competitive success in OP05-041-sakazuki-374 decks before its ban. It's conceivable that this Stage could become competitive again if Bandai releases a Navy leader with a strong effect.
Dressrossa
Finally, we'll cover Black's Dressrosa support cards! These cards will be rotating out of the Standard format alongside Block 1's Dressrosa leader, OP04-039-rebecca-109. The rotation of these cards, unless they receive reprints, will significantly impact OP10-042-usopp-752 decks. OP04-092-rebecca, a crucial Dressrosa searcher, and most importantly OP04-096-corrida-coliseum, the only Dressrosa Stage in the game, are critical components of OP10-042-usopp-752 strategies. Without these cards, it's difficult to envision how the deck will function, as they are integral to its game plan.
OP04-090-monkeydluffy-526 and OP04-093-gum-gum-king-kong-gun are also utilized as finishers or win conditions by Dressrosa decks. However, these decks might be able to adapt without them, as there are alternative finishers available in more recent sets, such as OP10-046-kyros-549 and the OP10-058-rebecca-616.
OP04-089-bartolomeo-809 and OP04-077-ideo serve as generic blockers for Dressrosa decks, with OP04-089-bartolomeo-809 also having the added benefit of being a 2k counter card. This 2k counter utility allows OP04-089-bartolomeo-809 to see play even in decks outside the Dressrosa archetype.
OP04-079-orlumbus is used in Rebecca decks as a recurring cost reduction card, often in combination with OP04-082-kyros-327 to bypass OP04-079-orlumbus's KO requirement. OP04-080-gyats is a 2k counter specifically for OP04-039-rebecca-109, with a utility tech effect that can sometimes be used to remove important active characters from the opponent's board.
Block 1 Off Meta Black Leaders
Just like the other colors, Black has its collection of off-meta leaders, and I certainly won't forget to give them a special mention in this article: ST06-001-sakazuki, ST08-001-monkeydluffy, OP02-072-zephyr, and OP03-076-rob-lucci-590. While these leaders may not currently be dominating the competitive scene, they represent alternative playstyles within Black and likely have their dedicated players who enjoy exploring their unique strategies.
The Future of Black Post-Rotation
The upcoming loss of numerous Black staple cards creates significant uncertainty regarding the color's future direction after the rotation. With many fundamental cost-reduction cards leaving the Standard format next year, the traditional removal-based Black strategies will likely need substantial adjustments. However, recent sets suggest that Bandai is exploring alternative game plans for Black. We've seen the introduction of OP09-081-marshalldteach-633's negation-focused strategy, OP10-042-usopp-752's swarm-oriented approach, and OP11-001-koby-251's unique attack-based removal strategy.
Perhaps this rotation will signify the dawn of a new era for Black, one where it's no longer solely defined by its removal capabilities. The upcoming starter decks for OP09-081-marshalldteach-633 and OP09-061-monkeydluffy-757 could provide valuable insights into the potential future of the color. These new releases might offer a clearer picture of the strategic paths Black will take as it evolves beyond its traditional identity. It will be intriguing to see how Black adapts and what new dominant strategies emerge in the post-rotation environment.
Conclusion
The Block 1 rotation will undoubtedly usher in a significant transformation for the Black archetype in the One Piece Card Game. The departure of foundational cost-reduction and removal staples will necessitate a re-evaluation of traditional Black strategies.
While the future of established archetypes like Navy and Dressrosa faces considerable challenges, the recent introduction of alternative game plans centered around leaders like Black Teach and Koby offers a glimpse into a potentially new and diverse era for the color. The strategic landscape for Black is shifting dramatically, and the community will eagerly watch which new and innovative strategies rise to prominence in this evolving environment.
