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Greetings, One Piece Card Game enthusiasts! Today, we delve into the enigmatic realm of Purple. This intriguing color carves its own path to victory through potent DON!! manipulation effects. Often featuring cards with DON!! minus costs in exchange for impactful abilities, Purple offers a unique risk-reward playstyle.
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
While Purple wasn't always a top-tier contender in the early days of the game, Purple truly found its footing with the introduction of more powerful leader effects in later sets. Nevertheless, the upcoming Block 1 rotation will still see the departure of certain cards that, despite the color's evolution, will be missed for their unique mechanics and interesting effects they brought to the table.
Rotation-Proof Cards
Similar to Green, Purple currently does not have any announced rotation-proof cards from Block 1. This is primarily because Manga Rare cards for Purple were not introduced within the initial Block of sets. However, it's worth noting that Purple has certainly received its fair share of highly sought-after Manga Rare cards in subsequent sets.
Block 1 Notable Purple Leaders
Reviewing the Block 1 leaders for Purple, it's quite striking that there weren't any meta-defining options in the early stages of the One Piece Card Game. Perhaps Bandai was initially cautious about the power level of cards with DON!! minus costs. This is quite a contrast to the game's current state, where numerous Purple decks have dominated the meta. This even led to a banned Purple card, ST10-001-trafalgar-law, and a leader likely facing future restrictions, OP11-040-monkeydluffy-620.
Regardless of their past competitive standing, there are still some intriguing leaders from Purple's Block 1 that deserve discussion:
OP03-058-iceburg-857 is a beloved leader centered around the Galley-La archetype. His unique ability allows him to play 5-cost Galley-La characters on turn 1, in exchange for being unable to attack. Unfortunately, he hasn't achieved significant competitive success, largely because the Galley-La characters themselves haven't been powerful enough to compensate for OP03-058-iceburg-857's inability to attack. While he has received some supportive cards in recent sets, nothing has yet propelled him into the meta spotlight.
OP04-058-crocodile-287 presents another interesting concept. In theory, combining Purple's ramp capabilities with powerful Yellow boss cards seems like a potent strategy. However, in practice, this hasn't proven particularly effective, primarily because OP04-058-crocodile-287's leader effect doesn't inherently generate significant advantage. While he does have some strong support characters (many of which are also rotating out), they haven't been sufficient to overcome his less impactful leader ability.
ST04-001-kaido is a leader I believe possesses untapped potential, especially with the introduction of OP08-074-black-maria-461 in OP08. The ability to directly trash an opponent's life card is a powerful effect, particularly now that OP08-074-black-maria-461 can help recover the DON!! lost from activating his leader ability. However, his heavy reliance on OP08-074-black-maria-461 still prevents ST04-001-kaido from becoming a meta contender. This leader might just be a few key support cards away from having his moment, and hopefully, that arrives before the rotation!
As I discussed in the Green Rotation Guide, OP04-019-donquixote-doflamingo-913's Block 1 support cards are primarily Green, which I've already covered in detail. However, it's worth noting that Bandai is now printing a several new Purple Donquixote Pirates support cards. This could indicate a potential shift of the Donquixote Pirate archetype from Green towards Purple. I'm predicting more Purple support considering the recent release of OP10-003-sugar-168.
Block 1 Purple Staples and Tech Cards
Interestingly, much like the leader situation in Block 1 Purple, there weren't a plethora of high-impact character cards either. It really does seem like Bandai was taking a cautious approach with Purple in the early sets! Regardless, let's examine some of the notable utility characters:
Boss Characters
ST04-003-kaido-115 stands out as the generic Purple boss unit from Block 1. It boasts a versatile effect, providing both removal and offensive pressure with its Rush ability. This unit saw play in ramp-focused decks, including OP05-060-monkeydluffy-174 and OP08-057-king-241. However, with the introduction of more specialized boss units in later Purple sets, ST04-003-kaido-115 has largely taken a backseat as the preferred high-cost threat. Notably, some recent OP11-062-charlotte-katakuri-450 builds in the OP11 meta have incorporated ST04-003-kaido-115 as one of their boss options.
Beyond ST04-003-kaido-115, Block 1 doesn't offer many other generic boss options for Purple. ST05-011-douglas-bullet is perhaps the next best alternative after ST04-003-kaido-115. This boss unit can be a fun option for ramp-oriented decks and can surprise opponents with its multi-faceted effect. However, similar to ST04-003-kaido-115, ST05-011-douglas-bullet sees limited play in today's meta due to the prevalence of more consistent and generally safer boss units like OP08-069-charlotte-linlin-252, OP09-119-monkeydluffy-709, and OP11-067-charlotte-katakuri-936.
Utility Characters
OP02-085-magellan-708 is another impactful character from Block 1 Purple. It possesses a disruptive effect that can hinder an opponent's game plan. OP02-085-magellan-708 can be a valuable tech option against decks that heavily rely on a smooth curve into the mid-to-late game. This include leaders such as OP07-019-jewelry-bonney-910, OP11-040-monkeydluffy-620, and OP09-001-shanks-233. This character was a key unit in OP05-060-monkeydluffy-174 during the OP05 meta and still sees play in some modern variations of the deck.
ST04-005-queen-173 is another significant character among the Block 1 Purple cards. It was one of the first cards to feature the powerful effect of drawing two cards and then discarding one upon play. While this type of card advantage was initially exclusive to certain colors, most colors now have access to similar effects. ST04-005-queen-173 was a crucial component of ST10-001-trafalgar-law before its ban. However, it hasn't seen much meta play recently, as successful Purple decks often focus on the Straw Hat Pirates type, which typically have their own archetype-specific draw characters.
Utility Events
While Block 1 might not have been brimming with impactful leaders and boss units for Purple, it certainly provided several event cards that have seen significant play in various Purple decks throughout the One Piece Card Game's history.
The most notable among these is undoubtedly OP01-119-thunder-bagua. This event has seen prominent play recently in the top-tier decks of the OP11 format: OP11-040-monkeydluffy-620 and EB02-010-monkeydluffy-761. It's often utilized in conjunction with OP09-078-gum-gum-giant in the late game to negate powerful attacks, as OP01-119-thunder-bagua refunds the DON!! cost of using OP09-078-gum-gum-giant. Another crucial application of OP01-119-thunder-bagua is its ability to serve as an additional ramp card in the early game, which is particularly valuable for OP11-040-monkeydluffy-620.
Several other counter events from Block 1 have also found their place in Purple decks, including ST04-016-blast-breath, OP02-089-judgment-of-hell, and OP03-072-gum-gum-jet-gatling. ST04-016-blast-breath sees play in some non-Straw Hat Purple decks that cannot utilize OP09-078-gum-gum-giant. OP02-089-judgment-of-hell, on the other hand, boasts a very potent defensive effect and has been a staple in OP10-003-sugar-168 decks. As with all other colors, the 0-cost event cards from each color are part of the rotation, which includes Purple's OP03-072-gum-gum-jet-gatling.
Two more niche event cards that appear in specific, less common builds are OP03-074-top-knot and ST04-014-lead-performer-disaster. OP03-074-top-knot is an often-overlooked removal event capable of eliminating troublesome low-cost units like ST17-005-marshalldteach and OP10-032-tashigi-893, and notably, it was effective against OP08-074-black-maria-461 in the era of OP10-022-trafalgar-law-265. ST04-014-lead-performer-disaster has recently seen a surge in play during the OP11 meta as a non-conditional ramp event that replaces itself with a card draw, particularly in OP11-040-monkeydluffy-620 decks.
Block 1 Archetype-Specific Purple Cards
Animal Kingdom
Beyond the Animal Kingdom cards already mentioned, here are some additional support cards for this archetype that OP08-057-king-241 players will surely miss once they rotate out. ST04-017-onigashima-island is often the most crucial ramp card in Animal Kingdom decks. Given their frequent use of DON!! minus effects, having a card that provides a consistent +1 DON!! per turn is vital for maintaining momentum. Another key support card is the leader-locked OP01-094-kaido-566, which arguably possesses one of the strongest On Play effects in the game – the only instant board wipe upon play. Its leader lock is understandable due to its power. The primary reason this card hasn't seen widespread competitive play in past metas is the general weakness of most Kaido leader cards.
Impel Down
Several Impel Down support characters will be rotating out of Standard next year. This may significantly impact the viability of EB01-021-hannyabal-300, the sole Impel Down leader remaining in Standard post-rotation. The most impactful loss for this archetype will likely be the Impel Down searcher card: OP02-083-hannyabal.
Galley-La
As mentioned earlier in the discussion about OP03-058-iceburg-857, the majority of Galley-La support cards will be rotating out of Standard. The most notable loss here will be OP03-066-paulie, which even saw play in decks outside the Galley-La archetype due to its valuable combination of ramp and removal.
Baroque Works
Just like OP03-058-iceburg-857 and its friends, most of OP04-058-crocodile-287's Baroque Works support is leaving Standard next year. The biggest loss is OP04-060-crocodile-639. It's understandably leader-locked because its effect is so strong. It can heal a life card and filter your hand each turn! Another card we'll miss is OP04-064-ms-all-sunday-534. Interestingly, it even saw play in some early ST10-001-trafalgar-law decks as a quick ramp option.
Film
The final notable archetype facing rotation for Purple is the Film package. As most Film leaders are generally weak, these cards haven't seen much widespread play, with the exception of ST05-002-ain. ST05-002-ain served as a key ramp card in ST10-001-trafalgar-law before the introduction of the more premium ramp option, OP08-074-black-maria-461.
Block 1 Off Meta Purple Leaders
As I've done for each color, I want to give a special mention to the remaining off-meta Purple leaders from Block 1: ST05-001-shanks, OP01-061-kaido-578, OP01-062-crocodile-627, OP01-091-king-626, OP02-071-magellan-215, and OP02-072-zephyr-502. While these leaders haven't seen significant competitive success, I'm certain that each one has its dedicated fans who enjoy exploring their unique playstyles from time to time.
The Future of Purple Post-Rotation
Looking ahead, Purple's future seems bright despite the rotation. While some Block 1 cards will leave, they aren't significant enough to shake up Purple's current top-tier leaders. In my opinion, Purple is the strongest color right now. After all, it was the home of the powerful, now-banned ST10-001-trafalgar-law. Even after that ban, Purple remained a competitive force. For a while, OP05-060-monkeydluffy-174 kept the color in the spotlight. And in the latest set, Purple continues its dominance, boasting the two best decks of the OP11 format: OP11-040-monkeydluffy-620 and EB02-010-monkeydluffy-761.
If you're looking beyond the top decks, Purple still has interesting off-meta choices. You could try ST10-002-monkeydluffy, OP06-042-vinsmoke-reiju-parallel, OP11-062-charlotte-katakuri-450, or even OP10-003-sugar-168 for a different competitive experience. It seems Bandai is really making up for Purple's somewhat slow start in the early sets. Hopefully, though, they don't go too overboard with power creep in future releases!
Conclusion
Block 1 Purple cards might not have boasted the same initial power curve as some other colors. However, it laid the groundwork for many unique mechanics and introduced several cards that have remained relevant throughout the game's evolution.
The upcoming rotation will see the departure of some interesting utility cards and archetype-specific support. However, Purple's is still dominant in the current meta. This is fueled by powerful leaders and efficient strategies from later sets. The impact of these Block 1 losses is likely to be minimal, and Purple's future appears incredibly strong. It will be fascinating to see how the color continues to adapt and evolve in the post-rotation landscape, potentially maintaining its position as a top contender.
