Leader battle · 2 players
Start playing One Piece
Lead a crew, grow a separate DON!! resource deck and decide when cards in hand should become attacks or counters. Your Leader keeps the whole strategy readable.
A Starter Deck contains the exact 1 Leader, 50-card deck and 10 DON!! cards you need.
- Players
- 2
- First game
- 20–30 min
- Decks
- 50 + 10 DON!!
01 · The basics
Know what you are trying to do
The objective
Attack the opposing Leader while using DON!! to pay costs and add power. Once their Life is empty, land one more successful Leader attack to win.
Ways the game ends
- Successfully attack a Leader after its Life area is empty.
- Your opponent cannot draw a card because their deck is empty.
02 · What to buy
Start with one complete experience
A legal, balanced starting point teaches more than a handful of random products.
Best first purchase
Two Starter Decks or a Learn Together Deck Set
A Starter Deck is complete and ready to play. Pick Leaders that appeal to each player; use similarly recent decks for a fairer first match.
Browse the catalogueYour night-one checklist
- One complete Starter Deck per player
- The included 10-card DON!! decks
- A play sheet, counters and optional sleeves
Skip for now: Skip building from boosters. One Piece decks must match the colour or colours of their Leader, so random cards rarely form a legal first deck.
03 · First match
Set up, take a turn, then play
Keep the first game open-handed. Explain each choice as it happens; save edge cases for match two.
Set up the table
- 01
Place the three decks
Put your Leader face up, shuffle the 50-card Main Deck and place the 10-card DON!! deck in its own zone.
- 02
Draw five and redraw once
Draw five cards. You may return the whole hand to the deck, shuffle and draw five once more.
- 03
Set your Life
Place the number of Life cards printed on your Leader face down. Randomly choose the first player.
What a turn feels like
- 01
Refresh and draw
Return rested cards to active, then draw for the turn.
- 02
Add DON!!
Move DON!! from its deck into play as the game progresses. Rest it to pay costs or attach it to strengthen attacks.
- 03
Main and end
Play Characters and Events, attach DON!! and attack with active Leaders or Characters. End when you have no more actions.
Your first-night plan
- 01
0–10 minutes
Separate the Main and DON!! decks, identify the Leader colours and walk through a sample attack and Counter step.
- 02
10–30 minutes
Play with hands face up. Ask “attack, defend or save it?” whenever a card can serve more than one role.
- 03
After the game
Swap Leaders and replay. The resource system stays constant while deck tempo and defensive choices change.
04 · Go further
Build confidence before complexity
- 01
Use the Teaching App
The official mobile app runs a guided match and is the quickest way to repeat attack and Counter timing.
- 02
Tune the Starter Deck slowly
Play several games before replacing cards. Add cards that support the Leader’s colour and central plan.
- 03
Join Pirates Party or store play
Bandai’s casual Pirates Party programme is designed as a low-pressure entry point. TCG+ lists participating stores and events.
Words you will hear
- Leader
- The always-visible card that sets your Life, colours and core strategy.
- DON!!
- A separate reusable resource used to pay costs and add power.
- Active / Rested
- Upright cards are active; cards turn sideways when used to attack or pay a cost.
- Counter
- Power added from hand during an opponent’s attack.
- Life
- Face-down cards gained into your hand as your Leader takes damage.
- Trigger
- An effect some Life cards may use when added to hand from Life.
Common first questions
Can my deck use every colour?
No. Main-deck cards must match a colour shown on your Leader.
Do I lose when my Life reaches zero?
Not immediately. Your opponent must land another successful attack on your Leader.
What should I track first?
Keep DON!! separated, show clearly which cards are rested and announce the power of every attack.
05 · Official links
Learn from the source
Rules and product lines change. These links go to the publisher’s current material, digital tutorial or organised-play finder.
Learn
Learn the rules to play
Official beginner videos, quick guide and starter recommendations.
Rules
Official rules and play sheet
Rule manual, current comprehensive rules, updates and downloadable play sheet.
Digital
One Piece Teaching App
A free guided match for iOS and Android.
Local play
Official One Piece events
Beginner events, store tournaments and TCG+ routes.