OP-17 Metagame Report: The Best Decks in The World's Strongest Warriors

The release of OP-17: The World's Strongest Warriors has kicked off a new chapter for the One Piece Card Game competitive scene. With new leaders, powerful support cards and upgrades to existing strategies, players are already experimenting to figure out which decks will define the OP-17 metagame.

Unlike formats where one or two decks immediately separate themselves from the field, the early OP-17 meta looks much more open. Established strategies remain competitive, while new decks such as Green Dracule Mihawk and Blue Rocks D. Xebec are beginning to make their presence felt.

So, what are the best decks in OP-17, and what should players expect heading into their next tournament? Let's take a look at the early metagame.

Green Dracule Mihawk – The Deck to Beat?

One of the biggest stories coming out of OP-17 is Green Dracule Mihawk.

Mihawk has quickly established himself as one of the leaders to watch in the new format. Early tournament data has Green Mihawk among the strongest-performing OP-17 strategies, making it an immediate contender for the top of the metagame.

The deck combines many of the things competitive players want from a top-tier strategy: a strong leader, efficient board control and the ability to generate pressure while disrupting the opponent's game plan.

As players continue refining their lists, Mihawk could become one of the defining decks of the OP-17 format.

Early outlook: Tier 1 contender and one of the decks every competitive player should be prepared to face.

Blue Rocks D. Xebec – A Powerful New Challenger

Another major addition from The World's Strongest Warriors is Blue Rocks D. Xebec.

The Rocks Pirates finally receive a dedicated leader in OP-17 alongside a large package of new support. Early lists have been experimenting with cards such as Edward Newgate, Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, Shiki, Miss Buckingham Stussy and the new Rocks Pirates Stage.

Early tournament results have already shown Rocks D. Xebec capable of competing with the rest of the field, including recorded top finishes shortly before and around the international OP-17 release.

The biggest question is how the deck's matchups develop as the format becomes more optimized. If Mihawk becomes the deck to beat, Rocks players will need to find ways to adapt to that matchup without sacrificing too much against the rest of the field.

Early outlook: A serious competitive threat with plenty of room for optimization.

Red/Black Sabo – The Established Threat

Not every top deck in OP-17 is completely new.

Red/Black Sabo continues to be an important part of the competitive One Piece Card Game metagame and gains access to additional tools from OP-17.

One of Sabo's biggest advantages is flexibility. The deck can pressure opponents while still interacting with their board, giving experienced pilots multiple ways to approach different matchups.

That versatility could become especially valuable in an early format where players may encounter a wide variety of leaders.

Rather than building exclusively to beat one strategy, Sabo can adjust its game plan depending on what is sitting across the table.

Early outlook: One of the safest competitive choices while the OP-17 meta develops.

Red Portgas D. Ace – Still Bringing the Pressure

Red Portgas D. Ace is another deck worth watching closely.

OP-17 introduces additional Whitebeard Pirates support that can slot into Ace strategies, giving the deck new options without requiring players to completely rebuild an established archetype.

Ace's ability to apply pressure makes it particularly interesting in an unsettled metagame. Slower decks that haven't fully optimized their lists can quickly find themselves struggling to keep up with aggressive strategies.

Recent tournament lists have already incorporated OP-17 cards such as Edward Newgate, Kingdew and Ga Ha Ha Ha!!, showing that the new set isn't just creating new decks—it is also upgrading existing ones.

Early outlook: A strong aggressive option capable of punishing slower or unrefined decks.

Black Monkey D. Luffy – A New Straw Hat Strategy

OP-17 also introduces a new Black Monkey D. Luffy leader alongside a large package of Straw Hat and Giant support.

Cards such as Usopp, Gerd, Sanji, Nami, Nico Robin, Brook, Roronoa Zoro and Loki give the deck plenty of options to experiment with.

Black Luffy has already appeared among early OP-17 tournament results, but the archetype may need more time before its place in the metagame becomes clear.

That makes it one of the more interesting decks to watch over the first few weeks of the format. As players refine card ratios and identify the best builds, Black Luffy could potentially move higher in the rankings.

Early outlook: Promising competitive deck that still has plenty of room to develop.

Don't Count Out the Existing Meta

One of the most interesting things about OP-17 is that the arrival of powerful new leaders hasn't immediately erased the previous format.

Decks such as Purple Enel, Purple Kaido and other established strategies remain part of the competitive conversation.

That creates a much wider field for tournament players to prepare for.

Instead of testing against only two or three dominant decks, competitive players may need to understand matchups against Mihawk, Rocks D. Xebec, Sabo, Ace, Luffy, Enel and several other strategies.

For competitive players, that makes matchup knowledge and tournament preparation even more important.

Early OP-17 Tier List

Based on early results and testing, the OP-17 metagame appears to be forming around a group of new and returning contenders.

Early Tier 1 Contenders

• Green Dracule Mihawk
• Blue Rocks D. Xebec
• Red/Black Sabo

Strong Competitive Contenders

• Red Portgas D. Ace
• Black Monkey D. Luffy
• Purple Enel

Decks to Watch

• Purple Kaido
• Black Crocodile
• Purple Luffy
• Other emerging OP-17 strategies

It is important to remember that OP-17 is still a brand-new format. Deck lists, card choices and matchup strategies will continue changing as more tournament results become available.

A deck sitting outside the top tier today could easily become one of the format's strongest strategies once players discover the optimal build.

What Does the OP-17 Meta Look Like So Far?

The biggest takeaway from the opening days of OP-17 is simple: the format looks wide open.

Green Mihawk has made an immediate impression, while Rocks D. Xebec gives players another powerful new strategy to explore. At the same time, decks like Sabo, Ace, Luffy and Enel ensure that established archetypes aren't disappearing overnight.

That should make the first few weeks of The World's Strongest Warriors metagame especially interesting.

As larger tournaments begin producing more results, we'll get a much clearer picture of which decks can consistently convert strong performances into Top Cut finishes—and which early contenders begin falling behind.

Prepare for the OP-17 Meta

Whether you're building one of the new OP-17 leaders or upgrading an existing deck, now is a great time to start preparing for the new format.

Shop our One Piece Card Game singles, including OP-17: The World's Strongest Warriors singles, to find the cards you need to finish your deck and prepare for your next tournament.

Be sure to check back for future OP-17 metagame updates, tournament results, deck breakdowns and One Piece Card Game strategy guides as the format continues to develop.