The Ludarium Academy · Trading card game course · Free

Your First Crew

An unofficial One Piece Card Game course for beginners

Pick the right starter, learn the Leader and DON!! rhythm, teach a friend, and walk into your first store tournament ready to play.

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One player's side of the One Piece Card Game play area, laid out like the official playsheet: a row of five Character slots across the top, the face-down Life cards on the left, the Leader in the middle row with the Stage and the deck beside it, the 10-card DON!! deck at the bottom left, the cost area for DON!! along the bottom, and the trash at the bottom right.Free printable teach sheetSetup, a turn, scoring, and three tips on one page.

Six levels, 22 lessons

Start with lesson one

  1. Level 0 · Learn to play

    Stowaway

    After this level: Pick a starter deck, play a full game from it, read every part of a card, and teach a friend in ten minutes.

    1. 01How to Start Playing the One Piece Card Game
    2. 02How a Turn Works in the One Piece Card Game
    3. 03How to Read a One Piece Card
    4. 04How to Teach the One Piece Card Game

  2. Level 1 · Beginner

    Deckhand

    After this level: Play clean games, budget your DON!! every turn, know when to block, counter, or take the hit, and upgrade a starter on a budget.

    1. 05Your First Three Games of One Piece: Common Mistakes
    2. 06Spend or Give: Managing DON!! in the One Piece Card Game
    3. 07When to Block, Counter, or Take the Hit in One Piece
    4. 08Upgrading a One Piece Starter Deck on a Budget

  3. Level 2 · Intermediate

    Navigator

    After this level: Play a Store Tournament with confidence, choose first or second on purpose, keep your hand stocked, and build a sealed deck at a release event.

    1. 09Your First One Piece Store Tournament
    2. 10Going First or Second in the One Piece Card Game
    3. 11Card Advantage in One Piece: Life, K.O.s, and Your Hand
    4. 12One Piece Release Events and Sealed: Build From Six Packs

  4. Level 3 · Advanced

    First Mate

    After this level: Count lethal through Counters, read what an opponent can still do, put odds on your draws, and build a 50-card deck from scratch.

    1. 13Attack Math: Counting to Lethal in the One Piece Card Game
    2. 14Reading Your Opponent in the One Piece Card Game
    3. 15One Piece Card Game Odds: Opening Hands, Redraws, and Triggers
    4. 16Building a One Piece Card Game Deck From Scratch

  5. Level 4 · Tournament ready

    Captain

    After this level: Play a clocked match under the Tournament Rules Manual, choose a deck for the field, and follow a six-week plan into a competitive event.

    1. 17One Piece Tournament Rules: The Clock, Deck Lists, and Penalties
    2. 18Choosing a One Piece Deck for an Event: Reading the Metagame
    3. 19A Six-Week Practice Plan for a One Piece Card Game Event

  6. Level 5 · The championship path

    Commodore

    After this level: Know the road from Store Championships to Regionals, Finals, and Worlds, handle a long Regional day, and stay sharp through every new set and rotation.

    1. 20Competitive One Piece: From Store Events to Worlds
    2. 21Your First One Piece Regional: Registration to Top Cut
    3. 22Staying Sharp in One Piece: New Sets, Rotation, and Bans

Every lesson is free to read here, any time. Sign up and they also arrive by email, one at a time, so the course keeps you learning between game nights.

Who it is for

  • Anime and manga fans who want to play the card game their favorite crew lives in.
  • Board gamers curious about a trading card game with a steady, predictable resource.
  • New players with a starter deck who want the rules clear before a store event.
  • Friends and parents teaching someone their first game.
Players
2
Play time
Varies; store events allow 35 minutes a game
Rules as of
OP-17 The World's Strongest Warriors (Comprehensive Rules version 1.2.1, August 28, 2026)
Start with
STARTER DECK -The Desert Princess and the Pirates- [ST-37] and STARTER DECK -Baroque Works- [ST-38], due December 2026
First store event
Store Tournament, found and joined in the Bandai TCG+ app

Set alerts

Release dates, a prerelease checklist, and beginner buying notes before every new One Piece Card Game set.

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Play near me

Learning in Indianapolis? Join the Indianapolis list for first word on local learn-to-play nights as The Ludarium grows toward its first lounge.

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Questions

What is DON!! in the One Piece Card Game?

DON!! cards are your resource. You keep a separate 10-card DON!! deck and add 2 to your cost area each turn. You rest DON!! to pay costs, or give them to your Leader or Characters for 1000 extra power each during your turn.

How do you win the One Piece Card Game?

Attack your opponent's Leader. Each hit moves one of their Life cards to their hand. If their Leader takes damage when they have 0 Life cards left, you win. A player with 0 cards in their deck also loses.

Which One Piece starter deck should a beginner buy?

Two new players learning together do well with a two-deck learning set, such as the Set Sail Deck Set. A single player can start with any starter deck. ST-37 and ST-38, both due in December 2026, are the newest.

Can you attack on your first turn in the One Piece Card Game?

No. Neither player can battle on their own first turn. After that, a Character still cannot attack on the turn it is played unless its text says so, as with Rush.

How many cards are in a One Piece Card Game deck?

You need 1 Leader card, a 50-card deck, and a 10-card DON!! deck. Every card in the deck must share a color with your Leader, and you can run up to 4 cards with the same card number.

Where can I play the One Piece Card Game near me?

Download the Bandai TCG+ app, set the game title to ONE PIECE CARD GAME, and search the store list for stores near you. Store Tournaments are the regular entry-level event. Confirm your spot with the store as well.

Teach sheet · PDF · Rules as described in the ONE PIECE CARD GAME Comprehensive Rules, version 1.2.1 (last updated August 28, 2026), with the Official Rule Manual and Tournament Rules Manual; official rules.

Unofficial. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Bandai, Shueisha, or Toei Animation. The ONE PIECE CARD GAME is published by Bandai. ONE PIECE © Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Toei Animation.