2026 One Piece Standard Rotation Guide
2026 One Piece Standard Rotation Guide
The One Piece Trading Card Game is about to face the biggest shakeup since its launch.
For years, players have been able to build decks using the game's entire pool of cards. But to free up design space and lower the barrier of entry so that new players won't have to invest in ultra-rare staples from early sets just to get into the game, Bandai has officially announced the implementation of a Block Number System. If you're coming from another TCG, you'll know this as set rotation.
What is set rotation in the One Piece Card Game?
As of April 1, 2026, all cards designated as part of Block 1 will no longer be legal in One Piece's Standard format. You can find the Block number printed at the bottom right hand corner of the card. Block 1 includes everything from OP-01 to OP-04, as well as Starter Decks 1-10. That's all the cards printed in the first year of the game's lifespan, more or less.
The easy way to remember it is: if a card has a "1" in the devil fruit icon at the bottom right-hand corner, it'll no longer be legal for use in the game's Standard format after April 1, 2026.
EXTRA REGULATION
In the Extra Regulation, you can build your decks using cards from Block Number ① to the most recent cards.
Therefore, this regulation features the following:
・You can play with your favorite cards from previous sets.
・You can refer to the entire past card pool and engage in battles with highly flexible deck composition.
Regarding the cards that can be used, for example, in tournaments from April 2026 to March 2027, all cards from ① to ⑤ will be allowed, and in tournaments from April 2027 to March 2028, all cards from ① to ⑥ will be allowed.
What are the most important One Piece cards rotating out of the format?
Here are a few of the strongest One Piece Card Game cards leaving Standard Regulation on April 1, 2026, organized by color.
§ Otama (OP01-006): One of red's best 2000 counter cards, whose -2000 power reduction gave the color a flexible board control option.
§ Radical Beam (OP01-029): Red's benchmark 1-cost 4000 counter event, whose 2-Life prerequisite fit naturally with the color's play style.
§ Edward Newgate (OP02-004): Paired with high base power Leaders like Edward.Newgate and Blue/Red Ace, this card was the original tank-maker. We'll miss the flavor of this one, but we're already seeing its potency wane as new base power boosters enter the format.
§ Tony Tony.Chopper (ST01-006): The quintessential 1-cost blocker, and a staple in any removal-light environment.
§ Borsalino (OP02-114): The once-mighty black blocker whose unremovable status made him a staple of the early Gecko Moria meta.
§ Kuzan (OP02-096): A 5000-power draw-1 body with a [When Attacking] upside was fantastic in its prime during the game's removal era.
§ Tsuru (OP02-106): With a cheap cost and breakpoint-surpassing cost reduction, this 2000 counter card was a staple of the {Navy} package.
§ Brannew (OP03-089): The ability to search for a {Navy} card and trash the rest was everything black wanted for a time; its 3000 power stat line was just icing on the cake.
§ Gum-Gum Red Roc (OP04-056): Likely the most significant loss of Block 1, Red Roc has been one of the most significant removal options in the game since its release and has only gotten better as other forms of removal have been nerfed.
§ Donquixote Doflamingo (OP01-060): One of the best Leaders in the early sets, Blue Doffy had multiple moments in the sun, with OP-09 being its peak. With many of its primary tools rotating out of the format along with the Leader itself, nobody gets hit harder by rotation than Blue Doffy mains.
§ Sanji's Pilaf (OP03-056): The standard for blue draw power, and a devastating loss for Nami Mill decks.
§ Charlotte Linlin (OP03-114): 10-cost Big Mom's heal 1, trash 1 effect was one of the few high-end plays that always felt worth the investment. Its loss, along with the Katakuri Leader and 8-cost SEC rare, mark a distinct shift in yellow decks' identity.
Capone"Gang"Bege (OP04-100): Arguably one of the best 2000 counter cards in the game, Bege still has one of the best Triggers ever printed and inspired more hatred than nearly any other card in its heyday.
§ Thunder Bagua (OP01-119): A 2-cost +4000 power ramp Event that had a resurgence in the post- Blue/Purple Luffy era.
§ Onigashima Island (ST04-017): This 3-cost Stage was the defining ramp tool for purple {Animal Kingdom} decks throughout the game's lifecycle so far. The archetype will need a few tools to replace it if it's to bounce back.
§ Magellan (OP02-085): This perennial tech card has been a lifesaver for decks that want to delay the opponent's gameplan by a turn. It even had a moment as an answer to Imu's almighty 10-DON!! turn in OP-13.
§ Eustass"Captain"Kid (OP01-051): Another one of the big losses of the set, this card single-handedly came to define many deck strategies in the post-removal era. Without it, green will need new tools to regain its status as the defensive powerhouse it once was.
§ Trafalgar Law (OP01-047): The bounce and summon effect of this card was always a great value proposition, but it's already been handily replaced by the bounce/blocker Law released in OP-13.
§ Donquixote Doflamingo (OP04-031): Once a primary tool for Bonney decks, the loss of this freeze-chaining boss monster means green decks will likely need to rely on tools like Law & Bepo (ST24-004) to close out late-game stun wars.
How will Block 1 rotation affect the format?
Truth be told, recent expansions have pushed the game's power level so high that many early-set cards and Leaders already feel like they've been phased out by superior options. While losing staples like 8-cost Kid and Gum-Gum Red Roc will certainly hamstring specific decks—specifically Green Bonney and Blue/Red Ace—these changes won't necessarily topple the current meta, or turn rogue decks into meta contenders.
However, if you're the type of deck builder who loves digging through two-year-old bulk to find creative solutions for modern problems, this rotation will sting. You're about to lose a ton of fun options for tackling pesky new strategies.
Fortunately, as the game evolves, so does the card pool. For every Block 1 void that's left behind, you can rest easy knowing that something new is likely waiting to sprout up in its place. Not Bege, though. We can probably do without another one of those.
References
https://en.onepiece-cardgame.com/topics/013.php
