Build an Elbaph board that turns your 12-cost Characters into Blockers, use the trash as a resource, and pressure with boosted 2-cost Characters. This guide covers the decklist, mulligan, curve lines, Luffy targets, tech choices, matchups, and gameplay tips.
OP17 Elbaph Luffy built to establish 12-cost Blockers, pressure with 2-cost Characters, and recycle the trash.
Your opening hand should set up the trash, find your Elbaph pieces, and give you access to a 12-cost or higher Character quickly.
Usopp is one of the best cards to see in your opening hand. He looks at the top 3 cards for an Elbaph card while sending the rest to your trash, so he finds future plays and starts preparing your trash at the same time. Filling the trash early is especially important for Roronoa Zoro, who can later protect your Characters from opposing removal.
Jaguar D. Saul is your other key Searcher. Like Usopp, he searches the top 3 cards while feeding your trash, giving you enough consistency to find the Elbaph pieces your curve is missing.
Your next priority is enabling the Characters that need a 12-cost or higher Character on your board. Loki is especially important: on your opponent's turn, his own effect and the Leader effect make him an 11K Blocker. Gerd also becomes a Blocker through the Leader while giving you access to the trash.
Usopp plus a way to establish a 12-cost or higher Character is an excellent start. Don't keep an opening hand only because it has powerful late-game cards; keep the Searchers and the line that makes your future turns work.
Your curve changes significantly depending on whether you go first or second. Going second is especially strong because the even DON!! steps chain your main plays naturally.
This decklist does not play Nami, so there is usually no worthwhile play at 1 DON!!.
Play Usopp, then use your remaining DON!! on the Leader to attack at 6K. If an opposing 2-cost must be removed immediately, Rodo into Franky is the alternative line: Rodo gives you a 12-cost Character right away, enabling Franky to deal with that target before it attacks.
Play Pirates Docking Six when you do not need to establish a 12-cost immediately. It trashes 3 cards from your deck, then plays a 2-cost or lower Straw Hat Crew Character from your trash, improving both your trash and your board. If you need to activate your Cost 12+ synergies, Jaguar D. Saul is the other option for this turn.
Loki is the main play: his On Play can K.O. multiple Characters as long as their combined cost is 4 or less, and he is usually best kept active as an 11K Blocker on the opponent's turn. If the opponent has two key targets, Gum-Gum Kong Gun can be better by removing up to two 6-cost Characters.
Play Monkey D. Luffy after you establish a 12-cost or higher Character. He gains Rush, draws a card, and plays a 2-cost Character from your trash. Bring back Robin to reduce a target by 3K before Luffy attacks, or Brook to pressure the opponent's hand.
Start with Usopp to find the next pieces of your curve and begin filling your trash.
Play Jaguar D. Saul to keep developing and establish a 12-cost. Alternatively, play two 2-cost Characters such as Usopp and Zoro: you build the board while Zoro protects your Characters on the following turn.
Loki immediately controls the opposing board and establishes your 11K Blocker. The alternate line is Pirates Docking Six plus Thousand Sunny: Docking Six reaches 11 cost with its own effect, then Thousand Sunny raises it to 12, making it a 7K Blocker through the Leader while it recovers a 2-cost Straw Hat Crew Character from your trash.
Play Luffy with a 12-cost already in play to gain Rush, draw, and replay a 2-cost from your trash. Luffy plus Robin makes an 8K Rush attack much easier to convert. For defense, Gerd into Luffy into another Gerd creates multiple 12-cost Blockers while recycling your resources.
Your turns are no longer fixed. Adapt between Luffy plus 2-costs, Loki, Pirates Docking Six, your Blockers, and Gum-Gum Kong Gun according to the board and the opponent's resources.
Once you establish a 12-cost or higher Character, your 2-cost Characters gain 3K Power. Those small bodies become real 5K attackers, letting you pressure the opposing Leader while you keep developing large Blockers.
Choose the 2-cost Character that best fits the board when Monkey.D.Luffy OP17-093 is played.
Adjust these slots toward cost reduction and board control, or add more defense for the matchups you expect.
Tempest Kick is a strong option for a cost-reduction package. It first draws 1 card; then, if your trash has 10 or more cards, it gives an opposing Character -3 cost. This makes it a useful cantrip while expanding Loki's range. A 7-cost Character reduced to 4 cost can then be K.O.'d by Loki.
One-Legged Soldier gives another -3 cost option while keeping a 2K Counter in the decklist. Once it is on the board, you can trash it for the reduction, making it useful for control without being dead when you simply need to defend.
This Event is especially strong against wide boards because it gives every opposing Character -1 cost. Against four 2-cost Characters, it reduces them all to 1 cost; Loki can then K.O. all four because their total cost is 4.
If you prefer more defense over removal, this is a useful alternative. Once you control a 12-cost or higher Character, it gives 4K Counter—a condition this deck can meet consistently. Two copies are reasonable when you expect to need more protection.
Dorry, Brogy, Stussy, and Jinbe are not necessary in this version. Jinbe matters less here than in Sabo because the Leader already turns your 12-cost or higher Characters into Blockers, giving the deck far more natural defensive options.
For the complete turn-order win rate breakdown, see the Monkey D. Luffy OP17 stats in OP17 Format.
Elbaph Luffy rewards deliberate trash management, patient defense, and precise 2-cost sequencing.
Don't play this deck like Sabo. This Luffy build is more defensive and grind-focused: your 12-cost Characters become Blockers, letting you slow the game, protect resources, and gradually exhaust the opponent's hand.
Loki is usually more valuable active than attacking. On the opponent's turn he is an 11K Blocker, so giving up his 8K attack often forces the opponent to spend far more resources to break through your defense.
Filling your trash is part of the core plan. Usopp and Jaguar D. Saul do more than search: they prepare Zoro, Pirates Docking Six, Gerd, and the different 2-cost targets for Luffy.
Use Zoro to protect your smaller Characters. Once your trash is full enough, he can stop opposing removal from clearing a board of 2-costs that will later attack at 5K once a 12-cost is established.
Choose Luffy's 2-cost target for the situation. Robin gives -3K Power, Brook attacks the opponent's hand, Sanji fixes an awkward hand, and Chopper gives Luffy Unblockable. The same Luffy can support an aggressive, defensive, or grind-focused turn.
Gerd recycles important resources. By trashing an unneeded card, she can recover an 8-cost or lower Character other than Gerd, including Luffy or a Zoro 2K Counter when defense matters most.
Use the Gerd → Luffy → Gerd loop. Gerd recovers Luffy from the trash, then Luffy replays another Gerd from the trash, giving you an 8K Rush attacker and more 12-cost Blockers.
Thousand Sunny transforms Pirates Docking Six. Docking Six reaches 11 cost with its own effect, then Sunny gives it the last cost it needs to become a 12-cost Blocker. The Stage is more than card draw—it enables this defensive interaction.
Franky can remove key small Characters very early. On your 3-DON!! turn, Rodo gives you a 12-cost Character immediately, enabling Franky to K.O. an opposing 2-cost before it attacks.
Do not focus only on the opponent's large Characters. Once the board is established, your many 2-cost Characters attack at 5K. Repeated small attacks force Counters from the opponent while your large Blockers make their own turn much harder.
Gum-Gum Kong Gun is strongest when you are already ahead on board. Removing two opposing targets protects that lead while your smaller Characters keep attacking. It also remains a 3K Counter for your Leader in defense.
Do not waste attacks when removal can do the job. Against Rocks, attacking a rested Character with Loki can be unnecessary if his effect already removes it. Check Loki, Robin, Franky, and Kong Gun first so more attacks can go to the opposing Leader.
Once you have enough Blockers, start attacking the opponent's hand. Brook becomes much stronger in long games: your Loki and other Blockers keep you alive while Brook gradually reduces the opponent's resources.
