Portgas D. Ace OP16 Deck Guide
The 8K Base Leader. Red Ace just got the biggest OP17 upgrade thanks to his dad. Turn your Leader into an 8K Power defensive wall while swinging with massive 12K Power Rush attackers.
Decklist
Curve Guide
Go Second
Going second is mathematically your best option. It lets you curve perfectly into your massive Whitebeard drops without floating DON!!
Your priority is consistency. Garp helps find the Whitebeard Pirates package and, most importantly, 4c Luffy. Moby Dick lets you take one card without any condition, making it the cleanest way to fix an awkward hand immediately. If you already have Luffy, take the 8K Power body or the counters that let you protect your Life.
4c Luffy is the key defensive setup. By trashing an 8K Power card, he raises Ace to 7K Power during your opponent's turn, which changes the opponent's attack math immediately. Develop him before committing your large bodies whenever possible: the following turns are safer, and the 8K Power cards you kept can now become Rush attackers instead of dead cards in hand.
Marco's the stable tempo play. He's an 8K Power Whitebeard Pirates body, so Ace gives him Rush the moment he enters play. Attack a small Character to keep the opponent off-board, or pressure Life when their hand is already stretched. His protection effect also makes this line much better into removal-heavy decks.
Edward Newgate OP16 is the aggressive 8-DON!! payoff. Because Newgate is a 10K Power Whitebeard Pirate, your Leader can give him Rush, letting him attack immediately and increase the pressure on the opponent. During your turn, your Leader also gains Double Attack and +2K Power, creating a powerful attack that can threaten two Life. You don't have to use Newgate's On Play effect every time: simply playing him for the Leader bonus and the immediate Rush attack is already extremely strong. His On Play effect is situational; when you can reveal two 8K Power Character cards from your hand, give up to one opposing Character -6K Power for the turn to clear a blocker or prepare a favorable attack. Choose the line according to the board and the number of counters you need to keep.
At 10 DON!!, choose Edward Newgate OP16 or Edward Newgate OP17 according to the situation. Edward Newgate OP16 keeps increasing your pressure: your Leader can give him Rush, and the +2K Power from each Edward Newgate effect stacks during your turn. With two Edward Newgate effects active, your Leader gains +4K Power, making every Leader attack much harder to defend. If your 4c Luffy is still in play, Edward Newgate OP16 is the aggressive option that reinforces your turn. If you no longer have a 4c Luffy in play to raise your Leader's Power during your opponent's turn, prioritize Edward Newgate OP17 instead: it raises your Leader to 8K base Power for the opponent's turn and restores the deck's defensive wall.
Go First
Going first is awkward, but it allows you to dominate decks that swarm the board with cheap units.
Going first starts more slowly, so Garp is the cleanest opener. He finds the cards that turn the awkward odd curve into real pressure. Prioritize 4c Luffy if you don't have him; otherwise take the 8K Power body or the matchup-specific answer you'll need next.
Sanji is your early development play when you need a board before the big turns. During your turn, he gains +3K Power, so he can attack as a 6K Power body without using DON!!. When he's K.O.'d, you draw one card, which makes him a useful early attacker that still replaces itself when the opponent removes him. He also doesn't consume the 8K Power cards that fuel Luffy and Marco.
Luffy is still the most important investment. Play him as early as you can, then discard the least useful 8K Power card only when the 7K Power Leader will actually protect Life or force inefficient attacks. If the opponent can't threaten your Life yet, preserve the card for a future turn.
Vista turns 7 DON!! into immediate board control. He enters as an 8K Power body, draws a card, and can remove up to two small opposing Characters before they create value. Ace's Leader effect can then give Vista Rush, allowing him to attack immediately. Choose Vista over a passive development turn when the opponent is trying to go wide; against a tall board, consider holding him and setting up Newgate or Marco for the stronger next turn.
Edward Newgate OP16 is the pressure play: Ace gives him Rush, while your Leader gains +2K Power and Double Attack. Use him to force a powerful attacking turn or remove a key Character when you can reveal two 8K Power cards.
Deck Overview
The Mechanic
A super aggressive deck that completely breaks the rules of Ace's Leader ability, giving any 8K Power Whitebeard Pirate or Luffy character Rush. In OP17, you can use the new Edward Newgate cards to buff your Leader's base power to 8K, making you almost impossible to kill while you swing for lethal.
- Leader can gain Double Attack and hit for massive numbers.
- 10c Newgate makes Ace an 8K base power Leader during your opponent's turn.
- Excellent board clear against small units using Vista and Rakuyo.
- Runs around 28 “bricks” (characters with 0 Counter).
- Highly reliant on Moby Dick and Garp to fix your unplayable opening hands.
- Struggles if you don't find 4c Luffy early to defend your life.
- Leader: Gives Rush to your giant Boss characters.
- 4c Luffy: Trashes 8K bricks from your hand to make your Leader 7K Power defensively for the entire turn.
- OP17 10c Edward Newgate: A 12K Power body that sets your Leader to 8K base power until your opponent's next turn.
OP17 Pro Tactics & Combos
The OP17 Newgate Cheat
The new 10c Newgate reduces its own cost by 4 if the opponent has a 10K+ Power character on the board. Against Elbaph decks, you can play your 12K Power Boss for only 6 DON!!, leaving you 4 DON!! to defend with events or play a Blocker like Little Oars Jr.
The Marco Wall
Marco is essential against decks with heavy effect removal. If an effect would KO or bottom deck Marco, you simply trash an 8K Power card from your hand to keep him alive. They can never get rid of him.
Matchups
OP17 matchup spread for Portgas D. Ace OP16.
Find 4c Luffy early, build with 8K Power Whitebeard Pirates, and use OP17 Edward Newgate to make Ace an 8K base Power Leader. This deck turns every giant body into immediate Rush pressure.
