The six starters at a glance
- ST-31 — Monkey D. Luffy. Red aggro. The default beginner deck: efficient rushdown, clean lines, the Leader everyone recognises.
- ST-32 — Roronoa Zoro. Green midrange. Big rested-Character punishes and clean turn-4 curves — great teaching tool for the Rest mechanic.
- ST-33 — Kuzan. Blue tempo/bounce. Best pick if you enjoy resource denial and reactive play — a bit less newcomer-friendly, more engaging long-term.
- ST-34 — Charlotte Katakuri. Yellow life manipulation. Historically the strongest color for aggressive locals play; this shell should punch above its price.
- ST-35 — Sabo. Black cost-reduction and removal. Reactive, control-leaning; rewards knowing the meta.
- ST-36 — Eustass Kid. Red/Purple hybrid. The most upside deck of the six — flexible color base, splashable into competitive lists.
Which deck should you buy?
You've never played One Piece before
Buy ST-31 Luffy. It's the most predictable curve, teaches the DON!! phase cleanly, and every character will be familiar from the anime.
You've played a card game before
Buy ST-33 Kuzan or ST-35 Sabo. Both reward reads and sequencing rather than just fair beats — the game reveals more depth quickly.
You want to win at your local next month
Buy ST-34 Katakuri or ST-36 Kid and budget ~$40–$60 of targeted singles on top. Both shells slot into existing tier-1 archetypes with minimal upgrades.
You're buying two for you and a friend
Any two adjacent colors work. ST-31 Luffy + ST-32 Zoro is the classic red-vs-green newcomer pair — both decks are gently pointed at each other, and games play out in reasonable time.
What comes in each starter deck
Every ST-31 through ST-36 starter includes:
- 1 Leader card (the character on the box)
- 51 Main + DON!! cards (51 numbered slots, of which 10 are DON!!)
- A rules insert and a playmat guide
Each starter is a legal 50-card deck the day you open it. You do not need to buy a booster to play — starters play against starters cleanly out of the box.
Where to buy
Upgrade paths after your starter
Every starter converges on a shortlist of upgrade singles once you know which deck you like:
- ST-31 Luffy → add red 3-cost curve-fillers and a second Leader option from an earlier Red set to have two decks that share sleeves.
- ST-34 Katakuri → yellow life-swap Events and a chase yellow 8-cost finisher are the two upgrade slots that push it into tier-1 range.
- ST-36 Kid → the Purple ramp package (10 DON!! spikes) is the highest-impact upgrade — check Purple prices on our Value Screener before you buy in.
For live prices on any specific card the starter references, use our card browser.
Common questions
When do ST-31 through ST-36 release in English?
July 31, 2026. The Japanese release was July 11, 2026 — Bandai's English release is scheduled for July 31 in North America and Europe.
Do I need more than one starter to play?
No. A single starter is a legal 50-card deck out of the box. You need a second copy of the deck (or a friend with any starter) to actually play a game.
Are ST-31 to ST-36 tournament legal?
Yes. Every officially printed starter deck is tournament legal in Standard One Piece Card Game.
Which of the six is the strongest?
On paper, ST-34 Katakuri and ST-36 Kid have the strongest baseline shells. But "strongest" depends on your local meta — check what Leaders your local shop is playing before committing.