[Update 14 Aug 2024] A post on the official English Twitter account of the ONE PIECE Card Game has confirmed that the new card bans will come into effect in tournament play outside Japan and Asia-Pacific starting from 6 September 2024.

During the official livestream of the ONE PIECE Card Game Championship 2024 WAVE1 Finals, BANDAI announced that two cards will be banned from tournament play in Japan and Asia-Pacific starting from 1 September 2024. These cards will be the sixth and seventh on the banlist, joining the Moby Dick and Cabaji cards from Paramount War [OP-02], the Sakazuki card from Awakening of the New Era [OP-05], the Great Eruption card from Absolute Justice [ST-06], and the Reject card from Wings of the Captain [OP-06].

It isn’t yet known when these cards will be banned in other regions. However, it’s been widely speculated that the two new banned cards will be blacklisted outside Japan and Asia-Pacific shortly after Emperors in the New World [OP-09] launches internationally; this will take place in December 2024.

Trafalgar Law (ST10-001)

This card from The Three Captains [ST-10] has become the bane of the existence of countless One Piece Card Game players across Japan and Asia-Pacific. The Red/Purple Law deck centered around this Leader card has overcentralized the metagame to an alarming extent. At this point, almost everyone who isn’t playing this deck has been trying to come up with ways to specifically counter it—and these methods have clearly been failing because of how overpowered this card is.

A key reason why this Law card is deemed to be “broken” include the low cost required to use its ultra-powerful disruptive Ability which also allows the player to play a low-cost Character card. The card’s interaction with Black Maria from Two Legends [OP-08] is also problematic; Black Maria’s 2000 counter as well as its extreme simplication of DON!! ramping in a Red/Purple Law deck have made the deck’s Leader card way too powerful for a healthy competitive scene.

Enies Lobby (OP03-098)

A Stage card from Pillars of Strength [OP-03], Enies Lobby was a crucial part of the Black Lucci deck—the only deck even in the same galaxy as the Red/Purple Law deck prior to the latter’s ban. Enies Lobby made several elements of Black Lucci deck gameplay too unbalanced in the player’s favor by reducing an opposing Character’s cost by 2 without expending any DON!! to do so. It also gives the player clear advantages over the next several turns while leaving opposing Characters well within KO range.

One of the major selling points of the Black Lucci deck had been its consistency in the reduction of opposing Characters’ costs. However, BANDAI deemed doing so with Enies Lobby to be too easy to an extent that the meta was harmed by it. As such, the power of the Black Lucci deck has now taken a serious hit.

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