[Update 9 Oct 2024] Two new variants of the Blue Doflamingo deck have begun to emerge, with one clearly being more metagame-relevant. The first was pioneered by Indonesian player John Alexander and includes Gion from Wings of the Captain [OP-06] as well as Borsalino from Awakening of the New Era [OP-05]. These cards’ disruptive effects on the opponent’s hand pair well, especially when used in combination with Gravity Blade Raging Tiger from Wings of the Captain [OP-06].

The second variant is a far more niche pick as of right now. Its two new inclusions are Pacifista from The Seven Warlords of the Sea [ST-03] and Bartholomew Kuma from Romance Dawn [OP-01]. These card are intended to serve as a replacement for the Gecko Moria card from Paramount War [OP-02].

[Update 2 Oct 2024] Thanks to the introduction of several cards of the Seven Warlords of the Sea type from the Blue Donquixote Doflamingo Starter Deck [ST-17] as well as general metagame tactical shifts, this deck has now become among the most powerful forces in tournament play.

Recent metagame shifts have seen the Blue Doflamingo deck make serious strides, going from being a deck with barely any meta relevance whatsoever to emerging as one of the rising forces of ONE PIECE Card Game tournament play. A primarily defensive deck, the Blue Doflamingo deck functions by building the power of the player’s side of the board before unleashing multiple attacks against the opponent.

The deck’s titular card from Romance Dawn [OP-01] allows the player to play a rested Character of the Seven Warlords of the Sea archetype with the use of three DON!! cards. Suitable options for cards to be played include Gecko Moria from The Seven Warlords of the Sea [ST-03], Jinbe from 500 Years in the Future [OP-07], and Edward Weevil from the Extra Booster Memorial Collection [EB-01]. Jinbe allows the player to develop two Characters in a single turn, Weevil sets up a difficult early-game matchup, and Moria serves as a draw engine. The card to seek depends on the game situation at that particular point.

The main defensive options in this deck are Boa Hancock from 500 Years in the Future [OP-07], Gum-Gum Red Roc from Kingdoms of Intrigue [OP-04], and Gravity Blade Raging Tiger from Wings of the Captain [OP-06]. When played, all three cards force the opponent to place the opponent’s Character cards at the bottom of the deck, disrupting the opponent’s offensive strategy. Additionally, by placing opposing Character cards at the bottom of the deck, these cards bypass KO immunity effects.

Once the player has a total DON!! count of 10, the Kaido card from Awakening of the New Era [OP-05] can then be played. With its power of 12,000, this card is extremely difficult to stop if left unchecked and often paves the way for the victory to be secured.

When mulliganing, the most important cards to seek are the Jinbe and Weevil cards as well as two others: Perona and Donquixote Doflamingo (not the deck’s titular Leader card), both from Romance Dawn [OP-01]; those cards give the player more intel about the cards about to be drawn.

The cumulative price of every card in a Blue Doflamingo deck is at least 22,400 JPY (~US$147).

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