Buggy — Standard Strategy Guide

Affiliate links: card links on this page go to TCGplayer, and we earn a commission on purchases at no extra cost to you. How this works

Archetype Overview

Buggy (OP09-042) is a blue ramp-and-cheat Leader. Its [Activate: Main] rests 5 DON!! and trashes a card to play any Cross Guild type Character from your hand, and the text sets no cost limit. That turns a 9-cost or 10-cost Character into a third-turn play, and the rest of the list exists to make that swing as large as possible. This 50, played by Limitless user Gyan, finished Top 4 at ChinoizeCup #131 TUESDAY on 2026-11-03 in a 53-player field.

Several cards in this list share a name, so card numbers matter here. Buggy means four different cards: the OP09-042 Leader and the OP12-049, P-084 and OP09-051 Characters. There are two Mr.3(Galdino) and two Alvida. Each is named with its number below.

What the Deck Is

The deck has three layers:

• Low-cost setup. Mr.3(Galdino) (OP09-056) and the Cross Guild Event each look at four cards and find a Cross Guild card. Emptee Bluffs Island turns unwanted cards into fresh ones.
• The 4-cost tier. Cabaji, Mohji and Alvida (ST25-001) are cheap bodies that grow when you have two Characters with a base cost of 5 or more. Cabaji and Mohji also become Blockers.
• The payoffs. Alvida (EB05-021), Crocodile & Mihawk, Dracule Mihawk, Buggy (P-084) and Buggy (OP09-051) all do something on arrival. Most of them draw.

Why the Plan Is Strong

Tempo. You have at least 5 DON!! on your third turn whether you go first or second (source: Bandai official play guide, accessed 2026-10-19). On that turn your Leader can put Alvida (EB05-021) into play, which draws 2 and can play a cost 8 or lower Cross Guild Character from your hand. Two large Characters arrive for the price of one activation.

Cards. Nearly every payoff replaces itself or better. Alvida (EB05-021) draws two, Crocodile & Mihawk and Dracule Mihawk each draw two and trash one, and Alvida (ST25-001) draws three and trashes two. The Leader's trash cost is easy to pay in this deck.

Removal your opponent can't easily answer. Buggy (OP09-051) places an opposing Character on the bottom of its owner's deck, with no cost limit in the text. Gravity Blade Raging Tiger handles two at once at cost 6 or lower.

Protection. Once per turn, Crocodile & Mihawk lets you trash a card instead of losing a Cross Guild Character to an opposing effect.

The Five-Character Puzzle

Buggy (OP09-051) goes to the bottom of your deck after its [On Play] unless you have 5 Characters with a cost of 5 or more. That is why the 4-cost tier exists. With two Characters at a base cost of 5 or more in play, Cabaji, Mohji and Alvida (ST25-001) each gain +1 cost and count toward the five. The 10-cost Buggy counts itself, so you need four others at the moment its effect checks.

Where It's Exposed

• [On Play] negation. Most of your value lives in [On Play] effects, so a Leader that negates them is a serious problem.
• Thin early pressure. Your Leader rests 5 DON!! to activate, and your cheap Characters have low base power, so you don't threaten much before the big turn.
• Few Counters on your best Characters. Dracule Mihawk, Crocodile & Mihawk, Buggy (P-084) and Buggy (OP09-051) have no Counter value.
• Hand reliance. The Leader only plays from your hand and needs a card to trash as well.

Who Should Pick It Up

Pick this up if you enjoy planning a turn or two ahead around one large swing. You need to count DON!!, track which Characters have a base cost of 5 or more, and read each effect's timing. If you prefer racing decks that attack hard from the first turn, you won't enjoy the slow opening here.

Core Strategy & Game Plan

How the Deck Wins

You win by landing a board your opponent can't clear and then pushing through with large attackers. Your first few turns build a hand. Your third turn starts cheating Characters into play. From there you use bottom-of-deck removal to clear their best Characters while your own 7000-power and 12000-power bodies start attacking.

You begin with 5 Life. That gives you time to play the slower setup turns, and your Counter values help you protect that Life until the board is ready.

The Engine

The Leader. You may rest 5 DON!! and trash 1 card: play up to 1 Cross Guild type Character from your hand. It isn't limited to once per turn. It needs 5 DON!! each time, so with 10 DON!! you can activate it twice in one turn. All of the Characters here are Cross Guild type except Mr.3(Galdino) (OP16-056), which can't be played this way.

The chain. Three cards play another Character when they arrive:

• Alvida (EB05-021): draw 2, play a cost 8 or lower Cross Guild Character from hand, and then you can't play Character cards for the rest of the turn.
• Crocodile & Mihawk: draw 2 and trash 1, then play a cost 4 or lower Cross Guild Character from hand.
• Buggy (P-084): play a cost 6 or lower Cross Guild Character from hand.

The growth tier. Cabaji, Mohji and Alvida (ST25-001) check for 2 or more Characters with a base cost of 5 or more. Once you've played two payoffs, those 4-cost Characters each gain +1 cost, and Cabaji and Mohji become Blockers. On your opponent's turn Cabaji also gains +5000 power, so once the condition is met, a 1000-power card defends as a 6000-power Blocker.

The finisher. Buggy (OP09-051) is 12000 power and places an opposing Character on the bottom of its owner's deck. The removal comes first. If you don't have five Characters at cost 5 or more when the effect finishes, your Buggy goes to the bottom too. That's still a removal effect for your Leader's 5 DON!!, so use it that way when you need to. It's better when it stays.

DON!! Math

Each turn you gain 2 DON!!, up to 10, and the first player gains only 1 on turn one (source: Bandai official play guide, accessed 2026-10-19). That gives this curve:

• Going first: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10.
• Going second: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.

Your Leader comes online on your third turn either way. Going second you have one DON!! left over on that turn for a 1-cost card. Going first, your second turn has only 3 DON!!, which is why your 1-cost search cards matter on your opening turns.

The Ideal Game, Turn by Turn

Your first turn. Play Mr.3(Galdino) (OP09-056) or Cross Guild to find a payoff. If you've got two 1-cost plays and 2 DON!!, make both.

Your second turn. Play Alvida (ST25-001) if you have 4 DON!!, drawing 3 and trashing 2. Going first, with 3 DON!!, make your best low-cost plays and use Emptee Bluffs Island if your hand needs work.

Your third turn. Activate your Leader. Trash your least useful card and play Alvida (EB05-021). Draw 2 and play Crocodile & Mihawk from your hand. You now have two base-cost 5 or more Characters, so your 4-cost tier wakes up.

Your fourth turn. You should have 7 or 8 DON!!. Attack with your new Characters. Your Leader can then play Buggy (OP09-051) from hand with the rest of your plan intact, if you have the count.

Later turns. Use Alvida (EB05-021)'s [When Attacking] to negate an opposing Character's effect for the turn. Use your removal to take away their Blockers and attackers, then finish the game with large attacks.

Posture

You are the reactive deck early and the proactive deck after your first big turn. Spend Counters to keep your Life at a level where the big turn can still win, but don't throw away your payoffs to do it. Your Buggy (OP12-049) and your 4-cost tier carry large Counter values precisely so you don't need to pitch key cards.

Card Choices & Breakdown

The Search and Setup

4 Mr.3(Galdino) (OP09-056) costs 1 and looks at four cards for a Cross Guild type card, or one with a Baroque Works type, other than itself. Note that exclusion: it can't find either Mr.3(Galdino), including the OP16-056 copy. It's also a 2000-power body with a +1000 Counter and counts as a Cross Guild Character for your Leader.

4 Cross Guild is the same four-card look for a Cross Guild card, at cost 1. It has a [Trigger], so it can do its work out of your Life as well. It can't find Gravity Blade Raging Tiger, which has the Navy type.

2 Emptee Bluffs Island lets you place 2 cards from your hand on the bottom of your deck and rest the Stage to draw 2. It doesn't gain cards, but it fixes a hand of expensive cards at no DON!! cost after the first. Two copies give you a good chance of seeing it, and it doesn't use up early DON!! once it's in place.

The 4-Cost Tier

4 Cabaji and 4 Mohji have 1000 power and a +2000 Counter. They're Counter cards first. On the board, with two base-cost 5 or more Characters, they become cost 5 Blockers. Cabaji gains +5000 power on your opponent's turn. Mohji draws 1 when K.O.'d if you have 3 or fewer cards in hand and your Leader is Buggy.

3 Alvida (ST25-001) has 5000 power and a +1000 Counter, and draws 3 and trashes 2 on arrival. It is your second-turn sculpting play, and it also joins the cost 5 count. The list runs 3 rather than 4 because, unlike the other 4-costs, you rarely want a second one early: you can only use so much filtering before the big turn, and its Counter value is lower than Cabaji and Mohji.

4 Mr.3(Galdino) (OP16-056) has 5000 power and a +1000 Counter at cost 4. You can trash it in your Main Phase to draw 2 and stop one opposing Character with a cost of 9 or less from attacking until the end of your opponent's next End Phase. It is the only Character here without the Cross Guild type, so your Leader and chain can't play it. It's a card you pay for with DON!!, usually on a turn you aren't activating the Leader.

The Payoffs

4 Dracule Mihawk is a 6-cost 7000-power Blocker that draws 2 and trashes 1. It has no Counter value, so it's a card you want to play and not one you hold for defense. It also counts toward both the base-cost and five-Character thresholds.

4 Buggy (OP12-049) has no effect text at all, but look at the numbers: cost 6, 7000 power and a +2000 Counter. It doubles as a large Counter early and a threshold body later. When you have nothing better to trash, this is usually still a card you'd rather keep.

2 Mohji & Cabaji is cost 6, 7000 power and a +1000 Counter, and draws 2 if you have 5 or fewer cards in hand. It's a body and a refill, and two copies is enough because you already draw a lot.

4 Crocodile & Mihawk is an 8-cost 7000-power Character. It draws 2 and trashes 1, plays a 4-cost Cross Guild Character, and then protects your board: once per turn, when a Cross Guild Character would be removed by your opponent's effect, you may trash a card instead. It's your best follow-up to Alvida (EB05-021).

4 Alvida (EB05-021) is your primary Leader target. It costs 9, so hard-casting it is rarely realistic, but your Leader doesn't care about cost. It's 7000 power with a +1000 Counter, and [When Attacking] negates the effect of an opposing Character during the turn.

1 Buggy (P-084) is cost 7, 8000 power, can't attack, and plays a 6-or-lower Cross Guild Character from hand. With your Buggy Leader, it also stops every Character with a cost of 3 or 4 from attacking. That text says all Characters, so it includes yours. Your own Mr.3(Galdino) (OP16-056) at cost 4 can't attack while it's out, and neither can your 4-cost tier until it has grown to cost 5. It's a one-of since it's so situational, and it hits hardest against decks with many cheap attackers.

4 Buggy (OP09-051) is your finisher: cost 10, 12000 power, and bottom-of-deck removal with no cost limit in the text. No Counter value, so it's a dead card defensively.

The Removal Event

2 Gravity Blade Raging Tiger costs 7 and places up to 2 Characters of cost 6 or lower on the bottom of their owners' decks in any order. The [Trigger] can take up to 1 at cost 5 or lower. It is your swing card for a turn when you can't activate the Leader. Your own search doesn't find it, so the copies you see are the copies you draw.

The Decklist

This is the 50 that finished Top 4 at ChinoizeCup #131 TUESDAY on 2026-11-03 out of 53 players, played by Limitless user Gyan. The deck may hold up to 4 copies of any one card number, so printings with the same name are counted separately (source: Bandai official play guide, accessed 2026-10-19).

Leader

Characters (42)

Events (6)

Stage (2)

Reading the Shape of the List

Look at the count at each end: eight 1-cost search cards, eleven 4-cost bodies with Counters at the low end, and eight cards at cost 8 and up that you rarely pay full price for. Your Leader does that work. Keep that shape if you change anything.

Opening Hands & Mulligan

Each player draws 5 cards and may redraw once (source: Bandai official play guide, accessed 2026-10-19). With this deck, your redraw decision comes down to one question: what will you do with 5 DON!! on your third turn?

What to Keep

A keepable hand has a search card or a payoff, plus at least one Counter card.

• Best: Mr.3(Galdino) (OP09-056) or Cross Guild, Alvida (EB05-021), Alvida (ST25-001), and a Cabaji or Mohji.
• Good: two 1-cost search cards and any 4-cost. You will almost always find a payoff by your third turn.
• Good: Alvida (EB05-021) with Crocodile & Mihawk, as long as you also hold something for your first two turns.
• Fine: Emptee Bluffs Island with a hand of payoffs. It can turn two extra expensive cards into two new ones.

What to Send Back

• No plays before your third turn and no search. A hand of all cost 6 and up gives you no early board and no way to fix it.
• All Counters and no payoff or search. You can defend but you have no plan to turn the game.
• Only Gravity Blade Raging Tiger and high-cost cards. Neither it nor your expensive Characters do anything on your opening turns.

Your Early Turns, Going First

• First turn (1 DON!!): Mr.3(Galdino) (OP09-056), Cross Guild or Emptee Bluffs Island.
• Second turn (3 DON!!): another 1-cost or two. Remember the Stage needs a cost of 1 to play, then 2 cards from hand to use.
• Third turn (5 DON!!): Leader activation, with nothing left over.

Your Early Turns, Going Second

• First turn (2 DON!!): two 1-cost plays, or one and hold.
• Second turn (4 DON!!): Alvida (ST25-001) to sculpt, or a 4-cost body if you want a Blocker-in-waiting.
• Third turn (6 DON!!): Leader activation and a 1-cost.

First or Second?

When you get the choice, take second. The Leader comes online on your third turn either way, but going second gives you 4 DON!! on your second turn for Alvida (ST25-001), and one spare DON!! on your third turn. Going first gets your big turn on the board before your opponent's third turn, which matters more against a deck that needs time to set up. If you expect that kind of opponent, going first is reasonable.

Which Cards to Trash

Your Leader and filtering cards will ask you to trash many times. Rank your trash in advance:

1. Extra Emptee Bluffs Island once one is down.
2. A spare Mr.3(Galdino) (OP09-056) after your opening turns, when the search matters less.
3. Gravity Blade Raging Tiger if you are drawing well and don't plan to reach 7 DON!! open.
4. A spare Buggy (OP09-051) if you're nowhere near five Characters and already have one in hand.

Before you decide to redraw, count what your hand does on each of your first three turns. If you can name a play for every turn and a Leader target for the third, keep. If two of those turns are empty, send it back.

Don't trash Cabaji or Mohji unless your hand is rich in Counters, since their +2000 keeps you alive. Don't trash your last Alvida (EB05-021) or Crocodile & Mihawk before your big turn.

Matchups That Change the Keep

Against a fast deck, value Counters more: a hand with Cabaji, Mohji or Buggy (OP12-049) can absorb early attacks while you set up, and a hand of only payoffs may not survive to use them. Against a slow deck, you can keep a greedier hand of payoffs and one search card.

Against a Leader that negates [On Play] effects, value changes. Characters with large bodies matter more, and search matters less once the negation is up, so prefer hands with Buggy (OP12-049) and Mr.3(Galdino) (OP16-056), which has an [Activate: Main] instead. Against a deck with many Characters at cost 3 or 4, you might hunt harder for Buggy (P-084). Against decks that remove Characters with effects, make Crocodile & Mihawk part of what you are looking for.

Sequencing & Key Lines

The Standard Big Turn

On your first turn with 5 DON!!, run this line:

1. Rest 5 DON!! and trash 1 card with your Leader. Play Alvida (EB05-021).
2. Draw 2.
3. Play Crocodile & Mihawk from hand for free through Alvida (EB05-021).
4. Resolve Crocodile & Mihawk: draw 2, trash 1.

After this you have two Characters at base cost 5 or more, which means your 4-cost tier wakes up. Attack with whatever you already have if the attack is worthwhile, and pass with a large hand.

A timing warning. Alvida (EB05-021) ends with "Then, you cannot play Character cards during this turn." Crocodile & Mihawk also has a "play" step for a 4-cost. Check how your event's judges rule on that third play before you count on it. Plan as if the 4-cost isn't coming, and be pleased if it is.

If you need the 4-cost. Skip Alvida (EB05-021) and activate your Leader directly into Crocodile & Mihawk. You get the 4-cost with no restriction, at the price of the second big body.

Going Into the Finisher

The next turn is the Buggy (OP09-051) turn if the count works. Do the count first, then play. The check happens at the end of its [On Play]:

• Count every Character with a current cost of 5 or more. Include the Buggy itself.
• Your 4-cost tier counts only if the condition is active. That condition reads base cost, so a grown Cabaji doesn't help itself: you still need two Characters with an actual base cost of 5 or more.
• Add a body first if you're short. A Buggy (OP12-049) or Dracule Mihawk from hand can be the difference.
• Remember what happens later doesn't matter. The check is once, on arrival. After Buggy stays, losing a Character won't send it back.

If you have 10 DON!!, you can activate twice: once for the fifth body and once for Buggy. And don't forget the [On Play] happens before the check: if you remove something with it, your own count is unaffected.

Use Buggy (OP09-051) as Pure Removal When You Must

If you can't reach five, you can still spend 5 DON!! and a trash to place an opposing Character on the bottom of its owner's deck. Your Buggy goes to the bottom too. Do this when the Character it removes is the reason you're losing. Don't do it casually, since your finishers are few and each one that goes to the bottom won't come back quickly.

Order Within a Turn

• Trash Mr.3(Galdino) (OP16-056) early in your Main Phase. You see two more cards before your big decisions, and the attack stop lasts through your opponent's next turn, so its timing within your turn costs you nothing. It's also a 5000-power body, so keep it in play instead when you need that body more than the cards.
• Play Emptee Bluffs Island early in the turn. Use it before any big decision, so you can see the cards it gives you. Remember it rests, so it's once a turn in practice.
• Don't play Characters after Alvida (EB05-021). The restriction lasts the turn, so any body you wanted from hand must come before it.

Reading Your Hand for Counters

Before you pass, count your Counter values. Cabaji, Mohji and Buggy (OP12-049) are +2000. Both Mr.3(Galdino), both Alvida and Mohji & Cabaji are +1000. Your other Characters have no Counter value. If you're passing with a hand of Buggy (OP09-051), you're not protected, so plan your filter effects to trash those extras when you don't need them.

Playing Around Removal

Crocodile & Mihawk replaces one removal per turn with a trash from hand. Keep a low-value card in hand on your opponent's turn so that option is real. You only get it once a turn, so if your opponent has two removal effects, choose which of your Characters matters more.

Attacking

Alvida (EB05-021)'s [When Attacking] negates the effect of an opposing Character during the turn. Use it on a Blocker that has gained its status from an effect, or a Character with a power boost from text. Choose your attack order so that negation helps your next attacker, not just the Alvida itself.

Playing Buggy (P-084)

This card stops cost 3 and 4 Characters from attacking, including yours. Play it when your opponent's pressure comes from those costs, and when your own 4-cost tier is either grown or not needed as attackers. Use its [On Play] on a Mihawk or an OP12-049 Buggy, whichever your count needs.

Matchup Matrix

These are qualitative reads from Leader text and your own cards. The data on opposing lists is limited to card names, so don't treat them as measured results.

Monkey.D.Luffy (OP13-001)

This is the Leader you will meet most, with 17 of 56 Top 8 slots across 6 of 7 events (source: Limitless online platform, Oct 19-Nov 3). It has 4 Life and 5000 power. With DON!! x1 and 5 or less active DON!!, it can rest any number of DON!! when you attack, giving +2000 per DON!! to the Leader or a Straw Hat Crew Character for that battle. Each DON!! it rests to defend stays rested for the rest of your turn, so its boosts run out as you keep attacking. Make several attacks instead of one, and start with smaller ones to force the choice. Your 12000-power Buggy (OP09-051) asks for a lot of DON!! on its own. See our Monkey.D.Luffy Standard guide.

Enel (OP05-098)

Enel took 7 of 56 Top 8 slots (source: Limitless online platform, Oct 19-Nov 3). It has 4 Life, and once per turn on your turn, when its Life reaches 0, it adds the top card of its deck to Life and trashes a card from hand. So your lethal turn needs one more attack than the Life count suggests. Plan your final turn with that extra hit in mind, and don't overextend for a false lethal. See our Enel Standard guide.

Rocks.D.Xebec (OP17-039)

Xebec had 86 of 525 entries, the most of any Leader, and 4 Top 8 slots (source: Limitless online platform, Oct 19-Nov 3). It has 5 Life and draws when it attacks, if it reveals a Rocks Pirates card after trashing from hand. That makes its Leader attack a resource source. Pressure it to keep its hand small and use your removal on its most useful Characters. See our Rocks.D.Xebec Standard guide.

Donquixote Rosinante (OP12-061)

Rosinante protects Trafalgar Law when it "would be K.O.'d" by adding the top of its Life to hand. Your Buggy (OP09-051) and Gravity Blade Raging Tiger place Characters on the bottom of the deck, not K.O. them, so that protection doesn't apply. Aim your removal at Law and force it to answer you with its 4 Life. See our Donquixote Rosinante Standard guide.

Marshall.D.Teach (OP09-081)

This Leader trashes a card to negate your [On Play] effects until the end of your next turn. It won ChinoizeCup #130 on Nov 2, a 63-player event (source: Limitless online platform, Nov 2). Nearly all your value is in [On Play], so plan for a game without it. Your Leader's activation isn't an [On Play], so it still works. A negated Buggy (OP09-051) also skips its "place this Character at the bottom" step, so you get a 12000-power body for 5 DON!!, which is a real plan here. Buggy (OP12-049), Dracule Mihawk as a Blocker, and Mr.3(Galdino) (OP16-056) still function. See our Marshall.D.Teach Standard guide.

Marshall.D.Teach (OP16-080)

On your turn, its Characters all have +1 cost, so Gravity Blade Raging Tiger reaches one cost lower than the printed number suggests. Your Buggy (OP09-051) has no cost limit, so it's unaffected. This Leader can also redirect one attack per turn by trashing a card with a [Trigger]. Attack in an order that uses up that redirect.

Boa Hancock (OP14-041)

Hancock won ChinoizeCup #124 at 7-0 and took 2nd in ChinoizeCup #131 (source: Limitless online platform, Oct 19-Nov 3). Gravity Blade Raging Tiger is in 13 of its 15 lists (source: Limitless online platform, Oct 19-Nov 3), and that text is the same as yours: it hits Characters with a cost of 6 or lower. That reaches Dracule Mihawk, Buggy (OP12-049) and your grown 4-cost tier, while Alvida (EB05-021) and Crocodile & Mihawk sit above it. Keep Crocodile & Mihawk out with a card in hand to trash when it comes. See our Boa Hancock Standard guide.

Kaido (OP17-058)

Kaido spends DON!! to give an opposing Character −2000 power, when attacking or when you attack. That shrinks your bodies, and Cabaji and Mohji feel it most at low base power. Lean on your 7000-power and larger Characters instead of counting on small Blockers. See our Kaido Standard guide.

Mirror

Buggy took 3 of 56 Top 8 slots on 33 of 525 entries (source: Limitless online platform, Oct 19-Nov 3). Whoever completes five Characters first gets a stuck 12000-power body and removal. Keep Crocodile & Mihawk out to blunt their bottom-of-deck effects, and save your own removal for their base-cost 5 or more Characters, since losing those shuts off their 4-cost tier.

Tech Choices & Variations

The core here is your Leader's targets: Alvida (EB05-021), Crocodile & Mihawk and Buggy (OP09-051), with the search and 4-cost tier that make them work. Everything below concerns the slots around that core. The brief for this format has no breakdown of other Buggy lists, so every swap here stays within the cards you already play.

The Flex Slots

Don't cut Mr.3(Galdino) (OP09-056) or Cross Guild. They are the reason your hand has a payoff by your third turn, and both cost only 1. Don't cut the +2000 Counters either. Those 4-cost bodies are what let you survive to your big turn.

Thinking About the Count

A few numbers in this list interact, and moving one affects the others.

• Characters at a base cost of 5 or more turn on your 4-cost tier. There are many, so this condition isn't hard to meet.
• Characters that can reach cost 5 feed the Buggy (OP09-051) check. Cutting the 4-cost tier for other cards can leave you short of five.
• Cross Guild type matters for your search and Leader. Mr.3(Galdino) (OP16-056) and Gravity Blade Raging Tiger lack it, so adding more non-Cross Guild cards weakens both search and Leader.

Tuning for Your Local Field

Luffy-heavy rooms. Monkey.D.Luffy (OP13-001) took 6 of the 8 Top 8 slots at ChinoizeCup #130 on Nov 2 and 17 of 56 slots overall (source: Limitless online platform, Oct 19-Nov 3). You want several attackers more than a single big one. Keep the Buggy (OP09-051) count and don't add slower cards.

Removal-heavy rooms. Gravity Blade Raging Tiger is in 13 of 15 Hancock lists (source: Limitless online platform, Oct 19-Nov 3). Every Crocodile & Mihawk you can keep in play protects you, so keep your four copies and remember you need a card in hand to use the replacement.

Teach OP09-081 rooms. It had only 4 of 525 entries, but 2 Top 8 slots and a win (source: Limitless online platform, Oct 19-Nov 3). Against it, Mr.3(Galdino) (OP16-056) and Buggy (OP12-049) gain value because they don't rely on [On Play]. Don't reduce either of them if you expect this Leader.

Cheap-attacker rooms. If you see many Characters at cost 3 or 4 as the main threats, Buggy (P-084) is the best card in your list. A second copy isn't an option in this 50 without cutting something else, but it's worth testing.

Format Timing

OP-18 is listed with a release date of November 20, 2026, with no tournament legal date on that page (source: Bandai official products page, accessed 2026-11-04). All data here predates it. Check your event's legal card pool, and expect the field to shift once that set is legal.

If you can't predict the room, register the list as is. These numbers are built around one turn, and small changes can make that turn less reliable.

Budget Options

You have a Leader and a blue-only list, and the deck's real cost is likely in the high-rarity Characters you play as 4-ofs and the promo. Check the estimated total on this page and current prices before you buy.

• Likely the most expensive: 4 Buggy (OP09-051), 4 Dracule Mihawk, Buggy (P-084) and 4 Alvida (EB05-021).
• Likely mid-tier: 4 Crocodile & Mihawk, 4 Buggy (OP12-049), 2 Mohji & Cabaji, 4 Mr.3(Galdino) (OP16-056), 2 Gravity Blade Raging Tiger.
• Likely cheap: Cabaji, Mohji and Alvida (ST25-001), plus Mr.3(Galdino) (OP09-056), Cross Guild and Emptee Bluffs Island.

Those tiers are estimates and not price quotes, so confirm them with a current listing. If you play online, use the same tiers as your crafting or buying order, since the engine pieces are what you'll use in every game.

What You Can't Cut

Buggy (OP09-042), the Leader. The deck doesn't exist without its activation.

Alvida (EB05-021). It is your best Leader target, because it draws and plays another Character. If you have to prioritize, buy these.

Crocodile & Mihawk. It is both your follow-up and your protection.

Mr.3(Galdino) (OP09-056) and Cross Guild. They're inexpensive, and your hand doesn't work reliably without them.

Acceptable Budget Swaps

These swaps use cards already in the list, so the structure holds and you don't buy a stopgap to throw away later.

The Finisher Question

Buggy (OP09-051) can be reduced, but it can't vanish. It's your unconditional removal. Without it, you need to win with 7000-power Characters and Gravity Blade Raging Tiger, which is a different and weaker game.

Two copies is the workable minimum for a budget build. At two you'll need your search to find one. Mr.3(Galdino) (OP09-056) and Cross Guild both can, since it has the Cross Guild type.

What a Budget Build Plays Like

A cut-down version still plays the same third turn, so the core game doesn't change. What changes is the follow-through. With fewer copies of Buggy (OP09-051), you take more games to their late turns without your finisher, so your 7000-power bodies and your Counters have to carry more of the load. With fewer copies of Dracule Mihawk, you have fewer Blockers and draw less after the big turn. Neither swap breaks the deck, but both make it more dependent on your hand.

Keep the 4-cost tier at full count in every version. Those cards are cheap, they hold your Counter values, and they're what the five-Character check relies on. Cutting them to save money saves very little and costs a lot.

Upgrade Path

1. The engine: Leader, 4 Mr.3(Galdino) (OP09-056), 4 Cross Guild, 4 Cabaji, 4 Mohji, 3 Alvida (ST25-001), 2 Emptee Bluffs Island. This is mostly the cheap tier.
2. The big turn: 4 Alvida (EB05-021) and 4 Crocodile & Mihawk. This is where the deck starts working as designed.
3. The bodies: 4 Buggy (OP12-049), Mohji & Cabaji, then Dracule Mihawk as you can.
4. The finisher: two copies of Buggy (OP09-051), then up to four.
5. The polish: Buggy (P-084), Gravity Blade Raging Tiger and Mr.3(Galdino) (OP16-056).

After step 2 you can play the deck's main turn. Moving on to step 4 is the biggest jump in closing power, since a stuck 12000-power body plus removal is what your earlier steps build toward.

Common Mistakes

1. Counting Grown 4-Costs Toward Their Own Condition

Cabaji, Mohji and Alvida (ST25-001) check for Characters with a base cost of 5 or more. Their +1 cost doesn't change their base cost, so three grown 4-costs still don't turn each other on. You need two Characters that are actually printed at cost 5 or higher. If you lose those, your 4-cost tier shrinks back, your Blockers disappear, and your next Buggy (OP09-051) check may fail. Check your base-cost count before you pass the turn.

2. Miscounting the Five Characters

Buggy (OP09-051) checks for 5 Characters with a cost of 5 or more when its effect finishes. It counts itself, and it counts your grown 4-costs. Count before you commit. Don't guess, since your finisher going to the bottom of your deck is a real loss. When you're one short, look for a Character you can add first: a hard-played Dracule Mihawk, a Buggy (OP12-049), or a Leader activation if you have 10 DON!!.

3. Playing Characters After Alvida

Alvida (EB05-021) ends with "Then, you cannot play Character cards during this turn." If you wanted another body from hand, play it first. If you have 10 DON!!, make your other Leader activation before Alvida arrives. And plan the Crocodile & Mihawk play from it with that sentence in mind. Confirm how the 4-cost step resolves before you rely on it.

4. Trying to Search Up the Wrong Cards

Mr.3(Galdino) (OP09-056) can't find another Mr.3(Galdino), since it excludes that name. Cross Guild finds only Cross Guild type cards, so neither search finds Gravity Blade Raging Tiger, and Cross Guild doesn't find Mr.3(Galdino) (OP16-056). Your Leader can't play that card either. Plan to pay for it in DON!!. Know what you're looking for before you start a four-card look, and order the cards you put on the bottom in a way you'll remember.

5. Trashing Your Counters Too Freely

Your Leader and filter cards ask you to trash constantly. It's tempting to trash Cabaji and Mohji, because their board impact is small early. Those +2000 values are why you survive to your big turn. Trash a spare 1-cost, an extra Stage or a redundant Buggy (OP09-051) before those. Keep in mind that Dracule Mihawk, Crocodile & Mihawk and Buggy (OP09-051) have no Counter value, so a hand full of them isn't protection.

6. Leaving No Card for Crocodile & Mihawk's Protection

Crocodile & Mihawk lets you trash 1 card from hand instead of losing a Cross Guild Character to an opposing effect, once per turn. If your hand is empty on your opponent's turn, that protection doesn't exist. Keep one low-value card when you can, even if that means passing up a filter effect at the end of your turn. Note what it doesn't protect: it covers removal by effects, not K.O. in battle, and it covers Cross Guild type Characters only, so Mr.3(Galdino) (OP16-056) isn't included.

7. Forgetting That Buggy P-084 Locks Your Own Attackers

Buggy (P-084) says all Characters with a cost of 3 or 4 can't attack, if your Leader is Buggy. That's your Characters too. Your ungrown Cabaji, Mohji and Alvida (ST25-001) can't attack, and neither can Mr.3(Galdino) (OP16-056). Buggy (P-084) can't attack either. Don't play it on the turn you're trying to push damage with those bodies.

8. Overvaluing Your Leader Attack and Undervaluing the Timing

Resting 5 DON!! doesn't rest your Leader, so it can still attack at its 5000 power. Don't forget to attack with it, because that's free pressure. But on the other hand, don't activate your Leader on a turn when you could play something better by hand with that DON!!. At 6 DON!! you can hard-play a Dracule Mihawk and keep your trash, for instance, and that's sometimes the better line if your hand is short.

Tournament Prep & Final Notes

What to Practice

The big turn. Run the Leader into Alvida (EB05-021) into Crocodile & Mihawk line until you never miscount. Practice it with different hands, so you know what you can trash each time and what to do with the draws.

The five-Character count. Put different boards in front of you and answer one question: does Buggy (OP09-051) stay? Do this until you can answer at a glance.

Your DON!! curve. You have 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 going first and 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 going second (source: Bandai official play guide, accessed 2026-10-19). Practice planning two turns forward from that.

Monkey.D.Luffy (OP13-001). It's the Leader you're most likely to meet, with 17 of 56 Top 8 slots (source: Limitless online platform, Oct 19-Nov 3). Practice attack order that drains its active DON!!.

A game without [On Play]. Play a practice game against Teach (OP09-081) to learn what your deck can still do, because it plays very differently.

Rules Interactions to Know Cold

• Leader activation. Rest 5 DON!!, trash 1, and play a Cross Guild type Character from hand with no cost limit in the text.
• Mr.3(Galdino) (OP16-056). It isn't Cross Guild type, so your Leader, Crocodile & Mihawk and your chain cards don't play it.
• Base cost and current cost. Cabaji, Mohji and Alvida (ST25-001) read base cost for their condition, and Buggy (OP09-051) reads cost, so grown 4-costs count for Buggy.
• Buggy (OP09-051). The removal resolves first, then the count. If you fall short, it goes to the bottom of your deck. The check doesn't repeat afterward.
• Buggy (P-084). It can't attack, and it stops all cost 3 and 4 Characters from attacking while your Leader is Buggy. That includes yours.
• Alvida (EB05-021). After its [On Play], you can't play Character cards this turn. Check the timing of a follow-up play from Crocodile & Mihawk with a judge.
• Crocodile & Mihawk. The trash-instead option is once per turn, only against opposing effects, and only for Cross Guild type Characters.
• Gravity Blade Raging Tiger. It says "up to 2" Characters of cost 6 or less, with no restriction to your opponent's, so choose your targets carefully. The [Trigger] can reach cost 5 or lower.
• Cabaji. It gains +5000 power during your opponent's turn without any other condition.
• Mohji. Its draw checks for a Buggy Leader and 3 or fewer cards in hand when it's K.O.'d, so a placed-on-the-bottom Mohji doesn't draw.
• Emptee Bluffs Island. It needs 2 cards from your hand and the Stage must be able to rest.

Clock Management

Your turns contain many looks at the deck. Mr.3(Galdino) (OP09-056) and Cross Guild rearrange the top of your deck, and your big turn has several draws and trashes.

• Plan your trash in advance. Know your order before you activate anything.
• Draw first, then decide. Resolve your draws before you commit to the next play.
• Keep your count visible. Line up your cost 5 or more Characters so you don't need to re-read them each turn.
• Plan on their turn. Your own turn should be execution.

Format Timing

The data behind this guide predates OP-18, listed for release on November 20, 2026 (source: Bandai official products page, accessed 2026-11-04). Check your event's card pool, since that date has no tournament legal date on that page. The Bandai restriction list used here took effect on 2026-10-12 (source: Bandai official restriction list, accessed 2026-11-04), and none of this list's card numbers appear on it.

Final Assessment

This list finished Top 4 in a 53-player ChinoizeCup, which is a modest field. It's a real result, not a dominant one, so treat this as a list with a strong plan and not a guaranteed tier-one choice. Its strengths are a huge third turn, a large hand afterward and removal most Leaders can't easily stop. Its risk is the [On Play] negation it can't play through, and a slower opening than you would want against fast pressure.

Know your counts, keep a card for your protection, and don't spend your Counters to save your hand when your hand is what wins. If you do those things, this deck will reward your preparation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Buggy Leader win games in One Piece Standard?

It rests 5 DON!! and trashes a card to play a Cross Guild type Character from hand with no cost limit in the text. That lands Alvida (EB05-021) and Crocodile & Mihawk on your third turn, and bottom-of-deck removal plus large attackers finish the game.

How does the five-Character check on Buggy OP09-051 work?

After its removal, it goes to the bottom of your deck unless you have 5 Characters with a cost of 5 or more. It counts itself, and grown Cabaji, Mohji and Alvida (ST25-001) count too. The check happens once, on arrival.

Why does the list play two versions of Mr.3(Galdino)?

The OP09-056 copy costs 1 and searches for a Cross Guild card. The OP16-056 copy is a 5000-power body that trashes itself to draw 2 and stop an attacker. It isn't Cross Guild type, so your Leader can't play it.

What is the hardest matchup for Buggy?

Marshall.D.Teach (OP09-081) is unfavored, because it can negate your [On Play] effects, and nearly all of your value lives there. Your Leader's activation still works, and a negated Buggy (OP09-051) stays as a 12000-power body.

Should you go first or second with Buggy?

When you get the choice, take second. The Leader comes online on your third turn either way, but going second gives you 4 DON!! on your second turn and a spare DON!! on your third.

What are the budget swaps, and what can't you cut?

You can't cut the Leader, Alvida (EB05-021), Crocodile & Mihawk or the 1-cost search. Workable swaps use cards already in the list, such as Buggy (P-084) for Mohji & Cabaji, and two copies of Buggy (OP09-051) is the workable minimum.

What should you practice before a tournament with Buggy?

Drill the Leader into Alvida (EB05-021) into Crocodile & Mihawk line, and practice the five-Character count until you can read it at a glance. Then practice attack order against Monkey.D.Luffy (OP13-001) and a game without your [On Play] effects.

Metagame Context

Built from the Top 4 list at ChinoizeCup #131 TUESDAY (53 players, 2026-11-03), played by Limitless user Gyan, via the Limitless platform. Metagame context comes from a research brief dated 2026-11-04 covering 2026-10-19 to 2026-11-03: seven online Standard events with 32 or more players on the Limitless TCG platform (525 entries, 56 Top 8 slots), grouped by Leader card ID. No in-person results were available for this window. Deck and DON!! rules per the Bandai official play guide. OP-18 release date per the Bandai products page (accessed 2026-11-04). All data predates that set.

Source: tournament results. Decklist and placements as reported by the event organizer.