Rocks.D.Xebec — Standard Strategy Guide

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Archetype Overview

Rocks.D.Xebec is mono-blue midrange that runs on card advantage. It took 1st Place at ChinoizeCup #125 Tuesday (2026-10-20), a 120-player event, played by Limitless user Donkaiser. The list does three things at once. It turns your hand into fuel, takes away your opponent's attacks instead of only blocking them, and ends on a 10-cost Character that puts two more threats into play. Nearly every card feeds the Leader, and the Leader feeds every card.

The Engine

The Leader Rocks.D.Xebec has 5000 power, 5 Life, and one ability: When Attacking, trash a card from hand, reveal the top card of your deck, and draw 2 if it's a Rocks Pirates card. Every card in this 50 except the three Buckin carries the Rocks Pirates type directly. That makes the Leader's gamble close to a sure thing. Trash one card and you usually get two back, every turn your Leader swings.

Plenty of other cards draw too:

• Kyo and Edward.Newgate draw on play.
• Streusen sets up your top two cards before you draw, which also sets up the Leader's reveal.
• Captain John loots whenever you rest him.

The deck makes cards because it spends them, and lots of its abilities cost a card from hand:

• Charlotte Linlin trashes a card for +1000 on defense.
• Edward.Newgate trashes a card for +3000 on your Leader whenever it attacks or is attacked.
• Shiki trashes a Rocks Pirates card to give an opposing Character -3000.
• Kyo lets you trash two cards instead of losing a Character to your opponent's removal.

Your hand works as a second life total and as ammunition. The draw engine keeps it full.

Denying Attacks

Most decks defend by blocking and countering. This one also stops the attack from being declared at all.

• Miss Buckingham Stussy keeps a Character with base cost 6 or less from attacking on play. She can do it again with her Activate: Main ability, which has no cost limit.
• Gloriosa bottom-decks a Character costing 5 or less and then stays back as a Gloriosa Blocker.
• Rocks Pirates bounces a Character costing 6 or less during your Main Phase.
• Captain John is the centerpiece. Once he's rested under a Rocks Pirates Leader, your opponent can't attack anything except him. Resting him with his own loot ability turns your card draw into a wall. Every attack that turn has to go through a 6000-power Character instead of your Life.

Countering Without Counter Values

The Characters here have almost no printed Counter values; only Buckin has one. The defense comes from other places:

• Eight 0-cost Events, There's No Authority in the World That Lasts Forever!!! and Rocks Pirates, each give +2000 on Counter.
• Don Marlon returns either Event from trash to hand.
• Charlotte Linlin and Edward.Newgate add trash-for-power defense.
• The 10-cost Rocks.D.Xebec in hand counts as a +2000 Counter as long as every Character you control lacks a Counter. That's why Buckin is usually better pitched or used from hand than left on the board.

The Payoff

The 10-cost Rocks.D.Xebec draws a card. Then it plays up to two Rocks Pirates cards with different names and a total cost of 9 or less straight from your hand, and their On Play effects trigger. Some of the turns this enables:

• Shiki plus Kyo: a Rush attacker and a draw.
• Edward.Newgate plus Miss Buckingham Stussy: a draw, Leader protection, and an attack shut off.
• Charlotte Linlin plus Gloriosa: hand pressure, a removal, and a Blocker.

That is three bodies and several effects for one card's DON!!. At the same time, There's No Authority in the World That Lasts Forever!!! can make either Xebec, Leader or Character, Unblockable for the cost of resting one DON!!. That's how a defensive deck finishes a game against an opponent who is holding Blockers.

Why the Plan Is Strong

• It doesn't run out of cards. Leader draws every attack plus draw-on-play Characters keep your hand ahead of the opponent's in a long game.
• Its removal also slows the opponent. Bottom-decking, bouncing, and attack lockouts all cost your opponent tempo, not just a card.
• It's consistent. With almost every card typed Rocks Pirates, the Leader, Shiki, and Kaido (which reveals three Rocks Pirates cards for -3000) rarely have their conditions fail.
• Its threats grow as the game goes on. Edward.Newgate at 8000, Shiki at 9000 with Rush, and the 12000-power Xebec take over the board just as the opponent's early pressure runs out.

Who Should Pick It Up

Pick this deck if you like managing resources and you're patient enough to give up early tempo for a bigger turn later. You'll decide every turn:

• which card to trash to the Leader,
• whether to rest Captain John or hold DON!! for Miss Buckingham Stussy,
• whether a +2000 Event is worth using now or should wait for Don Marlon to bring it back.

Each of those choices has a correct answer, and finding it is how you win. If you want to take Life fast from turn two, this isn't your deck. Its Characters are built for value, not early aggression. At roughly $250, it's a mid-range investment for a list where almost every card works with the rest of the deck.

Core Strategy & Game Plan

Rocks.D.Xebec is a hand-size deck. Your Leader turns every attack into cards, and nearly every defensive and interactive effect in the list costs cards from hand. Your hand is your real Life total. Your printed Life is the buffer you spend while you build it. You win by out-resourcing the opponent: deny their attacks, remove or bottom their board, keep your hand full, then close with an unblockable Leader backed by a ten-DON!! turn they can't answer.

Posture: proactive engine, reactive board

The Leader attacks every turn you can afford it. That attack is where your card advantage comes from, so skipping it starves you. Your Characters mostly play defense and tempo. You aren't racing. You're making the opponent's attacks bad or impossible while you pull ahead on cards. The deck runs no high-power early aggression, so trying to win a damage race early is the wrong game.

The engine and how the pieces connect

• Leader draw. When Rocks.D.Xebec attacks, you may trash 1 card from hand to reveal the top card. If it's a Rocks Pirates card, you draw 2. The deck is almost entirely Rocks Pirates, so this is almost always trash one, draw two. Trash whatever is least useful right now: an Event you can rebuy, or a cheap Character that has done its job.
• Deck setup. Streusen arranges the top two cards and draws. Captain John loots (draw 1, trash 1) by resting himself. Both smooth your draws and fill the trash with things you can use later.
• Recursion. Both Events cost 0 and are blue, so Don Marlon returns either one from the trash. Every There's No Authority in the World That Lasts Forever!!! or Rocks Pirates you counter with or trash to the Leader can come back as another +2000.
• Turning hand into defense. Charlotte Linlin trades 1 card for +1000 on any defender once per turn. Edward.Newgate trades 1 card for +3000 on your Leader, whether attacking or being attacked. Kyo lets you trash 2 cards to keep a Character from being removed by an opponent's effect. Shiki trashes a Rocks Pirates card for -3000 on an opposing Character, on your attack or theirs. The Leader refills the hand that all of these drain.
• Attack denial. Miss Buckingham Stussy stops one opposing Character with a base cost of 6 or less from attacking when played. Her Activate: Main can then lock down any Character, regardless of cost. Gloriosa bottom-decks a Character with a cost of 5 or less and stays back as a Blocker. The Main effect on Rocks Pirates bounces a Character with a cost of 6 or less for 5 rested DON!!.

The Captain John lock

This is the interaction to build turns around. With your Rocks Pirates Leader, a rested Captain John means the opponent can't attack anything except him. His Activate: Main rests him, so you loot on your turn and set the lock in the same action. On their turn, every attack goes into a 6000-power Character that you can pump with Event Counters and Charlotte Linlin. Your Leader's Life and the rest of your board go untouched.

Kyo covers him against effect removal. It does nothing against a KO in battle, though. Once you've committed to the lock, the fight is about keeping John alive in combat. Spend Counters on him the way you would on your Leader at low Life.

The ideal game

1. 1–2 DON!!: Streusen or Kyo for card flow. Keep Event Counters in hand.
2. 3–4 DON!!: Choose based on their board. Play Miss Buckingham Stussy against their best attacker or Gloriosa to remove it. If you want to start the lock, play Captain John. Play Don Marlon once an Event is in the trash. From here on, attack with the Leader every turn and draw.
3. 5–6 DON!!: Charlotte Linlin forces your opponent to choose between giving you 2 cards or losing 2 of their own. Edward.Newgate draws a card and makes your Leader a real threat when attacking, plus much harder to push damage through.
4. 7–9 DON!!: Shiki with Rush: Character clears or shrinks a Blocker immediately. Pair cheap denial with a Leader attack: Gloriosa plus Kyo, or Miss Buckingham Stussy plus her Activate on a second threat.
5. 10 DON!!: Play the Character Rocks.D.Xebec. It draws a card, then deploys two different Rocks Pirates cards totaling cost 9 or less for free. Shiki plus Kyo adds board removal and protection. Edward.Newgate plus Miss Buckingham Stussy adds a Leader buff and an attack lock. Charlotte Linlin plus Gloriosa adds hand pressure and a bottom-deck. Follow with There's No Authority in the World That Lasts Forever!!! for 1 DON!!, giving your Leader (or the Character Rocks.D.Xebec) Unblockable.

When to switch to offense

Turn aggressive when the opponent's hand is empty or can't Counter a buffed Leader swing, and their board can't punish a turn of yours spent attacking. Until then, every Leader attack is a draw step first and a damage step second. Remember that the Character Rocks.D.Xebec in hand is itself a +2000 Counter as long as none of your Characters have a Counter. Holding one late isn't dead weight. It's defense until the turn you slam it.

Card Choices & Breakdown

The Engine: Leader and Discard Fuel

Everything in this 50 is built around one line on the Leader: when Rocks.D.Xebec attacks, trash 1 card from hand, reveal the top card, and draw 2 if its type includes "Rocks Pirates." Check the type lines. Every Character and Event in the list carries "Rocks Pirates," including Buckin ("Former Rocks Pirates") and Gloriosa ("Amazon Lily Rocks Pirates"). The reveal is built to hit every time. Each Leader attack becomes trash 1, draw 2, so you are up a card every turn you swing.

That surplus pays for the deck's many discard costs. Charlotte Linlin, Edward.Newgate, Shiki, Captain John and Kyo all ask you to trash from hand. The list keeps its trash costs high on purpose because the Leader keeps refilling your hand.

Cheap Bodies: Streusen, Kyo, Buckin

• Streusen (3): A 1-cost filter that also draws a card. It lets you set up the top of your deck for the next draws. At cost 1 it also fits next to Shiki under the 9-cost cap on Rocks.D.Xebec's On Play.
• Kyo (4): Draws a card on play. Its real job is protection. While it is on the field, any of your Characters that would be removed by an opponent's effect can stay if you trash 2 cards instead. That turns removal into a card trade, and the Leader engine makes card trades cheap for you.
• Buckin (3): Its On Play only affects Edward Weevil, and this list has none. It is here as a counter. It is the only Character in the list with a printed Counter (+1000). Do not play it as a body: as long as it sits on your field, the +2000 Counter on Rocks.D.Xebec in hand stays off. Three copies keep the counter count up without filling your opening hands with dead cards.

Control Midgame: the 3s and 4s

• Miss Buckingham Stussy (4): Its On Play stops a Character with base cost 6 or less from attacking through your opponent's next End Phase. The Activate ability (rest 3 DON!! and Stussy) repeats that effect on any Character, with no cost limit. You use it to stop a big threat from attacking without having to remove it.
• Gloriosa (4): A Blocker that puts a Character with cost 5 or less on the bottom of its owner's deck. That handles On KO effects and recursion better than a KO would. Her 1000 power means she is there for the On Play and an emergency block, not to trade in combat.
• Captain John (3): While he is rested and your Leader is Rocks Pirates, your opponent can only attack him. You can rest him with his own loot ability, or by attacking with him. Either way he walls off your Life behind a 6000 body. Four copies would leave extra Johns stuck in hand once one is on the field, which is why the list runs three.
• Don Marlon (3): Returns a cost-0 blue Event from trash to hand. Both Events in the list qualify. This is where the Leader's discards pay off again: trash an Event to the Leader's ability now, then bring it back as a +2000 Counter or a bounce later.
• Kaido (2): A 6000 Blocker at 4 cost. His On Play requires revealing three Rocks Pirates cards from hand, which this list can almost always do. Two copies make him a second Blocker behind Gloriosa, not a core piece. Kaido is the flex slot, and he ran 1–2 copies in only three of eight Xebec Top 8 lists (source: Limitless TCG online platform, 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-19).

Top End: Card Advantage That Fights

• Charlotte Linlin (4): Your opponent chooses between you drawing 2 and them trashing 2. Either choice gives you card advantage. She also gives your Leader or a Character +1000 once per turn on defense.
• Edward.Newgate (4): Draws on play. Once per turn he gives your Leader +3000 when it attacks or is attacked. That makes your Leader an 8000-power attacker or defender before any DON!! is attached.
• Shiki (4): 9000 power with Rush: Character, plus a −3000 on an opposing Character once per turn, on your attack or theirs. Paired with the Leader's discards, it lets you clear the board on your own turn and still shrink their attacker on theirs.
• Rocks.D.Xebec (4): Draws 1, then plays two differently named Rocks Pirates cards totaling cost 9 or less from your hand. Strong pairings are Shiki + Streusen, Edward.Newgate + Miss Buckingham Stussy, and Charlotte Linlin + Gloriosa, so a single 10 DON!! turn puts out three bodies with three On Play effects. Before turn 10 it works as a +2000 Counter in hand.

Events: Counters First, Effects Second

Both Events cost 0 and give +2000 on [Counter], and they are most of your defense. There's No Authority in the World That Lasts Forever!!! gives a Rocks.D.Xebec (your Leader or the Character) Unblockable for 1 rested DON!!, which matters for closing out a game. Rocks Pirates bounces a Character with cost 6 or less for 5 rested DON!!. Every Xebec Top 8 list in the window ran exactly 4 of each (source: Limitless TCG online platform, 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-19).

That is a thin counter base by design. The list makes up for it with board-side defense instead: Captain John taking attacks for your Leader, Miss Buckingham Stussy locking attackers, Kyo blocking removal, and the power boosts from Edward.Newgate and Charlotte Linlin. Spend your counters to protect Life totals that matter, not on every attack.

The Decklist

This is the list that took 1st Place at ChinoizeCup #125 TUESDAY on 2026-10-20 (120 players), played by Donkaiser. It is a mono-blue Rocks Pirates build. The Character suite runs at every cost from 1 to 7, plus four copies of the 10-cost Rocks.D.Xebec Character on top. Every Event costs 0, so your DON!! goes to bodies and activated abilities. Estimated cost is about $250 at TCGplayer market prices.

Leader

Characters (42)

Events (8)

Reading the list

The fixed slots. The rows marked Core showed up as 4-ofs in every Rocks.D.Xebec Top 8 list in the window (source: Limitless TCG online platform, 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-19). Treat them as fixed.

The flex slots. Buckin, Kyo and Don Marlon also appeared in all of those lists, but their counts varied. Streusen and Captain John were near-constant, and Kaido was the clearest flex inclusion (source: Limitless TCG online platform, 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-19). Those six cards are where you tune.

Reveal density. 47 of the 50 cards have Rocks Pirates in their types. The three Buckin are typed Former Rocks Pirates. Keep this in mind when you consider swaps: every non-Rocks Pirates card you add weakens your Leader's reveal.

Buckin and the Xebec Counter. Buckin is the only Character in the list with a Counter value. The Rocks.D.Xebec Character gets a +2000 Counter in hand only while all your Characters lack a Counter. That means a Buckin on your field switches off your Xebecs as Counters. Treat Buckin as hand-side defense first and a board body second.

Curve. The curve runs 6 one-drops, 4 two-drops, 7 three-drops and 9 four-drops, then 4 copies each at 5, 6, 7 and 10. Most of your plays land in the early-to-mid curve, and the top end closes the game.

Opening Hands & Mulligan

The redraw decision with this deck comes down to one question: can this hand make plays before turn 4 and still survive the early attacks? Your Leader refills your hand from turn 2 onward. Each [When Attacking] trash reveals the top card, and nearly every card in the list carries the Rocks Pirates type, so the reveal hits far more often than it misses. Card quantity is rarely the problem. Early board presence and early defense are.

What a Keep Looks Like

• One or more plays at 1-2 cost. Streusen is the best turn-1 play because it filters the top two cards and draws one. Kyo replaces itself and puts a 4000 body down.
• One play at 3-4 cost. Good options are Miss Buckingham Stussy, Captain John, Gloriosa or Don Marlon. This is your turn-2 or turn-3 play.
• One or more Counter cards. Both There's No Authority in the World That Lasts Forever!!! and Rocks Pirates give +2000 at 0 cost. A hand with two Events plus an early drop is a snap keep.
• One card you are happy to trash. The Leader's draw costs a card from hand. A second copy of a top-end card works well as that card. Spare copies of Edward.Newgate and Shiki also work, and so does a Kaido you can't power up yet.

A single Rocks.D.Xebec Character in the opener is fine. It is your finisher, and it acts as a +2000 Counter while none of your Characters has a Counter value. In this list, Buckin is the only Character with a printed Counter. Two or more copies of the 10-cost alongside Shiki is too top-heavy unless the rest of the hand is all early plays and Events.

What Goes Back

• No plays under 4 cost. If the first thing you can play is Charlotte Linlin or bigger, you spend turns 1-2 trashing cards just to draw. You take hits with nothing on board.
• Early drops but no Counters. Four cheap Characters and no Event leaves your Life exposed. The deck's toughness comes from the Events, Gloriosa, Kaido and Captain John, and this hand has none of them.
• Multiple Buckin as the only early plays. Its [On Play] boosts an Edward Weevil, and this list has none. That leaves a 2000 body with a Counter value. Having it on the field also turns off the hand Counter on Rocks.D.Xebec. Treat Buckin as a Counter card in hand, not as a reason to keep.

Going First

You get 1 DON!! on turn 1 and +2 each turn after that. That puts you at 10 DON!! on turn 6, the earliest you can play Rocks.D.Xebec.

1. Turn 1 (1 DON!!): Play Streusen. If you have no Streusen, hold Buckin as a Counter and pass instead of playing it. Playing it gives up the 10-cost's hand Counter for a body that does little.
2. Turn 2 (3 DON!!): Play Kyo plus a 1-drop, or Miss Buckingham Stussy to stop your opponent's best attacker. Attack with the Leader and trash your weakest card.
3. Turn 3 (5 DON!!): Play Captain John or Gloriosa, plus a 1-cost if you have the DON!!.

Going first, you can keep a slightly slower hand. You face one fewer attack before your first real turn, and that matters more than an early 1-drop.

Going Second

You get 2 DON!! on turn 1, and Rocks.D.Xebec comes down on turn 5.

1. Turn 1 (2 DON!!): Play Kyo, or Streusen plus Buckin. Then attack with the Leader and trash a card to dig. Your hand gets bigger before your opponent's second turn.
2. Turn 2 (4 DON!!): Captain John is the standout here. Activate it to draw and trash. Once it is rested, your opponent can only attack Captain John, so your Leader and other Characters are safe. Gloriosa is the alternative if the opponent has a cost-5-or-less Character worth sending to the bottom of the deck.
3. Turn 3 (6 DON!!): Play Edward.Newgate, or Charlotte Linlin plus a 1-drop.

Going second, keep hands with a turn-1 play. Skipping both a turn-1 play and the Leader attack wastes the extra DON!! you get for going second.

Matchups That Change the Keep

Against aggro, keep for defense. Prioritize Events, Gloriosa and Captain John. Miss Buckingham Stussy's [On Play] can stop a Character with base cost 6 or less from attacking, so it rises in value. Mulligan hands that only draw cards, such as Streusen and Kyo with nothing else.

Against control and slower midrange, you can keep a weaker curve. The Leader's draw and the Character draws carry you to the turn Rocks.D.Xebec comes down. The 10-cost's [On Play] can then play two Rocks Pirates cards with total cost 9 or less, such as Edward.Newgate plus Miss Buckingham Stussy. Keep hands that hold one of these pieces along with your early plays.

The mirror matters. Rocks.D.Xebec was the most-entered Leader in the recent online data, with 46 of 256 entries (source: Limitless TCG online events, 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-19). In the mirror, keep Gloriosa and Rocks Pirates more often. Your opponent's 1-4 cost Rocks Pirates Characters are all legal targets for Gloriosa. Rocks Pirates's [Main] can return a rested enemy Captain John to hand, which removes the attack restriction it creates.

Sequencing & Key Lines

Turns 1–3: Build the Draw Engine

Your early DON!! should buy cards and information, not board presence for its own sake. Rank your cheap plays this way:

• Streusen is the best opener on any turn you plan to attack with the Leader. Look at 2, put both on top with a Rocks Pirates card in the second slot, then draw 1. The card you didn't draw is now on top, so the Leader's reveal is a guaranteed hit. If neither card helps, send both to the bottom.
• Kyo replaces itself and starts the removal shield early. With 2 DON!!, it is usually your best play.
• Buckin is a 1-cost body whose On Play does nothing in this list. Play it only to fill unused DON!! or to soak an early attack. It has a Counter value, which matters later.

Attack with the Leader every turn you can. Trashing 1 to draw 2 is your main source of card advantage, and nearly every card in the 50 has the Rocks Pirates type, so the reveal hits far more often than it misses. Trash in this order:

1. Excess copies of high-cost cards you can't cast soon.
2. A 0-cost Event, if a Don Marlon is coming to get it back.
3. Buckin.

Avoid trashing Shiki fodder early if your hand is thin. Shiki specifically needs Rocks Pirates cards in hand.

Turns 4–6: Lock, Remove, Loot

The middle turns are about denying attacks while your hand grows. Pick the play based on the threat:

• Their best attacker has a base cost of 6 or less: Miss Buckingham Stussy shuts it off through their next End Phase. With spare DON!! on a later turn, her Activate ability can lock a second target, even one above the cost cap.
• A Character costs 5 or less and you want it gone: Gloriosa puts it on the bottom of their deck and leaves a Blocker behind.
• You need to protect your Life: Captain John.

The Captain John Lock

This is the deck's most important defensive line. Once Captain John is rested under your Rocks Pirates Leader, your opponent can attack only Captain John.

Sequence your Main Phase in this order:

1. Attack with the Leader and your other Characters.
2. Use the Activate ability last: rest Captain John, draw 1, trash 1.

Doing it last means you loot with the cards the Leader just drew, and you lose nothing because a rested Captain John wasn't attacking anyway.

The lock breaks the moment Captain John leaves the field. Decide in advance how hard you'll defend it:

• Defend it when keeping the lock for another turn is worth more than your Counters. Both Events give +2000 to a Rocks Pirates Character, and Charlotte Linlin can trash 1 for another +1000.
• Let it go when your Life total is healthy. A 4-cost Character absorbing a full turn of attacks has already done its job.

Two copies on board keep the lock alive through one KO.

The common way opponents beat the lock is to remove Captain John with an effect before attacking. That is why Kyo should hit the board before you commit Captain John, Edward.Newgate or Shiki. Kyo's replacement covers KO, bounce and bottom-deck effects alike: any removal from the field by an opponent's effect. When you go to it, trash your two least useful cards.

Branch Points on Your Big Turns

• Edward.Newgate in play: The Leader attacks at 8000 before DON!! and defends at 8000 once per turn. When the Leader attacks, you'll often pay both costs, trashing one card for Newgate's +3000 and one for the reveal. Only do that if your hand can afford two cards.
• Shiki: Rush: Character plus the -3000 lets it clear a Character the turn it lands. Save the -3000 for your opponent's turn when one of their attackers is close enough to fall below a key Counter threshold.
• Kaido: Play it while your hand still holds three Rocks Pirates cards to reveal. After a big trash turn, it's just a 6000 Blocker.
• Charlotte Linlin: Your opponent picks the mode, so treat the On Play as a value floor. Don't build a turn around one outcome.

The Rocks.D.Xebec Turn

At 10 DON!!, Rocks.D.Xebec draws first and then deploys up to 9 cost of Rocks Pirates cards with different names. Plan the package before you draw for turn.

Casting it taps every DON!!, so neither Event's Main ability is available that turn. Both Counter modes are still free.

Before the Xebec turn, decide whether a Xebec in hand is a threat or a Counter. It gets a +2000 Counter only if every Character you control has no Counter value. In this list, Buckin is the only Character with one. Once you're relying on a Xebec in hand to defend, stop deploying Buckin, and let an existing one trade off.

Closing the Game

There's No Authority in the World That Lasts Forever!!! makes any Rocks.D.Xebec Unblockable for 1 DON!!. That includes your Leader. Your standard lethal line is:

1. Rest 1 DON!! for Unblockable on the Leader.
2. Attach the remaining DON!!.
3. Attack with the Leader and pay for Edward.Newgate's +3000.

The opponent's Blockers no longer matter, and only their Counters stand between you and the win.

Use Rocks Pirates's 5-DON!! bounce the turn before lethal to remove a cost 6 or less Blocker or attacker. Keep the rest of your copies as Counters.

Don Marlon returns either Event from the trash. Time it for when you need the card back that turn.

The Mirror

Rocks.D.Xebec was the most-entered Leader in the brief's data, with 46 of 256 entries (source: Limitless TCG online platform, 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-19), so expect your own tools pointed back at you. Their answers cover different cost ranges:

• The bottom-deck effect reaches cost 5 or less.
• The Event bounce reaches cost 6 or less.
• The On Play attack lock reaches base cost 6 or less.

Shiki and Rocks.D.Xebec are above all three caps, so lean on them as your real threats. Get Kyo down before Captain John, because John is the first thing a mirror opponent will try to remove.

Matchup Matrix

These verdicts come from how your answers line up against each strategy. They are not based on head-to-head records, because the brief reports placements only and no matchup data. "Even" means the game is decided by play, not by the lists.

Mirror

Expect this matchup. The Leader took 8 of 32 online Top 8 slots from 46 of 256 entries (source: Limitless TCG online platform, 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-19).

The game centers on Captain John. A rested John with a Rocks Pirates Leader means your opponent can attack only him, so both players will try to remove the other's copy.

• Removing their John: Gloriosa bottoms any Character with a cost of 5 or less, which includes John.
• Protecting yours: Kyo lets you trash 2 cards to keep John on the field.
• Locking their big attackers: Miss Buckingham Stussy's On Play stops at base cost 6, so it cannot hit an opposing Shiki or Rocks.D.Xebec. Hold rested DON!! for her Activate ability against those.

Every card in hand doubles as Counter, Kyo fuel or Edward.Newgate fuel. Don't burn cards on Leader-attack reveals when you're already ahead on board.

Luffy & Ace

Across all six online Top 8 lists, seven cards were locked at four copies (source: Limitless TCG online platform, 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-19). Assume this opponent executes its plan every game and won't stumble.

Your plan:

• Answer each threat at cost 6 or less as it lands, using Gloriosa, Rocks Pirates or Miss Buckingham Stussy.
• Keep two cards in reserve whenever Captain John is your wall, so Kyo can protect him.

For their side, see our Luffy & Ace Standard guide.

Monkey.D.Luffy

Two different Luffy Leaders are active in this format, and each won an event in the window (source: Limitless TCG online platform, 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-19). Check the Leader card before you commit to a game plan, and don't assume which one you're facing.

Against either one:

• Use Miss Buckingham Stussy to stop their best attacker for a full turn.
• Rest Captain John during your turn to draw and filter. That same rest also turns on the taunt for their attacks.

For their side, see our Monkey.D.Luffy Standard guide.

Kalgara

Kalgara was lightly played but reached the Top 8 three times from nine entries (source: Limitless TCG online platform, 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-19). That record makes it the archetype to respect.

Your plan:

• Spend early 0-cost Counters to protect Life instead of taking hits for value.
• Use Edward.Newgate's +3000 to blank Leader attacks while you assemble John plus a Blocker.

For their side, see our Kalgara Standard guide.

Sabo

Sabo was a mid-tier presence in the window with two Top 8s (source: Limitless TCG online platform, 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-19). Treat it as a grind matchup.

Your plan:

• Lean on your draw engine: the Leader's draw 2, Streusen, Kyo, Edward.Newgate and Rocks.D.Xebec.
• Out-card them, and avoid trading one-for-one at a loss.
• When Charlotte Linlin forces their choice, either option still widens the hand gap in your favor.

For their side, see our Sabo Standard guide.

Aggro and go-wide

This is your best spot. Rested Captain John means a wide board gets one target, and that target has 6000 power before Counters. Gloriosa and Kaido add Blockers on top of that.

Watch your board when you plan to Counter with Rocks.D.Xebec. Its +2000 Counter only works while all your Characters lack a Counter value, and Buckin has one. Don't drop Buckin if you're counting on Xebec from hand.

Big threats

Nothing in the list removes a Character above cost 6. Handle big threats this way:

• Lock them with Miss Buckingham Stussy's Activate ability.
• Shrink them with Shiki's -3000 and attack into them.
• Let John's taunt pull their attacks away from your Leader.

Removal-heavy control

Kyo is your insurance, but each use costs 2 cards. Pick one Character worth protecting, usually John, and let the rest go. If you defend everything, you run out of cards.

Tech Choices & Variations

Thirty-two cards in this list are fixed: four each of Miss Buckingham Stussy, Gloriosa, Charlotte Linlin, Edward.Newgate, Shiki, Rocks.D.Xebec, There's No Authority in the World That Lasts Forever!!! and Rocks Pirates. They are your interaction, your finisher, your Leader buffs and your eight cost-0 Counters. Cutting any of them weakens the deck's core. The other 18 slots are Buckin, Streusen, Kyo, Don Marlon, Captain John and Kaido. Those are the slots you tune.

The Rule for Any Swap: Keep the Reveal Clean

Check the types on the list. Every one of the 50 cards has a type that includes "Rocks Pirates." That includes Buckin (Former Rocks Pirates), Gloriosa and both Events. Your Leader's When Attacking reveal therefore never misses. Each time you trash a card to it, you draw 2.

Any outside card without that type turns a guaranteed draw into a gamble. It also gives you a card you can't trash to Shiki and can't reveal to Kaido. An off-type card has to be strong enough to justify all three costs. In practice, if you test anything outside this list, keep it inside the type.

Flex Slots at a Glance

The Swaps Worth Making

• Buckin down, Kaido or Streusen up. Buckin's On Play targets a card this deck doesn't run. It is here as a 1-cost body, a +1000 Counter in hand, and a type-legal trash for your Leader. The catch: once Buckin is on the field, you have a Character with a Counter. That turns off the +2000 Counter on any Rocks.D.Xebec in your hand. Cut Buckin and you give up early Counter density, but your 10-cost finisher works as a defensive card more often.
• A fourth Don Marlon over a Streusen. Both Events cost 0, so Don Marlon always has a target once you've used one. In grindy games, a fourth copy is effectively a ninth Counter Event or a second bounce. You lose some early smoothing. Don Marlon also pairs with Edward.Newgate for exactly 9 off Rocks.D.Xebec, so the swap doesn't hurt your finisher turn.
• A third Kaido over a Captain John. This swaps a looting body that protects your Life for a 6000 Blocker. Captain John protects better against many small attacks, because the attacker can only target him while he is rested. Kaido holds up better if your opponent can deal with a single rested Character and then swing freely.
• Kyo down to 3. Only do this if your local field rarely removes Characters with effects. Kyo's replacement effect costs two cards from hand. That trade is excellent against removal and does nothing against combat damage. The On Play draw keeps him playable everywhere, which is why he starts at four.

Tuning for Your Local Field

Aggro and go-wide fields: Go up to three Kaido and keep Captain John at three. Trim Streusen or Don Marlon. Your problem is surviving the early turns until Charlotte Linlin and Edward.Newgate start buffing your Leader. Bodies that absorb attacks matter more than filtering.

Removal-heavy control: Keep four Kyo and move toward four Don Marlon. Shave Captain John or Kaido. These games come down to card advantage, and every recurred Event is a card the opponent has to answer again.

Big-body midrange: Mind the cost caps. Gloriosa only hits cost 5 or less, and the bounce from Rocks Pirates and the On Play from Miss Buckingham Stussy only hit cost 6 or less. Above that, you rely on Shiki's -3000 and Miss Buckingham Stussy's Activate:Main, which has no cost limit. Protect your Shiki count by keeping enough type-legal cards in hand to pay its cost. That argues for keeping Streusen and Kyo high.

Mirrors of this Leader: Both sides pump their Leader with Edward.Newgate and Counter Events, so the long game decides it. Favor Don Marlon and Kyo. Their extra cards add up when both players are trading resources every turn.

Budget Options

The list runs about $250 at TCGplayer market prices. That is a reasonable entry fee for a deck that just won a 120-player event. You can still get on the archetype for less if you understand which slots carry the deck and which ones are just density.

Where the Money Likely Sits

The cost is probably concentrated in the cards every competitive build agrees on. Across the 8 Rocks.D.Xebec Top 8 lists, eight cards appeared at exactly 4 copies in every list (source: Limitless TCG online platform, 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-19): Miss Buckingham Stussy, Gloriosa, Charlotte Linlin, Edward.Newgate, Shiki, the Character Rocks.D.Xebec, There's No Authority in the World That Lasts Forever!!! and Rocks Pirates. Demand for a consensus 4-of pushes its price up. The cost-10 Character Rocks.D.Xebec is the likeliest single expensive card in the list. Check current prices before you buy. Then always buy the cheapest printing of each card, because alternate art versions play identically.

The One Rule for Every Swap

Never fill a slot with a card whose type lacks "Rocks Pirates." Every card in this list carries that type, including Buckin (Former Rocks Pirates) and Gloriosa (Amazon Lily Rocks Pirates). Several engines depend on it:

• The Leader's reveal only draws 2 off a Rocks Pirates card.
• Shiki needs a Rocks Pirates card to trash for its -3000.
• Kaido needs 3 in hand to reveal.
• The cost-10 Rocks.D.Xebec can only put Rocks Pirates cards onto the field.

A cheap off-type card makes all of these worse. The budget build therefore works by reshuffling counts inside the existing card pool. Raise the flexible cards to 4 copies and trim the most expensive core cards to 3.

Acceptable Trims

Make at most two of these trims at once. Each one lowers your late-game ceiling. Stacking three or more leaves a deck that has the right engine but not enough finishers to close games.

What Not to Cut

• There's No Authority in the World That Lasts Forever!!! and Rocks Pirates: These are cost-0 +2000 Counters that Don Marlon can recover. Cutting them breaks both your defense and the Marlon loop.
• Edward.Newgate: Its +3000 to your Leader when attacking or attacked is the deck's main defense. It also replaces itself with an On Play draw. Keep all 4.
• Gloriosa and Miss Buckingham Stussy: These are your only ways to remove or stop opposing Characters at their cost. Without them you have nothing to answer an opposing board with.
• Kyo: This is your main 2-drop. It draws a card and protects your board from removal effects.

Upgrade Path

1. Leader and both Events first. The Leader is mandatory, and the Events are the cheapest way to lock in your defense.
2. Fourth Edward.Newgate and fourth Gloriosa. If your budget build trimmed either, restore these before anything else. They decide whether you survive the midgame.
3. Fourth Rocks.D.Xebec (Character). This upgrade raises your late-game ceiling the most, and it is likely the most expensive.
4. Fourth Shiki, then fourth Charlotte Linlin. Restoring these returns the filler slots to Captain John at 3, Don Marlon at 3 and Kaido at 2, which is the tournament-winning configuration.

Practice with the budget build exactly as you would with the full list. The lines, DON!! math and sequencing are the same. You are only giving up some late-game ceiling, so every game you play now still counts as practice once you upgrade.

Common Mistakes

This deck punishes autopilot. Nearly every card asks you to pay something (a card from hand, rested DON!!, or a resting Character), and most losses come from paying the wrong cost at the wrong time. These are the errors that actually cost games.

1. Bleeding your hand dry on your own turn

Your Leader's [When Attacking], Edward.Newgate's +3000, Shiki's -3000, Charlotte Linlin's defensive +1000 and Kyo's replacement effect all cost cards from hand. That same hand is your Counter pool. The common error is firing the Leader trigger and the Newgate trigger on the same attack, then swinging with Shiki and trashing again. You end the turn with two cards facing a full counterattack.

The fix: before your first attack, decide how many cards you are keeping for the opponent's turn and treat that number as untouchable. The Leader trigger costs a card every time, but the draw only comes on a Rocks Pirates reveal. It is strong because nearly the whole list carries that type, but it is still a cost, not free value.

2. Putting Buckin on the field

Buckin's On Play pumps a card this list doesn't run, so on the board it is a 2000-power body. It also turns off one of your best defensive tools. In hand, Rocks.D.Xebec has a +2000 Counter only if every Character you control lacks a Counter, and Buckin is the only Character in the list that has one.

The fix: Buckin is a +1000 Counter card. Keep it in hand unless you are certain you will never need a Xebec Counter that game.

3. Slamming the 10-cost Xebec without a payload

The Character Rocks.D.Xebec draws 1, then plays up to two Rocks Pirates cards with different names and a combined cost of 9 or less. Players cast it with two copies of the same card in hand, or with a 7-drop and nothing that fits beside it, and get half the value.

The fix: plan the pair before you commit 10 DON!!. These pairs all fit the 9-cost limit:

• Shiki + Kyo: 9000 Rush body plus a draw.
• Edward.Newgate + Miss Buckingham Stussy or Don Marlon.
• Charlotte Linlin + Gloriosa, Captain John or Kaido.

The On Play draw happens first, so count it as part of your options.

4. Leaving Captain John active when you pass

Captain John's lock only applies while he is rested. With a Rocks Pirates Leader, a rested John means the opponent cannot attack anything else. Passing with him active hands them your Leader and your board.

The fix: rest him every turn before you pass. You can rest him by attacking or by using his [Activate: Main] to draw and trash, which also smooths your hand.

Once he is the only legal target, he becomes the opponent's whole plan:

• Effect removal: Kyo's replacement covers him, because it applies to removal by an opponent's effect.
• Battle: Kyo does nothing here. Protect him with There's No Authority in the World That Lasts Forever!!! or Rocks Pirates Counters, since both can target a Rocks Pirates Character.

5. Countering away your lethal

The [Main] mode of There's No Authority in the World That Lasts Forever!!! costs one rested DON!! and gives your Rocks.D.Xebec Unblockable, and your Leader carries that name. Against Blocker-heavy boards, that is how you close. Dumping every copy as a +2000 Counter in the midgame leaves you with no answer when the opponent walls up.

The fix: once the opponent is at two Life or fewer, hold one copy and the spare DON!! for the final swing.

6. Playing Don Marlon into an empty trash

Don Marlon returns a cost-0 blue Event from your trash, and both Events in the list qualify. Playing him on curve with no Event in the trash wastes the effect.

The fix: sequence the Event first and Marlon after. Spend a Counter on the opponent's turn, or cast Rocks Pirates for its bounce, then rebuy it.

Also budget for the Rocks Pirates bounce. It rests five DON!!, so casting it in the same turn as a big Character takes planning, not improvisation.

7. Burning Stussy's On Play on the wrong target

Miss Buckingham Stussy's On Play only reaches opposing Characters with a base cost of 6 or less. Her [Activate: Main] reaches any Character, but it costs three rested DON!! and resting Stussy herself.

The fix: aim the On Play at the attacker that threatens you most, not the first legal target. Save the activated ability for the top-end threat the On Play can't touch. If you know a large attacker is coming next turn, leave three DON!! open for it.

8. Treating Charlotte Linlin as hand disruption

The opponent chooses Linlin's mode. They will pick whichever option hurts them least, so never build a turn around them discarding.

The fix: value Charlotte Linlin as a 7000-power body with a once-per-turn defensive pump. Treat the On Play as a bonus, not a plan.

Tournament Prep & Final Notes

What to Practice

• The mirror, above everything. Rocks.D.Xebec was the most-entered Leader in the counted online events, with 46 of 256 entries (source: Limitless TCG online platform, 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-19). You will see it across the table. Drill which side spends its Gloriosa and Miss Buckingham Stussy effects first, and when holding counter Events beats developing the board.
• The two Luffy decks. Luffy & Ace (31 of 256 entries) and Monkey.D.Luffy OP17-079 (29 of 256) were the next most-entered Leaders in the same window (source: Limitless TCG online platform, 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-19). Play enough games against each that your counter math is automatic.
• Hand-as-resource tracking. Your Leader, Edward.Newgate, Charlotte Linlin and Shiki all cost cards from hand, and Kyo costs two per save. Before each turn, count the cards you want to keep for defense and the cards you can afford to trash, and say both numbers out loud. Most losses with this list come from running the hand dry one turn too early.
• Rocks.D.Xebec Character packages. Memorize the pairs that reach 9 total cost with different names: Shiki + Kyo, Edward.Newgate + Miss Buckingham Stussy or Don Marlon, Charlotte Linlin + Gloriosa or Captain John or Kaido. Under round pressure you should be choosing between pairs, not searching for them.

Rules Interactions to Know Cold

• Captain John lock. With your Rocks.D.Xebec Leader, a rested Captain John means your opponent cannot attack any card other than Captain John. Its own [Activate: Main] rests it, so drawing and trashing with it also turns the lock on. Captain John is a Rocks Pirates Character, so both of your counter Events can protect it.
• Kyo covers effects only. The replacement applies when your Character would be removed by your opponent's effect. It does nothing against a Character lost in battle. Each replacement costs two cards from hand, so decide whether the Character is worth that before you commit.
• Character Rocks.D.Xebec Counter condition. The +2000 Counter in hand only works if every Character you control has no Counter value. Buckin has a +1000 Counter, so a Buckin on your field switches that Counter off. If you plan to hold Rocks.D.Xebec as defense, check your board first.
• Leader trigger timing. The Leader trashes a card first, then reveals. You only draw 2 if the revealed card's type includes "Rocks Pirates." Use Streusen to stack the top before you attack. When you have no Character able to change the top card, ask whether the trash is worth the risk.
• Once-per-turn stacking. Edward.Newgate (+3000 to the Leader in battle), Charlotte Linlin (+1000 on your opponent's attack) and Shiki (-3000 on attack or defense) each fire once per turn. Each one costs a card. Plan the whole opposing turn before you spend the first one on a small attack.
• Shiki's cost is typed. It must trash a card whose type includes "Rocks Pirates." Keep one eligible card in hand when you want the defensive mode available.
• Don Marlon rebuys either Event. Both There's No Authority in the World That Lasts Forever!!! and Rocks Pirates are blue Events that cost 0. Spend a counter Event early so Don Marlon has a target in the trash.
• Removal reach. Gloriosa bottoms a Character costing 5 or less. Its text doesn't limit it to your opponent's side, but "up to" means you can never be forced onto your own. The Rocks Pirates Main returns a Character costing 6 or less but rests 5 DON!!. The Miss Buckingham Stussy On Play checks base cost of 6 or less, and its activated ability has no cost limit.
• Kaido's On Play requires revealing three Rocks Pirates cards from your hand. If you can't show three, it is simply a 6000-power Blocker.

Time Management

This deck draws heavily and asks optional questions constantly: Leader trash, Edward.Newgate, Charlotte Linlin, Shiki, Kyo. That is where the clock goes. Make your trash decisions before you declare the attack, not after the reveal window opens. Then announce each optional effect immediately or pass on it. A Rocks.D.Xebec turn with two On Play effects plus draws is the longest action in your game. Work out the package during your opponent's turn so you only resolve it on yours. You can't win on a draw, so in the last minutes of a round, take the line that ends the game, not the one that grinds an extra turn of value.

Final Assessment

This 50 matches the shared core of the Rocks.D.Xebec Top 8 lists in the brief. All eight of those lists ran four copies each of Miss Buckingham Stussy, Gloriosa, Charlotte Linlin, Edward.Newgate, Shiki, Rocks.D.Xebec, There's No Authority in the World That Lasts Forever!!! and Rocks Pirates (source: Limitless TCG online platform, 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-19). Its distinctive choice is two Kaido over the other flex options. That trade gives you Blocker bodies and keeps the Character-Rocks.D.Xebec packages simple.

The list won ChinoizeCup #125, a 120-player event. Expect a Leader whose power depends on the pilot. Every card in hand is both a resource and a defense, and the deck rewards the player who counts it correctly every turn. At roughly $250, it is a sound investment if you will put in the practice reps. If you won't, the hand-management demands will cost you more games than the card quality wins you.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Rocks.D.Xebec deck win games?

It out-resources the opponent. You deny their attacks, remove or bottom-deck their board, and keep your hand full with the Leader's draw. Then you close with an Unblockable Leader backed by a 10-DON!! Rocks.D.Xebec turn they can't answer.

How does the Rocks.D.Xebec Leader generate card advantage?

When Rocks.D.Xebec attacks, you trash a card from hand and reveal the top card, drawing 2 if it is a Rocks Pirates card. The list is almost entirely Rocks Pirates, so each Leader attack is usually trash one, draw two. Streusen can stack the top of your deck to set up the reveal.

What is the Captain John lock and how do I protect it?

With your Rocks Pirates Leader, a rested Captain John means your opponent can attack only him, and his own loot ability rests him. Kyo covers him against effect removal but not battle KOs, so defend him in combat with Event Counters and Charlotte Linlin.

Why shouldn't I play Buckin onto the field?

Its On Play only affects Edward Weevil, which this list doesn't run. Buckin is also the only Character with a printed Counter, and the 10-cost Rocks.D.Xebec in hand is only a +2000 Counter while none of your Characters has a Counter. Keep Buckin in hand as a +1000 Counter.

What should I play off the 10-cost Rocks.D.Xebec Character?

It draws 1, then plays two differently named Rocks Pirates cards totaling cost 9 or less from hand. The guide's pairs are Shiki + Kyo, Edward.Newgate + Miss Buckingham Stussy or Don Marlon, and Charlotte Linlin + Gloriosa, Captain John or Kaido.

What are the hardest matchups for Rocks.D.Xebec?

The guide rates aggro and go-wide decks as favored. It calls the mirror, Luffy & Ace, Monkey.D.Luffy, Kalgara, Sabo, big threats and removal-heavy control even. Big threats are tricky because nothing in the list removes a Character above cost 6, so you lock them with Miss Buckingham Stussy's Activate or shrink them with Shiki.

How can I build Rocks.D.Xebec on a budget?

The list costs about $250, and the guide suggests reshuffling counts inside the existing card pool, never adding cards without the Rocks Pirates type. Acceptable trims include one Shiki for a fourth Captain John, one Charlotte Linlin for a fourth Don Marlon, or one Rocks.D.Xebec Character for a third Kaido, making at most two trims.

What should I practice before taking Rocks.D.Xebec to a tournament?

Practice the mirror above everything, then both Luffy decks. Drill hand-as-resource tracking by counting the cards you keep for defense and the cards you can trash each turn. Memorize the Rocks.D.Xebec Character packages so you choose between pairs instead of searching for them.

Metagame Context

Built from Donkaiser's 1st Place list at ChinoizeCup #125 TUESDAY (120 players, 2026-10-20), via the Limitless platform. Metagame context comes from a research brief dated 2026-10-19 covering 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-19, drawn from the Limitless TCG online platform; Limitless TCG event results; Bandai (official One Piece site). Card text and prices: optcgapi.com and tcgcsv.com (TCGplayer prices).

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