OPTCGPortgas.D.Ace Deck Guide: Red Whitebeard Pirates in One Piece TCG (OP16)
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2026-11-06 · data write-up
Numbers as of 2026-11-06: written before snapshots were stored, so its window and n are not recorded. The live metagame is since the 2026-10-12 banlist took effect (2026-10-12 to 2026-11-06), n=855 players in 41 events, and may differ from the figures below.
Overview
Portgas.D.Ace (OP16-001) is a Red leader from the OP16 Marineford set, commanding the Whitebeard Pirates in an aggressive board-flood strategy. In the current meta window (since the Oct 12 banlist), Ace accounts for 1.66% of competitive decklists — 22 canonical tournament entries — with a 49.6% win rate across 118,392 online games on optcg.one's West++ ladder. That 49.6% online win rate makes Ace one of the most statistically consistent rogue options in the format, running nearly even against the full field of online opponents.
Ace's story in One Piece is inseparable from the Marineford War, and the OP16 card set reflects that identity: Edward Newgate (Whitebeard), Marco, Vista, Curiel, LittleOars Jr., and the Moby Dick itself all appear as core pieces. The deck's gameplan is to apply relentless early pressure through low-cost Whitebeard Pirate characters, then use big threats like Newgate and Curiel to close the game before the opponent's control or combo wins can stabilize.
How Ace wins
Ace is a 5-Life, 5000-attack Red leader with the Whitebeard Pirates attribute. The deck runs an aggressive flood-and-swing plan: deploy multiple low-cost Whitebeard Pirates in the early game, then convert a numerical board advantage into lethal pressure on life totals by turns 6–8.
The key early engine is the cross-faction inclusion of Monkey.D.Garp (OP13-016), a Rare at $0.82 that appears at a 4-of average across all 22 lists. Garp's ability provides DON!! efficiency or on-attack triggers that extend the deck's offensive reach beyond what a pure Whitebeard pirates build could achieve. At less than $1 per copy, Garp is the deck's cheapest and most impactful piece.
Curiel (OP16-004) is the deck's most played pure-aggressive unit at a 4.0 average — a Common at $6.70 that applies immediate board pressure. Paired with LittleOars Jr. (OP16-017, 3.8 avg, $0.25) and Marco (OP16-014, 3.9 avg, $0.28), the deck can flood the board with Whitebeard Pirate characters by turn 4 at low total cost. Edward Newgate (OP16-003, 3.9 avg, $2.35) provides a mid-game power spike, with the OP17 reprint Newgate (OP17-005, 2.9 avg, $1.56) rounding out the finisher suite.
The Moby Dick event (OP16-021, 3.9 avg, $0.65) is the deck's key Event card — Whitebeard's flagship provides board support or removal that keeps the opponent's characters off the attack axis. Monkey.D.Luffy (OP16-015, 3.5 avg, $1.33) adds a cross-faction threat that synergizes with the deck's Red DON!! plan. Kingdew (OP17-006, 2.7 avg, $2.15) rounds out the character package.
The premium slots are Vista (OP16-011, 3.1 avg, $16.47 TR) and the alternate-art Ace SEC (OP16-118, 3.0 avg, $16.02). Vista's Tournament Rare version drives most of the deck's cost; competitive players run 3 copies for the power level, but budget builds can substitute common alternatives at nearly zero cost impact.
Key cards (22 tournament decklists)
| Card | Avg copies | Market price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monkey.D.Garp OP13-016 | 4 | $0.82 | TCGplayerAffiliate link |
| Curiel OP16-004 | 4 | $6.70 | TCGplayerAffiliate link |
| Marco OP16-014 | 4 | $0.28 | TCGplayerAffiliate link |
| Moby Dick OP16-021 | 4 (avg 3.9) | $0.65 | TCGplayerAffiliate link |
| Edward.Newgate OP16-003 | 4 (avg 3.9) | $2.35 | TCGplayerAffiliate link |
| LittleOars Jr. OP16-017 | 4 (avg 3.8) | $0.25 | TCGplayerAffiliate link |
| Monkey.D.Luffy OP16-015 | 3–4 | $1.33 | TCGplayerAffiliate link |
| Vista OP16-011 | 3 | $16.47 | TCGplayerAffiliate link |
| Portgas.D.Ace OP16-118 (SEC) | 3 | $16.02 | TCGplayerAffiliate link |
| Edward.Newgate OP17-005 | 3 | $1.56 | TCGplayerAffiliate link |
| Kingdew OP17-006 | 3 | $2.15 | TCGplayerAffiliate link |
Counts from 22 canonical decklists. Market prices from TCGplayer via TCGCSV, updated daily. Vista (OP16-011) at $16.47 TR and the Portgas.D.Ace SEC (OP16-118) at $16.02 are optional upgrades — the core Red-aggressive package runs under $20 for most playsets.
Matchup context
Ace's 49.6% aggregate online win rate across 118k games indicates a nearly neutral position against the full field. The deck has strong structural advantages against specific archetypes and clear weaknesses against the current top-three meta decks.
- vs Rocks.D.Xebec OP17-039 (16.6% meta, top threat): Ace's worst matchup at the regional level (36% online). Xebec's Banish clock and large character threats overwhelm Ace's flood strategy before it can stabilize. The matchup is winnable with an ideal draw (Curiel + Garp on-curve), but Xebec's structural advantage is real.
- vs Luffy & Ace ST30-001 (7.3% meta): 35% online — also a poor matchup. ST30-001's Red/Green combination can outrace Ace's aggressive plan while developing larger threats that Ace cannot profitably answer.
- vs Kaido OP17-058 (est. 2–3% meta): Ace's best regional matchup — in the online data, Ace runs even or slightly favorable vs Kaido-style Black/Yellow decks. The Whitebeard Pirates' low curve pressures Kaido before the board can stabilize under large blockers.
- vs Black Teach / Marshall.D.Teach OP09-081: 74% online — a consistently favorable matchup. Ace's aggressive Red plan beats the Teach control/trap setup before it can establish board dominance.
- vs Yellow / Nami-type OP11-040: 75% online — another favorable matchup. Ace's low-cost pressure overwhelms Yellow's life-gain and counter-heavy strategy when applied early.
See the metagame overview and Portgas.D.Ace OP16-001 (Red) for full head-to-head data.
Is Ace worth building?
Ace OP16-001 is one of the most affordable aggressive decks in the current format. The core package — Garp, Marco, LittleOars Jr., Moby Dick, Newgate, Curiel, and Kingdew — totals under $50 for a full 50-card main deck excluding the premium Vista TR and SEC Ace character cards. Including those upgrades puts a fully optimized list at approximately $100–$120 at market.
Competitively, Ace is a rogue pick: strong in the online ladder (~50% across a large sample) and capable of winning local events, but behind the top meta at regionals. Players who enjoy a Whitebeard Pirates thematic build, want an affordable Red aggro deck that is not Xebec, or are looking to target the Teach and Yellow-heavy pockets of their local meta will find Ace a rewarding choice. The 72.7% top-8 conversion rate in tournaments (16 of 22 decks placing top-8) suggests that players who register Ace at competitive events tend to be skilled pilots — the deck rewards preparation and matchup knowledge.
Every number on this page comes from the tournament results and prices listed on the sources page.
The data behind this post
Matchups: Portgas.D.Ace OP16-001 (Red) against the field, every source
Window Since banlist 10-12, 2026-10-12 to 2026-11-06. Win % of Portgas.D.Ace OP16-001 (Red), W-L and n per source; Tournaments pools in-person and online cups, the ladder is its own column.
| Opponent | Tournaments | In-person | Online cups | Ladder |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Monkey.D.Luffy OP13-001 (Red/Green)OP13 · Red/Green | –n=1 | – | –n=1 | 39%15-23 · n=38 |
 Rocks.D.Xebec OP17-039 (Blue)OP17 · Blue | –n=6 | – | –n=6 | 37%10-17 · n=27 |
 Kaido OP17-058 (Purple)OP17 · Purple | – | – | – | 52%11-10 · n=21 |
 Enel OP05-098 (Yellow)OP05 · Yellow | –n=1 | – | –n=1 | –n=15 |
 Buggy OP09-042 (Blue)OP09 · Blue | – | – | – | –n=16 |
 Sabo OP13-004 (Red/Black)OP13 · Red/Black | –n=4 | – | –n=4 | –n=9 |
 Boa Hancock OP14-041 (Blue/Yellow)OP14 · Blue/Yellow | –n=1 | – | –n=1 | –n=11 |
Data used
- Limitless, in-person events: 2026-10-12 to 2026-11-06; n=29 players, 15 events, 43 matches.
- Limitless, online cups: 2026-10-12 to 2026-11-06; n=826 players, 26 events, 1,614 matches.
- optcg.one ranked ladder (WEST): all recorded games to 2026-11-06; n=43,682 games.
- Top-cut lists: 157 lists (Limitless + optcg.gg), since the 2026-10-12 banlist took effect.
- Prices: TCGplayer market via TCGCSV, snapshot 2026-11-06.
Method: shares and win rates are computed in the site build from the sources above; Tournaments = in-person + online cups pooled; the ladder is its own unit and is not pooled. Mirrors excluded; under 20 games a rate is shown as an en dash. The figures in this box are as of 2026-11-06; the text above states the numbers of its own snapshot. All sources and what is blocked.
Every number on this page comes from the tournament results and prices listed on the sources page.