In 60 Seconds
- The plan
- once a turn your Leader K.O.s one of your Thriller Bark Characters, and your whole side gets +1000: early the 1-cost Hogback for a card, later the 4-cost Hogback to replay Charlotte Pudding, or a Perona to K.O. or lock one of theirs. Pudding on your 2nd turn, the 6-cost Moria on curve, then the 8-cost Moria and Boa Hancock. Your Leader swings every turn.
- The list
- 4 each of both Hogbacks, both Peronas, both Morias, Kumacy, Charlotte Pudding, Absalom, Lilith and Special Hollow; 3 Boa Hancock, 2 Yamato and 1 Gloriosa. It's in The Deck.
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- Keep or redraw
- keep a 1-cost (the 1-cost Hogback, Lilith, Victoria Cindry) with a 3-cost (Absalom, Charlotte Pudding): kept, those won 64%. Neither: send it back.
- The matchups that matter
- Buggy: players won 39%; go 1st, by a lot (55% going 1st, 31% going 2nd).
- Nico Robin: 48%; lean 2nd and go face.
- Trafalgar Law: 69%, your best common matchup.
- Top 3 mistakes
- Missing the 6-cost Moria on curve (going 1st, 55% won with it on time, 33% without).
- Going 2nd against Buggy.
- Keeping hands with neither a 1-cost nor a 3-cost.
Moria in one line: players win 47% of their EB05 games with Moria (676), and the deck feeds on its own Characters: once a turn your Leader K.O.s one of them for its On K.O., which draws cards, replays your best bodies and K.O.s or locks theirs.
What Is Moria?
In short
- Once a turn your Leader K.O.s one of your Thriller Bark Characters: +1000 to your whole side, and that Character's On K.O. fires.
- Players win 47% with Moria (676 games): 51% going 2nd, 43% going 1st.
- Weak spots: no Blockers, 4 Life, and removal that isn't a K.O.
- The On K.O.s: the 1-cost Hogback draws a card, the 4-cost Hogback plays a Character back from your trash, Perona (EB05-043) K.O.s or rests one of theirs, Perona (OP14-111) stops one from attacking.
- The engine runs every turn: strong players used the Leader's K.O. 3.4 times a game.
- Life comes back: the Life add (when your Leader attacks, trash 3 cards for a Life card), the 8-cost Moria and Boa Hancock all add Life cards.
- Their K.O.s pay you too. Bottom-of-the-deck and back-to-hand removal doesn't (Buggy's 10-cost Buggy and Gravity Blade Raging Tiger, Xebec's Gloriosa and Rocks Pirates), and the 10-cost Kaido switches the effect off before its K.O.
- No wall: strong players blocked 2% of the attacks on their Leader, and at 4 Life they countered only 26%: you take early hits and add Life back later.
The Deck
In short
- The core: both Hogbacks, both Peronas, both Morias, Kumacy, Charlotte Pudding, Boa Hancock and Special Hollow.
- The flex: Lilith (in 39% of decks), Absalom, Yamato and Gloriosa.
- Your counters: Kumacy and Perona (EB05-043), 2000 each, and Special Hollow, +4000.
The list
The most played EB05 Moria list on MetaHub (69 games, 30 players).
| Card | Copies | Its job |
|---|---|---|
| Special Hollow (EB05-049) | 4 | K.O. one of yours: +4000 counter, or one of theirs -3 cost |
| Lilith (OP13-113) | 4 | Look at 4 for a card with a Trigger |
| Kumacy (OP14-102) | 4 | A 2000 counter; Trigger: a Thriller Bark 4-cost-or-less from your trash |
| Doctor Hogback (OP15-084), the 1-cost | 4 | Trash your top 5; K.O.'d: draw 1 |
| Absalom (OP14-100) | 4 | 5000; K.O.'d: look at 3 for a Thriller Bark card |
| Charlotte Pudding (OP17-109) | 4 | Trash a card with a Trigger: draw 3 |
| Perona (EB05-043) | 4 | A 2000 counter; K.O.'d: K.O. or rest one of theirs (cost 6 or less) |
| Yamato (EB05-046) | 2 | An 8000 Blocker while they have an 8000+ Character |
| Gloriosa (EB05-052) | 1 | 6000; if you'd take damage, trash it instead |
| Doctor Hogback (OP14-110), the 4-cost | 4 | K.O.'d: play a Character with a Trigger (cost 4 or less, not a Hogback) from your trash |
| Perona (OP14-111) | 4 | Played or K.O.'d: one of theirs (cost 6 or less) can't attack |
| Gecko Moria (PRB02-013), the 6-cost | 4 | 7000; play a 4-cost-or-less from your trash; a rested DON!! to your Leader |
| Gecko Moria (OP14-104), the 8-cost | 4 | 10000; a Thriller Bark 4-cost-or-less from your trash: play it, or put it face-up on your Life |
| Boa Hancock (OP14-112) | 3 | 9-cost 10000; +1 Life for you, their top Life card to their hand |
Mulligans
In short
- Keep a 1-cost (the 1-cost Hogback, Lilith, Victoria Cindry) with a 3-cost (Absalom, Charlotte Pudding): kept, those won 64%.
- Neither: send it back (kept, those won 20%; mulliganed, 45%).
- One of the two: your call. The 6-cost Moria helps a hand.
A 1-COST + A 3-COST = KEEP. NEITHER = MULLIGAN. ONE OF THE TWO: YOUR CALL.
| The hand | Players keep | Won kept | Won sent back |
|---|---|---|---|
| A 1-cost + a 3-cost | 89% | 64% | 7 of 12 |
| A 3-cost, no 1-cost | 59% | 49% | 45% |
| A 1-cost, no 3-cost | 76% | 43% | 39% |
| Neither | 14% | 20% | 45% |
- The 6-cost Moria helps: strong players' kept hands with it won 58%, the mulliganed ones 39%.
- Kumacy doesn't fill the 1-cost slot: it's a 2000 counter, not a play.
- Two or more of the 8-cost Moria and Boa Hancock, a hint toward mulligan (38% kept, 43% sent back): both cost 8 or more and have no counter.
- These are players' own choices, not the same hands played both ways: read them as what works for players, not proof.
- Keep: the 1-cost Hogback, Absalom, Perona (EB05-043), the 1-cost Hogback, Lilith. Mulligan: three 6-cost Morias, Perona (OP14-111), Special Hollow.
Turn Order: Usually 2nd
In short
- Players win 51% going 2nd and 43% going 1st; our Pro AI 44% and 41%.
- Go 1st against Buggy, by a lot (55% vs 31%); lean 1st against Law and Shirahoshi.
- Go 2nd against Sabo (50% vs 19%). The rest is in the table.
The Game Plan, Turn by Turn
In short
- The 1-cost Hogback on your 1st turn, Charlotte Pudding on your 2nd.
- The 6-cost Moria on your 4th turn going 1st, your 3rd going 2nd; then the 8-cost Moria and Boa Hancock.
- The kill comes on your 5th to 7th turn, most often with your Leader.
| Your turn | Going 1st | Going 2nd |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | The 1-cost Hogback or Lilith | The 1-cost Hogback, Victoria Cindry or Lilith |
| 2nd | Charlotte Pudding | Charlotte Pudding |
| 3rd | The 4-cost Hogback or the 1-cost Hogback, and the Leader's K.O. | The 6-cost Moria |
| 4th | The 6-cost Moria | The 8-cost Moria or the 6-cost Moria |
| 5th+ | Boa Hancock, the 8-cost Moria | Boa Hancock, the 8-cost Moria |
- Why the 6-cost Moria on curve: going 1st, strong players who played it on their 4th turn won 55% (33% without); going 2nd, on their 3rd, 68% (43% without).
- What it brings back: the 4-cost Hogback (74 of 204) or a Perona, and it gives a rested DON!! to your Leader. That body is the next thing your Leader K.O.s.
- Your Leader swings every turn: 83% of strong players' attacks went at the opponent's Leader, and their Leader attacked 4.8 times a game.
- The kill: of strong players' 82 wins, 56 ended on their 5th to 7th turn; their Leader made the last hit in 34.
Fundamentals: The Leader's K.O. and the Trash
In short
- Early, K.O. the 1-cost Hogback for a card; from your 3rd turn, the 4-cost Hogback to replay, or a Perona to remove.
- K.O. before you attack: your whole side gets +1000 that turn.
- Trash 3 for a Life card at 0-1 Life or with a big hand; at 4 Life, keep your hand.
EARLY, THE 1-COST HOGBACK FOR A CARD. FROM YOUR 3RD TURN, THE 4-COST HOGBACK TO REPLAY, OR A PERONA TO REMOVE.
| Your Life | Strong players used the Life add |
|---|---|
| 4 | 6% |
| 3 | 24% |
| 2 | 51% |
| 1 | 67% |
| 0 | 69% |
- The Life add counts your hand too: strong players used it 71% of the time with 10+ cards in hand, 20% with 7 or fewer. At 2 Life: 66% with 8+ cards. Trash spare Morias first.
- The 4-cost Hogback replays Charlotte Pudding (148 times), so Pudding draws 3 again, or Perona (OP14-111) (85) to stop one of theirs attacking.
- Special Hollow stretches Perona's reach: K.O. Perona (EB05-043) with it, one of theirs gets -3 cost, and Perona's On K.O. can take a 9-cost.
- The 8-cost Moria: Kumacy on your Life. Strong players chose the Life 81 times in 110, with Kumacy 58 of those: when a hit takes it, its Trigger plays a body from your trash.
- Boa Hancock: take both parts (strong players did in 109 of 110): a Life card for you, their top Life card to their hand.
Matchups
In short
- Good: Trafalgar Law (69% for players) and Shirahoshi (61%).
- Close: Nico Robin (48%).
- Against you: Buggy (39%), Xebec (36%) and Sabo (32%). Go 1st against Buggy, 2nd against Sabo.
Xebec36%22%
Buggy39%29%
SaboPlayers do much better than our AI32%16%
Nico Robin (EB05)48%50%
Trafalgar Law69%67%
Shirahoshi61%59%
Luffy & Acetoo few games–54%
Rosinantetoo few games–36%
Luffy (ST10)too few games–47%
Kaidotoo few games–22%
Sugartoo few games–54%
Luffy (OP13)too few games–32%
Enel (OP15)too few games–48%
Moria's win % in each matchup: players on the EB05 ranked ladder, and our Pro AI in its own games. The thin line is 50%; past it, Moria wins more than it loses. Tap a row for the number of games.
| Opponent | Players | Players 1st / 2nd | Our Pro AI | Pro 1st / 2nd | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xebec | 36% (47) | 40% / 33% | 22% | 18% / 26% | lean 2nd |
| Buggy | 39% (87) | 55% / 31% | 29% | 34% / 24% | 1st, by a lot |
| Sabo | 32% (37) | 19% / 50% | 16% | 16% / 16% | 2nd |
| Nico Robin (EB05) | 48% (65) | 52% / 44% | 50% | 42% / 58% | lean 2nd |
| Trafalgar Law | 69% (48) | - | 67% | 70% / 64% | lean 1st |
| Shirahoshi | 61% (38) | - | 59% | 64% / 54% | lean 1st |
| Luffy & Ace | - | - | 54% | 48% / 60% | lean 2nd |
| Rosinante | - | - | 36% | 34% / 38% | lean 2nd |
| Luffy (ST10) | - | - | 47% | 52% / 42% | lean 1st |
| Kaido | - | - | 22% | 22% / 22% | Either |
| Sugar | - | - | 54% | 44% / 64% | lean 2nd |
| Luffy (OP13) | - | - | 32% | 34% / 30% | lean 1st |
| Enel (OP15) | - | - | 48% | 52% / 44% | lean 1st |
Players: EB05 ladder games, every bounty level, with farmed games removed (the same two accounts playing each other 8+ times, one side winning 85%+); '-' under 30 games, or under 15 a side for the split. Our Pro AI: 100 games per matchup. Bold marks where the two are 15 or more points apart.
Buggy (OP09-042)
- Go 1st, by a lot (55% vs 31%). Moria players who chose went 1st only 19 times in 39.
- The 10-cost Buggy (OP09-051) and Gravity Blade Raging Tiger bottom-deck your Characters: no On K.O. The 7-cost Buggy (P-084) stops your 3- and 4-costs attacking; Special Hollow's -3 cost lets Perona (EB05-043) K.O. it.
Nico Robin (EB05-010)
Practice vs Nico Robin · Hard AI
- Lean 2nd and go face: 96% of strong players' attacks went at Robin's Leader.
- Her Leader adds a Life card when one of her Wisdom Characters is K.O.'d: Perona (EB05-043) can rest instead of K.O.
Xebec (OP17-039)
- Lean 2nd. Gloriosa (OP17-046) bottom-decks a Character that costs 5 or less and Rocks Pirates returns one to your hand: neither sets off On K.O. Shiki gives one -3000.
Law and Shirahoshi
- Law (69%), your best common matchup: lean 1st. Urouge (OP14-002) K.O.s a 3000-or-less: a K.O., so the 1-cost Hogback still draws you a card.
- Shirahoshi (61%): lean 1st, but it's close: our Pro AI won 64% going 1st and 54% going 2nd, while players' games went the other way (75% of 24 going 2nd). Its Leader can't attack, and Megalo's K.O. sets off your On K.O.s.
Sabo (OP13-004)
- Go 2nd (50% vs 19%). Players win 32% here, our Pro AI only 16%.
- Loki (OP17-119) K.O.s your Characters with a total cost of 4 or less: they're K.O.s, so a Hogback or Perona in that group pays you back.
Kaido and the rest
- Kaido (our Pro AI 22%): either. The 10-cost Kaido (OP17-063) switches off one of yours that costs 6 or less, then K.O.s it: no On K.O.
- Our Pro AI's other hard ones: red-green Luffy (32%, lean 1st) and Rosinante (36%, lean 2nd).
The Mistakes That Cost Games
In short
- Missing the 6-cost Moria on curve.
- Going 2nd against Buggy: Moria players do it half the time.
- Keeping hands with neither a 1-cost nor a 3-cost.
| The spot | Players | What wins |
|---|---|---|
| The 6-cost Moria on your 4th turn, going 1st | Strong players played it in 49 games, not in 27 | 55% won with it, 33% without |
| Against Buggy, go 2nd (when choosing) | 20 times in 39 | Go 1st: 55% vs 31% |
| Keep a hand with neither a 1-cost nor a 3-cost | Kept 14% of 108 | Send it back: 20% kept, 45% sent back |
Cheat Sheet
- The engine: once a turn your Leader K.O.s one of yours (+1000 to your side): early the 1-cost Hogback for a card; from your 3rd turn the 4-cost Hogback to replay, or a Perona to remove.
- Mulligan: a 1-cost with a 3-cost: keep. Neither: send it back.
- Turn order: go 2nd, except Buggy (1st, by a lot); lean 1st against Law and Shirahoshi; 2nd against Sabo.
- The curve: the 1-cost Hogback, Charlotte Pudding, the 6-cost Moria on your 4th turn going 1st (your 3rd going 2nd), then the 8-cost Moria and Boa Hancock.
- Life: trash 3 for a Life card at 0-1 Life or with a big hand; the 8-cost Moria puts Kumacy on your Life. Attack: your Leader every turn.
Practice It
Play Moria against our AI, free in your browser at optcgwebsim.com, no download and no account.
Our other EB05 guides: Xebec, Sabo, Buggy, Nico Robin, Trafalgar Law, Kaido, purple Enel, Luffy ST10, yellow Enel, Luffy & Ace, red-green Luffy, Shirahoshi, Rosinante, Sugar and Boa Hancock.
Players: EB05 ladder games (updated 10-26), farmed games removed; mulligans from players' 485 hands with a known result; plays, K.O.s, counters and kill turns from strong players' 190 games with every decision. Our Pro AI: its EB05 games (updated 10-25).