In 60 Seconds
- The plan
- attack with your Leader every turn, usually with no DON!! on it: every attack trashes a card and draws two. Your DON!! builds the board instead: Kyo early, Charlotte Linlin on 5, Shiki on 7, Rocks D. Xebec on 10. Defend with your free 0-cost counters and kill on your 6th to 8th turn.
- The list
- 4 each of the two 0-cost counter Events, Kyo, Stussy, Gloriosa, Linlin, Newgate, Shiki and Xebec, plus Streusen, Buckin, Kaido, Captain John and Ganzui. It's in The Deck.
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- Keep or redraw
- keep an early play that draws (Kyo or Streusen) with a mid play (Linlin or Newgate). Only one of the two: keep it with 0-1 counter cards. Neither, or two Xebecs: send it back.
- The matchups that matter
- Buggy: 79% for our Pro AI, 55% for players; go 1st.
- Sabo: 60%; go 2nd (73% vs 47%).
- Kaido, the hard one: 38%; go 1st.
- Top 3 mistakes
- Keeping Rocks D. Xebec hands and sending back Kyo and Streusen hands.
- Going 2nd against Trafalgar Law (95% going 1st, 79% going 2nd).
- Gloriosa as your 7 DON!! play instead of Shiki.
Xebec in one line: in our Pro AI's games, Xebec wins 72% against the EB05 field (3,300 games), the best record in the format, and it's the most played deck you'll face. Players win 59% (1,908 EB05 games). Our Rocks Master Class covers Xebec in OP17.
What Is Xebec?
In short
- Every Leader attack trashes a card and draws two, so you out-card them and defend with free 0-cost counters.
- Stussy, Gloriosa and Shiki answer their best attacker; 10 DON!! brings Xebec, which plays two more Rocks Pirates cards.
- Weak spots: Kaido, purple Enel, long games, and a turn order that changes by matchup.
- The dig is your Leader's [When Attacking]: trash 1 card, reveal your top card, and if it's Rocks Pirates, draw 2. Every card in this list counts, so the dig always hits.
- The Xebec turn is the turn you play Rocks D. Xebec on 10 DON!!: your 5th turn going 2nd, your 6th going 1st.
- Free defense: eight counter Events that cost no DON!! (+2000 each), Xebec in hand as one more +2000, and Buckin's 1000.
- It wins the middle of the game: Xebec won 80% of the games that ended on turns 13-14, the most common length in EB05.
The Deck
In short
- The core, all at 4: the two 0-cost counter Events, Kyo, Stussy, Gloriosa, Linlin, Newgate, Shiki and Xebec.
- The flex: Streusen, Buckin, Kaido, Captain John and Ganzui.
- Our swap tests found nothing better: keep the list as is.
The list
| Card | Copies | Its job |
|---|---|---|
| There's No Authority in the World (OP17-055) | 4 | +2000 counter; rest 1 DON!!: a Rocks D. Xebec can't be blocked |
| Rocks Pirates (OP17-056) | 4 | +2000 counter; rest 5 DON!!: return a cost 6 or less Character to hand |
| Buckin (OP08-051) | 4 | A 1000 counter, never played |
| Streusen (OP17-050) | 3 | Look at your top 2, then draw 1 |
| Kyo (OP17-045) | 4 | Draw 1; protects a Character from removal (trash 2 instead) |
| Stussy (OP17-054) | 4 | One of theirs (base cost 6 or less) can't attack; her ability locks any Character |
| Kaido (OP17-042) | 2 | A 6000 Blocker; -3000 on one of theirs |
| Captain John (OP17-044) | 3 | Rest him to draw 1, trash 1; while rested they can only attack him |
| Gloriosa (OP17-046) | 4 | A Blocker; puts a cost 5 or less Character on the bottom of its deck |
| Ganzui (OP17-043) | 2 | Your Leader's base power becomes 6000 |
| Charlotte Linlin (OP17-049) | 4 | They choose: you draw 2, or they trash 2 |
| Edward Newgate (OP17-040) | 4 | Draw 1; trash 1 for +3000 when your Leader attacks or is attacked |
| Shiki (OP17-048) | 4 | A 9000 that can attack Characters the turn it lands; -3000 on one of theirs |
| Rocks D. Xebec (OP17-118) | 4 | 12000; draw 1 and play two Rocks Pirates cards (total cost 9 or less). A +2000 counter in hand |
- Core: the two Events, Kyo, Stussy, Gloriosa, Linlin, Newgate, Shiki and Xebec. Flex: Streusen, Buckin, Kaido, Captain John and Ganzui (the other common list plays Don Marlon, Wang Zhi and Jinbe there).
- Cutting Streusen lost or broke even in every version we tested: keep the list as is.
Mulligans
In short
- Keep Kyo or Streusen plus Linlin or Newgate: our Pro AI keeps 98% of those hands.
- Only one of the two: keep it with 0-1 counter cards.
- Neither, or two Xebecs: send it back. A redraw is cheap here.
BOTH PIECES = KEEP. ONE PIECE = KEEP WITH 0-1 COUNTER CARDS. NEITHER = MULLIGAN.
| The hand | Our Pro AI keeps |
|---|---|
| Kyo or Streusen, plus Linlin or Newgate | 98% |
| Kyo or Streusen only | 60% |
| Linlin or Newgate only | 30% |
| Neither | 1% |
- A redraw is cheap: the hands our Pro AI sent back went on to win 71%, as often as the hands it kept. Every Leader attack digs two cards deeper.
- One piece: we played the same hands both ways; with 0-1 counter cards they won clearly more often kept. With 2 or more, keep it if your next two turns are covered.
- Two Xebecs: our Pro AI kept 22% of them. A 10-cost does nothing until your 5th or 6th turn.
- Keep: Kyo, Streusen, Ganzui, Edward Newgate, Stussy. Mulligan: Buckin, Shiki, Stussy, Rocks D. Xebec, Rocks Pirates (neither piece).
Turn Order: By Matchup
In short
- No default: our Pro AI wins 71% going 1st and 73% going 2nd, but some matchups swing by 20 points or more.
- Go 1st against Buggy, Law, Luffy & Ace, Kaido and purple Enel.
- Go 2nd against Sabo, Sugar and yellow Enel; lean 1st against Robin. The full list is in the table.
NO DEFAULT. CHECK THE TABLE.
- Going 2nd, your Xebec turn comes a game turn earlier (turn 10 instead of 11). That pays against Sabo and yellow Enel.
- Going 1st, you act first every round. That's worth the most against the decks that power up fastest: Kaido (King on their 3rd turn, a 10-cost on their 4th) and purple Enel.
- Players get the big ones right (1st against Kaido and purple Enel), but go 2nd against Law 24 times in 31. See Mistake 2.
The Game Plan by DON!!
In short
- Your Leader attacks every turn for the dig, usually with no DON!!; your DON!! goes into Characters.
- Going 1st: Kyo on 3, Linlin on 5, Shiki on 7, Xebec on 10. Going 2nd: Kyo on 2, Shiki on 8, Xebec on 10.
- Shiki, not Gloriosa, on 7 DON!!: Shiki won 17 of 19 close calls.
| DON!! | Going 1st | Going 2nd |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Usually nothing; Streusen if you have it | Kyo or Streusen |
| 3-4 | Kyo (often with Streusen) or Stussy, then your first dig | A 4-cost: Captain John first, Gloriosa or Kaido |
| 5-6 | Charlotte Linlin | Linlin or Edward Newgate |
| 7-8 | Shiki | Shiki |
| 9 | Two plays: Shiki, or Newgate + Stussy | - |
| 10 | Rocks D. Xebec (your 6th turn) | Rocks D. Xebec (your 5th turn) |
- The Leader digs every turn: our Pro AI attacked with it on every turn from its 2nd to its 5th, and two times in three with no DON!!. The attack doesn't need to land: either they lose a card or a Life card, and you drew 2.
- Captain John on 4 going 2nd: he beat Gloriosa 13 times in 17. Rested, he's the only thing they can attack.
- Xebec's two cards: Shiki in 52 of 123 Xebec plays; Kyo + Shiki and Newgate + Stussy (exactly 9) were the most common pairs. Keep a cheap one back to make the turn bigger.
Fundamentals: Digging, Attacking, Countering, Closing
In short
- Trash Characters to the dig; keep your counter Events and Xebec.
- Hit the Leader (11.2 attacks a game, 4.6 on Characters); your big swings should ask for +4000.
- From 5 to 2 Life, counter when it's close: your counters are free. At 1 Life, save them for 0.
TRASH CHARACTERS. KEEP YOUR COUNTER EVENTS AND XEBEC.
- What to trash: only 4% of our Pro AI's trashes were the Events or Xebec, though they're 12 of your 50 cards. Spare Linlins, Kyos, Newgates and Ganzuis go first.
- Leader first: your Characters already handle their board. The exceptions are named in each matchup (Newgate in the mirror, Borsalino against Rosinante).
| What stops the attack | Landed |
|---|---|
| a 1000 counter (the plain dig) | 54% |
| +3000 | 75% |
| +4000 | 88% |
| +6000 or more | 98% |
- Newgate is the bridge: his +3000 turns your 5000 dig into an 8000 that needs +4000 to stop.
- Counter when it's close, at 5 to 2 Life: countering came out better about 6 times in 10 at every Life total there, even though our Pro AI's habit was a third of the time. At 1 Life it was better in only 4 of 19: save them for 0.
- Buckin first at 5 Life; the +2000 Events wait for bigger hits. Shiki on the board is a free -3000 when they attack.
- The kill: your 6th to 8th turn (89 of 101 kills), never the Xebec turn itself. About 4 DON!! on the Leader, plus Shiki, Newgate and Xebec; they still hold about 5 cards.
Matchups
In short
- Our Pro AI's best: Law and Shirahoshi 87%, Luffy OP13 82%, Luffy ST10 80%, Buggy 79%.
- The hard ones: Kaido (38%), purple Enel (49%) and Rosinante (54%).
- Players do far worse than our Pro AI against Buggy, Law, Shirahoshi, Luffy ST10, Sugar and purple Enel: plan for closer games there.
BuggyPlayers do much worse than our AI55%79%
Sabo61%60%
Nico Robin (EB05)61%74%
Trafalgar LawPlayers do much worse than our AI69%87%
ShirahoshiPlayers do much worse than our AI70%87%
Luffy & Ace55%68%
Rosinante48%54%
Luffy (ST10)Players do much worse than our AI59%80%
Kaido42%38%
SugarPlayers do much worse than our AI54%72%
Luffy (OP13)76%82%
Enel (OP05)66%66%
Enel (OP15)Players do much worse than our AI30%49%
Xebec'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, Xebec 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buggy | 55% (234) | 70% / 44% | 79% | 82% / 75% | 1st |
| Sabo | 61% (112) | 63% / 62% | 60% | 47% / 73% | 2nd |
| Nico Robin (EB05) | 61% (137) | 69% / 54% | 74% | 73% / 75% | lean 1st |
| Trafalgar Law | 69% (152) | 72% / 67% | 87% | 95% / 79% | 1st |
| Shirahoshi | 70% (89) | 79% / 63% | 87% | 84% / 90% | Either |
| Luffy & Ace | 55% (62) | 57% / 53% | 68% | 72% / 63% | 1st |
| Rosinante | 48% (61) | 41% / 53% | 54% | 56% / 52% | Either |
| Luffy (ST10) | 59% (61) | 61% / 56% | 80% | 78% / 82% | lean 2nd |
| Kaido | 42% (93) | 44% / 44% | 38% | 46% / 30% | 1st |
| Sugar | 54% (46) | 45% / 71% | 72% | 56% / 88% | 2nd |
| Luffy (OP13) | 76% (110) | 76% / 75% | 82% | 82% / 82% | Either |
| Enel (OP05) | 66% (35) | - | 66% | 54% / 78% | 2nd |
| Enel (OP15) | 30% (43) | 44% / 26% | 49% | 58% / 40% | 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: 300 games per matchup for the seven most played decks, 100 for the rest. Bold marks where the two are 15 or more points apart.
Buggy (OP09-042)
- Go 1st, and plan for a close game: 79% for our Pro AI, 55% for players.
- Kyo answers their 10-cost Buggy: its On Play bottoms any Character, your Xebec included; with Kyo out you trash 2 instead. Shiki's -3000 goes on the 9-cost Alvida.
- Counter more than you think: at 5 to 2 Life countering came out better 18 times in 22.
Sabo (OP13-004)
- Go 2nd (73% vs 47%), survive the race, and kill on your 6th or 7th turn.
- Gloriosa and the Rocks Pirates return can't touch Saul, Ripley or Loki (they count as cost 16-18 on the field). Shiki's -3000 and Stussy's lock work.
- Don't leave two cheap bodies out for their Loki turn: its K.O. takes total cost 4 or less.
Nico Robin (EB05-010)
Practice vs Nico Robin · Hard AI
- Lean 1st and kill on your 7th turn: Robin keeps adding Life, and our Pro AI won only 42% of the long games.
- Gloriosa on Nami: the bottom of the deck isn't a K.O., so no Life card from their Leader.
- All in on the Leader; Stussy's ability on their 12000 Linlin.
Trafalgar Law (OP14-001)
Practice vs Trafalgar Law · Hard AI
- Go 1st (95% vs 79%) and counter early: at 5 Life countering was better in 13 of 16 close calls.
- Shiki's -3000 on the 9-cost Law; Gloriosa on Jewelry Bonney.
- Watch the swap: once on your turn, Law and their Leader trade base power, so a swing into a 5000 can meet a 10000.
Shirahoshi (OP11-022)
Practice vs Shirahoshi · Hard AI
- Either turn order (our Pro AI leans 2nd, 90% vs 84%; players 1st, 79% vs 63%). Out-draw them and stay on the Leader.
- Stussy on Bird Neptunian: it can't rest your Characters if it can't attack. Shanks rests your whole board on their 6th turn in half the games.
Luffy & Ace (ST30-001)
Practice vs Luffy & Ace · Hard AI
- Go 1st, and expect a race you win at 0-1 Life. Players win 55% here.
- Their Characters are +3000 on your turn: stay on the Leader, and put 1 DON!! or Newgate on the swings you want to land (their Leader is a 6000).
- Save the board, not the Life: your Characters are your clock.
Rosinante (OP12-061)
Practice vs Rosinante · Hard AI
- Push damage early, either turn order: the long games are theirs (our Pro AI won 31% of those that reached turn 17).
- Hit Borsalino; Shiki's -3000 and Stussy go on Rosinante & Law. Sakazuki's -6000 will hit your best Character.
- Ask for +3000: Newgate on the dig makes every swing cost them two cards.
Luffy (ST10-002)
- Play Newgate before your Leader attacks (better in 4 of 5 close calls), and count their DON!!: at 10 the extra-turn Luffy comes.
- Stussy's ability on the 10-cost Luffy, Shiki's -3000 on their 9000 Zoro.
- When it's close, counter: their attacks land.
Kaido (OP17-058)
- Go 1st (46% vs 30%) and win before turn 17: half of these games reach it, and our Pro AI won only 28% of those.
- Return King with Rocks Pirates (a return isn't a K.O.); Shiki's -3000 on the 10-cost Blocker Kaido.
- Let the huge hits through; counter where one card flips the result.
Enel (OP05-098)
Practice vs Enel (OP05) · Hard AI
- Go 2nd (78% vs 54%) and win by volume: their Life keeps coming back.
- Plan one hit more than their Life: their Leader puts a card back the first time they hit 0 on your turn.
- Stussy's ability on their Linlin; Gloriosa on Charlotte Oven (no replay).
Enel (OP15-058)
Practice vs Enel (OP15) · Hard AI
- Go 1st (58% vs 40%), and counter early and often: Holly gives itself and every Ohm Double Attack.
- Gloriosa on Holly; lock their 8000 Enel with Stussy (your effects can't remove it).
- Survive first: our Pro AI won 1 of the 23 games that ended by turn 12, and 69% of the rest.
The Mistakes That Cost Games
In short
- Keeping Rocks D. Xebec hands and sending back Kyo and Streusen hands.
- Going 2nd against Law, and Gloriosa as the 7 DON!! play.
- Sitting on free counters at 5 to 2 Life.
From 586 strong players' Xebec games (2,000+ bounty), next to our Pro AI's:
| The spot | Strong players | Our Pro AI |
|---|---|---|
| Keep a hand with Rocks D. Xebec | about 50% | 36% |
| Keep a Kyo or Streusen hand | 69-71% | 80-88% |
| Against Law, go 2nd (when choosing) | 24 of 31 | 1st: 95% vs 79% |
| 8 DON!! going 2nd: Gloriosa | 28% | 15% |
- Pointing removal at what it can't touch: Gloriosa and the Rocks Pirates return check cost on the field (Sabo's 12-makers, purple Enel's 8000 Enel are out of reach). Stussy's On Play checks base cost 6 or less: for a 10-cost, use her ability.
- King survives K.O.s; a Rocks Pirates return isn't a K.O.
Cheat Sheet
Before the game
- Turn order by matchup: 1st against Buggy, Law, Luffy & Ace, Kaido and purple Enel; 2nd against Sabo, Sugar and yellow Enel.
- Mulligan: Kyo or Streusen + Linlin or Newgate. One piece: keep with 0-1 counter cards. Neither, or two Xebecs: send it back.
The curve
- Going 1st: Kyo on 3, Linlin on 5, Shiki on 7, two plays on 9, Xebec on 10.
- Going 2nd: Kyo on 2, Captain John on 4, Linlin or Newgate on 6, Shiki on 8, Xebec on 10.
Attacking and defending
- The Leader digs every turn; trash Characters, never the Events or Xebec.
- Big swings ask for +4000 (Newgate's +3000). The kill is your 6th to 8th turn.
- 5 to 2 Life: counter when it's close. 1 Life: save them for 0.
Practice It
Play Xebec against our AI, free in your browser at optcgwebsim.com, no download and no account.
Our other EB05 guides: Sabo, Buggy, Nico Robin, Trafalgar Law, Kaido, purple Enel, Luffy ST10, yellow Enel, Luffy & Ace, red-green Luffy, Shirahoshi, Rosinante, Moria, Sugar and Boa Hancock.
Win rates and turn order: our Pro AI's EB05 games, Pro on both sides (updated 10-25). Plays, counters and close calls: 144 detailed Pro games. Players: EB05 ladder games (updated 10-26), farmed games removed.