Bandai's One Piece Card Game has exploded in popularity thanks to fast-paced combat and its unique DON!! Card resource engine. Understanding how DON!! cards function is essential for new players.
The DON!! Deck & Resource Phase
Unlike games where energy cards are shuffled into the main deck, One Piece uses a separate 10-card DON!! Deck. At the start of your turn during the DON!! Phase, you draw 2 DON!! cards from your DON!! deck and place them into your COST AREA active (except on turn 1 for player 1, who draws only 1 DON!!).
Dual Use: Paying Costs vs. Attaching Power
DON!! cards have two distinct functions during your turn:
- Paying Card Play Costs: Rest (turn sideways) active DON!! cards in your Cost Area to summon character cards or play event cards from your hand.
- Attaching Attack Power Buffs: Attach active DON!! cards directly onto your Leader card or character cards. Each attached DON!! gives that character +1000 Power during your turn!
Leader Cards & Life Cards
Your Leader card determines your deck's color identity (Mono-color or Dual-color) and base Power (typically 5000). At the start of the game, you place Life cards face-down equal to your Leader's designated Life count (usually 4 or 5). When your Leader takes a successful attack, you draw 1 Life card into your hand. When you have 0 Life cards and take a final attack, you lose the match.
For official One Piece TCG rulebooks and quick-start manuals, visit our Official TCG Rules Hub.