We’re setting sail once again on the hunt for wins and treasure cards. Whilst we might not find any treasure in a starter deck, we can definitely find those wins when we’re playing with the Blackbeard ST27 Starter Deck!
As with all starter decks, this product serves as a fantastic jumping in point for new players to learn the ropes, we’ll be looking in detail at what you can expect to find in the box and how you can put it to good use.
First impressions
It goes without saying that the whole crew is in attendance in this deck, but special shoutouts go to the Marshal D Teach character and leader cards for some absolutely incredible artwork. The grime and filth of this crew’s attitude is really captured in the art and gives the keyword a really unique feel.
Although the Blackbeard leader and support cards have been in the game for a good few sets, they’ve been in dire need of some new cards to make the deck really pack a punch.
Thankfully, starter decks are here to do just that; add new unique cards to the archetype and make the existing cards easier to get hold of. And where most of the cards in this deck are reprints, 5 cards are brand new to the game and will quickly become staples in competitive meta decks.
Out of the five cards, the two SR’s are definite must haves if you want to get the upper hand on your opponent. Kuzan has a great KO effect that allows you to play a 5 cost or less card from your trash, and pairs this with a built in blocker effect to ensure that you always get the maximum value from playing it.
And then we have the forbiddable Marshal D Teach himself with two abilities built into the card. The first is an activate main which allows you to KO a 3 cost character, and the other is an on KO effect which brings back any black card from your trash, including itself!
Smooth sailing?
But how does this deck hold up on the field? Well, firstly, you can guarantee that your opponent is not going to have a fun time playing against it.
Your deck is built around your inability to use On Play effects by not including a single card with an on play. But it’s the second effect that puts your opponent on the back foot and pulls the advantage in your favour. "You may trash 1 card from your hand: Your opponent's [On Play] effects are negated until the end of your opponent's next turn.” This means that combo decks fall flat on their face when abilities that would normally allow them to flood the board fizzle away and just leave them with a body on the field.
The trick to this deck is knowing when to utilise that ability to your advantage. Learn the curves for the meta decks and get an idea for when they’ll start a combo or play a bomb. It’s at that point that you want to keep your leader ability active every turn until you win the game. Learn this timing, and the deck will immediately work in your favour.
Keep in mind though, that this does give the deck a very high learning curve. Timing is essential, and the leader ability requires you to memorise the cost curve over every meta deck so you’re not wasting cards earlier than needed. But it’s because of this that the deck is so strong. It even managed to blow everyone’s mind when it won the finals last year.
Here thar be treasure
Unfortunately for you treasure hunters out there, the value is lacking in the starter decks, but there’s a very good reason for this. Bandai wants to make the game as accessible to new players as possible, and by reprinting structure decks that play strong straight out of the box, it makes it easier for those players to jump straight in. Of course, there’s a chance you might strike lucky in the free booster pack that’s included in the box, but that doesn’t make it worthwhile buying 10.
This is also the point, as with every one piece review, that I remind you to sleeve your cards straight out of the pack. Foiled cards have a tendency to curve at the edges if they pick up moisture. This results in them not sitting flat, and could even ruin the value on any treasure cards you get in your free booster pack.
Final thoughts
All in all, if you’re looking for a technical deck to get stuck into playing, then Blackbeard is definitely the deck for you. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, I highly recommend picking up two decks if you can as you’ll likely need four copies of each of the sr’s and rares for a competitive deck, and a single starter deck only comes with two.
I always say that starter decks are worth picking up, even if you don’t intend on playing the deck straight away. And there’s always a single booster packed inside to sweeten the deal. So why not try your luck with the pack, and prepare for the upcoming meta at the same time?
But if you find that the mechanics of this deck aren’t to your playstyle, keep in mind that this deck is just one of six new releases that cover a variety of colours and mechanics, each with their own unique playstyle.
