What Is Rush in One Piece TCG? Every Keyword Explained

Quick reference table

What is Rush?

[Rush] lets a Character attack on the same turn it is played (rule 10-1-1-1). Without it, a Character cannot attack on the turn it is played (3-7-4), so it waits until your next turn.

That is why Rush is an aggressive keyword. You can play a Character and pressure your opponent's Leader or Characters straight away, before they get a turn to remove it.

Example: the new OP18 Leader Karoo gives [Rush] (and +1000 power) to all of your Characters that are both Animal and Alabasta type, on its reported pre-release text. A Karoo deck builds its whole plan around this keyword: see the Karoo leader guide.

What is “Rush: Character”?

[Rush: Character] is a restricted version of Rush (rule 10-1-6-1):

• The Character can attack on the turn it is played,
• but on that turn it can only attack your opponent's Characters, not their Leader.

Think of it as “removal Rush”. It can trade with an opposing Character straight away (attacks target the Leader or a rested Character, 7-1-1-2), but it cannot push Life damage on the turn it lands. On later turns it attacks normally.

What is Blocker?

[Blocker] (rule 10-1-4-1): when your opponent attacks another of your cards, you can rest this Character during the Block Step. It then takes the place of the card being attacked.

• A Blocker must be active to use, because using it rests it.
• It stays rested until your next Refresh Phase, so each Blocker usually stops one attack per turn, and only one Blocker can be used in each battle (7-1-2-1).
• It is how you protect your Leader's Life or a key Character.

What is Unblockable?

[Unblockable] (rule 10-1-7-1): while this card is attacking, your opponent cannot activate Blocker. They can still use counters from their hand in the Counter Step (7-1-3).

What is Double Attack?

[Double Attack] (rule 10-1-2-1): when this card's attack deals damage to a Leader, it deals 2 damage instead of 1. Your opponent loses 2 Life cards to one attack, which makes it one of the strongest finishing keywords in the game.

What is Banish?

[Banish] (rule 10-1-3-1): when this card deals damage to the opposing Leader, the Life card goes to the trash instead of their hand, and its Trigger is not activated.

That hurts in two ways:

1. Your opponent does not get the card in hand, so they have fewer counters next time.
2. They cannot reveal a Trigger to swing the game back.

What is Trigger?

[Trigger] (rule 10-1-5-1): when you take damage and the Life card has a Trigger, you may reveal it and activate the Trigger instead of adding it to your hand; you can also decline and take it into your hand unrevealed (10-1-5-2). Triggers are comeback tools, such as a free removal effect or a free Character while you are being attacked. That is also why Banish matters: it switches Triggers off.

Timing keywords: On Play, When Attacking, Activate: Main

• [On Play] (10-2-6-1): activates when the card is played. Many search and removal effects use it.
• [When Attacking] (10-2-5-1): activates when you declare an attack with this card. Example: the OP18 green Luffy Leader has a When Attacking effect that, on its reported text, lets him set himself active and attack again.
• [Activate: Main] (10-2-2-1): an ability you choose to use during your Main Phase, but not during a battle. Example: Saint Gunko's Leader uses Activate: Main to add DON!!, on its reported text.
• [Once Per Turn] (10-2-13-1) is a limit, not a timing: the ability can be activated and resolved only once each turn.

Counter: two different things

• Counter value (the number printed on the side of a Character card, rule 2-10): during your opponent's attack, in the Counter Step, you can trash the card from your hand to add that much power to your Leader or Character for the battle (7-1-3-1-1). Only Characters have one.
• [Counter] on Event cards (rule 10-2-4-1): an Event that can only be used during your opponent's Counter Step.

DON!! ×2 and DON!! −2

• [DON!! ×N] (10-2-9-1) is a condition. The effect works only while at least N DON!! cards are given to that card. Each DON!! given also adds 1000 power during your turn (6-5-5-2).
• DON!! −N (10-2-10-1) is a cost. You return N DON!! from your Leader, Characters and cost area to your DON!! deck to use the effect.

Where to go next

• Every keyword, with every card that has it: the keywords page.
• Building your first deck? Start with our cheapest One Piece leaders list.
• Learning the cards? Read One Piece card rarities explained.
• Buying the new set? Compare prices on the OP18 pre-order page, then see the OP18 The Dominance of God card list.
• The OP18 Leader guides: green Luffy, Karoo and Saint Gunko.
• Looking for a store? Browse our stores directory.