Marvel Snap’s February 2023 seasonal meta has been dominated by MODOK, which implies discard decks have by no means been extra in model.
Many Snap decks fall into one among three archetypes: ramping as much as an enormous combo or card on flip 5 – 6, establishing tempo early to take management of the tempo of the sport and lock down some areas, or countering your opponent’s large combos or playing cards. Discard decks are likely to fall into the primary one — the playing cards you’re enjoying sometimes lead up to an enormous play on flip six. However there are a couple of totally different variants of discard decks to concentrate on.
I believe the present best approach to divide discard decks is into two classes: “Hela decks” and “Apocalypse decks.” Numerous Snap gamers are aware of Apocalypse decks — Apocalypse is a strong card in Pool 1, and could be a cornerstone for early decks. With the addition of MODOK to the sport, Apocalypse has seen a resurgence in Snap, as the 2 playing cards have pure synergy collectively. MODOK discards your hand, and Apocalypse needs to be discarded, so it’s an ideal match for a robust flip six.
Hela is newer for lots of gamers, because the card is gated behind Pool 3. Hela decks have the next ceiling than Apocalypse decks, however a decrease ground, due to the inherent randomness of the impact: Hela resurrects each card you discarded this recreation in a random location. There’s a certain quantity of randomness to which playing cards you’ll be able to discard every recreation, after which there’s the difficulty of the place they get performed. However in case you handle to discard loads of highly effective playing cards earlier than you play Hela, your chances are high fairly good you’ll like the top consequence.
Let’s begin with a rundown of a few of the finest playing cards to concentrate on within the discard rotation, earlier than moving into the Apocalypse versus Hela of all of it.
Good playing cards for discard decks usually
- Girl Sif: A 3-cost, four-power card, Girl Sif is extraordinarily invaluable due to her impact, which discards the highest-cost card out of your hand on reveal. By taking out an excellent quantity of the randomness inherent to discard decks, you have got extra management over your endgame — you may principally assure discarding your Apocalypse or a high-value card you need to resurrect with Hela with Girl Sif.
- Morbius: A two-cost, zero-power card, Morbius features two energy each time you discard a card. When you’ve got a deck constructed round discarding as many occasions as doable, Morbius may be the uncommon two-cost card that wins you a lane by itself. A good warning, although: Morbius’ impact is an ongoing one, which implies it may be nullified by Enchantress or stolen by Rogue.
- Dracula: A four-cost, zero-power card, Dracula discards a card out of your hand on the finish of the sport and takes its energy. Among the finest playing cards in Snap, Dracula can simply win a location by itself you probably have the fitting deck for it — both discarding an Apocalypse one last time and taking up its energy, or discarding a card like The Infinaut and gaining 20 energy with out having to fret in regards to the “you may’t play a card the flip earlier than” situation. Additionally in Dracula’s favor: the impact just isn’t ongoing (due to this fact it’s proof against Enchantress), and because it occurs on the conclusion of the sport, it’s Shang-Chi-proof as properly.
- Sword Grasp and Hell Cow: These two aren’t essentially a combo package deal, however they’re good for a similar cause — they’ve excessive energy for his or her prices. Sword Grasp is a three-cost, six-power card that discards a random card in your hand, whereas Hell Cow is a four-cost, six-power card that discards two random playing cards in your hand. Usually talking, I believe these playing cards are higher in Hela decks, the place you’re attempting to discard a ton of playing cards (whereas in an Apocalypse deck you’re attempting to discard one card repeatedly), however they’re strong in each decks and may help you win lanes whereas additionally pursuing your final win situation.
![MODOK’s Marvel Snap Card, with five cost and eight power.](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pSuUSE2NE2dEIgtMwF7t_1T8o34=/0x0:1024x945/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x945):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24458772/basecard_Modok.png)
Picture: Second Dinner/Nuverse
Good playing cards for Apocalypse decks
- Colleen Wing and Swarm: A combo package deal, you’d undoubtedly need to take these two collectively in case you resolve to incorporate them. Colleen Wing’s impact is the other of Girl Sif’s, discarding the lowest-cost card out of your hand on reveal. Swarm, a two-cost, three-power card, creates two zero-cost duplicates of itself when discarded. So in case you play Colleen Wing with Swarm in your hand (when you haven’t any different two-costs or one-costs), you’re assured to get two free playing cards. It won’t sound like a lot, but it surely would possibly make all of the distinction on flip six, when you may play a six-cost and two extra playing cards. These playing cards are much less good with a Hela deck, since you need Hela to resurrect extra highly effective playing cards.
- Lockjaw: Playing cards performed on the similar location as Lockjaw shall be changed by one other card in your deck. This occurs after their “on reveal” impact, so you may play lower-power discard playing cards like Blade, Gambit, and Girl Sif, make the most of their discard impact, after which additionally exchange them with (hopefully) a higher-power card in your board. This works notably properly with Colleen Wing and Swarm, as you need to use your zero-cost Swarms on the Lockjaw location as properly.
Good playing cards for Hela decks
- Jubilee: Your Hela deck goes to incorporate too many highly effective playing cards to play, so that you’ll need to introduce different methods to place them on the board. Jubilee, who performs an extra card out of your deck, is a good way to herald a shock highly effective card, and may help you keep aggressive in case you don’t draw Hela.
- Ghost Rider: Ghost Rider performs a card you discarded already — consider it as a mini-Hela. An awesome combo is to play Girl Sif on flip three (discarding one among your large playing cards) after which Ghost Rider on flip 4 (enjoying that exact same discarded card).
- The heavy hitters: An important a part of a Hela deck is all the massive playing cards you need to get resurrected. It’s the same old suspects; any card with a excessive energy will do the trick: The Infinaut, Giganto, Magneto, Demise, and Hulk all match the invoice. However in case you’re in search of one thing a bit extra attention-grabbing, Captain Marvel is one other enjoyable one to incorporate.
- Invisible Girl: A Hela deck may be simple to learn, and when you begin discarding some main playing cards, a well-placed Cosmo or Shang-Chi can mess your complete day up. Invisible Girl may help you cover that data till it’s too late, and leaves room so that you can play MODOK with Hela, since MODOK’s impact received’t happen till after the sport if performed behind Invisible Girl. Even with out Modok, you need to use Invisible Girl for a few of your different discard results (like Hell Cow) to be sure to don’t by chance discard Hela.
The very best Marvel Snap discard decks…
…you probably have MODOK:
![A Marvel Snap deck with Morbius, Swarm, Colleen Wing, Lockjaw, Moon Knight, Lady Sif, Sword Master, Dracula, Hell Cow, MODOK, Apocalypse, America Chavez](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/n5FW7WtSziKrsHyNs0sqP_WvpSw=/0x0:758x310/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:758x310):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24458234/modokdeck.jpg)
Picture: Second Dinner/Nuverse by way of Polygon
The deck: Morbius, Swarm, Colleen Wing, Lockjaw, Moon Knight, Girl Sif, Sword Grasp, Dracula, Hell Cow, MODOK, Apocalypse, America Chavez
The aim: Dracula wins one lane by discarding Apocalypse after the sport is over, and also you win one other lane by way of a mix of Morbius, MODOK, and your different high-powered playing cards. Your third lane is for Lockjaw to play as many discard results as doable. America Chavez is right here as a security valve, particularly in case you don’t draw Apocalypse.
Alternates price contemplating: Gambit, Wolverine
…in case you don’t have MODOK:
![A Marvel Snap deck with Zabu, Lady Sif, Sword Master, Jubilee, Ghost Rider, Hell Cow, Captain Marvel, Magneto, Hela, Giganto, The Infinaut, Death](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sOK_ymi-5O_PUOEc8gExHzPSKoU=/0x0:944x377/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:944x377):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24458249/heladeck.jpg)
Picture: Second Dinner/Nuverse by way of Polygon
The deck: Zabu, Girl Sif, Sword Grasp, Jubilee, Ghost Rider, Hell Cow, Captain Marvel, Magneto, Hela, Giganto, The Infinaut, Demise
The aim: Get as lots of your large playing cards on the board as doable. Girl Sif and Ghost Rider are an important combo, and Jubilee additionally helps. However the principle factor is discarding your large playing cards with Girl Sif, Sword Grasp, and Hell Cow, in order that Hela can revive all of them on the finish. One necessary phrase of warning: Be cautious of enjoying Jubilee earlier than enjoying Girl Sif or one other discard card, except you have already got Ghost Rider in your hand. Drawing Ghost Rider with Jubilee is a surefire approach to have a nasty time with this deck.
Alternates price contemplating: Morbius, Dracula, Hulk, Invisible Girl
Lastly, listed here are some newbie discard decks for gamers not but in Pool 3.
The very best Marvel Snap Pool 2 discard deck
![A Marvel Snap deck with Blade, Iceman, Ant-Man, Nightcrawler, Swarm, Morbius, Wolverine, Sword Master, Bishop, Lady Sif, America Chavez, Apocalypse](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LqSl0Pv30pVoZjbJOuAXXgQ8XjI=/0x0:921x374/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:921x374):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24458229/pool2discard.jpg)
Picture: Second Dinner/Nuverse by way of Polygon
The deck: Blade, Iceman, Ant-Man, Nightcrawler, Swarm, Morbius, Wolverine, Sword Grasp, Bishop, Girl Sif, America Chavez, Apocalypse
The aim: Discard Apocalypse as many occasions as doable, or Wolverine and Swarm in case you can’t. Bishop or Morbius can win you your non-Apocalypse different lane, relying on whether or not you’re drawing your discard playing cards or your good one-cost playing cards.
Alternates price contemplating: Sunspot, Yondu, Angela. In case you’re in Pool 1, you’re higher off ready to get extra items earlier than enjoying a discard deck. Attempt enjoying one among these newbie’s Marvel Snap decks as an alternative.
Completely happy discarding!