Marvel Snap: Meta Decks Dominating the Game (September '24)

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Let's revisit our Marvel Snap (Free) deck-building strategies for this month's edition. A new season brings fresh challenges, and while the meta felt relatively balanced last month, new cards always shake things up. Remember, today's winning deck might be obsolete tomorrow; these guides offer a snapshot of the current meta, but aren't the sole source of strategic insight.

These decks represent top-tier strategies, assuming a complete card collection. I'll highlight five leading decks and a couple of more accessible, fun options for players with smaller collections.

The recent Young Avengers additions haven't drastically altered the meta, although Kate Bishop remains consistently strong, and Marvel Boy boosts 1-cost decks. The new Amazing Spider-Man and Activate ability, however, are game-changers, promising a significantly different meta next month.

Kazar and Gilgamesh

Included Cards: Ant-Man, Nebula, Squirrel Girl, Dazzler, Kate Bishop, Marvel Boy, Caeira, Shanna, Kazar, Blue Marvel, Gilgamesh, Mockingbird

The rise of Kazoo to a top-tier deck is surprising. The core strategy remains familiar: deploying low-cost cards and then buffing them with Kazar and Blue Marvel. Marvel Boy provides additional buffs, while Gilgamesh significantly benefits from the overall strategy. Kate Bishop offers flexibility, potentially replacing Dazzler, and reduces Mockingbird's cost. A strong deck, but its long-term viability remains to be seen.

Silver Surfer Remains Unstoppable, Part II

Included Cards: Nova, Forge, Cassandra Nova, Brood, Silver Surfer, Killmonger, Hope Summers, Nocturne, Sebastian Shaw, Copycat, Absorbing Man, Gwenpool

Silver Surfer continues to dominate, with minor adjustments for balance changes and new cards. The classic Nova/Killmonger combo provides early boosts. Forge enhances Brood's clones, Gwenpool strengthens cards in hand, Shaw benefits from buffs, Hope provides extra energy, Cassandra Nova drains opponent's power, and the Surfer/Absorbing Man combo delivers powerful late-game plays. Copycat effectively replaces Red Guardian.

Spectrum and Man-Thing Ongoing Strategy

Included Cards: Wasp, Ant-Man, Howard the Duck, Armor, US Agent, Lizard, Captain America, Cosmo, Luke Cage, Ms. Marvel, Man-Thing, Spectrum

The Ongoing archetype's success is noteworthy. This deck features cards with Ongoing abilities, significantly boosted by Spectrum's final-turn buff. The Luke Cage/Man-Thing synergy is potent, with Luke protecting cards from US Agent. This deck's ease of play and Cosmo's increasing utility make it a strong contender.

Discard Dracula Deck

Included Cards: Blade, Morbius, The Collector, Swarm, Colleen Wing, Moon Knight, Corvus Glaive, Lady Sif, Dracula, Proxima Midnight, MODOK, Apocalypse

This classic Apocalypse-based Discard deck features Moon Knight, enhanced by his recent buff. Morbius and Dracula are the key cards, aiming for a final-round Apocalypse play, leading to a powerful Dracula and Morbius effect. Collector can provide unexpected value with sufficient Swarm plays.

Destroy Deck

Included Cards: Deadpool, Niko Minoru, X-23, Carnage, Wolverine, Killmonger, Deathlok, Attuma, Nimrod, Knull, Death

The Destroy deck remains largely unchanged, with Attuma's recent buff making him a valuable addition. Focus on destroying Deadpool and Wolverine, gaining extra energy with X-23, and finishing with Nimrod or Knull. The absence of Arnim Zola reflects the increasing prevalence of counter-measures.

Here are a couple of fun, more accessible decks:

Darkhawk's Return

Included Cards: The Hood, Spider-Ham, Korg, Niko Minoru, Cassandra Nova, Moon Knight, Rockslide, Viper, Proxima Midnight, Darkhawk, Blackbolt, Stature

This deck utilizes Darkhawk's strengths, incorporating Korg and Rockslide to populate the opponent's deck. It also includes disruptive cards like Spider-Ham and Cassandra Nova, along with discard effects to reduce Stature's cost.

Budget Kazar Deck

Included Cards: Ant-Man, Elektra, Ice Man, Nightcrawler, Armor, Mister Fantastic, Cosmo, Kazar, Namor, Blue Marvel, Klaw, Onslaught

A beginner-friendly alternative to the high-tier Kazar deck. While not as consistently successful, it provides valuable experience with the Kazar/Blue Marvel combo and features Onslaught for added power.

This month's meta is fluid. The new season, balance changes, and the Activate ability will likely reshape the landscape by October. The resurgence of classic decks is interesting, but unlikely to persist. Until then, happy snapping!