Best Thaddeus Thunderbolt Ross Decks in Marvel Snap

Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross: A Deep Dive into Marvel Snap's Newest Addition

Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, portrayed by Harrison Ford in Captain America: Brave New World, joins the Marvel Snap roster. While his star power is undeniable, his in-game impact requires closer examination.

How Thunderbolt Ross Functions

Ross is a 2-cost, 2-power card with a unique ability: When your opponent ends a turn with unspent energy, draw a card with 10 or more power. This mechanic, similar to Red Hulk and High Evolutionary effects, hinges on card draw – a powerful element in Marvel Snap.

However, the restriction to 10+ power cards significantly limits his utility. Currently, this includes cards like: Attuma, Black Cat, Crossbones, Cull Obsidian, Typhoid Mary, Aero, Heimdall, Helicarrier, Red Hulk, Sasquatch, She-Hulk, Skaar, Thanos (if generated), Orka, Emperor Hulkling, Hulk, Magneto, Death, Red Skull, Agatha Harkness (if generated), Giganto, Destroyer, and The Infinaut. Most decks contain only one, if any, of these high-power cards. Therefore, Ross's effectiveness is directly tied to deck composition. Deck thinning becomes a key strategic element when utilizing Ross.

Red Guardian serves as a direct counter to Ross's ability.

Optimal Deck Synergies

Ross synergizes best with Surtur decks. A sample Surtur deck featuring Ross includes: Zabu, Hydra Bob, Thunderbolt Ross, Armor, Cosmo, Juggernaut, Surtur, Ares, Attuma, Crossbones, Cull Obsidian, and Skaar. Note that this deck heavily relies on Series 5 cards. Substitutions can be made, such as replacing Hydra Bob with Iceman, Nico Minoru, or Spider-Ham. The core strategy revolves around playing Surtur on turn 3 and leveraging high-power cards to boost its power, making Skaar free.

A Hela deck also benefits from Ross: Black Knight, Blade, Thunderbolt Ross, Lady Sif, Ghost Rider, War Machine, Hell Cow, Black Cat, Aero, Hela, The Infinaut, and Death. Again, Series 5 cards (Black Knight and War Machine) are present. War Machine can be replaced with Ares or Swordmaster. The goal is to discard high-power cards of varying costs for Hela's revival effect. Ross enhances consistency by drawing these high-power cards.

Is He Worth the Investment?

Currently, unless you're a dedicated Surtur/Ares player, Thunderbolt Ross might not justify the investment of Spotlight Cache Keys or Collector's Tokens. His value increases with the addition of more 10+ power cards to the game, but his niche application and the prevalence of Wiccan decks (where opponents rarely leave unspent energy) limit his overall impact.