Since MARVEL SNAP—the latest digital card game sensation—came out in Early Access last month, I’ve been obsessing over it and coming up with the best MARVEL SNAP deck builds to overpower my opponents. This being said, before we jump into the fray, here are a few MARVEL SNAP deck-building basics to keep in mind:
- Every deck build MUST have 12 cards – no less, no more.
- Cards all have energy costs from 1 to 6. The only exception to this rule is Death, which starts with a base Energy cost of 8, but the card effect makes it that it is functionally going to be a 1 to 6 play. As in most games of this nature, distribution is important, so consider how any alterations or alternatives can shake up play. For the purposes of this list, I’ve noted the energy cost before the card name in each case.
- Only one variant per card is allowed in every single SNAP deck build. This means that you can never have two Miles Morales Spider-Man, for example, but that it is fair game to throw all sorts of other Spider-People into the mix.
- After unlocking the base set of cards, most of the ones you will get will come randomly as you increase your collection level. However, whereas in most cases, you’ll have at least a few alternatives to make up for the ones you don’t have, some SNAP deck builds in here are centred around specific characters, e.g. Apocalypse, Agatha Harkness, etc. As such, maybe hold off on some builds until you’ve got the key components. In any case, I’ve highlighted the most important card(s) in bold for all MARVEL SNAP deck builds.
- Every deck has a unique code you can easily export and/or import. Paste the code into the deck editing menu to use the ones in this list.
Now, let’s make some of the best MARVEL SNAP deck builds:
MARVEL SNAP – Move Deck
# (1) Iron Fist
# (1) Nightcrawler
# (1) Yondu
# (2) Kraven
# (2) Multiple Man
# (2) Cloak
# (3) Doctor Strange
# (3) Vulture
# (3) Hulkbuster
# (4) Miles Morales
# (5) Vision
# (6) Heimdall
Move Deck Deck Code:
eyJDYXJkcyI6W3siQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiSXJvbkZpc3QifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6Ik5pZ2h0Y3Jhd2xlciJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiRG9jdG9yU3RyYW5nZSJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiTWlsZXNNb3JhbGVzIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJZb25kdSJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiTXVsdGlwbGVNYW4ifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6IlZ1bHR1cmUifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6IktyYXZlbiJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiVmlzaW9uIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJIZWltZGFsbCJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiQ2xvYWsifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6Ikh1bGtidXN0ZXIifV19
The Move Deck is my personal favourite MARVEL SNAP deck for this build and the one I use the most as I level up the monthly ladder. The core principle is to naturally shuffle your cards across the board as often as possible. Nightcrawler is a great starter in most matches, and you should try to follow him with either Kraven in Turn 2 or prepare a Turn 3 in which you duplicate Multiple Man by using Iron Fist’s ability to move the next card played to the left. From there on, spend Turns 4 and 5 getting the most out of Vulture with Doctor Strange, Hulkbuster and/or Cloak.
Doing so will hopefully also activate Miles Morales’ ability at some point. On Turn 6, you should usually seek to surprise your opponent with Heimdall, but be careful not to compromise any locations you might already be winning. When using this MARVEL SNAP deck build, your biggest headaches will be Fisk Tower, a location that destroys any card that moves there, and cards like Storm or Professor X, which prohibit cards from being added to any one place.
MARVEL SNAP DECK BUILD – Autoplay Deck
# (1) Sunspot
# (1) Quicksilver
# (2) Domino
# (2) Sentinel
# (2) Mysterio
# (3) Nakia
# (3) Captain America
# (3) Wave
# (3) Black Cat
# (4) Crossbones
# (6) Doctor Doom
# (6) Agatha Harkness
Autoplay Deck Deck Code:
eyJDYXJkcyI6W3siQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiU3Vuc3BvdCJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiUXVpY2tzaWx2ZXIifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6IlNlbnRpbmVsIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJNeXN0ZXJpbyJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiTmFraWEifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6IkNhcHRhaW5BbWVyaWNhIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJXYXZlIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJEb21pbm8ifV19
Agatha Harkness is key to this MARVEL SNAP deck in which you, more often than not, literally don’t have anything to do but queue up for matches and end turns. Really, Agatha’s ability is that she starts in your hand every time and plays your cards for you. Now, obviously, this may suck the fun out of the game a bit – but if you want to do your washing up and still play MARVEL SNAP, why not give this deck a spin?
Plus, having a somewhat guaranteed 12 Power play on Turn 6 never hurts. The biggest downside here is that the AI is not especially good, so you may lose a good portion of matches. Is this worth grinding for some card boosters? You decide this time. (And, yes, I’m still waiting to unlock Agatha on my account…any day now…)
MARVEL SNAP DECK BUILD – Zoo Deck
# (1) Ant Man
# (1) Elektra
# (1) Squirrel Girl
# (1) Sunspot
# (1) Nightcrawler
# (1) Rocket Raccoon
# (1) Blade
# (2) Angela
# (3) Bishop
# (3) Captain America
# (4) Ka-Zar
# (5) Blue Marvel
Zoo Deck Deck Code:
eyJDYXJkcyI6W3siQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiQW50TWFuIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJFbGVrdHJhIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJTcXVpcnJlbEdpcmwifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6IlN1bnNwb3QifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6Ik5pZ2h0Y3Jhd2xlciJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiUm9ja2V0UmFjY29vbiJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiQmxhZGUifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6IkFuZ2VsYSJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiQmlzaG9wIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJLYVphciJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiQmx1ZU1hcnZlbCJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiQ2FwdGFpbkFtZXJpY2EifV19
As with any “Zoo” deck, the point here is to overwhelm opponents by playing low-cost cards. Kazar is the most important tool in your arsenal since his ongoing ability is to grant +1 Power to every 1-Cost card on the field. Blue Marvel and Captain America are also essential for giving a much-needed power boost. Angela and Bishop I’d recommend just the same, given that you’re meant to be playing a lot of cards per turn, and so power can stack very quickly with these two.
In case you deploy your hand too fast, Sunspot is great for using any remaining energy. My other mandatory picks are Squirrel Girl and Ant-Man, which fit the bill for this deck for how well they work with other 1-Cost cards. The remaining four slots you can fill with whatever preferred 1-Cost cards. The biggest risk with this deck is by far Killmonger, who can destroy every single 1-Cost card on reveal. Ouch.
MARVEL SNAP Deck Build – Destroy/DiscardDeck
# (1) Deadpool
# (1) Nova
# (1) Blade
# (2) Bucky Barnes
# (2) Carnage
# (2) Armor
# (2) Swarm
# (2) Wolverine
# (3) Killmonger
# (3) Lady Sif
# (3) Deathlok
# (6) Apocalypse
Destroy/DiscardDeck Deck Code:
eyJDYXJkcyI6W3siQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiTm92YSJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiQmxhZGUifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6IkJ1Y2t5QmFybmVzIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJDYXJuYWdlIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJXb2x2ZXJpbmUifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6IlN3YXJtIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJLaWxsbW9uZ2VyIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJMYWR5U2lmIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJEZWF0aGxvayJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiQXBvY2FseXBzZSJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiRGVhZHBvb2wifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6IkFybW9yIn1dfQ==
Speaking of destroying, this next MARVEL SNAP deck focuses on triggering card effects by destroying or discarding them. From the get-go, your focus should be on making Apocalypse as powerful as possible before you fully use him on the final turn. To this end, you must keep both Blade and Lady Sif in your hand until you can discard Apocalypse. But that may take a while, so use Deadpool and Bucky Barnes in combination with Carnage, Wolverine and Deathlok. The disadvantage of this deck is that it is highly situational: in most matches, you may struggle to get everything right, but at least when this deck works, it sings.
MARVEL SNAP Deck Build – StealDeck
# (1) Elektra
# (1) Agent 13
# (1) Mantis
# (1) Nova
# (2) The Collector
# (2) Cable
# (2) Carnage
# (2) Sentinel
# (3) Deathlok
# (4) Moon Girl
# (5) Devil Dinosaur
# (6) America Chavez
StealDeck Deck Code:
eyJDYXJkcyI6W3siQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiRWxla3RyYSJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiTWFudGlzIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJOb3ZhIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJUaGVDb2xsZWN0b3IifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6IkNhcm5hZ2UifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6IkNhYmxlIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJTZW50aW5lbCJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiRGV2aWxEaW5vc2F1ciJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiTW9vbkdpcmwifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6IkRlYXRobG9rIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJBbWVyaWNhQ2hhdmV6In0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJBZ2VudDEzIn1dfQ==
Stealing your opponent’s cards is one of the most satisfying things you can do in MARVEL SNAP, and this deck is all about it. The Collector is the most important card to play early as it gains +1 Power for every card you draw from anywhere except your deck. With a bit of luck, and when paired with Mantis and Cable, you should already have stolen two cards from your opponent and boosted The Collector by turning 3/4.
The problem with this MARVEL SNAP deck build is very luck-dependent: not only do you need to use Mantis wisely but also what you get from your opponent can make or break this strategy. Hopefully, whatever other cards you’ve chosen, cause you can choose almost anything for the remaining card slots available, will be enough to keep you in the game, at least in case you pull some Rocks or something else that’s underwhelming.
MARVEL SNAP Deck Build – ControlDeck
# (1) Iron Fist
# (1) Mantis
# (1) Rocket Raccoon
# (2) Angela
# (2) Okoye
# (2) Star-Lord
# (3) Storm
# (3) Groot
# (4) Jessica Jones
# (5) Iron Man
# (5) Professor X
# (5) Spider-Woman
ControlDeck Deck Code:
eyJDYXJkcyI6W3siQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiSXJvbkZpc3QifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6Ik1hbnRpcyJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiUm9ja2V0UmFjY29vbiJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiQW5nZWxhIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJPa295ZSJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiU3RhcmxvcmQifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6IlN0b3JtIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJHcm9vdCJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiSmVzc2ljYUpvbmVzIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJJcm9uTWFuIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJQcm9mZXNzb3JYIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJTcGlkZXJXb21hbiJ9XX0=
The Control Deck is the counterpart to the Move Deck, as the former relies entirely on locking winning locations as fast as possible. In this case, Professor X is the talisman card and will win you one location in most instances if you play it right. However, to win for good, you must also give yourself an edge with Storm – which is a much more difficult task. The ideal link-up is to play Rocket Racoon, Star-Lord, Groot and/or Jessica Jones after Storm to make sure you can react to whatever your opponent throws at you. Just pay attention to turn order and be careful not to lock yourself in a losing situation. If that happens, best retreat and try again.
MARVEL SNAP Deck Build – On Reveal Deck
# (1) Elektra
# (1) Angel
# (1) Korg
# (1) Yondu
# (2) Angela
# (2) Medusa
# (2) Star-Lord
# (3) Ironheart
# (3) Wolfsbane
# (5) White Tiger
# (5) Gamora
# (6) Odin
On Reveal Deck Deck Code:
eyJDYXJkcyI6W3siQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiT2RpbiJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiR2Ftb3JhIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJXaGl0ZVRpZ2VyIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJXb2xmc2JhbmUifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6Iklyb25oZWFydCJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiU3RhcmxvcmQifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6Ik1lZHVzYSJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiQW5nZWwifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6IktvcmcifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6IkVsZWt0cmEifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6IkFuZ2VsYSJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiWW9uZHUifV19
The On Reveal Deck is probably one of the most popular decks in MARVEL SNAP simply because of Odin, who, when played, triggers every on-reveal effect once more. This means he has great synergy with almost every card included and is a fantastic finisher for your side. Even if you are somehow prevented from playing him or don’t use him to full capacity, this deck is consistent enough to pull you through at least some matches with a win.
MARVEL SNAP Deck Build – Ongoing Deck
# (1) Ant-Man
# (1) Nightcrawler
# (2) Medusa
# (2) Sentinel
# (3) Mister Fantastic
# (3) Punisher
# (3) Captain America
# (4) Namor
# (5) Iron Man
# (5) Blue Marvel
# (5) Klaw
# (6) Spectrum
Ongoing Deck Deck Code:
eyJDYXJkcyI6W3siQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiQW50TWFuIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJNckZhbnRhc3RpYyJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiTmFtb3IifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6Iklyb25NYW4ifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6IkJsdWVNYXJ2ZWwifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6IkNhcHRhaW5BbWVyaWNhIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJQdW5pc2hlciJ9LHsiQ2FyZERlZklkIjoiTmlnaHRjcmF3bGVyIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJNZWR1c2EifSx7IkNhcmREZWZJZCI6IlNlbnRpbmVsIn0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJLbGF3In0seyJDYXJkRGVmSWQiOiJTcGVjdHJ1bSJ9XX0=
The Ongoing MARVEL SNAP deck functions on the same rationale as the On Reveal deck but just makes use of the other big effect in the game. Iron Man is the card you’ll be looking to seal a location for you, as it doubles the total power wherever you play it.
However, you’ll still need to play smart to win the second one and the game: Mister Fantastic and Medusa are obvious middle-location plays, Namor works best on the side, and Spectrum should be your knock-out in most matches. I personally don’t think this deck works as well as some other meta decks, especially as it’s overplayed at the minute, but your own mileage may vary as you’re likely to win your fair share of games still if you play it right.
MARVEL SNAP Deck Build – Grind Deck
The grind deck is exactly what you’d expect: absolutely not competitively viable and only really meant to be a way to get card boosters easily. Just shuffle in the characters you’ve used less or not at all, and watch your collection level shoot up gradually. A much better alternative to using blue credits in the shop, although I’d only use this deck if you’ve completely given up on the monthly ranked rewards.
MARVEL SNAP Deck Build – Draft Deck
The last deck in this list is also not competitively viable and is instead meant to supplant a draft mode – seeing as MARVEL SNAP is sorely missing one. No good win rate is guaranteed, as your opponents will not be using draft SNAP deck builds against you, but courtesy of community user stonedonkey, who made marvelsnapdraft.com, the option is there if you want to spice up your deck building in this way.
And that’s it for this list, true believers! Many thanks to the MARVEL SNAP players, who have been sharing their different deck options online and have inspired me to write this article. Check out marvelsnap.io and marvelsnapzone.com for card databases, meta-tier lists and more. Or else, if you’re curious about what kind of decks the MARVEL SNAP creator, Ben Brode, is playing, check out this interview he gave for IGN.
MARVEL SNAP is free-to-play now on Steam (PC), Android and iOS.
