Marvel SNAP is the latest mobile card-based game that’s sweeping the world! Leveraging the IP of your favorite Marvel superheroes, Marvel SNAP lets you play with all of the familiar faces that you’ve grown to love in Marvel comic book history.
Today we’re going to take a look at two different decks that you might want to play now that Zabu has been nerfed. Recenly Zabu was taken down a peg by only providing a cost reduction on 4-Cost cards by 1 instead of 2. To help balance that out, Zabu was given a lowered cost, down to 2.
However, Zabu is still perfectly viable in today’s metagame! Instead of thinking of Zabu like a cost-specific Sera, you should think of them more like a beefed up Psylocke, giving you access to 4-Cost cards a turn earlier than normal.
The two decks I want to talk about are Sera Miracle and Zabu Negative.
Let’s dive in and check out these decks!
Marvel Snap Sera Miracle Decks
Sera Miracle has been a powerful Marvel Snap deck archetype for a long time already, thanks to the massive cost-reduction that Sera can provide. Sera reduces the cost of ALL CARDS in your hand by 1, which is a huge way to swing the game on the final turn. Usually Sera is accompanied by a suite of low-cost cards so that you can play many of them all at once on Turn 6. This also means that generally you won’t be playing any 6-Cost cards either. Keep that in mind for your Missions!
The inclusion of Zabu in this deck is really only going to give you better access to high-utility cards like Shang-Chi or Enchantress. In fact, thanks to Zabu, you would be able to get two of these cards out on the final turn instead of just one. That means you would get to take out your opponents big threats like Black Panther or beefed-up Broodlings, and still have the ability to nullify Ongoing cards like Patriot or Blue Marvel that are still incredibly relevant in the metagame.
As I mentioned, the low-cost cards that you choose to include in this deck should also have high-utility, and maybe even be considered situational. Cards like Killmonger and Nova can be really good in dealing with those pesky Sunspots while simultaneously improving your board position. You can also consider a Mysterio + Carnage package, especially if there is a higher chance of locations like Savage Lands that give you free fodder for Carnage.
Crucial Cards
- Sera
- Zabu
Marvel Snap Mister Negative Decks
Marvel Snap Mister Negative decks are an odd duckling, because they can be very hit-or-miss depending on your card draw. Their lack of consistency is made up for by utilizing powerful cards to help mitigate some of that luck early on. However, these decks can be frustrating to play if you are only able to play a few cards each game.
The key card in this deck is obviously Mister Negative, and his ability takes all of the cards in your deck and swaps their Power and Cost. Please note that this won’t have any impact on the cards that are already in your hand; that’s something you’ll learn very quickly but it’s good to keep in mind. If you already have a lot of the best Negative-target cards in your hand, maybe it’s better to not play him this game.
The best cards to include in the Mister Negative decks are ones that are already powerful, but would be even better if their Power and Cost were swapped. A card like Arnim Zola suddenly because a 6-Power card that you can put out for free! If you’re going to include Arnim Zola, then you must also include Black Panther, whose ability triggers on those clones as well, doubling each time. I’ve also seen decks include Iron Man, who would be another 0-Cost card after Negative hits the field.
Zabu comes in because he allows you to play Mister Negative one turn earlier, on turn 3. This means that, giving standard drawing, you’ll be able to snag three swapped cards instead of just two. Zabu will reduce the cost of your Black Panther after it’s been affected by Mister Negative, as well as other powerful cards like Shuri or even Absorbing Man.
Timing is everything in this deck, and understanding your board position relative to the cards remaining in your deck will give you a better idea about games where it’s beneficial to play Mister Negative and games where it’s maybe better to hold off. Generally speaking, if you can play Mister Negative on Turn 3, either due to Zabu or Psylocke, you should definitely play him. Even if you already have Zola or Iron Man in-hand, the benefits outweigh the costs.
Crucial Cards
- Mister Negative
- Zabu
- Arnim Zola
Marvel SNAP: It’s a…SNAP!
Hopefully you’re all enjoying Marvel SNAP as much as I am! We’ll be back soon for more Marvel Snap Mondays with a brand new topic to talk about!
Check out Marvel SNAP, and play with your favorite comic book characters!
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