Okay, we’re a week into April already, but better late than never, right? The truth is that Marvel Snap (Free) has seen a few changes and tweaks that I wanted to let settle in before doing this month’s guide. As usual, there have been some new cards added since we last checked in, but there have also been some critical nerfs and buffs that have thrown a wrench into the meta in some ways. So let’s have a look and see what’s hot right now in the world of Marvel Snap decks. Remember: today’s winning deck could be tomorrow’s cold meatloaf. These guides are one way to keep your finger on the pulse of the scene, but they aren’t the only method you should be using.
Note that most of these decks are the best of the best at this point in time. They assume you have access to a full range of cards. I’ll once again be including the five strongest Marvel Snap decks of the moment, and I’ll throw in a couple more decks that don’t need anything too hard to get and are just sort of fun to play with. If you need more advice for building decks from more basic sets of cards, make sure to check out our beginner’s guide for some tips.
Since the last time we checked in, there have been some new cards added via the Days of Future Past season. Master Mold seems to have found a home in destroyer decks as anyone could have predicted, but the other cards seem to still be finding their place. Kitty Pryde was actually disabled and pulled due to breaking the game, so we have no idea what she’ll be doing for decks yet. As usual, some cards were nerfed and buffed, with some direct attempts to weaken the power of Thanos and Shuri decks. Let’s check out the five strongest decks for April 2023, plus a couple of decent decks that are easier to put together.
Shuri & Zero
Included Cards: Shuri, Zero, Armor, Sunspot, Aero, Cosmo, Typhoid Mary, Vision, Red Skull, Taskmaster, She-Hulk, Arnim Zola
One of the nerfs in the last month attempted to weaken Shuri decks, but this one still can’t be denied. Shuri is an outstanding card with her ability to double the Power of the next card you play. Combine her with another card with a high Power score and you can easily rack up the wins. Zero removes the abilities of the next card you play, and is often paired with high Power cards that have negative effects such as Typhoid Mary or Red Skull. The idea is that Shuri’s doubling ability means those high Power cards are more than worth their negative effects, and Zero can just remove them. Shang-Chi remains a risk to this deck, and Valkyrie is starting to see a lot of play as a counter as well. Armor and Cosmo can help deal with Shang-Chi, and Cosmo can also help with Valkyrie.
Thanos & Lockjaw
Included Cards: Thanos, Lockjaw, Wave, Shang-Chi, Blue Marvel, Leech, Odin, Doctor Doom, She-Hulk, Magneto, Killmonger, Death
Thanos & Lockjaw looked like it was on the ropes after the Mad Titan got nerfed, but players have found some tweaks to make it stay competitive. The main changes involve bringing in Killmonger and Death. Aero just isn’t what she was, and using Killmonger to clean up any unneeded Infinity Stones while also bringing down Death’s Cost for a big late-game play is worth its weight in gold. Just be mindful as always of Shang-Chi and Valkyrie, who are constant major spoilers for high-Power cards.
Control Sera
Included Cards: Sera, Nova, Angela, Armor, Scarlet Witch, Sentinel, Mysterio, Lizard, Bishop, Killmonger, Shang-Chi, Enchantress
This deck is particularly fascinating because it doesn’t require any Series 4 or Series 5 cards, and in fact barely needs any Series 3 cards at all. The ‘Control’ in this deck’s title refers to how you need to manipulate the turn order to make sure your cards are revealed last all the way up until the end. That means you have to make sure you’re losing until the very end. Do what you will for the first few turns but make sure you hang on to Killmonger for the last turn. Play Sera on the fifth turn, and deploy various combinations of Enchantress, Killmonger, and Shang-Chi to completely ruin your opponent’s party.
Thor & Lockjaw
Included Cards: Thor, Lockjaw, Wasp, Iceman, Sunspot, Dracula, Jubilee, Jane Foster Thor, America Chavez, Hulk, The Infinaut, Magneto
This deck remains a royal pain in the butt to play against, and that means it’s a great deck to use yourself. The only real change from last time is the inclusion of Iceman, who is turning out to be one of the few useful counters to some of the other strong decks. The idea is the same as other Lockjaw decks. Get the pup out there, and start throwing your low Cost on On Reveal cards at him to try to draw out the big guns. A solid deck that doesn’t need too many fancy cards to work, but you are depending a little on the luck of the draw with Lockjaw’s teleporting.
Darkhawk & Zabu
Included Cards: Darkhawk, Zabu, Wasp, Yellowjacket, Korg, Black Widow, Lockjaw, Mystique, Rock Slide, Wong, America Chavez, Doctor Doom
Darkhawk was a big roller before he got nerfed a little while back, but there are still some players finding ways to make him work. In principle, this is the usual Darkhawk deck. A lot of cards that will fill up the other player’s hand, which adds to Darkhawk’s Power. Mystique is there to copy Darkhawk, of course. Lockjaw, the low-Cost cards, and the big guns work as a back-up plan if you can’t quite get things together. The good news is that it’s a lot easier to get your hands on the needed cards for this one these days, though it’s still going to be out of reach for many players.
And now, a couple of decent decks for those still climbing up the collection ladder.
Shaun’s Slobberknocker Mark 3
Included Cards: Patriot, Squirrel Girl, Ultron, Kazar, Abomination, Mystique, Iceman, Thing, Cyclops, Shocker, Misty Knight, Wasp
Back to basics this time, but still built around Patriot’s useful buffs for cards with no abilities. Use Mystique to copy either Patriot or Kazar’s ability, allowing you an extra buff. Squirrel Girl, Misty Knight, and Iceman are there to try to draw out Killmonger plays from the opponent, ensuring they don’t have him left in their hand on the last turn when you send out Ultron. Iceman also serves as a nice little nuisance for the opponent. This remains a deck that doesn’t require too many fancy cards to put together but yields reliable results. Since it doesn’t depend on many heavy hitters, it’s largely unaffected by Shang-Chi or Valkyrie shenanigans.
Kazoo
Included Cards: Ka-Zar, Ant-Man, Elektra, Nightcrawler, Squirrel Girl, Iceman, Lizard, Armor, Cosmo, Sandman, Blue Marvel, Spectrum
An oldie but a goodie. If you’re just starting out in Marvel Snap, the Kazoo deck is going to help you fill out your collection more quickly. It’s as simple as it gets. Ka-Zar can buff 1-Cost cards, so get those 1-Cost cards out there and back them up with Ka-Zar. On the fifth turn, play Sandman. This limits your opponent’s options for the final turn, and you’ve probably only got Blue Marvel or Spectrum left in your hand by then anyway. Simple and clean.
And that’s it for this month’s deck guide. We’ll return with another one of these in May to see where things stand after the Animals Assemble event and this month’s nerfs and buffs shake out with the meta. Happy Snapping!
