Jean Grey’s Impact on the Marvel Snap Metagame: Best Performing Decks and Concepts

Likely the most anticipated card of the month, and one many players got their hands on with the new Spotlight Cache system, Jean Grey has been one of the few Series 5 card which managed to impact the game the same week they were released.

Variants

Jean Grey

Ongoing: Players must play their first card here each turn. (if possible)

Series 5 Ultra Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 5)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Jean Grey

As it stands, Jean Grey is mostly used in two archetypes; Silver Surfer and Thanos Zoo, with both decks having strong acquaintances with 3-cost cards for one, and the Ongoing synergy for the other. As expected, the new card also saw play in archetypes like Pure High Evolutionary or Lockdown, as grouping the opponent’s cards seems strong there. However, compared to the first two, the card hasn’t impacted the archetype’s performance much, and looks like a consideration amongst other cards, rather than a future staple.

In addition to those archetypes, there are also a few concepts shared on social media, where Jean Grey helps in building around a gimmick. Those have not broken through yet, but could be worth exploring if you like to play creative brews. Archetypes like Junk, the Guardians of the Galaxy, or even Galactus have been spotted with the card in their list.

How impactful has the new X-Men been so far, and what to expect from it in the future, let’s take a tour!

Proven, Solid Archetypes

Silver Surfer, Obviously

Grey Surfer

Created by den

, updated 10 months ago

0

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

8x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

2x Series 5 Ultra Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 5)

2.7

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.2

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

The precise list of Silver Surfer is still up in the air since the balance patch went live. Jean Grey and Nakia both look like valid additions, but require taking out other valuable options. For example, in the list above, Storm is removed from the deck, and so is Nakia. However, if you want to edge against different matchups, you could totally remove Shadow King instead.

The 2-cost card slot also is undergoing its own internal battle, as Goose, Jeff the Baby Land Shark and Invisible Woman are competing for the same spots. Similarly to the 3-cost cards, there does not seem to be a perfect consensus right now, especially as some list only run one of these three, opening another slot for an extra 3-cost card.

Lastly, Spider-Man is slowly gaining some momentum in the 5-cost slot, replacing Sera for more of a Lockdown game plan. That list is a little more straight forward, as you have to run Storm in order for that plan to work. Yet, it shows how much chaos is happening in the Silver Surfer archetype currently.

I consider this a good thing personally, and even if it means having subpar results for a bit, at least until you figure out the perfect list for you. It shows the metagame is still moving, and one deck finding the right balance could push its competition to adapt as well.

Thanos Zoo Becomes Even More Disruptive

Thanos Zoo

Created by den

, updated 10 months ago

0

2x Collection Level 1-14

3x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

3x Series 5 Ultra Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 5)

2x Recruit Season

3.7

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

An archetype that has been very under the radar for the past month or so, Thanos Zoo is on the comeback trail with Jean Grey joining the game. It only makes sense, as I would say this is the archetype which gained the most from the latest Series 5 card joining the game:

• Mojo finally has some support in the deck, and having an eight power 2-cost card is really sweet.
• Cosmo, Armor can demolish an opponent forced to play on their lane. Imagine Destroy or On Reveal forced to throw a card every turn before being able to play.
• We don’t care much about Jean Grey, as we have the Infinity Stones ourselves to bypass the ability when needed.

Compared to Silver Surfer, the other frontrunner with Jean Grey so far, Thanos Zoo is obviously posting weaker numbers so far. However, it is important to look at where both decks started as well, with Silver Surfer being a top 5 contender, while Thanos Zoo wasn’t even a consideration for the past month and a half.

Work in Progress

Outside the two decks above using Jean Grey extensively, a lot of other builds have tested the new card as well. Considered a solid card overall, Jean Grey is seeing play in a variety of popular archetypes, where she has minor synergies, but still makes some sense to run as the twelfth card. Also, there are a few builds which are looking to specifically build around Jean Grey‘s ability, such as the Guardians of the Galaxy cards.

Dmoney Guardians of the Galaxy

Created by den

, updated 10 months ago

0

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

2x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

5x Series 5 Ultra Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 5)

1x Recruit Season

1x Starter Card

3

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.8

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Originated by Dmoney I believe, this shell has been shared by several people on social media already. The goal is to abuse Jean Grey with a lot of cards either benefiting from knowing where the opponent will play, or able to impact multiple lanes at once.

SafetyBlade Combo Grey

Created by den

, updated 10 months ago

0

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

6x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

2x Series 4 Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 4)

2x Series 5 Ultra Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 5)

2.5

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.2

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Mixing Bounce and Sera Surfer together probably leads to a solid deck, considering how good both archetypes are already. Here, the concept is that Jean Grey is rarely a problem, as we will play multiple cards on the important turns anyway.

Jean Grey has been spotted in some Sera Control deck lists, representing a good way to annoy decks looking to spread their power against the deck. This takes the idea one step further, removing the control tools to focus on developing points.

Grey Shuri Sauron

Created by den

, updated 10 months ago

0

4x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

4x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

1x Series 4 Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 4)

1x Series 5 Ultra Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 5)

2.8

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.9

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Shuri Sauron is able to rival most decks in pure points contest, but often loses the flexibility battle. Jean Grey reduces the opponent’s flexibility in order to make the match purely about points. Also, the deck packs Kitty Pryde and Vision to bypass Jean Grey‘s ability.

Good Cards Grey

Created by den

, updated 10 months ago

0

1x Collection Level 1-14

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

3x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

2x Series 4 Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 4)

3x Series 5 Ultra Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 5)

1x Starter Card

3.1

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.8

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Unless the opponent is also playing Doctor Doom, Jean Grey plus Wave makes them play on a specific location on turn six. Also, it opens a solid turn five with Wave plus Star-Lord, considering we know a card will be played on Jean Grey‘s location. Lastly, Nebula profits from Jean Grey being played on another lane, the same way it is typically played with Storm in other decks.

Grey Stature

Created by den

, updated 10 months ago

0

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

5x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

2x Series 4 Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 4)

3x Series 5 Ultra Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 5)

3.2

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.9

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

With Miles Morales and Stature easily discounted to being 1-cost cards, this archetype should easily be able to play around Jean Grey‘s ability when it needs to. In addition, we also get some synergy with Nebula and Jeff the Baby Land Shark.

Greylactus

Created by den

, updated 10 months ago

0

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

5x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

1x Series 4 Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 4)

3x Series 5 Ultra Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 5)

3.5

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.8

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

This is probably my favorite on the list, at least from a conceptual standpoint. In this one, the goal is to use Jean Grey as an alternate game plan, when the traditional Electro, Wave part failed, or we didn’t draw into those cards.

Once Jean Grey is in play, you can use Wasp to play on her lane and then Galactus another lane the opponent cannot impact freely. This synergy also works in order to land an easy Professor X, which we can follow up with Destroyer the next turn, for example.

Closing Words

Considering the balance update with the monthly patch has not impacted Marvel Snap as much as one would have wished, seeing a new card impact the metagame is a great sign. Jean Grey isn’t a meta breaking card for now, as it has yet to be considered essential in a high profile archetype. Still, Jean Grey is well installed in the rotation for Silver Surfer, looks like a great addition to Thanos Zoo, all the while being tested in a variety of archetype like strong, standalone cards usually are. Overall, the card feels like a great way to start the Spotlight Cache system, being a fantastic pull for those who saved for the occasion.

I hope the various builds I shared in this article inspired you to test Jean Grey if you have it. I believe the card still has some unexplored potential, in addition to already being worth in a few builds. If you have your own brew around the new card, I would love to see them. Join me on the Marvel Snap Zone community Discord, or follow my Twitter page, where I share decks and biased opinions about the game, to share those with me.

Good Game Everyone.