Castle Blackstone Location Guide: Strategy, Best Cards and Decks

The Featured Location for the next 24 hours is Castle Blackstone: The player winning here gets +1 Energy each turn. This is a brand new Location added for Marvel Snap’s December 2023 Season, Hellfire Gala. For 24 hours, it also has a 50% chance of showing up in games.

Variants

Castle Blackstone

The player winning here gets +1 Energy each turn.

released

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Players who strategically build around the location or counter the decks that do so can have an advantage over their opponents! So what will you play?

Strategy and General Tips

Castle Blackstone is the first new location for the Hellfire Gala season, and this one is sure to make for some uneven games. This location incentivizes you to get cards down early and hold the lead to take advantage of the extra energy. Additionally, the extra energy can help you keep priority on the location and build towards later plays. So, what decks work better due to the location?

Variants

Werewolf By Night

After you play a card, move there to gain +2 Power if it has an On Reveal.

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

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Variants

Loki

On Reveal: Transform your hand into cards from your opponent’s starting deck and give them -1 Cost.

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

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Variants

Darkhawk

Ongoing: +2 Power for each card in your opponent’s deck.

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

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Unfortunately, what will likely work best for this location is decks that can take the early lead on the location, get the extra energy, and quickly convert it into efficient stats that keep priority. Two decks immediately come to mind: Loki and Darkhawk. Both use packages aimed around using Werewolf By Night – the true power card for this location. If you can get the early lead and then land a bouncing Werewolf, you can keep the lead longer and later reposition your power.

With the recent release of Blob, Darkhawk is suffering slightly right now, but building with early power in mind can help alleviate that. Plus, Werewolf By Night can somewhat emulate the effect. The other reason these decks seem best into this location is the quick and easy pay off for the extra energy, such as a Turn 3 Loki or Turn 3 Sentry or Darkhawk plays.

Variants

Martyr

At the end of the game, move to a location that LOSES you the game. (if possible)

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

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Variants

The Living Tribunal

Ongoing: Split your total Power evenly among all locations.

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

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Variants

Galactus

On Reveal: If you’re winning this location and this is your only card here, destroy all other locations.

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

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Combo decks that can seize an early lead and then convert it could be a niche way to play into a location like this one. The goal here is simple: have enough high stat early game cards that can hold the lead and then start playing the payoffs earlier. Galactus on Turn 5, Ms. Marvel on Turn 3, Professor X on Turn 4, these plays can already win games, and the location may help a little.

The only concern here is that this can be fragile when an opponent gains early control, making this a fun way to play the location but not necessarily a good way. Martyr may get some time in the spotlight with these decks, as it can get priority on Turn 1 and hold it against a lot of two energy plays, thus allowing you to pull ahead.

Variants

Professor X

Ongoing: Lock down this location. (Cards can’t be added, removed, etc.)

Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

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Variants

Ms. Marvel

Ongoing: Your adjacent locations with 2+ cards and no repeated Costs have +5 Power.

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

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So, we come to Lockdown. These decks can gain early priority and have some huge payoffs like Professor X. Thanos may be a good combination alongside Professor X to use the new card Blob during the location as well.

High Evolutionary can also maintain the lead on the location easily, and plenty of cards can be included that can abuse the extra energy. These two decks may be the most consistent way of attacking the location since they incorporate early power and game-winning plays with the extra energy.

Werewolf By Night

A Move Deck

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 5 months ago

0

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

6x 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

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4.3

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

This deck from Zombiesgonomnom may be a direction to try during the location. It has plenty of early plays to get out with the extra energy that can snowball into early Aero and Sentry plays. Spider-Man or Polaris on Turn 2 can lead to Sentry on Turn 3 and so on. This keeps you ahead and allows you to try dictating the game from the start and never let go.

Galactus

Galactus

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 5 months ago

0

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

4x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

4

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4.4

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Galactus can use cards like Nico Minoru and Sunspot for early priority, and once you’re ahead the game plan can be transformed into either Professor X or Galactus (both of which can be game-winning plays). An early Ms. Marvel also helps you keep the location lead and continue rolling hill with the late game cards.

The Living Tribunal

The Tribunal

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 5 months ago

0

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

2x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

3x Series 4 Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 4)

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

1x Starter Card

3.6

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.6

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

The Living Tribunal is the other combo deck that can abuse this Ms. Marvel interaction, but you do need at least one card to get the ball rolling. Martyr comes in here as the way to contest the early game on the location. It will never move in a Tribunal game because all the locations end up at the same power, so the card is just stats that help you get the extra energy for Ms. Marvel. Then you can continue rolling through with your big Ongoing cards.

Thanos

Blob’s Stones

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 5 months ago

1

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

1x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

6x Series 5 Ultra Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 5)

1x Recruit Season

4.2

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.8

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Thanos can seize location priority early and has lots of big cards that take advantage of the extra energy. This combination is excellent for the location AND for using the shiny new card Blob. It may end up being a more niche way to play Lockdown, but, for the true fans, this location should give you an extra boost for the 24 hours it is active.

High Evolutionary

High Evolutionary

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 5 months ago

0

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

3x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

2x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

4x Starter Card

3.5

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

5.5

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Last up, this deck has been around for some time and requires no modifications for the location. Here you want to hit cards like Sunspot and Cyclops on the location because they will scale with the extra energy. Leech can come down early to set up safe skips into She-Hulk and The Infinaut. It really does not come simpler than this for Castle Blackstone.

Series 2 and Below (pre-CL 474)

America Chavez

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 5 months ago

0

3x Collection Level 1-14

4x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

2x Recruit Season

1x Starter Card

3.1

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

The new America Chavez can shine in lower collection levels; it gives a great on curve card that can high roll and start to snowball. You want to seize priority with Squirrel Girl and play cards like Mister Sinister to maintain the location.

Ironheart helps you continue to add power, and you have both Gamora and White Tiger since they are both great when played early. You also have a potential Turn 2 Storm play, which makes this a deck that can succeed at all levels during the location with a lower collection level.

Wrap Up

What is your strategy? Let us know in the comments below, or our Discord community! Remember to share your decks using our deck builder and browse our deck database!

Good luck, have fun, and stay safe!