Daken Decks to Try on Day 1 and Strategy Guide: Synergies All Over the Place!

When it comes to Season Pass cards, we’ve had two kinds prevail in Marvel Snap. Usually, the featured card of the season has been a solid standalone addition in several archetypes, such as Nebula, or a new core piece to a specific synergy, such as MODOK or Nimrod. There have been two exceptions, Zabu and Silver Surfer, who are still some of the most impactful cards in the game, even after being nerfed back in February.

Variants

Daken

On Reveal: Add the Muramasa Shard to your hand.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with Daken

Daken is hard to classify in this mix, as it feels like a synergy card that is clearly anchored in the Destroy and Discard synergies. But, because it can be played across such different archetypes, the card does not feel limited in the same way previous Season Pass card have been. Recently, The Phoenix Force was considered a solid card, especially after its buff a few weeks ago. However, because the card was niche and only saw play in a build tailored specifically for it, The Phoenix Force never took off during July.

Daken feels more flexible than this since it’s able to go from Destroy to Discard, and it might even push some exotic decks in the process. While the card might not become the signature card of a deck the same way The Phoenix Force did, that might end up benefiting Daken when it’s all said and done. Indeed, the card looks much more flexible and therefore more able to dodge the traps waiting for it in the metagame.

Overall, Daken looks like a promising card. It should help two synergies with a lot of potential that have been struggling as of late: Destroy and Discard.

Gameplay and Synergies

Let’s start with the elephant in the room, the Discard and Destroy synergies, which both work with the Muramasa Shard to make Daken an eight power card. Obviously, if we had to pay a real energy for the Shard, we would not consider Daken as it would be a [4/8] card. Still, considering the Shard will be a benefit to our deck in both synergies, Daken as a [3/8] is already solid enough to be included in both decks.

Variants

Colleen Wing

On Reveal: Discard the lowest-cost card from your hand.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Colleen Wing

Variants

Carnage

On Reveal: Destroy your other cards here. +2 Power for each destroyed.

Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Carnage

Variants

MODOK

On Reveal: Discard your hand.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with MODOK

Now, there are plenty of options in the game to grow it to much bigger numbers than eight, and this is where Daken becomes a much more interesting card. There are plenty of other cards that could benefit from it outside the Destroy and Discard synergies.

First, we have cards that buff Daken, meaning we’ll double a bigger number with the Muramasa Shard:

Variants

Shuri

On Reveal: If you play your next card here, double its Power.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Shuri

Variants

Hulkbuster

On Reveal: Merge this card with a random friendly card at this location.

Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Hulkbuster

Variants

Forge

On Reveal: Give the next card you play +3 Power.

Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Forge

Then, in a similar idea, we can also find ways to create another Muramasa Shard so we can double Daken‘s power a second time:

Variants

Moon Girl

On Reveal: Duplicate your hand.

Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Moon Girl

Variants

The Phoenix Force

On Reveal: Revive one of your destroyed cards and merge with it. That card can move each turn.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with The Phoenix Force

Variants

Iron Lad

On Reveal: Copy the text of your deck’s top card.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with Iron Lad

Finally, there are cards in the game which will passively get slightly better thanks to Daken, as it will trigger their ability for an extra point or two:

Variants

The Collector

When a card enters your hand from anywhere (except your deck), +1 Power.

Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

view card details Start a deck Decks with The Collector

Variants

Morbius

Ongoing: +2 Power for each time you discarded a card this game.

Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Morbius

Looking at the different ways we can use Daken and the Muramasa Shard to manipulate the power of several cards, it already seems pretty clear Daken should not be considered your average highly synergistic card. Sure, Armor will be annoying if you play Daken in a Destroy based deck, but Discard can still do it. Cosmo might annoy you then, but you could just play Daken alongside Killmonger in a completely different deck. Adaptability has been the most important thing for an archetype’s success in the past few weeks, and Daken seems to be great in that regard.

As a result, Daken can be pictured in many decks upon release. Some will obviously look to use the card more in their game plan, while others just like to have the option to use it. Nonetheless, this ability to play the card in a wide variety of decks is probably what will lead to Daken being considered a solid Season Pass card when we look back at it.

Destroy As a Starting Point

Daken Deadstroy

Created by den

, updated 2 months ago

2

5x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

4x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

3

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.3

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Although the synergy is already struggling a bit (and Daken does not seem to help much in that regard), the new card and Deadpool share the common trait of getting their power upgraded. I didn’t go so far as to include Forge and Beast, though, which could be slotted instead of Bucky Barnes, Nova, or Wolverine. But the recently buffed Hulkbuster finally has a target other than Deadpool to set up a lot of points.

Nothing too fancy here, just abuse the Destroy synergy to create some big cards and discount Death. It should open some nice Turn 6 opportunities with Taskmaster added to the mix since it can copy a big Venom or Deadpool.

Dracula Discard is Another Simple Possibility

Daken Discard

Created by den

, updated 2 months ago

0

4x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

3x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

3.3

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4.2

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Similar to Destroy, there is no need to change much in the Dracula Discard deck to make Daken a [3/8], which is enough to run it in the deck. In this one, we’ll simply naturally discard the Muramasa Shard with Colleen Wing or MODOK at some points in the game, so Daken can be another safe 3-Cost to play. That also allows us to hold our riskier discards until we get Dracula out of our hand.

Daken Surfer, Because Why Not?

Daken Surfer

Created by den

, updated 2 months ago

0

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

8x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

2.8

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.8

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

I’m not sure Daken will actually make sense in the Silver Surfer archetype because the need to play the Muramasa Shard might eventually be a problem for the deck. However, as we are typically losing an energy on Turn 4 whenever Nova is missing, we could just throw in the Shard then. If we manage to destroy it with Killmonger at any point, Daken beats Maximus as the biggest 3-Cost card to help us win on points. Plus, Daken can be played on Turn 3 without giving extra cards to the opponent.

Can Daken Save The Phoenix Force?

Daken Reborn

Created by den

, updated 2 months ago

1

3x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

3x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

4x Series 5 Ultra Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 5)

3.5

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.2

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

If we manage to destroy Daken and revive it with The Phoenix Force, we are getting a nine power card alongside two Muramasa Shards to buff it, which potentially leads to a 36-Power card. If we can duplicate that card with Arnim Zola, or simply find a way to contest a second lane with our other resources, we might have a new points driven deck that is solid and proactive on our hands.

Ever since The Phoenix Force was released, I have been trying to explain how Human Torch is an incredible target for the card, but the fear of Killmonger has always been stronger than my ability to convince people. This time, we have a 3-Cost card, so Killmonger will have no effect on it. Plus, since we can move it every turn, it should be very simple to dodge Shang-Chi.

My Next Favorite Deck in Marvel Snap

Daken Death Bounce

Created by den

, updated 2 months ago

2

5x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

4x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

3

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.4

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Before Wave was changed and the DeathWave deck was demolished, there was a Bounce variant I was having a ton of fun with: Death Bounce. The idea was to use some Bounce elements in order to destroy cards with Yondu, which would discount Death and buff Knull. Without Wave, it seems a little optimistic to keep a 6-Cost card in that combo – but Daken could be a great way to revive a similar idea.

Here, our goal would be to duplicate the Muramasa Shard with Moon Girl so Daken can become a 16-Power card. Plus, this gives us extra cards to destroy with Carnage and Killmonger in order to discount Death (which Moon Girl can also copy).

Obviously, this one is much more of a concept than the others featured previously, as it is the only one not existing in Marvel Snap currently. This is probably why I like Daken so much, and why I believe it is difficult to compare it to the more recent Season Pass cards. It feels like the card is able to both be slotted in existing synergies and help new concepts emerge.

Closing Words

There is a real chance many will be disappointed by Daken when they test it on Day 1. This is the curse of cards with a lot of different avenues to explore; we’re bound to play bad decks in order to find the good ones. However, I definitely think Daken will make it into a few decks in the next metagame. Maybe not as the powerhouse card in the deck, but as a solid foundation to anchor a lane.

In addition to the card releasing for the new season, we will also get the monthly patch release on the same day (although a bit later). Hopefully Second Dinner graces us with another round of meaningful changes, and then Daken can be experimented with in a metagame where the card doesn’t have to face Good Cards every other game. If the card does end up being a great one, an increase in Armor and Cosmo does look kind of inevitable. This will, naturally, sour our appreciation of the new Season Pass card.

I’m curious to know what everyone else thinks about Daken, and I can’t wait to take a look at the decks emerging with the card. To share your creations, find me on the Marvel Snap Zone community Discord, or follow my Twitter page where I share decks and biased opinions about the game.

Good Game Everyone.