Galactus Detailed Deck Guide: Space is Overrated!

Marvel Snap is a game where both players compete on three locations, and the one emerging victorious on two of them wins the game. This is a rule that applies to every deck, and you have to build your list with it in mind, except if you have Galactus in your deck. When you are the Devourer of Worlds and one of the Big Bads in Marvel Snap (unique cards that are permanently in Series 5), you don’t care much about rules, and would rather play by your own: One lane only.

With this unique ability of destroying the other locations, Galactus provides a gameplay no other cards in Marvel Snap can. It also carries some heavy restriction when it comes to building around the card. Indeed, if you decide to turn to the Devourer of Worlds, you have to surround it with cards that will directly synergize with the strategy Galactus pushes for.
Some players like to build a very straightforward deck, aiming to play Galactus as early as possible and dominate the remaining lane; others will go for a sneakier approach, even waiting until turn six to play the signature card of their deck. As it stands, there hasn’t been a clear better list. The one important trait to a Galactus deck is to make the card work.

Indeed, if you manage to fool your opponent with your deck, and land Galactus the way you planned, the match is almost as good as won. On the other end, if your opponent understands what is going on, and has a card available in their hand to counter Galactus, then you might be in for an unpleasant surprise.

So how do we maximize our chances of landing Galactus? What are the critical factors to think about when building your deck around the Devourer of Worlds? All the essential questions, and more, in our detailed Galactus guide.

Deck Presentation

Galactus

Created by den

, updated 2 months ago

10

3x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

5x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

4.5

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.7

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

• View Galactus card stats and details from MarvelSnap.pro
• View Galactus deck stats and details from MarvelSnap.pro

Deck Concept and Strategy

At its core, a Galactus starts every game with the same goal every time: Play Galactus as safely as possible. Once this critical step is completed, your deck should be built to crush a one lane battle, using Death, Knull, Shang-Chi and such cards to punish any opponent crazy enough to stay in the game.

In order to so, we have to look at three important components:

• We need an empty lane, maybe even two, if we want to keep the opponent guessing where Galactus could be played. The opponent’s side can have cards on it, that is not a problem.
• We need six energy, and we would like this to happen before turn six, so we can play points the turn after Galactus.
• We need Galactus to reveal and resolve.

The first two conditions are not so hard to fulfil, as they mostly depend on us. Electro and Wave should take care of allowing Galactus to be played before turn six. As for the empty lane, it is important to pick the location we intend to play Galactus on as early as possible. Most of the time, the choice should happen on turn three at the latest. Also, if you see a great location reveal first or second, feel free to play onto unrevealed locations. Even if they are punishing, you intend to destroy those anyway.

The last one is the deciding factor, and the difference between a win and loss. Indeed, Galactus is starting to be a well known card in Marvel Snap, and there are many ways for the opponent to disrupt our perfect setup on the turn we play Galactus. Here are some cards to keep in mind:

• Polaris, Debrii, Green Goblin, Titania or Viper can get a card to the Galactus lane before it reveals.
• Juggernaut and Aero can move Galactus to a lane that would not be empty.
• Cosmo and Goose can’t deny the ability to play Galactus on a lane, or most of our cards afterward.
• Professor X locks the lane, and wins the one on one against Galactus.

While Professor X and Goose are Ongoing effects we can’t do much about, the other cards can be countered with a simple trick: Priority (player with the greater power reveals their cards first).

It isn’t an easy task to gain priority with the deck, as most of our cards, except for Lizard, have their power below the average for their cost. Nevertheless, if you are having the same problem over and over, it might be good to consider changing the list around to gain priority more often, we’ll cover the cards to help in that regard in the “Card Substitutions” section below.

Core Cards

Variants

Galactus

On Reveal: If this is your only card here, destroy all other locations.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with Galactus

Variants

Knull

Ongoing: Has the combined Power of all cards destroyed this game.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with Knull

One of the reasons why Galactus isn’t a deck everyone can play is the need to play the Series 5 card, and Knull in addition to it. Soon, Knull will join Series 3 and make the deck much more affordable (estimated May 2023). There has been builds without Knull, but it is undeniable the card is top of the class when it comes to dominating turn six on a single lane.

Variants

Knull

Ongoing: Has the combined Power of all cards destroyed this game.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with Knull

Variants

Electro

On Reveal: +1 Max Energy. Ongoing: You can only play 1 card a turn.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Electro

Variants

Wave

On Reveal: All cards cost 4 until the end of next turn.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Wave

Alongside the two win conditions are Electro and Wave, the necessary ramp cards in order to play Galactus early on.

There are other cards which are almost always included in the deck, but are not considered core, as in, they cannot be replaced whatever you are trying to do. Here are the cards considered too good to pass on, but which can be changed in some specific builds:

Variants

Death

Costs 1 less for each card destroyed this game.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Death

Variants

Yondu

On Reveal: Destroy the top card of your opponent’s deck.

Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Yondu

Variants

Doctor Octopus

On Reveal: Pull 4 random cards from your opponent’s hand to their side of this location.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Doctor Octopus

These three cards having direct synergy with either Galactus or Knull, they will fit most ideas you could have with the archetype. The most open to discussion would be Doctor Octopus, as there are other 5-cost cards available to the deck, such as Hobgoblin or Leech. However, Doctor Octopus is seen in all the Galactus builds, and has synergies with both Galactus (empty opponent’s hand) and Knull (tons of cards to destroy with Galactus).

Card Substitutions

With seven cards difficult to move around, Galactus doesn’t have so much space to work with. As of today, two builds have emerged around the archetype.

The first one is a very straight forward game lan of playing Galactus before turn six, and then dominating the sole lane in play:

Galactus

Created by den

, updated 2 months ago

10

3x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

5x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

4.5

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.7

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Here, the biggest flexible spot is changing a card included to win the sole lane for one that would help in seizing priority. In that regard, you could swap out Shang-Chi or Spider-Man for Ebony Maw or another one or two cost card with a high power.

The second build is a little more flexible, and doesn’t require to necessarily play Galactus as early as possible:

Galactus

Created by den

, updated 2 months ago

6

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

7x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

4.5

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4.6

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Once again, we used all the extra space for a synergistic package of cards, and it’s difficult to remove one without hurting the others. Taskmaster is probably the easiest one to remove, as it feed from the others, but doesn’t directly contribute to their success.

Other cards which do not appear in those two decks are:

• Ebony Maw: For priority.
• Cloak: Work around annoying locations or unwanted summons.
• Leech: Nice follow up to Electro.
• Nightcrawler: Can be moved if needed for Galactus.
• Daredevil: Information before playing Galactus.
• Mister Negative: Galactus and Knull both are low power and high cost.

Snap and Retreat

Galactus is a well documented archetype in Marvel Snap nowadays, meaning most opponents know exactly what is coming next after you played Galactus. If they stay in the game, that is probably because they have something up their sleeve, otherwise they will retreat on the spot.

Because of this, the need to snap early in the match is crucial with a Galactus deck. It will cost you some cubes on occasions, and maybe push you to reconsider why did you decided to play this archetype in the first place. But it is the right way to play Galactus, and will net you more cubes in the long run.

When to retreat is more situational, and should be decided mostly upon the opponent snapping early in the match. If the game goes to turn six, the decision to play it out or leave should be pretty obvious with this archetype.

Locations

Considering we can destroy two out of three locations in play, it is easy to think Galactus doesn’t care too much about the locations in play. This is true to some extent, however, some locations are giving valuable information to our opponent as to where we will likely play Galactus. On the other end, some locations allow playing Galactus earlier, or in a safer way, which is nice.

Good Locations → Limits the opponent’s disruption here:

• Crimson Cosmos
• Negative Zone
• Plunder Castle
• Rickety Bridge
• Vormir

Good Locations → Makes Galactus come down earlier:

• Project Pegasus
• The Peak
• The Superflow
• Altar of Death
• Titan

Bad Locations → Impairs Galactus effectiveness:

• Avengers Compound
• Bar Sinister
• Krakoa
• Lemuria

Bad Locations → Can’t play Galactus because or on these:

• Central Park
• Eternity Range
• Dark Dimension
• Knowhere
• Kyln
• Monster Island
• Morag
• Sanctum Sanctorum
• Shadowland
• The Big House
• TVA
• Savage Land

Matchups

Galactus deck matchups can be summed up to “does your opponent have disruption?”. If you answered no to this question, then ask, “Can they challenge us on a single lane?”. If you answer no again, you should have a good matchup ahead of you. In that category, we can find decks who are very self-centered. Those are decks able to develop a lot of points, but aren’t good at adapting to unpredictable events. Bounce is a good example of that category, even if the archetype can develop 20 points on one lane on turn six.

Variants

Cosmo

Ongoing: On Reveal abilities won’t happen at this location.

Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Cosmo

Variants

Polaris

On Reveal: Move an opposing 1 or 2-Cost card to this location.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Polaris

Variants

Goose

Ongoing: Nobody can play cards that cost 4, 5, or 6 at this location.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Goose

Variants

Debrii

On Reveal: Add a Rock to each other location, for both players.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Debrii

If you answered yes to the first question, then priority just became much more important, and you should disguise you are a Galactus deck if possible. Also track the disruption they might have used already. Cosmo, Polaris, or even Goose can often be played on curve if the opponent has nothing else to do on their natural turn. Patriot is a deck to be mindful of because of Debrii in particular. The trouble with Polaris and Cosmo is that those cards can be played in a wide variety of decks.

Variants

Shang-Chi

On Reveal: Destroy all enemy cards at this location that have 9 or more Power.

Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Shang-Chi

When it comes to opponent without disruption but able to challenge on a single lane. Theoretically, you should only feel unfavored after playing Galactus if you don’t have Knull in hand, or have priority and fear a Shang-Chi. In most other scenarios, there are very few decks running Knull nowadays, or able to rival it if you destroyed enough power with Galactus. Even then, Death is another card which should tilt the balance in your favor.

Variants

Devil Dinosaur

Ongoing: +2 Power for each card in your hand.

Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Devil Dinosaur

Variants

Death

Costs 1 less for each card destroyed this game.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Death

Variants

Iron Man

Ongoing: Your total Power is doubled at this location.

Starter Card

view card details Start a deck Decks with Iron Man

However, if you believe the opponent can wrestle that last lane away from you (Big Devil Dinosaur, Death plus another card, Iron Man played on the lane you used Galactus…), priority is the most important factor to consider. Without it, you add Shang-Chi to the equation, and could be able to play it alongside Death, to both have points, and destroy any big card from the opponent. With priority, you are kind of forced to play as many points as possible and hope there is no punish waiting for you.

Variants

Spider-Man

On Reveal: Your opponent can’t play cards at this location next turn.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Spider-Man

Variants

Doctor Octopus

On Reveal: Pull 4 random cards from your opponent’s hand to their side of this location.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Doctor Octopus

Last but not least, some matchups can vary depending on whether you play Galactus on turn four or five. If you do on turn four, you open your disruptive cards to be played, but the opponent’s ones as well. Against a Junk deck, for example, keep in mind the opponent could play a Spider-Man or Doctor Octopus of their own if you Galactus on turn four.

Turn by Turn Breakdown

Turn 1 and 2

The first two turns are almost indifferent in a Galactus deck. You are either playing cards to feed your Knull, or to seize priority.

Turn 3

This is the first pivotal turn, and most of the time the turn you will snap if you have a good hand. Also, you should have information on all three locations, so you can decide precisely where you want to play Galactus.

There are different scenarios to consider:

• Wave, but no Galactus. You can try your luck at drawing it next turn, it might be a good bet if you have no other play pattern available.
• Wave and Galactus. This alone could warrant a snap if you have a read on your opponent not having a potential disrupt. If you have a turn five play to lock the lane then, you should snap.
• Electro, but no Galactus. You still have two draws to find it, this is playable if you have a 5-cost to follow up on Electro.
• Electro and Galactus. Electro is a bigger tell than Wave regarding what you are playing. Yondu plus Wave could tip the opponent on a DeathWave deck, for example. I would probably snap if I had Doctor Octopus already as well, or have a read my opponent cannot stop Galactus on five. Otherwise, you can probably wait to snap on turn four, and see how things develop.
• No Wave or Electro. The game can still be saved if you get one of them next turn for a turn five Galactus. I would retreat if the opponent snaps, though.

If you are playing a more flexible build, like one using Nimrod, Destroyer and such cards. You should have more possibilities to find a play pattern without Galactus. Oftentimes, those do not warrant a snap unless you also have a read on your opponent, but give you much more options, as well as making a Galactus draw stronger later in the game.

Turn 4 and 5

Unless something crazy happened, these two turns should follow up on the plan established during turn three. The big concern here is where to play your cards, and confirming if the opponent is playing the build you anticipated. The lane you play Galactus on is incredibly important, especially for priority purposes going into the final turns.

If you haven’t snapped by the end of turn five, you are probably better off playing for two cubes. The opponent should have enough information to leave or punish you if you snap anyway, considering we aren’t the most flexible deck, able to disguise our intention that late in the game.

Turn 6

With the traditional build of Galactus, the normal setup for turn six would be to play on the only lane left. If your opponent is still in it while you snapped, take some time to consider what they might have that lead them to believe they would win the game.

If you are playing the hybrid take on the archetype, turn six should typically be where you end your play pattern decided on turn three or four, so just keep it going unless something went wrong along the way.

Closing Words

Galactus is a very polarizing archetypes, dividing community amongst those whose love it, and others who can’t stand the deck. Oftentimes, not owning the card plays a minor role in picking your side on the matter. The fact the card is gatekept behind the Series 5 wall, and will indefinitely stay there, probably adds to that frustration. Losing to a card you can’t use yourself is naturally frustrating, and adds to dividing the community around the card.

Overall, I like Galactus, especially the role the developers have envisioned for the archetype. As they described it in the past, Galactus serves as a police deck, in charge of keeping in check those who thought they could just push their own agenda and never care about the opposing gameplan. In that regard, Galactus is doing its job perfectly, with the added bonus of offering a unique gameplay as well, warranting its stay in Series 5 forever.

Even if you don’t own Galactus yet, I hope this guide could at least help you understand its mechanics a bit better, and maybe pick up a few ways to counter it in the future. If you do own the Devourer of Worlds, you know have a better understanding of how to maximize its potential.

For any question, feel free to join us on Discord. You can also find me on Twitter where I share decks and opinions daily about Marvel Snap.

Good Game Everyone.