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The Marvel Snap meta has been shaken up, offering endless possibilities with frequent balance changes and a solid 1-drop that impacts the game when it hits the board. This month, @ShayedSays shared a new DoomWave deck that I believe is a true contender thanks to its power and flexibility.
Overview
SafetyBlade
This deck can play a Lockation strategy with Wave as the seal on Turn 5, or win with Wave into Doctor Doom and She-Hulk. The deck plays for tempo through the early turns, starting with Storm on Turn 3 and following it with Jessica Jones.
The true star of the deck is not the classic DoomWave combo; instead, it’s the interaction with Goose. This creates a flexible, powerful early game that can lock down lanes and control the board. Post Wave, She-Hulk can be played on the Goose lane while you still get to play America Chavez or Doctor Doom. Your opponent will often be unable to play anything into the Goose lane, and this creates plenty of checkmate situations that I will discuss as we go through the card packages below.
Goose
Before discussing the other cards, a note on Goose: playing Goose before Wave locks down the lane. This is more flexible than Professor X as it allows you to add power later with Jeff the Baby Land Shark, Doctor Doom, and She-Hulk.
You can also abandon the Goose lane on Turn 4 if you’re looking at playing Jessica Jones, which allows you to play Nebula, Goose, and Armor, making challenging the lane difficult anyway. Having a way in later when your opponent doesn’t is the icing on top.
Nebula and Sunspot
Decks with Sunspot
Decks with Nebula
Sunspot and Nebula on a lane followed by Armor can happen within the first three turns, creating an immediate dilemma for your opponent. They must choose to continue to contest the lane, potentially playing sub-optimally, or abandon the lane early.
If they continue to contest Nebula, this opens up playing Storm elsewhere. Sunspot is less likely to change your opponent’s plays, but followed by Armor on Turn 2 and then Storm on Turn 3 it can effectively seal a lane.
Storm and Jessica Jones
Decks with Storm
Decks with Jessica Jones
Storm synergizes with the entire deck. You can play Storm behind Nebula or Sunspot, or onto an empty lane. You can add to the lane later with Doctor Doom and Jeff the Baby Land Shark, creating soft lockdowns with Goose.
Playing Storm and Jessica Jones together still wins lanes more often than you think. Just be careful not to play Storm and Goose on the same lane.
Doctor Doom, Wave , and She-Hulk
Decks with Doctor Doom
Decks with Wave
This combination has been around for a while, and it’s still powerful. Play Wave on Turn 5 without playing another card, then play She-Hulk under Goose (or anywhere else you need to play her) while playing Doctor Doom, who can also put 5 power behind Goose or Storm. With a total of 24 power for two cards, you can potentially limit your opponent to one Turn 6 play, which can be oppressive.
Jeff the Baby Land Shark
Decks with Jeff the Baby Land Shark
This is the only deck where Jeff the Baby Land Shark is clearly the superior 2-drop over Lizard as he synergizes with all the soft lockdowns. Jeff also represents a way to limit an activation while still moving to another location later. In the current meta that is dominated by Nebula on Turn 1, Jeff is a crucial card to play.
Enchantress and the Bad Matchups
Decks with Enchantress
Decks with Aero
Decks with Shang-Chi
Enchantress is the tech card of choice in this deck. Enchantress can counter many match ups, especially against Zabu and Darkhawk. To win against Zabu, aim to Storm and use She-Hulk and the 1-drops to overpower another lane. Darkhawk after Storm is devastating, though, so be prepared for that if you suspect they have it and they Snap. This led me to go with Enchantress to lock a lane and counter the big Darkhawk or Devil Dinosaur on Turn 6.
You can switch to Aero if you’re worried about Galactus (or Polaris if you want more early game). Shang-Chi is another viable choice as the leftover lane may often have a big card in play, which you can counter while playing a nine power She-Hulk.
Ideal Turns
- Turn 1 – Play Nebula or Sunspot.
- Turn 2 – Play Armor or Goose on the lane you played into. If you have Storm – DO NOT PLAY Goose on the lane and wait for Storm on Turn 3. (Side note: yes you may leave a 1-drop exposed, but your opponent has to answer the one drop and Wave will limit their options later).
- Turn 3 – Play Storm. If not, play your best combination of your 1- and 2-drops.
- Turn 4 – Play Jessica Jones. If not, play your best combination of your 1- and 2-drops.
- Turn 5 – Play only Wave. If you don’t have She-Hulk in hand, Wave and Jeff the Baby Land Shark is a good play, or Wave and Goose. I do not recommend setting up for She-Hulk top deck unless you know you need it to win.
- Turn 6 – Ideally, play Doctor Doom and She-Hulk. You can often just play Doctor Doom.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this deck offers a lot of flexibility and power in the early turns, which can put pressure on your opponent and force them to make difficult decisions. The combination of Storm, Doctor Doom, She-Hulk, and Wave can be especially devastating, while Jeff the Baby Land Shark and Enchantress can help to counter unfavorable match ups. Overall, this is a strong and versatile deck that can hold its own against many other popular builds in the current meta.
Good luck, have fun, and stay safe!
