Best Hercules Decks to Try on Day 1 and Strategy Guide: Unique Movement Card With Potential!

Hercules is the first Series 5 card for the January 2024 Season, Planet Hulk. It is a 4-Cost, 6-Power card that reads: The first time another card moves here each turn, move it to another location. Today, we will take a deeper look at the new card and, of course, the best decks to try it out in.

Variants

Hercules

The first time another card moves here each turn, move it to another location.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with Hercules

Strengths and Weaknesses

Hercules represents a new unique way of moving cards both from your own deck and from your opponent’s. The effect is attached to a 4 Energy for 6 Power card so we don’t lose anything, but what can we gain from this effect, and is it worthwhile to try and build decks to use Hercules?

Variants

Vulture

When this card moves, +6 Power.

Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Vulture

Variants

Dagger

When this moves to a location, +3 Power for each enemy card there.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Dagger

Variants

Human Torch

When this moves, double its Power.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Human Torch

What Hercules enables is another immediate move on cards which can retrigger your other movement scaling cards like Vulture, Dagger, and Human Torch. This can be set up on turn 4 and then used throughout the rest of the game as an on-trigger.

Variants

Iron Fist

On Reveal: After you play your next card, move it one location to the left.

Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Iron Fist

As an example, Hercules on turn 4 into Iron Fist and Vulture on turn 5 will trigger Vulture twice, resulting in 10 additional power on Vulture. This isn’t without downside though, as this effect is not directly controllable. We have seen in the past with cards like Silk that not having direct control can be mitigated with positioning and timing of other cards, which can be difficult at times.

Variants

Vision

You can move this each turn.

Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Vision

Variants

Jeff the Baby Land Shark

You can move this once. Nothing can stop you from moving or playing this to any location.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with Jeff the Baby Land Shark

It’s important to note that it has been confirmed this is only the first time any card moves to the location each turn. This limits the ceiling of the card significantly. You will only be able to double-activate one card per turn. For example, if you can activate Vulture again with Hercules, you cannot then also activate Dagger using Hercules on the same turn. Furthermore, if your opponent has cards which move into the location prior to your card, the activation will be gone for the turn. This second point is important, as cards like Vision and Jeff the Baby Land Shark could be used to counter your own Hercules activations.

However, just one activation on one of the key cards like Vulture, Human Torch or Dagger can still represent a lot of power. On curve, this could represent two activations. Only two activations may seem low based on some of the cards we have seen in recent times, but two activations of these cards is even more power and should represent a card worth exploring in movement-focused decks going forward.

Variants

Ghost-Spider

On Reveal: The last card you played moves here.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with Ghost-Spider

Another limitation is board space. You need two to three slots to activate this card each turn since the Hercules lane needs a spot for a card to be moved into. For some cards like Ghost-Spider it will need two slots. We also need slots for the card to move to once played.

Variants

Multiple Man

When this moves, add a copy to the old location.

Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Multiple Man

Variants

The Phoenix Force

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

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with The Phoenix Force

Variants

Kraven

When a card moves here, this gains +2 Power.

Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Kraven

All this is just to point out potential limitations in how the card plays with Multiple Man and Kraven. Both these cards seem like they are designed to synergize with Hercules (in particular Multiple Man and The Phoenix Force) however it may limit what you can do in later turns. Multiple Man that has been buffed will duplicate twice using Hercules, and this should not be underestimated but will result in less flexibility.

Variants

Beast

On Reveal: Return your other cards here to your hand. They cost 1 less next turn.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Beast

Variants

Falcon

On Reveal: Return your 1-Cost cards to your hand.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Falcon

The board space limitation can also be worked around with some of the cheaper cards using Beast and Falcon which could also allow for extra activations and may be how Hercules really shines. If we can reduce the cost of cards like Iron Fist and Ghost-Spider to zero, we could activate as soon as turn 4. This bounce and move style may have the highest ceiling for Hercules.

Variants

Shang-Chi

On Reveal: Destroy all enemy cards here that have 10 or more Power.

Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Shang-Chi

Variants

Shadow King

On Reveal: Set all cards here to their base Power.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Shadow King

Counters are limited for Hercules but Shang-Chi and Shadow King can attack the buffed cards. The deck building and difficulty getting the value out of Hercules may be enough alone to keep the card from being too strong.

The Verdict

Hercules overall looks underwhelming for a few key reasons. First it comes in at 4 Energy, making it hard to combine on turns and requiring set up over multiple turns. This allows for counterplay to be more effective. The ability to generate power from the card can also be countered by very popular cards like Vision and Jeff. Whilst it may have some edge cases were it counters your opponent’s movement, this is not a strong enough reason alone for inclusion in decks.

The ceiling is not bad however, and meta shifts could occur which bring the popularity of Hercules up over time. With such an unique effect he may one day be a card worth building around. One to watch!

Potential Score:

Movement

Hercules by Night

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 4 months ago

0

3x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

3x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

2.6

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.3

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Spiderman 2099 !?

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 4 months ago

0

3x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

4x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

2.7

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.8

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

This first build is aiming to include Zabu as the way we get Hercules down early. This allows us to include another scaling movement threat in Werewolf By Night which can be supported with another 4-Cost tech card. The real version would be Shang-Chi but we could also keep to theme and play Spider-Man 2099 also.

The plan here is to play Zabu or Kraven on turn 2, then start sending cards flying around, with the ability to play one key counter turn and use Hercules to get double activations on your threats such as Vulture and Human Torch.

Bounce & Move

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 4 months ago

1

3x 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)

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

2.1

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.6

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

This version leans into the Beast and Falcon synergy to try and activate the cards early game, pick them back up, play Hercules on 4 and go for further rounds of activation.

Kraven is in this list to act as your second way of scaling for a lane and helps to spread power across other lanes which could be vital to making these deck work. If you don’t own Nico Minoru also try Forge in this deck as he will get extra value with Human Torch.

Cheap Movers

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 4 months ago

0

8x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

3x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

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

2.8

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.8

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

With the movement package being one that is accessible earlier into the game, here is a Series 2 shell which can be adjusted to work as you get more cards which works with Hercules. Here we have Multiple Man we want to buff with Hulkbuster and move into Hercules, this will create multiples which we can reactivate later with Doctor Strange or Heimdall.

The Phoenix Force

Phoenix Force

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 4 months ago

0

5x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

3x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

2.4

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.8

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Hercules may also support The Phoenix Force as it allows for multiple activations on Multiple Man and/or Human Torch. This could act as not only support for when we resurrect the card but also act as a second line.

For example, Hercules on turn 4 could be followed up by moving Multiple Man with Hulkbuster. The downside is to fit this plan we have to drop Shuri and Nimrod plans which can be more effective into some matchups.

Storm

Movement Lockdown

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 4 months ago

0

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

1x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

2.7

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

This deck tries to use Hercules as offense and defense. We have an early set of cards which are focused on some movement with Human Torch but we can use these to reposition other cards into the Storm lane or out of the Storm lane.

Hercules can also act as defence for one of your lanes from opposing Vision plays and we have Kraven and Silk. Silk could be an interesting synergy with Hercules, because she could be made to always move back away from the Hercules lane to give more chances of her landing where we need her too for the end of the game.

Variants

Closing Thoughts

Hercules has the potential to catch some people out and create a new way to move cards around the board for relevant decks. This means it will have its potential homes, but at 4 Energy and clashing with some popular cards, the chance Hercules has a significant impact on the Marvel Snap meta is small.

Good Luck, Have Fun, and Stay Safe!