Best Hydra Bob Decks to Try on Day 1 and Strategy Guide

Bob from Hydra is the first Series 5 card for the July 2024 Season, Maximum Effort. It is a 1-Cost, 4-Power card that reads: After each turn, this moves if a player Snapped. Today, we will take a deeper look at the new card and, of course, the best decks to try it out in.

Spotlight Cache

Series 5 cards can be purchased for 6,000 Collector’s Tokens from the Token Shop initially as a Weekly Spotlight card, or opened as one of the featured cards in the Spotlight Caches that are found every 120 Levels on the Collection Level Track after Collection Level 500 (until the next new card releases the following week).

Strengths and Weaknesses

Bob from Hydra is the first card we have seen that is impacted by the Snap itself. When either you or your opponent Snaps, this card moves location. For taking this risk, you get four power for one energy, making it one of the highest power 1-Cost plays. But is this risk really worth taking?

Variants

Zero

On Reveal: Remove the abilities on the next card you play.

Series 3

view card details Start a deck Decks with Zero

Variants

Martyr

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

Series 3

view card details Start a deck Decks with Martyr

This card messes with the usual expectations from a Marvel Snap card. You normally put cards down to present power on specific lanes, but playing Bob from Hydra can be moved by your opponent taking the risk by Snapping. The play lines here are hard to conceptualize. If you get him down early, do you Snap and risk doubling the Cubes to try getting him to move into another lane like Death's Domain? If you are against Bob, do you Snap to move him away from a lane on the final turn? While these are all interesting ideas that may lead to some great highlights, the best applications for him are probably to ignore the nuances of this effect and look to use it in a similar way to Martyr.

Variants

Shanna

On Reveal: Add a random 1-Cost character to each location.

Series 3

view card details Start a deck Decks with Shanna

Variants

Blue Marvel

Ongoing: Your other cards have +1 Power.

Recruit Season

view card details Start a deck Decks with Blue Marvel

Variants

Ka-Zar

Ongoing: Your 1-Cost cards have +1 Power.

Collection Level 1-14

view card details Start a deck Decks with Ka-Zar

Martyr is more valuable if you’re filling every lane or you turn off her effect with a card like Zero. The success of Martyr in these styles of decks does not fill me with much confidence for how successful Bob from Hydra will be. In addition, his effect isn’t as easy to control as Martyr‘s in many ways. Why? Your opponent can make it move. You can at least Martyr try to position yourself so even if she tried to move it wouldn’t matter as she will win the other available lane also. Bob from Hydra will just move, potentially resulting in losses because your opponent chose to Snap. When filling all lanes, it is a viable strategy of sorts to just play the biggest one drops, and these strategies have been consistent in recent times.

Variants

Gwenpool

On Reveal: Pick a random character in your hand 3 times. Give +2 Power each time.

Series 5

view card details Start a deck Decks with Gwenpool

Variants

Killmonger

On Reveal: Destroy ALL 1-Cost cards.

Series 2

view card details Start a deck Decks with Killmonger

Variants

Black Swan

Activate: Until the end of next turn, your 1-Cost cards cost 0.

Series 5

view card details Start a deck Decks with Black Swan

Bob from Hydra only beats Martyr in one application: he will never move if no one Snaps. If you can get him down as part of your final turn, you may find him to be pure upside. If Martyr was used in the same way, she will move to lose you the game, but Bob from Hydra will stay put (unless your opponent Snaps or you Snap, of course). Titania does stay put if played on the last turn, though, and she has five power. However, you have to be wary of Killmonger with all of these cards.

The Verdict

This card seems like an experiment rather than something actually worth trying to use effectively. Cards impacted by Snaps seems great in theory, but they’re more likely to just frustrate players. Taking unnecessary risks like this is rarely advisable unless it wins the game, and Bob from Hydra by himself does not win games. He just adds chaos where you don’t need him to. On top of this, both Titania and Martyr can fulfill the role that this card has in decks and they both have five power. Bob from Hydra may take the prize for the worst card in Marvel Snap, but four power is at least worth considering in some decks.

Pre-Release Score:

Black Swan

1 Drop Mayhem

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 2 years ago

0

2x

Series 1

5x

Series 3

1x

Series 4

4x

Series 5

I started here with the “play Bob last” line. This is the same as the Gwenpool deck, but it also runs Titania for maximum power on the last turn following the Black Swan on Turn 5 play. The plan is to use Gwenpool to buff Bob from Hydra and/or Titania for part of the final turn play. Beast should be able to pick these cards up earlier if you need to get cost reductions through him as well.

Gilgamesh

Zoo From Hydra

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 2 years ago

0

1x

Collection Level 1-14

1x

Series 1

3x

Series 3

5x

Series 5

2x

Recruit Season

Here I included Bob for pure power within a deck that is going to try to stop him from moving (or doesn’t really care if he moves) by spreading power across the entire board. This pure stats direction is more likely to be successful during the early season, but it is still a risk being taken that could easily be replaced with another card.

Debrii

Less Risky Martyr

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 2 years ago

0

7x

Series 3

1x

Series 4

4x

Series 5

Last up I have a rather run-of-the-mill Junk deck. Since you are hoping to clog lanes, the plan here is to play Bob from Hydra alongside other cards as a finisher. Or you can just clog the lanes to the point where the move will be predictable or not impact you negatively. This might act as a way to disincentivize a Snap against you as well? That’s highly unlikely, though, and it’s more likely that you’re just taking a risk when you don’t need too.

Variants

Closing Thoughts

Saying this card is positioned to be bad may be an understatement. Finding positives for this card was difficult, but it will produce some highlights if you choose to play it. It seems to be all risk for minimal reward, and losing due to someone choosing to Snap against you is unlikely to be an experience players want to revisit often.

Good Luck, Have Fun, and Stay Safe!