Infinite Decks of the Week: After this OTA, Who Will Stand in Patriot’s Way?

The last OTA has impacted the metagame quite a bit, as several of the elite decks have suffered a loss of power. Good Cards Stature still stands, but it has to rebuild after both Rockslide and Captain Marvel were changed. Move Legion also took two hits, with Legion and Captain Marvel both losing a power. Then, a very familiar face made a comeback in the OTA: Doctor Doom, which is once again looking to be the default 6-Cost card for many decks. In particular, the card reunited with Wave, and the duo has already made it into various archetypes so far. Lady Deathstrike is the odd card out; the Destroy synergy has been targeted quite a bit, and the card is in Series 5 which limits how players have been able to test the updated card.

Before these changes, we had a group of four elite decks that routinely posted incredible performances these past few weeks. Good Cards Stature and Move Legion, which we just discussed, were joined by Shuri Sauron and the recently returned Iron Patriot (which merged with Silver Surfer as of late).

We are quickly approaching the end of the season, which means the Ladder might not be the best reflection of competitive play. Typically, the last week of the season is more focused around creative builds and decks that have emerged recently and appeal to the players who still have not found their comfort pick. Funnily enough, this means Iron Patriot saw a lot of play this week because it met all of those criteria:

• The deck emerged recently, so it feels new
• Patriot is a comfort pick for many, and it features very simple play patterns
• It is likely the best deck to climb fast right now

With this impressive resume, the deck even got a buff in the latest OTA since Patriot and Doctor Doom synergize quite well together. Iron Patriot has been touted as unstoppable. Indeed, the Forge, Brood, Absorbing Man curve is as good as it gets, and two strong decks have been nerfed, which has left a lot of players wondering what should they play next.

Well, Iron Patriot is definitely a great pick, but it might not be the only one. Let’s explore!

All the Best Cards Marvel Snap Has to Offer

Infinite Patriot

Created by den

, updated 23 days ago

1

3x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

6x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

1x Recruit Season

1x Starter Card

3.8

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.2

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Forge, Brood, and Absorbing Man are the latest package Marvel Snap has to offer, and they’re a big chunk of why Patriot is having so much success lately. However, before Doctor Doom‘s nerf earlier in the summer, the card was also part of a popular synergy called DoomWave.

With the OTA, both packages happen to fit perfectly in the same deck and even support each other. Indeed, once you develop two massive lanes with the first synergy, there isn’t something much better to do than lock your opponent to only one card with Wave, and then slam Doctor Doom on the following turn. Then, you could also add Iron Lad, Patriot, and Blue Marvel since they’re all cards that synergize with both plans, and voilà: a well-rounded deck.

As it stands, the deck has yet to find its true counter. We have found a few decks that are able to match it, but one could adapt the tech cards (Luke Cage, Wave) to improve those match ups. There is only maybe one deck (or, at least, one style of deck) that is consistently strong against Iron Patriot, and that is decks that are not trying to compete on all three lanes. That is where Iron Patriot shines, and these decks build two incredibly strong lanes instead.

Is Shuri the Answer To Patriot?

Infinite Shuri

Created by den

, updated 23 days ago

1

5x 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)

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

3.3

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

While playing Enchantress, Rogue, or even Echo might be a way to beat Patriot reliably, the Ladder pushes you to pick decks that are as general as possible that have the upside of beating the other potential decks. Tech cards are a great way to gain an edge in a match up, but you have to really need them for it to be worth an inclusion. In the case of Shuri Sauron, the deck naturally runs Enchantress, so it’s kind of a nice bonus. Still, it seems like Enchantress isn’t even required to steal some cubes from Patriot; instead, the Kitty Angela version of Shuri has been picking up a lot of momentum lately.

The deck isn’t that different from Shuri Sauron, except it cuts the Ongoing synergy to give itself more flexibility. It uses the Kitty Pryde and Angela duo for points. In the end, as long as you can create two lanes with more than 25 points, you should be good to go against Patriot, and that happens most of the times you can find Shuri and Taskmaster.

I found quite a lot of lists around the archetype while doing research, and there are a few different inclusions from one to another. However, Forge and Hulkbuster seem to make the cut often, as they allow you to build a huge Kitty Pryde that you can then double and copy with Shuri and Taskmaster.

It’s very simple, and I’m not entirely sure why this took over the traditional Shuri Sauron build – especially when Enchantress looks like a great card for beating Patriot more consistently. But, as the other strong deck that wasn’t included in the last OTA, Shuri looks pretty hot this week.

You Can Always Do Your Own Thing!

control the dare Dino more!

Created by Guinness

, updated 2 months ago

1

4x 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)

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

2.8

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.4

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

I’ve had people reach out through Discord and Twitter in the past to share their deck and accomplishment, but this is the first time someone e-mailed me to submit their deck. Fortunately enough, Guiness’s deck looked great, and it perfectly fit the theme of this week’s article on how to climb after one of your comfort picks took a hit.

We already explored both of the decks that a lot of players shifted towards after the patch, but it seems that one possibility is always left behind: playing to your strengths.

Indeed, after a change – especially one that had a moderate impact on the metagame – the chances are that you are not the only one annoyed by losing a deck that you felt good about. But you didn’t lose your skills or your preferred play style. With that in mind, you can always take a deck you have enjoyed in the past and go from there. Or even look at the solid decks left after the changes and give them your own little touch.

It is reassuring to pick up a deck from someone you trust and respect as a player and a deck builder. But they won’t be with you when you start your game to get those last couple cubes left before Infinite. The moment you copy a deck and play with it, it becomes yours, so you might as well make it perfect for you.

Closing Words

The last week of the season can be a stressful time for those looking to reach the Infinite rank before time runs out. Especially with regular balance changes, the pressure to finish your climb combined with your favorite deck being changed (or just the environment feeling different) can quickly make anyone uncomfortable. In order to fight this feeling, most people will default to proactive decks with simple-to-understand play patterns because the learning curve isn’t too long before the climb can resume. In that regard, it seems only logical to see Patriot and Shuri dominate on Ladder, as both decks perfectly fit the bill.

However, if those decks don’t work for you, or you’re simply not amused enough for your climb to be entertaining, remember that you can always try your own ideas. You don’t necessarily have to start from scratch or try to create the next meta breaker. Just include your own flare in an archetype you enjoy that might not be suited to the current environment.

Even if your attempt to create something doesn’t translate into many cubes, playing it safe with your Snaps and Retreats shouldn’t lose you too many, either. This is one of the very good things about Marvel Snap: you can just decide “I’m going to give this idea two ranks”. If you keep losing, you can just cut your loses and try something else. On the other hand, if you start to have somewhat of a winning streak going on, you might be a little more daring with your Snaps and see where that takes you.

No matter what strategy you decide to go for, I wish you many cubes on your way to Infinite. If you need some moral support, join us on the Marvel Snap Zone community Discord, or tag my Twitter account where I share decks and biased opinions about the game. I’m sure you can do it!

Good Game Everyone.