Loki Werewolf By Night Deck Guide: 5 Tips to Navigate the Night

During the past few weeks, one deck has had more requests for advice on how to play it than any other I have been playing: Loki with Werewolf By Night. The nerf changed how easily the two cards fit together and has made the combination of the two much more complicated to play than before. However, when navigated well, the ability to scale threats and use Loki to flip matches you have no business winning is a combination a lot of players still have trouble playing against. The deck has the added bonus of being able to play against most decks and adapt its game plan based on what you know about the opponent’s deck. This makes it even stronger in Conquest.

Today, my goal is to take you through some simple tips that will help you to play this combination better (and maybe even help you during this Infinity Conquest week). For the past two months, versions of this deck have taken me to five new avatars (and multiple rushed game five heartbreaks), and I firmly believe that, if mastered, this deck is potentially the best deck to play in Conquest.

The Deck

Loki By Night (White Gold)

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 4 months ago

1

2x 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)

3x Series 5 Ultra Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 5)

2.4

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.9

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

The deck is a Loki deck, that much is obvious; however, the strength of the deck is the Bounce package with Beast and Falcon. These two cards allow you to replay combinations of Nico Minoru, Forge, Maria Hill, and Snowguard to keep your hand full and add power to the board. Forge played two or three times is a menace alone, and if you can hit on Nico Minoru in particular the threat scales significantly. The power of these two cards allows you to be flexible in the early game and keep your hand full.

Zabu is the newest card included due to the Werewolf By Night nerf, and it is important to prioritize getting it on the board. Zabu allows you to play Werewolf By Night on Turn 3, and then use the Bounce cards on Turn 4 to pick up 1-drops and bounce the Werewolf multiple times. This creates one lane-winning threat that can be supported by Shang-Chi or Enchantress on Turn 6 to counter the opponent’s game plan. Most game plans in Marvel Snap are countered by one of these two cards, so you’re able to outlast most decks in Conquest. You may miss once, even twice, but will you miss five times?

So, we have the Bounce package and the Zabu package, and we have not yet actually discussed Loki (spoiler: most of the tips on how to play this deck well focus on how not to play Loki).

Variants

Loki

On Reveal: Transform your hand into cards from your opponent’s starting deck and give them -1 Cost.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with Loki

Loki is obviously very powerful. Most decks in Marvel Snap are fundamentally trying to do one thing: put power into two lanes. Having a handful of these cards, even ones that don’t directly synergize with your deck, at a reduced cost is simply better. This is also why Werewolf By Night is still in this deck; almost all decks synergize with Werewolf By Night.

You can often swap hands on Turn 4 (or even Turn 3) with this deck and still expect to draw Shang-Chi or Enchantress, which is even more powerful since your opponent is less likely to expect them. Loki is usually better saved to play AFTER Werewolf By Night whenever possible. This is because, as an On Reveal card, Loki activates Werewolf By Night, and you will usually get at least one On Reveal from your opponent to move the card back out.

Tip 1: Decide Your Game Plan Early

Variants

Maria Hill

On Reveal: Add a random 2-Cost card to your hand.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Maria Hill

Variants

Nico Minoru

On Reveal: After you play your next card, cast a spell. (The spell changes each turn.)

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with Nico Minoru

Variants

Forge

On Reveal: Give the next card you play +2 Power.

Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Forge

This takes some time, but, in general, you want to try to decide early on what line is most optimal for your opening hand. Preferences matter, but always check what spell Nico Minoru you have before you lock it in. As general advice, play a 1-drop on Turn 1 wherever possible. Prioritize Forge because it is a premium card to bounce. If you have Zabu and The Collector, decide which comes first. Usually you want Zabu on Turn 2, which allows for The Collector on Turn 3 or Turn 4. If you have Loki, consider how you’re going to keep your hand at around six cards for Turn 4. As you play more, it will become more intuitive; however, when you’re starting out, stop and ask yourself what you’re going to do with your hand on Turns 1, 2, and 3 to develop the habit.

Since Conquest is the focus this week, here’s another key tip: once you have an idea of the archetype you’re against, write down your out to beat them. For example, if you see a High Evolutionary deck, your out is to play off the Cyclops lane, scale a big threat, and use Loki for cheap stats. If you see a deck with The Living Tribunal, your out is Enchantress. If you see a Destroy deck, your out is Shang-Chi or an early Loki. Once you know what out you need, you can ask yourself if you have it when your opponent Snaps you. You can also better inform your own Snaps. This deck has an out for almost every deck, so, over multiple rounds, this strategy can allow you to be more consistent.

Tip 2: Prioritize Getting Werewolf on the Board in the Early Game

Variants

Werewolf By Night

After you play a card, move there to gain +2 Power if it has an On Reveal.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with Werewolf By Night

Variants

Zabu

On Reveal: Until the end of next turn, your 4-Cost cards cost 1 less.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with Zabu

As mentioned above, Werewolf By Night is one of your biggest power cards, which means that it should often take priority. You want to play Zabu on Turn 2 even if Werewolf By Night has not been drawn yet because, if you do draw it, it can come down for cheaper. This includes later turns as well since a 3-Cost Werewolf By Night on Turn 4 is still much better than a 4-Cost Werewolf. The card synergizes with basically every deck in Marvel Snap, so having it on the board before Loki can also have extra benefits.

Tip 3: Pick Up your 1-drops, but Also Pick Up Your Power Card

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

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

The Collector

When a card enters your hand from anywhere (except your deck), +1 Power.

Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

view card details Start a deck Decks with The Collector

This one means that you should stack your 1-drops from the early turns – even if you don’t have Falcon or Beast yet. Bouncing cards is the win condition of the deck, but you have to plan for it from Turn 1. For example, imagine you play Forge on the left location on Turn 1. Your next play should be either a 2-drop or another 1-drop. If it is the former, play it middle or right. If it’s another 1-drop, you want to play it on the same lane as Forge. The only exception is Snowguard if you’re playing two 1-drops on Turn 2. You want to play Snowguard onto another lane to help with your hand size.

You might find yourself in some awkward situations where you have Werewolf or The Collector on a lane with your 1-drops and your only bounce card is Beast. Well, play Beast on the lane anyway. This usually allows you to play the cards again before the end of the game due to their cost reduction. The final part of this tip is for playing against a deck with counters to Werewolf By Night and/or The Collector. You can use Beast on them on Turn 4 or Turn 5 and replay them on Turn 6 without priority to dodge the counters. Consider if this is the right play in the late game every time because it can be a game winner (few players will expect this play).

Tip 4: Play to Your Outs With Positioning in the Late Game

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

Enchantress

On Reveal: Remove the abilities from all Ongoing cards here.

Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Enchantress

As the game rolls on, board space management becomes incredibly important with this deck. This is one of the areas where people most often fail when playing this deck. The key here is to always work through your placements multiple times. This allows you to step through what will land where and when after you press the End Turn button. Do it multiple times. Get in the habit of placing the cards, calculating their positions, then undoing your placements and doing them again. This also helps you slow down, but, more importantly, it allows you to think about one last key point: Shang-Chi and Enchantress are very powerful in this deck. After the America Chavez change, they can now come out of your deck on Turn 6 to save the day. You need to place your cards so you don’t lock yourself out of using these cards where they could be needed. At the moment, this usually means keeping the middle lane open for at least one card. But at a deeper level, this means making sure your Werewolf is in a position such that you can get it back into the lane if needed. Always consider where you want your cards if you draw the good card next turn, and I guarantee you will do better with this deck.

Here’s an example that comes up often. You play Loki on Turn 4 and Enchantress is in deck. You get a handful of ongoing cards, and you can see that your opponent has played Ms. Marvel in the middle location. You want to play your cards on Turn 5 in locations where Enchantress will deal with the opponent’s cards without hurting your copies in case you draw Enchantress on Turn 6.

Tip 5: Snowguard After Loki in the Late Game

Variants

Snowguard

On Reveal: Add the Hawk and Bear auroras to your hand.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with Snowguard

Variants

Loki

On Reveal: Transform your hand into cards from your opponent’s starting deck and give them -1 Cost.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with Loki

Finally, the biggest tip that I find is a failing point for many inexperienced Loki players. The Snowguard Hawk is often better than the cards you will get from your opponent. Why? Limbo. If you’re going for an early Loki, you usually just have to throw the auroras away, but, if you’re going for Loki on Turn 5, it’s often correct to play Loki BEFORE Snowguard. This allows you to still pose the threat of turning off the location. Many players still play Magik on Turn 5 and they may even commit a Snap before you make the play. Then they would have to play to win on Turn 6 just in case, which allows you to decide if you can beat that or, if not, let the game run to Turn 7 and potentially draw the counters.

Conclusion

Slowing down your plays and using these simple tips with a Loki deck can inflate your Win Rate and help you accomplish your goals before the season is over. The key strength of this deck is actually the ability to find a way to win against most other decks, not Loki itself. Keep this in mind, and always consider how placing cards will impact your future turns. If you do, I’m confident you will have more success with Loki. These tips also help with many other decks in Marvel Snap, and Loki can act as a great way to learn these valuable skills if you have not played as many complicated decks before.

Good Luck, Have Fun, and Stay Safe.