Marvel Snap Card Meta Report: Ms. Marvel Dominates the Meta!

Welcome to my Marvel Snap Card Meta Report! In this series, I’ll analyze and highlight individual cards that have been top performers based on all the data collected on Marvel Snap Zone, and any notable or drastic shifts within the meta. This series intends to explore individual cards and their popularity within multiple decks and archetypes—to showcase the individual cards that are making the biggest impact in the metagame, independent of specific deck lists.

Don’t miss all the data! In addition to this curated write up, we’re also releasing the newest version of my Ultimate Card Metrics Report Spreadsheet—updated for the week and packed full of invaluable data to help you take your game to the next level and have full visibility into the performance of each and every card in Marvel Snap over the past week. It’s available for all Marvel Snap Premium readers. Get access here!

This week, I’ve added a lot of great new features, requested by the community, to the report:

• Card role category filter—find the perfect card to fill a specific role in your deck!
• Meta usage trend visual indicators and card filter. Quick identification of the winners & losers of the week.
• Improved XRank weighting models for better prediction of tomorrow’s hottest cards!
  • Improved detection of cards not being played in high collection-level matches for drastically lower XRank positions on cards irrelevant to the meta.

Marvel Snap Cards to Watch this Week

An important thing to note about this series is that many cards in Marvel Snap are highly synergistic with other cards—meaning a high inclusion of meta share for an individual card will often lend to increasing the meta share of cards that synergize well with that particular card. In addition, as new cards are released into the game, the player base is eager to experiment and explore new potential decks to play them. Representation within the meta for new cards naturally surges when cards release, especially if community sentiment is positive and players are eager to invest their spotlight caches in hopes of opening the new card.

It takes a couple of weeks for a newly released card’s sticking power to surface, as well as any high-synergy cards to adjust within card rankings depending on the new card or strategy’s staying power in the meta. Over time, we’re able to determine if new releases are flashes in the pan, or truly something that can shift the metagame long term.

In this week’s column, we’ll examine eight cards making big waves in the meta and dive into an analytical & crunchy view on meta share representation, card ranking, and week-over-week shifts over time in the biggest movers.

Let’s jump into the cards to watch this week!

Ms. Marvel

Variants

Ms. Marvel

Ongoing: Your adjacent locations with 2+ cards and no repeated Costs have +5 Power.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with Ms. Marvel

Ms. Marvel is the card on everyone’s mind. The new season pass card has found an immediate home in the Lockdown archetype, and has propelled the deck to the best in Marvel Snap, rivaled only perhaps by Loki Collector. Ms. Marvel, while posting performance decreases in week two, has still done something marvelous and dethroned America Chavez as the most-played card in Marvel Snap for the week. Ms. Marvel shot up from the number 24 most popular meta card in week one all the way to first place. And while her win rate and cube rates both dropped from the first week, her performance still sits at a very impressive 59.30% win rate, with a 0.58 cube rate average. Tier one indeed.

While Ms. Marvel can fit into a number of different strategies, she is best in lockdown for her ability to empower the board, restrict opponents, and provide flexibility in spreading power across all three locations that is only rivaled by the likes of Doctor Doom and Living Tribunal.

Emperion’s Lockdown

Created by Emperion

, updated 5 months ago

0

1x Collection Level 1-14

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

2x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

1x Recruit Season

1x Starter Card

3.6

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.7

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Negasonic Teenage Warhead

Variants

Negasonic Teenage Warhead

After an enemy card is played here, destroy it. (once per game)

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Negasonic Teenage Warhead

Another week of solid performance from Negasonic Teenage Warhead. She went from one of the bottom-of-the-barrel cards, to a compelling niche and utility pick in many different strategies. Her new effect is quite powerful, and she is a card we should continue to watch.  This week, she surged 70 more meta slots, a 141.58% increase from last week. And while her presence is increasing, players are still figuring out how to work her effect into decks and strategies. Her overall performance decreased across the board this week, but she is still certainly a card that the community is experimenting with and that should be watched.

Particularly, she feels like a great addition to the Silver Surfer archetype which is always looking for powerful three-cost cards to enable its disruptive strategy that messes with the opponent’s gameplan while proactively putting a lot of points on the board. Silver Surfer is definitely a deck to watch—and Negasonic Teenage Warhead should be considered for a token purchase since she is a series four card.

Echo

Variants

Echo

After your opponent plays an Ongoing card here, remove its abilities.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with Echo

Echo has increased in popularity significantly over the past week, climbing 70 meta slots, a 117.69% increase from the previous week. With Ms. Marvel’s meteoric rise in popularity, it’s no surprise seeing players turn to Echo who does a great job at gatekeeping the central location of the board. The first weekend challenge of the Higher, Further, Faster season also incentivized players to play Spectrum, so this very well could have contributed to the representation rise of Echo over the past week. 

Notably, Echo’s win rate was down 2.90%, and her average cubes decreased by 0.28. Still, with the prevalence of ongoing effects and the domination of Lockdown, Echo feels like a safe choice in the one-cost slot for decks that may struggle against Ms. Marvel or other powerful Ongoing effects. Unfortunately, Echo lacks the surprise factor, and cards like Enchantress or Rogue may outshine her as better options to counter opposing ongoing strategies.

Wong

Created by howardduck

, updated 6 months ago

0

2x Collection Level 1-14

6x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

1x Recruit Season

4.1

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.2

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Goose

Variants

Goose

Ongoing: Nobody can play cards that cost 4, 5, or 6 here.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Goose

Goose is back! And he’s been played as both a proactive and disruptive tool to control lanes, and notably keep Ms. Marvel out. Goose has found a place in low-to-the-ground aggro decks like Zoo, combo decks like Silver Surfer, and even High Evolutionary where he serves to support low-cost heroes in winning a quick lane. Goose enjoyed a 47.73% increase to meta share, climbing 36 slots. His overall win rate increased by 1.2%, and he also enjoyed marginal increases to cube rate.

With a 54.70% win rate for the week, Goose feels like a solid disruption option for the decks that want to play him. Particularly, Goose should excel in decks that do not play Ms. Marvel and want to fight to win the center location and prevent an opposing Ms. Marvel. Goose is a card I expect to outperform in the coming weeks and challenge Ms. Marvel’s new reign.

Pure High Evolutionary

Created by den

, updated 5 months ago

3

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

2x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

6x Starter Card

3.2

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4.5

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Gamora

Variants

Gamora

On Reveal: If your opponent played a card here this turn, +4 Power.

Recruit Season

view card details Start a deck Decks with Gamora

Lockdown is the strongest deck in Marvel Snap right now, and Gamora is unrivaled in establishing an extremely quick and dominating presence in a location—especially when backed by Mister Fantastic or Ms. Marvel. When played with her effect and a supporting Ms. Marvel, Gamora represents 17 total power on turn five and can quickly turn the tides in your favor and help secure priority for an Alioth checkmate.

Gamora was 109.38% more popular in the meta this week, climbing 67 meta slots. Her win rate also increased, climbing to 56.30%. As Lockdown continues its domination, I don’t expect Gamora to go anywhere in the meta but up—especially as players learn to use her powerful effect with more precision.

Looking to add lockdown to your Marvel Snap Repertoire? Read my detailed deck guide here, updated for the Higher, Further, Faster season.

Outside of the Lockdown archetype, Gamora sees little to no play outside lower-collection level games.

Agatha Harkness

Variants

Agatha Harkness

Agatha starts in your hand and plays your cards for you.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Agatha Harkness

Surprisingly, Agatha Harkness has been making big waves in Snap this week, with an impressive increase to her in-game performance across the board. Agatha was played 91.75% more in the past week, climbing 49 meta slots. Agatha’s win rate increased by 5.90%, climbing to 53.80% while her overall cube rate also increased by 0.15, though still remains in negative territory across the board. 

Without in-game ‘intelligence’ deckbuilders who try to build around Agatha must work around her fundamental weakness in that she will play cards randomly. Agatha has a lot to overcome if she is able to elevate herself above meme-deck status, yet her increase in performance could give players an option to climb the ladder based on her surge in performance and ability to post a positive win and cube rate in a single deck list over the past week. Her ‘AFK’ style gameplay still requires you to monitor what is happening in the game closely. You have full agency over your snaps and retreats, the one lever you can pull while Agatha is piloting. We’ll keep an eye on Agatha, but it’s very interesting to see her able to compete with a positive win and cube rate in series 5, high collection level games in this decklist below.

Agatha

Created by LeroyTMD

, updated 6 months ago

0

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

5x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

2.5

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.6

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Doctor Doom

Variants

Doctor Doom

On Reveal: Add a 5-Power DoomBot to each other location.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Doctor Doom

Doctor Doom is an all-star in Snap. Since his nerf was reverted, Doctor Doom has been a premier finisher card across many different archetypes.  Doctor Doom was played 35.24% more this week than last, climbing to the number seven most-played card in Snap. While his overall win rate decreased by 1.3% and cube rate decreased by 0.05 over the past week, Doctor Doom still sits at a very impressive 57.8% win rate and 0.55 cube ratio. For decks needing flexibility and the ability to spread power on the final turn of the game, Doom is a fantastic option.

In the current meta, he’s a fantastic addition both to and against Lockdown. His ability to place power in restricted lanes like Storm’s Flooded location, and otherwise unplayable or restricted lanes that are not locked down by Professor X gives a lot of flexibility to decks that may not have a flexible mover card like Jeff the Land Shark amongst their ranks. I expect Doctor Doom to continue to outperform in the meta in the coming weeks.

Ms. Marvel

Created by LegendofJoeBow

, updated 6 months ago

0

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

5x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

3.4

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.4

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Shang-Chi

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

Ah, the golden child of Marvel Snap. Shang-Chi was finally nerfed, dropping from the #2 most player Marvel Snap card all the way down to number 10. But it’s clear that Shang-Chi is still incredibly powerful and playable. Shang-Chi’s meta representation fell 32.2% last week. But his overall win rate increased by 0.80%, and his overall cube rate increased by 0.08.

But the fall of Shang-Chi in meta representation doesn’t tell the entire story. Players are less wary of Shang-Chi than they were prior to his nerf. I’ve found in my games that players are not as cautious in playing around Shang-Chi and it can lead to some impressive high-cube blowouts. I’d argue that in many ways, Shang-Chi is stronger now than before thanks to his new ‘surprise’ factor. We’ll see how long that will last until the community catches on that Shang-Chi is still a powerhouse against many of the top performing decks in the format.

My weapon of choice to house Shang-Chi? Black Knight Control! A list I’ve been cooking since the release of the Bloodstone season. It’s a blast, and I’ve had success with the list against even the strongest meta decks. The surprise factor can’t be underestimated. After all, it’s much harder for players to play around a deck they aren’t used to seeing—one packed with plenty of surprises and flexible lines of play to put a ton of power on the board and disrupt the enemy’s strategy.

Black Knight Control

Created by Emperion

, updated 5 months ago

0

4x 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)

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

3.7

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

5.3

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Conclusion

That’s it for this week! Stay tuned for next week’s report as I look at how cards have shifted as the community evaluates which decks will land on top in the new meta.

The cards I covered in this article are only a single piece of the puzzle—there are many more stories that the data tells. Be sure to check out our new Marvel Snap Zone Premium benefit—my weekly Marvel Snap Zone Card Metrics Report Spreadsheet which includes new features and enhancements each and every week. I’m confident it will be an excellent resource for you in your own deck building, and to help you improve as a player by better understanding the meta and data behind all the cards.

Have any questions about the cards featured in this meta card report? Drop a comment below or follow me on Twitter!