Marvel Snap Balance Patch Update Analysis and Decks to Play: Omega Red is SO GOOD!!

I don’t get many chances to talk about Omega Red, mostly because the card was competing to be among the worst 4-Cost cards in the game. Then, although every one of the three changes in this patch can be considered impactful, I want to start this piece by saying I am very happy for Omega Red. I did not expect to compare the card to Ms. Marvel (and it might actually be better than the November’s season pass card).

Beast is difficult to label as a nerf. I’d say it’s a change, maybe even a buff. There is no doubt the ability is weaker since you now only have one turn to benefit from the discount Beast provides; however, I would argue a [2/2] Beast is much, much more flexible than a [3/4] Beast. You could look at the weaker ability and deem this change a nerf, or you could look at the change like we got the old Beast back. It’s much easier to use on the later turns of the match, which is something I would consider a buff.

As for Helicarrier, there is no doubt this is a buff. It’s not enough to make the card a powerhouse in Marvel Snap (the card is still very niche, don’t get me wrong), but it is now stronger inside that niche, and The Collector should be very happy about this one.

Overall, we are once again getting a pretty quiet patch compared to what we have been used to over the last few months. These three changes shouldn’t impact the meta that much, but we just got Black Swan and Supergiant to help with that as well so we should be fine.

Nah, I’m just kidding. Omega Red might make it into every Good Cards build, and this is a big enough shake up to consider this patch something big.

Ms. Marvel Might Be in Trouble

There are at least half a dozen competitive archetypes with Zabu in Marvel Snap right now, and all of them use different synergies. When a new 4-Cost card is released (or receives a buff that makes it worthy of consideration), the amount of potential landing spots is insane.

Here are some of the best performing Zabu decks currently. Most of these are already using Ms. Marvel, and they could consider replacing it with Omega Red. I’m not saying the card is necessarily stronger; Ms. Marvel is still 14 points while Omega Red would only be 11. Still, the condition for Omega Red is much easier to fulfill, especially if you can keep it in hand until the last turn of play.

Good Cards On Reveal

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

0

1x Collection Level 1-14

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

3x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

3x Series 4 Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 4)

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

3.3

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4.3

Power

0-
1
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5+

Spider-Ham, Shang-Chi, or Iron Lad could be removed to test Omega Red in this one. Plus, you should often know in advance which location you should win because Thor and Beta Ray Bill typically dominate for their cost.

Good Cards Loki

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

0

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

2x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

3x Series 4 Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 4)

4x Series 5 Ultra Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 5)

3.1

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.9

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Ms. Marvel can be difficult to leverage in a Loki deck since you don’t get to control the cards you get from your opponent. The deck is also built around cheap cards that you can’t just keep in hand. Omega Red could be a much simpler card to leverage in this kind of deck.

Toxic Sera

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

1

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

7x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

3.2

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4.2

Power

0-
1
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Typhoid Mary is really only good when you get Luke Cage, so Omega Red could be much easier to use for points. Plus, three points could be much more impactful in a deck that is looking to lower the overall power rather than go over the top.

Tempo Skaar

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

1

3x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

6x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

3.7

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

6.3

Power

0-
1
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5+

With the amount of high power cards we have in Marvel Snap, winning a lane shouldn’t be too much of a problem with this deck. Omega Red could be a nice way to help Professor X win its lane as well.

Hammer Control

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

0

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)

3.2

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4

Power

0-
1
2
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5+

Omega Red can replace Ms. Marvel if the latter is giving you a hard time with all the 2- and 3-Cost cards you are running. You could also play it instead of one of the disruptive cards that isn’t helping too much in your experience.

Lockdown

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

0

1x Collection Level 1-14

3x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

2x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

3.6

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4.2

Power

0-
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I could see Omega Red replacing Jessica Jones so easily in this deck. You are always winning Storm‘s lane if you have Nebula on it (or Doctor Doom, or Vision, or Ms. Marvel…). I see an easy +3 to all your locations with this one. Plus, Lockdown is pretty hot with Supergiant joining the archetype.

Good Cards Darkhawk

Created by den

, updated 3 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)

3.3

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.3

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Darkhawk is a great disruptive deck, but it can lack a bit of points at times. Omega Red fits very well in decks with Doctor Doom and Ms. Marvel because you have a lot of cards that spread points around the battlefield. I’m pretty sure that playing Omega Red on Darkhawk‘s location should win it more often than not.

Good Cards Junk

Created by den

, updated 3 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)

3.3

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.9

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Opponents will often fill a lane early to avoid getting your negative power cards on their side, and this should make it easier to picture which lane you are likely to win with this deck.

Ongoing Tribunal

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

0

1x 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)

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

1x Starter Card

3.9

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.7

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

This deck has Zabu and the Ongoing synergy, which is the perfect set up for a solid Omega Red. I could see Ms. Marvel being cut since this deck really tries to play on one lane specifically. You could also remove a support card such as Wave to focus on the points potential instead.

With nine decks using Zabu currently, and all of them potentially being great, I’m sure Omega Red will find a home. But these aren’t the only reasons why I think this card’s buff is a great one.

The other reason is Supergiant pushing Alioth to be more popular. That indirectly makes cards that are able to impact locations they aren’t played on more powerful. Indeed, if you anticipate the opponent will play Alioth on Turn 6, playing Omega Red on a lane you know you will win adds three points where Alioth was played.

Whether it is alongside Ms. Marvel to create a duo that can impact all locations at once (which you can add Doctor Doom to as well if needed), or just as another card you can use in an Ongoing heavy deck alongside Onslaught, this new Omega Red is for sure much better than the one we had. It should solidify the Good Cards archetype as one of Marvel Snap’s finest for the foreseeable future.

Discard Dracula Just Got Several Cards Buffed

Discard Collector

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

1

3x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

3x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

4x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

3.1

Cost

0-
1
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5+

3.8

Power

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When Miek released in January, Discard Dracula picked up in popularity and several lists emerged. Among those, one using The Collector and Helicarrier did fairly well; the 6-Cost represented more potential discards to buff Miek while simultaneously synergizing with The Collector.

Now that Helicarrier will fill your hand instead of giving you three cards, you should have even more targets to make Miek and The Collector high power cards for their cost. There is a one downside to this, however: you might miss a draw when discarding Helicarrier. Your hand will be full going into the next turn unless you have another discard ability lined up.

Overall, I doubt this change will bring Discard Dracula back to being a top tier archetype. For that to happen, we will have to wait for Proxima Midnight to join the game later this month (it should be a much bigger buff to the archetype as whole). Still, I like this change and how it can help Discard Dracula use different tools to round out the deck instead of just jamming a deck with only discard abilities.

Discard Loki

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

0

2x 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)

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

3.2

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.9

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Naturally, the change to Helicarrier could also impact the synergy around Loki, and a Discard package has existed in that deck in the past. It never could compete with the more refined lists using Werewolf By Night or Ms. Marvel, but it was a fun alternative nonetheless.

In this list, the goal is simply to discard Helicarrier with Lady Sif in order to buff The Collector and set up Loki with a full hand. You also have Ghost Rider to bring back Helicarrier since it’s a 10 power card (and that’s usually good enough). This package also worked pretty well with Devil Dinosaur since summoning the 5-Cost with Ghost Rider later in the match is a decent alternate line when Helicarrier doesn’t show up.

Should We Consider Beast a Different Card?

Beast might be my favorite card in Marvel Snap. It’s competing with Valkyrie and Iron Lad depending on what the meta looks like. I remember that I was pretty disappointed to see the card nerfed to a [3/4] way back when because the cost is a big part of what makes this support card strong. But, even if the new Beast entices you to immediately replay the cards you just picked up, Falcon will probably suffer the most from this patch. I don’t really know if Beast got worse or better with this change.

Let take a look at the various uses for Beast:

• Replay strong On Reveal abilities, particularly 1-Costs such as Iceman, Forge, Nico Minoru, and The Hood, all of which you are happy to replay the next turn. In this scenario, the lower cost feels better because it makes Beast more flexible to use. However, it is much worse with Falcon now because you wouldn’t get the discount for a second bounce.
• Set up explosive turns late in the game or protect some cards from their counter. For example, in the traditional Phoenix Force deck, you would bounce Human Torch to duplicate it with Arnim Zola on Turn 6, which makes sure the opponent cannot destroy it with Killmonger. In that scenario, the change forces you to bounce the card on Turn 5, which gives you less agency for using Beast and, thus, makes it worse.
• Bounce back any kind of cheap On Reveal on Turn 3 to use again with Werewolf By Night on Turn 4. You can also bounce them on Turn 5 to replay on Turn 6 for the same purpose of moving and growing your 4-Cost. Here, you would be replaying the cards during the next turn, so the cost change is more beneficial since it makes Beast more flexible to play. It also allows you to maybe have an extra 1-Cost to play with the spare energy.
• Bounce back some cards to lose priority or set up a Valkyrie, Hit Monkey, or other similar combo later in the match. This one probably got hurt the most by the change because you are forced to use Beast on Turn 5 to get the discount, which telegraphs to your opponent your intentions (and limits your flexibility on Turn 5 as well).
• Discount a replayable card, such as Deadpool, so you don’t have to pay for it for the rest of the match. This one is basically gone.

If you consider all these points equally important, then Beast‘s change would be considered a nerf in this patch. It lost its synergy with Falcon, its much harder to use in synergy with cards such as Valkyrie or Hit Monkey, and its protective use of keeping a reduced card in hand until the last turn was also impacted. However, the reality of the game is that Beast is really just a way to get a gigantic Werewolf By Night in the current Marvel Snap. It is a card you play on Turn 3 to grab some cheap On Reveal cards before playing the 4-Cost and growing it to be an eight or ten power as soon as it hits the board.

The card lost some flexibility for sure because you might not want to keep cards in hand anymore, so I would say Beast is likely worse than it currently is. Still, I wouldn’t stop playing Beast in decks with Werewolf By Night. In these two decks, for example, I will still happily play Beast.

Hammer Bounce

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

0

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

6x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

2.6

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.9

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Hammer Junk

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

0

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

5x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

4x Series 5 Ultra Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 5)

3

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4

Power

0-
1
2
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5+

Also, let’s not forget about this season’s Season Pass card, Black Swan, which could help mitigate the nerfed part of Beast. You could still bounce your 1-Costs back to hand, not replay them on the next turn, and use Black Swan to play them for free later on anyway.

Kazoo Bounce

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

0

1x Collection Level 1-14

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

4x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

1x Recruit Season

2.6

Cost

0-
1
2
3
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5+

2.4

Power

0-
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5+

Closing Words

I seriously think Omega Red has the potential to become a consideration in the Good Cards archetype with this change. That is enough to propel it from a terrible card to one we should see routinely when playing Marvel Snap.

As for Helicarrier and Beast, I wouldn’t be as optimistic regarding how much we will see both cards in the near future. I believe the Discard package (Lady Sif, Ghost Rider, The Collector) around Helicarrier is a decent one, but it might not be reliable enough to be worth including when you have other options available. Indeed, Discard Dracula has enough tools to build a deck without it, and it gets even more support with the other cards releasing this month. As for Loki, it benefits from its synergy with Zabu enabling plenty of strong 4-Costs rather than Helicarrier and company. As such, even if it did get buffed, I’m not sure we will see more of the card.

Beast should follow a similar path. It’s still strong enough to be considered, but it may end up being cut when compared to other simpler cards to leverage.

It doesn’t take more than one impactful change to make the Marvel Snap meta feel different, and Omega Red might be exactly that. Looking back, this patch could be bigger than we thought when we only saw three changes to open the February season.

In a couple of days, we’ll take a closer look at the meta in our Tier List and see how much impact these changes had on the game. Until then, I hope you are having plenty of fun playing Marvel Snap.

To reach out, find me on the Marvel Snap Zone community Discord, or follow my Twitter page where I share decks and biased opinions about the game.

Good Game Everyone.