Marvel Snap Balance Patch, June 13th, 2023: Who Will Stop Lockjaw Now?

The community is torn over the content of this balance patch. On the one hand, we have those who finally got what they wanted: a Galactus rework. And a pretty big one at that; I couldn’t help but compare it to the first nerf to Leader, back in January.

On the other hand, we have those who believed Galactus was a good synergy to have in Marvel Snap and did not deserve to be hit so severely. In particular, the big question to answer now is: How do we beat Evolved Lockjaw?

Well, in order to answer this one, we’ll have to look at the buffs (which we don’t have many of, really). Maria Hill only saw her pool of cards be extended to include 2-Costs, so let’s focus on Dazzler instead.

I don’t know if the newly changed Dazzler will be able to have the same impact as the Galactus change. Still, now as a 3-Cost and with a much easier ability to work with, Dazzler is worth exploring in several archetypes.

Naturally, I wished this patch would have more changes included in it. Still, with Conquest also joining the game, it only makes sense to have less time to dedicate to more changes for this specific update.

As such, for those who couldn’t find their groove in the current metagame, they’ll have to hope these few modifications will be enough to create some new dynamic.

I have faith in Dazzler and Galactus. Do you?

What Will the Metagame Be Without Galactus?

Evolved Lockjaw

Created by den

, updated 4 months ago

4

1x Collection Level 1-14

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

7x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

1x Starter Card

4.4

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

5.5

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Evolved Lockjaw has been gaining a ton of momentum lately,and now it is considered the best deck in the game. With Conquest Mode releasing alongside the patch, I have little doubt we will see a ton of Lockjaw in the new mode.

But why am I talking about a deck other than Galactus here? Well, it’s because Galactus‘s primary use in the current metagame was to keep Evolved Lockjaw in check.

With the Devourer of Worlds likely gone (at least until we figure out how to use its new form), Lockjaw is seemingly left with no bad match ups in the metagame. Also, as Lockdown was a deck that loved to see Galactus on the other side of the battlefield, one might wonder what the metagame will look like tomorrow.

Well, here are a few suggestions of builds you might want to try if you expect Lockjaw to be really popular after the patch.

wave

Created by den

, updated 4 months ago

1

3x 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)

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

3.7

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.4

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Another strong deck in the metagame, now built with the tools to annoy Lockjaw. In addition to the Rocks we shuffle into their deck, we also have Cosmo for the On Reveal abilities and Shang-Chi for the big cards. One could go a step further and include Goose as well to lock a lane from being playable for most cards in the Lockjaw deck.

Evolved Junk

Created by den

, updated 4 months ago

0

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

7x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

2x Starter Card

2.6

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Back when Thanos Lockjaw was dominant, the Junk archetype was one of its most feared opponents. Indeed, with the ability to quickly clog lanes, Lockjaw rarely has more than one or two triggers to pull something big.

Greed

Created by den

, updated 4 months ago

0

1x Collection Level 1-14

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

7x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

4.4

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4.3

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Lockjaw is notorious for its ability to cheat a ton of points thanks to its ability of transforming cheap cards into big ones. However, Lockjaw rarely has enough slots to run annoying cards for their opponent, instead relying on proactive play patterns. While it looks to be a risky bet, there are a few decks which might be able to take Lockjaw head on. For example, a greedy Electro Ramp that has Magneto to move Lockjaw, as well as simply being able to develop insane points with Black Panther and the support crew.

P.S. While not included in those decks, Iceman could also be a nice addition to many archetypes looking to beat Lockjaw.

Dazzler Joins Multiple Archetypes!

While Galactus not being in the metagame probably is our best chance to see significant changes, Dazzler comes with a few promises. Indeed, there are several decks in Marvel Snap which have the ability to fill their locations.

We already know filling the entire board was too demanding for a [4/10] reward. But, even if we don’t shoot for a [3/8] every time (which would put Dazzler in the category of Bishop), a [3/6] with the Ongoing tag might be enough.

Here are few decks that might benefit from the change.

Patriot Dazzler

Created by den

, updated 4 months ago

0

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

3.5

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.3

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

To no one’s surprise, Patriot is obviously one of the possibilities since Ultron alone gets Dazzler to its max potential. While a 4-Cost felt like too much to pay in the past, three energy is much easier to work with, and the deck routinely plays a three and a two or two threes in the last turns of the match.

Surfer Dazzler

Created by den

, updated 4 months ago

0

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

9x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

2.8

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.8

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Another expected archetype when speaking about a card being changed to a 3-Cost is, of course, Silver Surfer.

With Brood in the deck, one of the locations is always full when playing the deck. We might rarely get all three filled, but a [3/6] might already be good enough.

Ongoing Dazzler

Created by den

, updated 4 months ago

0

2x Collection Level 1-14

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

4x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

2x Recruit Season

3.3

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.6

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Probably the most intriguing deck with Dazzler considering this one is not relevant in the metagame right now: Ongoing Thanos.

First, we have the Ongoing tag, which naturally fits within the deck, and Dazzler will be able to benefit from Spectrum on game’s end. Then, this is probably the easiest deck to fill all locations alongside Patriot. Indeed, if you have played this deck a bit, you might have faced the need to hold on to some Stones to save some space for future turns.

It would be great to see this one perform thanks to Dazzler, as it is the one most in need of help on this list.

Sera Dazzler

Created by den

, updated 4 months ago

0

4x 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)

2.9

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.5

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Last on this list is a bit of Sera Miracle shenanigans. After all, whenever we pull the Hit Monkey + Mysterio turn, we often end up with a pretty full board. So why not throw Dazzler in there as well?

The list might look a bit odd, but this is not a Sera Control deck; instead, it’s a throwback to the points focused version of the archetype.

Closing Words

I would be lying if I said I didn’t hope for a little more from this balance patch. Still, with Conquest Mode releasing the same day, we should be getting a new way to play Marvel Snap, which represents a huge new land to explore.

Also, I’m confident about the Galactus change being big enough to cause some sort of domino effect. Sure, we might feel like Lockjaw is back to its dominant run from a few months ago for a time. But I believe we have much more room to find efficient counters and work towards dethroning it.

As for Dazzler, the card has a few archetypes worth exploring. Hopefully one of them keeps the card as a staple for the foreseeable future and we see more of Dazzler in Marvel Snap.

If you have any questions about Conquest Mode or the implications of today’s changes, you can 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.