Marvel Snap Meta Tier List: February 9, 2024 – Black Order Week 1

Welcome to our Marvel Snap Meta Tier List! Each week, we review the best decks in the ever-changing Marvel Snap meta. Then we bring you the deck lists, and we provide an in-depth report about them. This report contains information like how the ranks are justified, how the decks fare in both Ranked and Conquest modes, and how to build the deck with alternate cards to accommodate different collections.

This report is updated twice a week to make sure it is as close to the current meta as possible. Looking to figure out the impact of the newly released card or the latest balance changes? This is the place to be!

Marvel Snap Meta Overview

I never know what to think about the early days of a new Marvel Snap season. I get new cards to experiment with, sort of a goal trying to reach Infinite again, and the metagame is a little more open, as we can face a wider variety of opponents. However, the early season also means I have to go up against bots, something I really don’t miss the rest of the reason. Plus, there is a Featured Location for the first 24 hours, pushing certain decks to perform better than they should.

Overall, I would still consider the first few fays to be an important part of the season. Not only there is some nice emulation on social media, with everyone sharing their brews around both the Season Pass or the new Spotlight card. It also sets the tones regarding the decks you can expect to perform for the reminder of the season.

Indeed, even if everyone’s cube rate is stupidly high due to the bots roaming that part of the ladder, we can see some tendencies emerge. For example, if I see a deck around a new card with only a 0.25 cube average and 53% win rate, I’m going to quickly dismiss it, as if I removed the bots from the equation, that deck looks terrible. If I saw the same performance during week three of the season, when we have enough data to look at the infinite ranks only, I would consider the deck to be promising at the very least.

Because of this, I tend to give the win rate metric more importance for the first few days of the season, and have decided to use it as the ranking system for this particular tier list. Then, you will only see decks with a win rate above 55% in this report, high enough to consider the deck having some potential even if the bots helped it a bit.

Variants

Black Swan

On Reveal: Until the end of next turn, your 1-Cost cards cost 0.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with Black Swan

Variants

Supergiant

On Reveal: All cards played next turn don’t reveal until the game ends.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with Supergiant

Even with that restriction, I’m happy to see a deck for both Supergiant and Black Swan make it in this tier list, showing the cards have managed to impact the deck quickly after their release. The other decks look pretty close to the ones we had to close out the Planet Hulk season, but some archetypes are being built differently.

As for the Silent Performer section, most of these decks would have been ranked in Tier 2 if they had more games under their belt. More than anything, I wanted to highlight how some of these popular archetypes are built currently, as Sera and Loki are seeing different lists emerge following the changes of this and last week.

Also, Supergiant has found a home in a deck apparently tailor made for the card, with a lot of tools to seize priority. I personally have not been so impressed with the deck in testing, but the idea certainly seems pretty clever in regards to Supergiant‘s ability.

Happy Tier List, everyone!

Marvel Snap Meta Tier List

Disclaimer and Tier Explanations

In order to be featured here, a deck needs to represent at least 1% of the current environment and have a positive cube average in the Ranked mode. Win Rate is also taken into consideration, and it can greatly impact the ranking of a deck, particularly when several archetypes (or different builds of the same deck) have a similar Cube Average but big Win Rate discrepancies. The Marvel Snap mechanics do, however, push players to maximize cubes gained rather than win every single game.

In order to create this chart, den is using data from our Marvel Snap Tracker, as well as other available data online and his own expertise and opinion of respected players. If a deck showed great performances with a very limited presence in the meta, you can find it in the Silent Performers section. That section highlights decks with an excellent Cube Average but too little of a sample size to be representative of their real strength.

Decks not good enough to be considered contenders but with a good representation will be ranked in Tier 3 in our chart. They won’t have their own dedicated write up here, but they may be transferred to the main Tier List section. See those builds as decks that are good to know about, as you should face them when playing Marvel Snap. However, unless the meta changes or a new variation of the build emerges, these decks are a notch below the dominant ones in Tiers 1 and 2.

For each deck, you will also get a write-up about their performance in the Conquest mode. In that section, we’ll discuss how the deck is doing and which differences, if any, exist when compared to the Ladder performance. In the chart above, you will also be notified of a strong archetype in Conquest with a Conquest flag next to their name.

Tier 1

Good Cards Hammer Hawk

Good Cards Hammer Hawk

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

1

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+

4.2

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Rank Justification:
Good Cards Darkhawk is a staple archetype in Marvel Snap, with many variations of it existing through 2023, and now 2024 with the Asgardians joining in on the fun. As usual, there are other ways to build around Darkhawk and Zabu, such as the Junk package in the potential additions.

Yet, the inclusions of the Hammer package provided the deck with a lot of points, while Odin can also activate Korg and Rockslide to buff Darkhawk. With a 65% win rate since the season start, Good Cards looks once again like a powerhouse.

While there is less disruption overall in the deck, we can still see Spider-Ham and Shang-Chi, more than enough to keep the deck able to react or annoy opposing development.

Conquest Performance:
Good Cards being a very flexible archetype, it is a very good foundation to take into Conquest, but you need to nail the right disruptive cards. With the Hammer package, the deck packs more points, which could be a good direction, giving you a proactive game plan you can follow against most decks.

If you suspect you’ll face decks with a higher point potential than yours, and Spider-Ham or Shang-Chi aren’t enough to stop them. You can switch to another support package, such as Sentry, Annihilus and The Hood or Iron Lad, Omega Red and Doctor Doom, which open an extra slot for Leech or Rogue as extra counter cards.

Potential Additions:
The more traditional way to play Good Cards Darkhawk also did well early in the season, but wouldn’t have earned the top spot of the rankings:

Good Cards Darkhawk 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+

Thanos Lockjaw

Thanos Lockjaw

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

0

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

3x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

3x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

4.6

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

5.6

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Rank Justification:
I’ve seen many players suggest Black Swan would be a good addition to the Thanos Lockjaw deck, but it doesn’t seem like it was adopted by the majority so far. Plus, there doesn’t seem to be a list using Black Swan which is doing particularly well for Thanos compared to the builds we were using last season.

Then, until Cull Obsidian joins in on the fun, it seems like Thanos Lockjaw will remain the same deck it has been since the nerf to Blob. With a 62% win rate so far, it looks like the deck will do just fine as it currently is anyway.

Conquest Performance:
While Junk is a problem for Thanos Lockjaw in Conquest, as it can fill your side of the board and limit your development with the Infinity Stones already eating up space. The other decks are all good or balanced match ups for Thanos, with disruptive cards playing a big role to emerge victorious.

I believe Mobius M. Mobius is an important addition to the deck in that mode, and would switch Wave and Jeff the Baby Land Shark for Psylocke and the 3-cost. Otherwise, Leech and Magneto are great to open some late game snaps, or steal a game from a confident opponent. You already have Lockjaw for the early snaps.

Potential Additions:
Iron Lad, Blue Marvel and Mobius M. Mobius are three cards you can easily slot into Thanos Lockjaw.

Tier 2

Lockdown Junk

Lockdown Junk

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

1

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

4x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

3.5

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4.3

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Rank Justification:
I expected to see Supergiant pop up in the data for Lockdown to be honest, as Alioth is such a big part of Lockdown. To my surprise, it was Omega Red which took the spot, edging the new card, Shang-Chi or Enchantress in there. Another interesting inclusion is Iceman instead of Nebula, likely in here for priority reason.

The rest of the deck is fairly standard compared to what we have seen from Lockdown in the previous months. The Junk package did better early in the season compared to the more generic cards such as Jessica Jones or Vision, but both builds have coexisted for a while now. It is very likely you could play either variants of the deck to similar success, depending which one you can pilot better.

In any case, Lockdown is off to a solid start with a 59% win rate, much better than how it ended last season, going down to tier 3 in our previous report.

Conquest Performance:
Lockdown is always a solid deck in Conquest, mainly thanks to being able to snap fairly early in a match, and Alioth being very scary for a lot of archetypes.

It doesn’t pack a lot of points compared to proactive archetypes, but often is more flexible in how it develops, able to attack all three lanes in almost every game. Then, if you are able to limit your opponent’s synergies, and seize priority going into turn six, Lockdown is as good as any other deck for a Conquest run.

Potential Additions:
Nebula, Jessica Jones and Vision can replace the Junk package.

You could also consider Korg, Rockslide and Darkhawk, or simply the usual strong 4-costs in Shang-Chi or Enchantress.

Hela Lockjaw

Hela Lockjaw

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

0

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

7x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

4.4

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

7.5

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Rank Justification:
Hela Lockjaw is often a deck I recommend for climbing to the Infinite rank, as it is a fairly simple one to understand and snap with, while bots are feeding it cube for free.

Then, although Hela Lockjaw has been a staple of Tier 2 for most of January, and seems poised to repeat this season, at least until Corvus Glaive comes around. Don’t sleep on this deck while there are bots to hand you eight cube wins on your way to Infinite.

I don’t like the idea of getting it this way, but who am I to judge. Plus, 58% win rate overall must mean Hela beat up some humans on the way as well.

Conquest Performance:
Hela Lockjaw needs to be played aggressively in Conquest to be able to compete with the more flexible archetypes. If you let your opponent decide when to snap, or offer them a one cube exit out of a match where you had a great hand, you are setting up yourself for failure.

Then, Hela looks perfect for someone who isn’t about disruptive cards or tailoring its deck for the current metagame, and instead enjoys to snap aggressively and keep the opponent under pressure with some bluffs as well.

Potential Additions:
Gambit and Silver Samurai sometimes see play to give the deck another discard ability.

Galactus Junk

Galacts Junk

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

1

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

4x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

3.5

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.6

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Rank Justification:
Galactus gained some momentum at the end of last season and still looks like a solid deck going into this one. Rocking a 58% win rate, usually the weaker metric for the deck, Galactus has immensely benefited from Selene being buffed during an OTA last month.

There seems to be a little more of Spider-Ham lately, as we saw the card included in Good Cards, and is a staple in Bounce, which is the emerging archetype with Black Swan right now. It might be a good idea to keep track of the card’s popularity, as it can be a really annoying one for this deck.

Conquest Performance:
Unfortunately, it seems like the Junk package has other decks it will do much better with currently in Conquest, such as Good Cards or Lockdown. Indeed, Galactus is much weaker once the opponent knows about your strategy, and which cards they have to play around.

I believe this deck could do well with an aggressive snap strategy, constantly pressuring the opponent with the fear we’re going to take their space away. Thanos as well, should be a pretty favorable match-up for the deck. Otherwise, this is a risky pick.

Potential Additions:
Viper is the flexible card in the deck, it can be replaced by a disruptive card such as Rogue, or just a strong standalone like Gladiator, Polaris, Wave, Daredevil, and so on.

Bounce

Black Swan Bounce

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

1

2x 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)

2.1

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.1

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Rank Justification:
Already on the rise with Beta Ray Bill last week, Bounce has changed its focus to Black Swan, the season pass helping to create new explosive patterns around Werewolf By Night and Hit Monkey.

With a 58% win rate, on par with the likes of Hela Lockjaw and close to Lockdown, this is a solid start for a deck usually looking really bad due to its difficult-to-learn gameplay.

The recently changed Beast doesn’t seem to impact the deck too much, and the card can often be played on turn five as a 2-cost, setting up a big Hit Monkey on turn six and helping Werewolf by Night to move even more.

As expected, Falcon is the big loser in that story, as it always bounces back cards we need to pay for again, which can often be enough to find something else to play instead.

Conquest Performance:
This particular iteration of Bounce didn’t have many games under its belt in Conquest, so it is difficult to evaluate it for now. Overall, the archetype did fairly well so far, but needs to snap early in a match to pressure its opponent. Spider-Ham is great in that regard, as you can often snap when it takes out an opposing counter or synergistic snap, considering your points potential is good enough to go against most decks currently, disruption aside.

Potential Additions:
I dislike Mysterio in this deck, as it clogs our space and limits what can be done with Werewolf By Night. I would include Armor, Shadow King or maybe Quake instead, unless you fancy another cheap On Reveal to pair with Beast such as Hawkeye or Elektra. Especially in Conquest, having a reactive or disruptive card seems like an important asset.

Destroy

Destroy

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

2

5x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x 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)

2.8

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.1

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Rank Justification:
While we already are at the fifth deck in tier two, Destroy really is only two percent behind Lockdown when it comes to win rate.

As for the rest, the list is still the same as its been last season, with Hulkbuster still included in the deck. Then, there is nothing about Destroy going into the new season.

Conquest Performance:
Pretty much the same as for the ranked mode, Destroy still a solid pick in Conquest, competing to be amongst the best performers in the mode. There is a little bit more of Shadow King or Rogue, Enchantress in that mode, which could be more punishing for Deadpool or Knull, but we still have to see Armor return as a counter card against Destroy.

Similarly to last season, Alioth or Shang-Chi tend to help destroy in Conquest, as they bring alternate patterns of play, and some snap opportunities.

Potential Additions:
Lady Deathstrike, Arnim Zola are the two cards commonly used instead of Hulkbuster in the deck. At times, Shang-Chi also makes an appearance.

InSheNaut

InSheNaut

Created by den

, updated 3 months ago

1

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

3x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

3x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

3x Starter Card

3.4

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

5.3

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Rank Justification:
InSheNaut really wasn’t doing so well last season, slowly digging its grave as it let Mobius M. Mobius bully it far too much. So, I was extremely pleased to see Rogue in the best performing list for the archetype, and used Armor instead of Caiera to smoothen the curve a bit. It doesn’t change the deck too much, but makes it much more resilient to both cards able to shut it down, Mobius and Alioth.

I’m curious to see if InSheNaut can return to become a very strong deck with those adjustments or if that just elevated it from tier three to bottom or tier two. It would already be a step in the right direction, but the deck needs to confirm this once the bots are removed from the data to really convince me.

Conquest Performance:
InSheNaut always performs better in Conquest compared to ranked play, because the information of which disruptive cards the opponent is playing is massive to pick the right play-patterns.

As such, even if the deck has been struggling on the ladder recently, InSheNaut remains a solid pick in the other mode, routinely in the top five or ten archetypes.

Potential Additions:
Shocker, Cosmo or Caiera are the other three cards you can expect to see in the deck. These would replace Rogue, except for Caiera, which replaces Armor, but then wants another 2-cost instead of Rogue for a better use of its energy.

Closing Words

There is a lot to complain about in a the first days of a Marvel Snap season, especially when it comes to judging the real potential of a deck. Yet, I think it isn’t worth torturing ourselves with all those aspects, as this is also the time when new archetypes emerge, and the time of the month there are the most changes in the game.

As such, although there are some decks in this report I very much doubt we will discuss in the next tier list, I has a great time researching and writing this report. Not only did I find a few builds I can’t wait to try tomorrow, I also picked up a few perspectives I didn’t consider around the new cards.

This report is clearly the most flawed of the the whole month, but it doesn’t make it less important. Simply, instead of looking at the performance and which deck is posting the highest cube average, we should should focus on which foundation are doing well, or the disruptive cards we see in various decks. These trends are what will impact the rest of the month, and potentially our own climb to the Infinite rank.
Then, I hope you found this report useful, and you’re having fun so far in the new Black Order Season.

As usual, find me on the Marvel Snap Zone community Discord for any question, or follow my Twitter page where I share decks and biased opinions about the game.

Good Game Everyone.