Marvel Snap Ranked Meta Tier List: March 29, 2024 – Post War Machine Release

Welcome to our Marvel Snap Ranked Meta Tier List! Each week, we review the best decks in the ever-changing Marvel Snap Ladder meta.

This report is dedicated to the Ranked mode, listing the current best decks heading into and after the Infinite rank. We also provide a Conquest report every weekend that highlights the best archetypes in that mode. If you’re looking to figure out the impact of the newly released card or the latest balance changes, this is the place to be!

If you are looking for more information about a deck in particular, check out our Archetypes pages with detailed information about each of the household names in Marvel Snap.

Marvel Snap Meta Overview

This week, the meta in the Ranked mode has been much more open than it was the rest of the season. Indeed, while you can still see some familiar faces among the Tier 1 archetypes (Thanos, Destroy, and Discard are still anchored at the top), a lot of other archetypes have progressed. This has created a nice mix of decks among the top ten archetypes in Marvel Snap.

Lockdown appears to be the most improved of that bunch with the recent buff to the Guardians of the Galaxy. They have proven to be instrumental in helping the deck seize priority for Alioth, or just have lots of points available on the last turn of play.

Also making a splash in Tier 2 are Patriot, Loki, and Silver Surfer, a trio that are typically lower on the list (or struggling to meet the play rate thresholds). All three did great this week compared to their usual performance, which indicates the meta might be more open than it has been thus far.

Good Cards Black Knight is the only deck I might have to discuss in a bit of a negative light since many expected War Machine to push that deck into contention. After a couple of days with the card available, it doesn’t seem to be the case. The Black Knight archetype posted about the same performance that it has over the last several weeks.

There was another deck with War Machine in the data I could find: Move. Unfortunately, this deck is far behind Phoenix Force, and it’s not particularly better than the regular Move deck. I’m once again questioning how impactful War Machine truly is.

Overall, the meta has a lot of good things going on. There’s improved diversity in Tier 2, and Lockdown showed that the holy trinity of Thanos, Destroy, and Discard can be challenged.

However, with War Machine only having a limited impact, no OTA this week, and Thanos already back at the top after a nerf last week, you might wonder how much of that diversity will carry over when it’s time to grind back to Infinite for the April season next Tuesday.

I’m an optimistic person… are you?

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

Thanos

Thanos

Created by den

, updated 30 days ago

2

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

2x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

7x Series 5 Ultra Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 5)

4.3

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

5.4

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

It took Thanos about a week to regroup after the OTA, but the Mad Titan is back at the top of the meta again. There is a much smaller gap with the other decks, and you can see that the deck now relies on more disruption than sheer amount of points. For example, the best list this week did not feature Cull Obsidian and played both Caiera and Mobius M. Mobius instead.

Thanos seems like it went back to what it does best: being the most flexible archetype in Marvel Snap. The deck is able to pack plenty of annoying cards for the opponent, and it can still rely on Blob, Mockingbird, and Magneto to develop points.

Potential Additions

Cull Obsidian, Professor X, Loki, and even Enchantress are possibilities. The deck can include plenty of different cards depending on what you want it to do.

Destroy

Destroy

Created by den

, updated 30 days ago

4

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

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.1

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Destroy has been riding a nice wave of momentum since the OTA, and it presents itself as Thanos‘s biggest challenger right now. While Thanos did win the battle for best Cube Rate, the featured list for Destroy posted the highest Win Rate over the last week at 63%.

At this point, the core isn’t really up for debate anymore. Deathlok truly deserves to be a part of the deck after being cut to open an extra slot for a second flexible card (usually Alioth or Arnim Zola). Then, the only questions left about the deck are whether to run Forge or Hulkbuster, and which flexible card to pack now that you know you can only run one (two typically tends to do worse).

Potential Additions

Lady Deathstrike and Hulkbuster are two routine inclusions in Destroy, typically replacing Forge and Shang-Chi.

Also, a hybrid build of Destroy has been building some momentum over the past week:

Hybrid Destroy

Created by den

, updated 30 days ago

0

3x 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)

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

3.4

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Lockdown

Lockdown

Created by den

, updated 30 days ago

1

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

3x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

1x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

1x Starter Card

3.3

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.8

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

After the OTA gave it a nice boost, Lockdown seems to have made the most of it and returned to being a great Marvel Snap archetype to explore.

With the Guardians of the Galaxy in the mix, Lockdown is able to leverage priority much more easily, which means Alioth lands more often. Considering you can’t beat most other decks without disrupting their play patterns, this influx of points in the early- to mid-game is perfect for the deck’s strategy.

To give some perspective, the list from before the OTA averaged a 51.5% Win Rate alongside a 0.2 Cube Average. On the other hand, the featured list with the Guardians of the Galaxy clocked in at 0.5 cubes per game and a 57% Win Rate. Talk about a difference!

Potential Additions

You could remove Rocket Raccoon to run Drax instead, as well as Gamora instead of Star-Lord. Those would make your deck more reliant on a good early hand, but then you have more points available if you draw Nebula, Zabu, and Storm in the first three turns.

Discard

Discard

Created by den

, updated 30 days ago

2

3x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

2x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

3

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.8

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Discard had a bit of a down week compared to the run of dominance it was on since Proxima Midnight joined the game. It still averages one of the best Win Rates in the game at almost 60%, but the Cube Average is only at 0.3 while the other archetypes winning this much typically have 0.5 or better.

This might be a case of Discard being too good for too long, and now its opponent are not fooled anymore. When you Snap, you’ll get one cube (or you should prepare for a fight). Plus, Destroy has started running Lady Deathstrike to counter Dracula, and that hurts badly when it lands.

Potential Additions

The Collector and Helicarrier are a popular duo in Discard, typically replacing Daken and either a 3-Cost or Miek.

Tier 2

Patriot

Patriot

Created by den

, updated 30 days ago

1

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

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)

2x Recruit Season

2.9

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.1

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Mockingbird has been discussed a lot for its contribution to the Thanos archetype, but the card has also been instrumental in bringing Patriot back to life. Since the card joined the game, Patriot went from a fun, beginner-friendly build to a top ten archetype that is able to have several lists worth discussing every week.

Currently, the Pixie list is doing the best. It emphasizes the cost manipulation even more in order to bur the situation as much as possible from the opponent’s perspective. Plus, now that you have some solid points contributors for cheap, the deck is able to include some disruption in Valkyrie and Mobius M. Mobius.

Patriot is miles ahead of where it was a month ago. It’s definitely worth trying if you enjoyed the archetype in the past.

Potential Additions

Valkyrie is a flexible counter card, but it works very well with Pixie. The same can be said for Mobius. Apart from a card that would be significantly better than another one in your personal meta, it is difficult to recommend some swaps. Plus, the other Patriot lists, such as Iron Patriot, did much worse compared to this one.

Loki

Loki

Created by den

, updated 30 days ago

1

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

2x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

2.6

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.3

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Loki is a two-faced archetype in Marvel Snap. It’s often regarded as a contender in the higher ranks and simultaneously not as much of a threat outside the top players. The reason for this dual treatment is the need to both know the ins and outs of the meta and be able to adapt on the fly when you’re dealt a new hand.

Discard lost some momentum over the past week, which greatly helped Loki perform better. Cosmo seems to have been a great addition to the deck. The build using the space dog over Hope Summers posted the best performance for the entire archetype (by quite a margin, too).

Potential Additions

Hope Summers, Rogue, and Mirage are three cards you will routinely see in Loki decks.

Silver Surfer

Affliction Surfer

Created by den

, updated 30 days ago

1

1x Collection Level 1-14

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

7x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

1x Recruit Season

3.4

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.2

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Silver Surfer never looks the same from one week to another. There are so many solid 3-Cost cards in the game that you can build a good deck based around entirely different cards. This week, the Affliction package did great for the archetype, while the more traditional build also posted a solid performance. Both were deserving of a Tier 2 ranking.

Overall, Silver Surfer feels like an archetype with the potential to always be a challenger, but nailing the right build is critical to its success. If you can fit a strong package of cards, such as Hazmat, Luke Cage, and Odin in the Affliction build, while not being overly predictable, you’re often on the right track for a solid Silver Surfer deck.

Potential Additions

Here’s the other Silver Surfer deck that did well this week:

Silver Surfer

Created by den

, updated 30 days ago

1

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

4x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

4x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

2.8

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.7

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Black Knight

Black Knight War Machine

Created by den

, updated 30 days ago

1

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

3x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

3x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

1x 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+

6.3

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

War Machine gave Black Knight a big spotlight this week, but it didn’t necessarily live up to the hype. With a 0.35 Cube Average and 53% Win Rate, Good Cards Black Knight looked better this week compared to the rest of the season, but it didn’t enter the same territory as Thanos, Discard, or Destroy. Also, the list without War Machine posted very similar results, which makes it even more difficult to believe the card will push the archetype much further than it currently is.

Unless the deck keeps progressing as the build around War Machine is refined, it seems like Good Cards will remain a good, but not great archetype going forward.

Potential Additions

This is the version of the deck without War Machine, in case you’re interested:

Good Cards Black Knight

Created by den

, updated 30 days 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)

3.4

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

5.4

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Phoenix Force

Phoenix Force

Created by den

, updated 30 days ago

2

3x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

4x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

3

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.8

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Phoenix Force remains the best Move-oriented deck in Marvel Snap right now, although I’m a bit worried about the deck needing Shang-Chi to post its best performance. Indeed, the deck with Shang-Chi posted a 54% Win Rate while the deck without it averaged 51%. I don’t mind using the card; it is a great counter tool. However, the fact that it weighs so much into the archetype’s performance can be a sign that the foundation is shaky.

Potential Additions

The Living Tribunal was in Shang-Chi‘s spot last week, but the 4-Cost card really seems to have helped Phoenix Force perform lately.

Hela

Hela Ramp

Created by den

, updated 30 days ago

0

3x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

4x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

3.8

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

6.8

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Hela went back to a deck that emerged early in the season, combining the Ramp potential of Corvus Glaive and Hope Summers to drop big cards repeatedly on the board. Armor is a card I like a lot in this archetype because it solves one of the bigger threats to Hela: Alioth.

After an OTA that pushed Lockdown back to the forefront, Hela has a lot of potential. It was one of the archetypes that pushed Lockdown out of the meta last season. The Win Rate isn’t great, but Hela never relied on that metric too much; instead, this archetype focuses on Snapping the good hands and limiting the impact of the bad ones.

Potential Additions

She-Hulk and Sunspot can often feel too situational, so they’re probably the two cards you’d want to replace first.

Jubilee, Dracula, and Giganto are three cards you could use to replace them, unless you want to try to include some disruption such as Cable or Mobius M. Mobius.

Tier 3

High Evolutionary

Pure Evolutionary

Created by den

, updated 30 days ago

0

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

2x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

5x Starter Card

3.2

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4.7

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

There’s not much to report about the High Evolutionary synergy since the OTA. InSheNaut is very scarce, while Pure Evolutionary seems to be relying on Pixie to scam some games. Overall, the OTA doesn’t seem to have affected the synergy much, or, at least, it didn’t help High Evolutionary.

Toxic Sera

Toxic Control

Created by den

, updated 30 days ago

0

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

5x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

3.2

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4.4

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

The Toxic build keeps on posting good performances week after week, although it doesn’t seem like it can get close to the proactive decks like Destroy, Discard, or Thanos. However, with Junk not really being able to exist in a meta with Destroy at the top, it seems like Toxic Control is the disruptive deck to carry the torch.

Move Machine

Move Machine

Created by den

, updated 30 days ago

1

1x Collection Level 1-14

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

3x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

1x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

2.8

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

5.8

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

I included this deck mostly to feature the new card and its impact in the current meta. But, with a 0.1 Cube Average and 51% Win Rate, this deck isn’t anywhere near a powerful archetype yet.

Closing Words

This has been one of the best weeks of the season to play Marvel Snap in my opinion. There were many more archetypes able to compete compared to the first three weeks.

Obviously, Thanos still managing to crawl back to the top of the rankings has to be a bit alarming. It seems like absolutely nothing can stop the card apart from attacking its very core. Still, the gap has reduced, and we can hope more decks will follow in the footsteps of Lockdown – especially if the developers keep the impactful balance changes coming.

If it doesn’t happen this week (since War Machine was a bit disappointing compared to all the reviews I saw about the card), I believe we are at least on the path of change, and the next season could be a very interesting one to follow.

As usual, feel free to post any questions in the comments section, or find me on the Marvel Snap Zone community Discord. You can also reach out through my Twitter page where I share decks and biased opinions about the game.

Good Game Everyone.