Marvel Snap OTA Balance Update Analysis and Decks to Play: The Whole Metagame Is Impacted!

Every two weeks, Marvel Snap undergoes an “Over the Air” (OTA) update, which does not require a full patch. Cards are able to be rebalanced in their stats (Power and Energy) only via a hotfix, whereas major ability reworks are reserved for patches. This article is our in-depth analysis of the changes, how it might impact the current meta, as well as potential decks you can play from the get go!

OTA Balance Update Overview

We had our fair share of complaints about the last two balance updates, echoing the concerns of these not impacting the metagame much, if at all.

It remains to be seen if Shuri as a [4/1] will be any different, or if Alioth as a [6/3] might not be an extremely dangerous card in a Mister Negative deck, or simply just as good as before. However, if we are entitled to have doubt about the impact of some changes, there are other changes we have to at least be curious about.

Black Widow now really feels like an annoying card, as the opponent has to lose both space and power in order to be able to draw again. Forge as well, looks like more of a combo card now, which would work great alongside Beast for example, rather than in the patterns it is famous for in the metagame, alongside Brood and Absorbing Man. With Mobius M. Mobius being an extremely popular card, this new Forge might see a lot less play than the one we learned to love over the second part of the summer.

Lastly, we have a bit of a curious change on the list, as White Tiger has been extremely quiet for everyone out of the early player experience it seems. The card does exist in a few builds, alongside Wong and Odin in most cases. With an eight power Tiger Spirit, I wonder if the card will look more appealing, and maybe find its way into decks such as Ramp, which can easily trigger the On Reveal ability multiple times.

We have a very interesting OTA to discuss this week, and I’m excited to share all my ideas around those changes. Let’s dive in, the metagame might finally see some change!

Should you stop playing Alioth in every deck?

It is no secret Alioth has had quite the impact on Marvel Snap since joining the game during the second week of September. In the eyes of many, the card is to fault for the Galactus nerf to a [6/5], alongside the many priority based decks we have in the current metagame.

While I don’t think Alioth will stop seeing play, although it now loses the one on one against Doctor Doom, just a decrease in the card’s play rate could have a huge impact on the game. Notably, a flurry of decks which rely on a powerful turn six pattern would finally have the necessary room to exist in the metagame. Deck archetypes like Mister Negative, Hela Tribunal, or Silver Surfer to name a few, had a really tough time feeling viable when turn six felt like a huge gamble.

Now, with the threat of Doctor Doom beating Alioth, or even Captain Marvel potentially beating it as well, Alioth might lose quite a bit of momentum. Here is a Move deck to consider if you still fear Alioth being a dominant force, alongside a few decks to keep in mind if the card was to lose a significant chunk of its popularity.

Move

Created by den

, updated 7 months ago

2

1x Collection Level 1-14

3x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

3x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

2.9

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.8

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Hela Tribunal

Created by den

, updated 7 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)

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

1x Starter Card

4.8

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

7.5

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Moving Surfer

Created by den

, updated 7 months ago

0

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

3x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

6x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

2.9

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.3

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Also, when it comes to Alioth itself, you could always try it in Cerebro 3 now, as the archetype was already on the edge of being really solid for the past few months:

C3r3bro

Created by den

, updated 7 months ago

0

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

6x 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+

2.7

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Are Iron Patriot and Shuri Sauron in danger?

Two of the best decks in the game overall, and arguably first and second when it comes to proactive decks looking to do their own thing, both Iron Patriot and Shuri are losing something in this patch. Honestly, the change to Shuri feels move like a slap on the wrist than anything else. When we look back on it, it might just be a slight buff to Mister Negative, as the Shuri deck should feel very much the same.

Iron Patriot on the other hand, might feel a bit different with a cheaper Forge. Indeed, in that deck, the buff was tripled, as the intended target was Brood, which means Forge now granting only +2 power becomes a three power nerf to the deck.

For an archetype heavily relying on seizing priority in the game, any loss of power can represent quite a blow to its competitiveness. Especially in a metagame with Elsa Bloodstone helping a lot of decks with their points potential, this change could lead to Iron Patriot having a lower point ceiling than many other decks.

Not all is lost for Forge, though, as the card can now serve as a great combo piece in other decks, especially alongside Beast to repeat the ability. Mobius M. Mobius might be a problem for the synergy, but it might be enough to simply get to buff twice with Forge. Here are a few ideas:

Phoenix Force

Created by den

, updated 7 months ago

0

6x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

4x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

2.3

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.6

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Bouncing Deadpool

Created by den

, updated 7 months ago

0

5x 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)

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

2.4

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.2

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Bounce

Created by den

, updated 7 months ago

0

3x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

5x 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 Starter Card

2.3

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

1.3

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

What about Elsa Bloodstone?

We discussed the decks with something to lose so far, but a category of archetypes has a ton to win as well. Indeed, with no nerfs to the decks abusing Elsa Bloodstone, I can’t help but wonder who will be able to oppose those strategies if Alioth is indeed gone.

Move, Bounce, Sera Control, Thanos Control, Thor Miracle, Loki Collector… There is a flurry of decks with a lot of potential and already doing pretty well in the current metagame. As such, where is the counter power to those if Alioth, Shuri and Patriot are removed from the equation?

Junk could be an idea, as its ability to lock opposing lanes will surely be annoying to an Elsa deck. Plus, the buff to Black Widow could have an impact for the deck, in addition to the recently released Man-Thing:

Junk

Created by den

, updated 7 months ago

1

1x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

8x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

2.3

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.5

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Sera Control came back strong on the ladder last week, and could be an idea to fight Elsa Bloodstone decks, although it would also gladly abuse the card. The difference here being the inclusion of more counter cards, particularly Shang-Chi and Shadow King:

Sera Control

Created by den

, updated 7 months ago

2

2x 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)

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

2.8

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.5

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Lastly, there is a duo which was really strong in July, when Bounce was the dominant deck in the game. Back then, Killmonger and Invisible Woman would team up to take care of Kitty Pryde in particular. Several decks could use the pair, and I featured it in the Silver Surfer build earlier on. Yet, if Iron Patriot has lost some raw potential, maybe we can help it a bit with more counter cards:

Iron Patriot

Created by den

, updated 7 months ago

0

2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

6x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

1x Recruit Season

1x Starter Card

3.4

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.8

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

White Tiger

When I’m writing an article, I’m always trying to tell some sort of story. This time, we focused on how the changes would impact the archetypes at the core of the current metagame. That story very likely ends with Elsa Bloodstone becoming the dominant force, and most of Marvel Snap revolving around the deck she pushes, or those able to counter them.

Unfortunately, White Tiger didn’t really fit that narrative, as the card isn’t really part of the current metagame, nor are the decks which would include it naturally. Yet, we’re not going to leave the card out of the discussion, and here are a few ideas to see if an eight power Spirit Tiger can make a difference.

If you don’t fear Mobius M. Mobius, Mister Negative sounds like the best option:

Negative

Created by den

, updated 7 months ago

2

1x Collection Level 1-14

7x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

1x Recruit Season

1x Starter Card

3.8

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

1.8

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

An On Reveal based deck could also be a decent idea:

On Reveal

Created by den

, updated 7 months ago

1

2x Collection Level 1-14

8x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

1x Recruit Season

3.5

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

2.4

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

I’ve seen other ideas being thrown around, such as using Patriot to buff the Tiger Spirit, which we would be looking to mass summon with Wong, Absorbing Man, Mystique or Odin for example. One could also imagine White Tiger to be slotted alongside Ravonna Renslayer is a deck where the buffed card would just be considered a good standalone inclusion, with the benefit of Ravonna’s discount. No matter what, I am happy to see Second Dinner is also trying to help some Pool 1 cards, so these don’t just become a memory of when we started Marvel Snap.

Closing Words

Overall, I’m very enthusiastic about this patch, and can’t wait to see its repercussions on the metagame in the near future. The threat of Elsa Bloodstone simply taking over is one I can’t ignore. However, we never really tried to beat it exclusively, as there was always Alioth we had to keep in mind, alongside Patriot and Shuri too. With the status of undisputed best card to build around, it will fun to see what the community is able to come up with in order to annoy the synergy around Elsa, Kitty Pryde and Angela.

I hope you’re as excited as I am to see the OTA Balance Updates turn their focus to the metagame again. Hopefully, it brings some fun twists, and new opportunities to innovate and build around various synergies.

As usual, If you need anything, find me on the Marvel Snap Zone community Discord, or follow my Twitter page where I share decks and biased opinions about the game.