Table of Contents
If something has become clear over time, it’s that, as I have mentioned in numerous guides, flexibility and adaptability have become the best way to play this game.
A few days ago, Moyen and Sologesang were the winners of Twitch Rivals. Moyen beat Alexandercoccia by 10-0 with a deck that has certainly attracted a lot of attention: Patriot Surfer.
Other iterations of Patriot Surfer have appeared on the map in the past, but different and important decisions on card choice (as well as cards that were not previously available) have meant that the most recent version of this archetype has quickly positioned itself as one of the best decks for the competitive environment.
Decklist and Stats
Patriot Surfer
Created by 
Bohe
Bohe, updated 8 months ago
4x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)
5x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)
1x Series 5 Ultra Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 5)
1x Recruit Season
1x Starter Card
2.7
Cost
2.7
Power
The list that I present here has a couple of changes from both Moyen’s list and the one that den presents in our Tier List; however, I had the audacity to do that because it seems to me that the results support the decision.
Concept and Strategy
This archetype is not new. Before we used to call it Silver Patriot, in a time when Silver Surfer was Tier 0 (before his nerf). The archetype was undoubtedly a very solid deck that everyone respected.
After the changes to Silver Surfer, little by little it began to disappear. Although the Silver Surfer decks are gradually coming back to the competitive scene, this archetype did not have it so easy.
It was probably the buff to Forge that made us look at Brood again. These two cards together plus Absorbing Man make a trio capable of placing a lot of points on the table without running the risk of a devastating Shang-Chi.
With this group already on the field, powering up these cards slightly helps us close out the game solidly thanks to Blue Marvel and Patriot. And even with both buffs on the table, Shang-Chi will still usually have no use against us.
In this version, we don’t play Legion or Cosmo, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have anything to meddle with the opponent’s plan. I chose Armor among the rest of the options because, even though I think Cosmo and Legion can be important, they are a bit more problematic with our curve. Plus, the ability to ruin Destroy’s plans without preventing our On Reveal effects from working is very relevant.
Buff Core
Silver Surfer
On Reveal: Give your other 3-Cost cards +2 Power.
view card details
Decks with Silver Surfer
This archetype can easily fill the lanes in the first four turns. The best way to accompany this aggressiveness that the archetype develops in the early game is by increasing the power of the cards that have already been played.
These cards continue the aggressive curve of the deck and also allow us to have a significant enough amount of points against decks that go “tall” in terms of raw power.
Swarm Core
Mister Sinister
On Reveal: Add a Sinister Clone here with the same Power.
view card details
Decks with Mister Sinister
These three cards are the core of our early game. They quickly give us priority, which makes it so that the rest of our cards can resolve their effects before they are stopped.
In addition, these cards prepare the locations so that playing our buffers in the final turns equals a lot more power on the field than it might seem at first glance.
This is undoubtedly a key group of cards for the operation of the deck, and they’re even more powerful in combination with the next core.
Redundancy Core
Absorbing Man
On Reveal: If the last card you played has an On Reveal, copy its text. (if it’s in play)
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Decks with Absorbing Man
Both of these cards are stellar in this deck. While the location-filling cards are aggressive and strong per se, Absorbing Man and Iron Lad make Mister Sinister and Brood even better.
With Absorbing Man, we get another one or two copies if we play him after Mister Sinister or Brood, which means 10 or 15 more power for only four energy.
Iron Lad, for his part, continues to shine, and it has established itself as one of the most consistent cards in the game. Even though his effect may seem like it’s down to luck, if the other 11 cards in the deck have abilities that will always come in handy, Iron Lad certainly becomes an all-important tool for a deck to consistently carry out its plan.
Not only can he make copies of himself with Mister Sinister or Brood, but he can also enable buffs early (which can attract Rogue or Enchantress, releasing pressure to play more buffs during the last turn), or even transform into a card with no abilities (if Wasp or Cyclops are on top) and receive Patriot‘s buff.
Vanilla Core
There isn’t much science behind Wasp. However, I think it’s important to point out why we chose these out of the various Vanilla cards available.
Wasp has always been part of the equation in Patriot decks. As a virtual [0/3], she is incredibly good. If we add to this Blue Marvel‘s effect or some repeated buff thanks to Iron Lad, this little free card can often be the difference between winning and losing a game.
As for Cyclops, I knew that it was a matter of time until he was taken into account again once Patriot Surfer resurfaced. Cards with high power usually have drawbacks that are quite heavy, like Maximus. In this specific archetype, Cyclops is often at least a [3/6] thanks to Patriot or Silver Surfer. If more than one buff stacks up, Cyclops ends up being so much power for just three energy that we can’t pass it up.
Flex Core
America Chavez
On Reveal: Give the top card of your deck +2 Power.
view card details
Decks with America Chavez
These are the two slots that I would consider flexible in the deck. Armor comes in handy in the current meta where the release of X-23 has pushed Destroy archetypes. Also, there are times where we play Forge before Iron Lad and he copies Brood‘s effect, giving us three 9 power cards that we would like to protect. The same is true if Nidavellir appears and we want to play a buffed Mister Sinister or Brood there.
America Chavez certainly gives a lot of consistency to an archetype that needs to draw its important early-game cards as soon as possible. However, I think that, if adjusting the deck to changes in the meta was a priority, this card would be one of the first options to consider.
Card Substitutions
Scarlet Witch
On Reveal: Replace this location with a new one.
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Decks with Scarlet Witch
Having the ability to change an unfavorable location or turn off Limbo is becoming increasingly important. Moyen’s list included Scarlet Witch for a simple reason: it’s the cheapest way to access this effect.
In the version presented by den, we find Cosmo and Legion (who also appear in Moyen’s list).
Cards with effects similar to Cosmo are quite useful in this archetype thanks to how easy it is to get priority during the early game. Unlike reactive cards like Shang-Chi, where losing priority is important, cards like Cosmo with priority allows us to snipe the opponent and stop their important plays.
Likewise, being able to change a location with Legion before the opponent’s cards reveal can be decisive on more than one occasion.
Doctor Doom
On Reveal: Add a 5-Power DoomBot to each other location.
view card details
Decks with Doctor Doom
Wave
On Reveal: All cards cost a maximum of 4 until the end of next turn.
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Decks with Wave
With Doctor Doom back, it’s important to consider him as an option. Some time ago, we had seen versions of this archetype playing Doctor Doom. Thanks to Patriot, playing Doctor Doom meant 19 power, which is really powerful on Turn 6.
Wave often comes hand in hand when Doctor Doom is part of a deck. In addition to being able to heavily block the last turn of Sera decks, she allows us to set up the late game to a position where it’s very difficult for the opponent to compete with our powerful early game.
Other Ways to Build the Archetype
Moyen’s Surfer Patriot
Created by Bohe
Bohe, updated 8 months ago
4x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)
5x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)
1x Series 4 Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 4)
1x Series 5 Ultra Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 5)
1x Recruit Season
2.8
Cost
2.9
Power
Mentioning Moyen’s version is mandatory. Here we can see the aforementioned Scarlet Witch.
The important thing to note is that, in Moyen’s words, Scarlet Witch is the flex spot par excellence and can be supplanted by Armor, Shang-Chi, or any other three energy card that is both good on Turns 3 and 6 and that enables a decent hit with Iron Lad.
Patriot Surfer
Created by 
den
den, updated 8 months ago
4x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)
5x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)
1x Series 4 Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 4)
1x Series 5 Ultra Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 5)
1x Recruit Season
2.9
Cost
2.9
Power
The list that den presented is the one that was considered the standard list, with Cosmo and Legion as his flagship cards.
I’ve already mentioned why both cards are useful in the previous section. Playing this iteration of the archetype as a starting point before making your own decisions about flex spots is a good idea.
DoomWave Patriot
Created by Bohe
Bohe, updated 8 months ago
3x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)
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)
1x Recruit Season
3.2
Cost
3.3
Power
With the return of Doctor Doom, this version (already with good results in our tracker) has gained strength and popularity. Despite no longer playing Silver Surfer, the core idea is the same. Silver Surfer is a powerful late-game tool, but, in this case, the DoomWave combo serves a similar function by giving us that power Turn 6 and limiting our opponents at the same time.
Snap and Retreat
Early Game
Thanks to your aggressive early game, your opponent will have a lot of information during the first few turns – which often leads to early Retreats.
The clearest example would be the Forge > Brood > Absorbing Man curve. By the fourth turn, your position in the game can mark a total of points to beat. Try to Snap early on Turns 2, 3, or 4 before playing these cards, especially if you already have all of them in your hand.
Failing to do so can mean your best openings are worth nothing more than one cube/HP.
Mid to Late Game
If you haven’t Snapped and you’re already on Turn 4, there are still times that would be important to consider.
Not having Brood opens a couple of key opportunities. If you played Forge > Mister Sinister and your Turn 4 play is going to be Absorbing Man, you’re in a good position to Snap if you have Patriot or Blue Marvel in hand.
In the same way, playing Iron Lad on Turn 4 and snapping before it’s a good idea if we haven’t drawn Brood and we’re gaining two locations at the moment.
Retreat
The deck sets clear guidelines for Retreating. If, by the end of Turn 4, you are not winning two locations, staying in the game will depend on having an excellent draw on Turn 5 and very powerful options for closing the game.
Typically, this will mean having Silver Surfer, Blue Marvel, and/or Patriot. In the case of other builds shown here, the DoomWave combo also applies.
If the opponent Snaps early, you can answer the Snap and play fearlessly for eight cubes when you have Forge + Mister Sinister / Brood + Absorbing Man. If you only have some of these cards, you could still play by accepting the Snap but not Snapping back.
Locations
Good Locations
- Altar of Death, Death's Domain, Luke's Bar, Vormir: These types of inaccessible locations are easy to win with Mister Sinister and Brood.
- Asgard, Eternity Range, Gamma Lab, Hala, Kyln: Locations that are beneficial to win early reward your aggressive plan.
- Bar Sinister: Using this location for Silver Surfer or Patriot gives you amazing results.
- Camp Lehigh: An extra 3-Cost card that could fix your curve and receive a Silver Surfer buff is always appreciated.
- Cloning Vats: Many of your cards can be broken if you have multiple copies of them.
- Kamar-Taj: You have many good On Reveal effects, but Silver Surfer is fantastic here.
- Mojoworld, Muir Island, Nidavellir, Stark Tower, The Raft, The Sacred Timeline, White Hot Room, Xandar: Locations that incentivize you to play a lot of cards in the same place are pretty easy for your archetype to win.
- Onslaught's Citadel: Amazing for Patriot and Blue Marvel.
- Quantum Realm: Thanks to Forge, winning here with Mister Sinister or Brood is not a problem.
- Sinister London: Just like Cloning Vats, many of your cards do wonders if you have multiple copies of them.
- TVA: This is almost an insta-Snap. Winning a TVA game is very easy for your deck.
- Wakandan Embassy: A fantastic buff for Mister Sinister and Brood.
Bad Locations
- Asteroid M: It’s somewhat awkward to play when this location appears. Filling it up fast with Brood can help.
- Atlantis, The Space Throne: Locations that force you to compete with a single card are not your strength.
- Crimson Cosmos: It blocks many of your cards.
- Isle of Silence: You can play around it, but it limits your lanes for Patriot and Blue Marvel.
- Jotunheim, Necrosha, Negative Zone, Sewer System: Your deck is often affected when locations punish having multiple cards in them.
- Knowhere: It limit the places where you can play many of your cards.
- Morag: Your deck curves most games by playing one card at a time.
- Sanctum Sanctorum: You don’t have a way to play here unless you are playing the Doctor Doom version of the deck.
Match Ups
Versus Move Legion
Move Legion
Created by den
den, updated 8 months ago
3x 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)
2x Series 5 Ultra Rare – Collection Level 486+ (Pool 5)
2.9
Cost
3.8
Power
What characterizes this version of Patriot is its ability to compete in flexibility against decks that are powerful thanks to this same ability to adapt in the game.
If you play correctly, Shang-Chi will have no targets. Unlike Angela and Kraven, who require you to rack up points turn after turn, you do it much faster thanks to Forge, Mister Sinister, Brood, and Absorbing Man. This puts you in the lead and will put pressure on you, which forces the opponent to adapt quickly.
For the opponent, the problem with this is that you are pressuring with the same power in multiple lanes at once, which will make it difficult for them to properly choose where to respond.
It’s easy to know which locations will end up with the most points from Move Legion. Angela and Kraven are their anchors, so when you see these cards you want to try competing in the same locations quickly.
Versus Sera Surfer
Sera Surfer
Created by den
den, updated 8 months ago
2x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)
2x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)
8x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)
2.9
Cost
2.9
Power
This archetype has several cards similar to yours. They can also have a very aggressive start with the same combo as you, or they can play the game at a slower tempo with their Control tools like Storm, Juggernaut, Polaris, Spider-Man, and Shadow King.
Despite this, I believe you have a certain advantage for various reasons. First, a lot of the power of Sera Surfer relies on having Silver Surfer. In your case, that’s not so. Thanks to Patriot and Blue Marvel, you can push multiple lanes at the same time more consistently.
Spider-Man and Polaris can move cards, but when your power is evenly divided among all your cards, that isn’t a problem. The same thing happens with Juggernaut: he can move a card, but it doesn’t usually affect you much.
The most important thing in this match up is always playing with Shadow King in mind. He can certainly be decisive on the final turn. If Shadow King doesn’t make you lose on the last turn, you have a great chance of winning the game.
Versus Good Cards Stature
Good Cards Stature
Created by den
den, updated 8 months ago
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)
3.3
Cost
4.1
Power
Of the three decks mentioned in this section, this is the one that I think may be the trickiest. But I do not mean to say that it’s impossible to win against it. Their Shang-Chi has no targets, and Armor isn’t very relevant either.
However, this archetype plays Enchantress. It’s one of the only archetypes that does, and thanks to this card they have the possibility of turning off the buffs from Patriot and Blue Marvel. In any case, if you keep that in mind and focus your game on the final buff being, Silver Surfer you will be fine.
Also, it’s important to always keep Black Bolt in mind as he can discard Patriot or Silver Surfer if you’re not careful. Playing Patriot early can attract Enchantress, but this might relieve pressure for Blue Marvel. Saving Wasp or Armor as a backup in your hand (as Black Bolt targets) is often very important.
Turn by Turn Breakdown
Turn 1
Press the “End Turn” button.
Turn 2
Your priority will always be Forge. If you don’t have him, deciding between Armor and Mister Sinister will depend on whether you have Brood in hand and the opponent’s archetype.
Against Destroy, Armor is a priority. If not, playing Mister Sinister may be correct depending on the cards you have in your hand for the later turns. For example, if you draw Forge, playing him with Mister Sinister is a great Turn 4, but that could compete with Absorbing Man or Iron Lad. Think calmly.
Turn 3
The best play to follow up Forge is Brood. If you haven’t played Forge, exposing Patriot isn’t a good idea unless you’re already aware that the opponent can’t interact with him.
It’s in these cases that Cyclops is very good since he lets you save Mister Sinister or Brood in hand in case you draw Forge. This enables great turns during the mid game. Evaluate if this is beneficial or if playing Absorbing Man, Iron Lad, or Blue Marvel is better.
Turn 4
Continuing the general idea, if everything went perfectly, Absorbing Man should be the play that follows Brood.
If this has not been the case, it would also be correct to play him if your curve was Forge > Mister Sinister > Absorbing Man. Iron Lad is preferable when you have not had such an aggressive start and copying Mister Sinister or Brood is still possible. Playing Forge + Mister Sinister this turn is also a valid option.
Turn 5
The normal thing would be to be in a favorable position by now. In that case, your next natural play would be Blue Marvel.
Otherwise, there are several ways to position yourself favorably for the final turn. You can save Forge until this turn and play him in combination with Brood. That translates to 16 power for five energy, which is not a small investment.
Turn 6
If you already have the table set, playing Patriot + Silver Surfer is usually very difficult for your opponent to calculate, and it can give you the most points possible during the final turn.
When you are winning a location, competing for the second one with Brood + Silver Surfer or Forge + Brood can be enough to winning an unexpected lane.
Wasp is relevant on this turn when it can mean a minimum of three power for free. Wasp can even be a 0/5 if Iron Lad copies Patriot and you played Blue Marvel on Turn 5 (leaving Patriot for the final turn).
Playing America Chavez is correct if the opponent will have a lot of trouble competing with the current state of the field in more than one location.
Closing Words
Thank you, dear readers, for joining me in this guide. I hope that I have been able to provide you with useful information so that you can have successful games and achieve your goals by playing this archetype.
As time goes on, we have confirmed that, in addition to flexibility, aggressive early plays can put enough pressure on opponents to make their lives difficult, even if they are playing one of the most adaptable and powerful archetypes in the game.
There’s no doubt that this archetype showcases the most recent buff to Absorbing Man best by demonstrating how powerful it truly is. In addition, the archetype has room to adapt to the meta by changing Armor for any other necessary card. I think we will certainly continue to see this archetype shine for a long time to come.
Let us know what you think in the Marvel Snap Community Discord, my Twitter, my Stream, and the comment section of this article, and we will always gladly read your responses.
Don’t forget that I have started providing personal coaching services for Marvel Snap. If you want to contact me, you can look for me on Discord as bohettv, on my Twitter, or via email at [email protected]
Thanks for reading, and as I always say, don’t forget to smile; I assure you that it makes a difference.
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Bohe
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