Sanctum Showdown Surge Guide & Best Decks – May 2026

Sanctum Showdown Surge Arrives May 14! So what is changing from the original game mode? In this article, you can find out all the event details and the decks you can play.

Every turn scores now.

We’re introducing a new citrus-flavored twist on our favorite game of location domination. Sanctum Showdown Surge has you surging around the world as you start with 4 Energy and 4 cards in hand, but the new rules let you earn points much faster.

This mode offers a total potential of 4 points on Turn 1, 7 points on Turn 2, and 9 points by Turn 3. Play and progress on the reward track to unlock the new Series 4 card, Ikari.

Sanctum Showdown Surge is available May 14–21. The shop will remain open for an additional 48 hours after the event ends.

What is Sanctum Showdown Surge?

Sanctum Showdown Surge is an extreme variation of Sanctum Showdown built around constant scoring and shifting priorities.

In traditional Sanctum Showdown, players enter with Scrolls, play a match, and earn event rewards through the mode’s normal progression systems. Surge changes the actual gameplay pace. Instead of only caring about the Sanctum starting from turn 3, players score even more Sanctum points every turn based on the locations they are currently winning.

The first player to reach 16 or more points wins the game.

How do you play?

Each game starts with 4 cards and 4 Energy.

At the start of each turn, one random location becomes the Sanctum. Players then play cards as normal, trying to win as many locations as possible before scoring happens for that turn.

You score points from each location you are winning:

• The Sanctum is worth 2 points on Turn 1.
• The Sanctum is worth 3 points on Turn 2.
• The Sanctum is worth 5 points from Turn 3 onward.
• Other locations are worth 1 point on Turn 1.
• Other locations are worth 2 points from Turn 2 onward.

Each turn, players can also **Snap **to add +1 point to the Sanctum.

The first player to reach 16+ points wins the game and earns a free play.

How is Surge different from traditional Sanctum Showdown?

The biggest difference is simple: every turn scores MORE.

Traditional Sanctum Showdown plays closer to a standard match with event rewards layered on top. You enter with Scrolls, play the match, earn XP and Charms, and use those Charms in the Sanctum Shop.

Sanctum Showdown Surge keeps the event structure, but changes how the game itself is scored:

1. You score Sanctum points every turn, not just starting turn 3.
2. Non-Sanctum locations matter even more because they score more points than before.
3. The game ends when a player reaches 16 or more points.
   In short: traditional Sanctum Showdown rewards winning the match, while Surge rewards controlling the board turn after turn and adapting to the shifting Sanctum starting from turn 1.

The Verdict

Obviously, those changes will impact how we play Sanctum Showdown. Not only can games end as soon as turn 3 if a player dominates early, impactful abilities can be played as soon as the game starts.

Immediately, I think of two possible avenues to tackle this mode: The hot start, or the combo we can get off on turn two or three. Just like the old Sanctum Showdown, turn three remains the first turn with the maximum amount of points on the line. As such, we can either work towards being ahead entering turn three, or setup a synergy that will develop so many points it’ll build our total in one swoop.

In the previous Sanctum Showdown, it was impossible to play combo decks, as those tend to shine in the later turns. In this Surge iteration, the game starts in the later turns, meaning we’ll have 15 total energy to spend over the first three turns.

Plus, a good amount of disruptive cards, such as Juggernaut, Negasonic Teenage Warhead or Supergiant are banned. We’ll still have to worry about Cosmo and such cards, but combo decks should be in a much better spot in the Sanctum Showdown Surge.

Sanctum Showdown Surge Economy

Sanctum Showdown Surge is available May 14–21. The Relic Shop will remain open for 48 hours after the event ends.

Playing Sanctum Showdown Surge earns Charms, which can be spent in the Relic Shop. Players can also earn XP to progress through the Event Pass. Leftover **Charms **and Scrolls convert into **Boosters **after the event ends.

Premium Pass

The Premium Event Pass is available for 800 Gold

The Premium Pass immediately grants:

• 720 XP
• 2 Scrolls
• 1 Green Glyphs Border

Premium rewards also include:

• 1,800 Charms
• 10 Scrolls
• 250 Collector’s Tokens
• The exclusive Ikari — System Studios Variant

Event Pass Details — Sanctum Showdown Surge

New Card: Ikari

Ikari is available through the free track of the Event Pass.

The Premium Track ends with the Ikari — System Studios Variant.

Relic Shop

Use Charms earned from Sanctum Showdown Surge to claim rewards in the Relic Shop.

Portal Pull

Open a portal and summon a new card.

Portal Pull Cost: 800 Charms

Featured Portal Pull cards include:

• White Tiger — Creative House Pocket Variant
• Terrax the Tamer — Creative House Pocket Variant
• Gambit — Don Aguillo Variant

Daily Rotating Offers

The Daily Rotating Offers refresh every 8 hours.

• 7 Scrolls — 100 Gold
• Avatar — 150 Charms or Emote — 1,500 Charms
• Rare Variant — 500 Charms or Super Rare Variant — 800 Charms

All Offers

• Series 4 Collector’s Pack — 1,700 Charms, quantity 1
• Series 3 Card Pack — 600 Charms, quantity 3
• Premium Mystery Variant — 500 Charms, quantity 2
• Silver Samurai — Jon Lam Variant — 800 Charms
• Shadowlands daredevil “Let’s Dance” Emote — 1,500 Charms
• Purple Fire Border — 600 Charms, quantity 12
• Green Distressed Border — 600 Charms, quantity 12
• Green Fire Border — 600 Charms, quantity 12
• Black Cosmic Border — 600 Charms, quantity 12
• Orange Cosmic Border — 600 Charms, quantity 12
• Green Cosmic Border — 600 Charms, quantity 12
• Green Glyphs Border — 300 Charms, quantity 6
• Premium Mystery Border — 600 Charms
• Mystery Border — 300 Charms
• 100 Credits — 60 Charms, quantity 3
• 50 Credits — 30 Charms, quantity 3

List of Banned Cards

Some cards are banned because of the unique rules and gameplay of Sanctum Showdown Surge. Compared against the previous Sanctum Showdown banned list, the newly banned additions appear to be:

• Galactus First Steps
• Wiccan

Full Banned Card List:

• Annihilus
• Cannonball
• Captain Marvel
• Cull Obsidian
• Dracula
• Galactus
• Green Goblin
• Hobgoblin
• Invisible Woman
• Juggernaut
• Magik
• Makkari
• Malekith
• Man-Spider
• Martyr
• M'Baku
• Mysterio
• Negasonic Teenage Warhead
• Quake
• Rocket and Groot
• Rocket Raccoon
• Sauron
• Scream
• Storm
• Supergiant
• Surtur
• Viper
• Werewolf By Night

Decks for Sanctum Showdown Surge

Series 3 Sanctum Showdown Surge Decks