Best U.S. Agent Decks to Try on Day 1 and Strategy Guide

U.S. Agent is the second Series 5 card for the April 2024 Season, Thunderbolts. It is a 2-Cost, 3-Power card that reads: Ongoing: 4, 5, and 6-Cost cards here have -3 Power. Today, we will take a deeper look at the new card and, of course, the best decks to try it out in.

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Variants

U.S. Agent

Ongoing: 4, 5, and 6-Cost cards here have -4 Power.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with U.S. Agent

Strengths and Weaknesses

U.S. Agent is the latest Series 5 card to join Marvel Snap, and this one comes with an effect akin to Man-Thing. For two energy you get a three power card that also afflicts ALL 4-, 5-, and 6-Cost cards at the location with -3 power. In theory, this has the potential to take nine power from the opponent’s board, but this ceiling is highly unlikely. So, how can you really use this card, and just how effective will it be?

Variants

Iron Man

Ongoing: Your total Power is doubled here.

Starter Card

view card details Start a deck Decks with Iron Man

Variants

Onslaught

Ongoing: Double your other Ongoing effects here.

Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Onslaught

Variants

The Living Tribunal

Ongoing: Split your total Power evenly among all locations.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with The Living Tribunal

The immediate cards that this impacts the most don’t have the biggest stats. Iron Man becomes -3 with the effect from U.S. Agent, and this could be a useful way to impact these combinations—even through Cosmo. This example captures how this card is different from other counter cards. Unlike other cards, it will work through Cosmo to impact these cards, and a lot of cards U.S. Agent can hit are not actually Shang-Chi targets. This is, however, overshadowed by the card just not being useful in many scenarios.

Variants

Shang-Chi

On Reveal: Destroy all enemy cards here that have 10 or more Power.

Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Shang-Chi

Variants

Rogue

On Reveal: Steal the text from an enemy Ongoing card here.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Rogue

However, this application is incredibly narrow. Having a card in your deck that is incredible when you face The Living Tribunal or Mister Negative only isn’t an exciting proposition—especially when other counter cards do more in more situations. These other cards like Shang-Chi, Rogue, and Enchantress don’t require you to warp your deck to limit the impact on yourself as much as U.S. Agent does.

The effect from this card is symmetrical. If you play any 4-, 5-, or 6-Cost cards on the same location, you will also get hit with the -3 power. This requires you to either not play any high-cost cards in that location or play something like Luke Cage. As such, this card is unlikely to have a large enough impact as just a tech card. In order for it to be really effective, U.S. Agent will need to synergize with other parts of the deck.

Variants

High Evolutionary

At the start of the game, unlock the potential of your cards with no abilities.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with High Evolutionary

Variants

Luke Cage

Ongoing: Your cards can’t have their Power reduced.

Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

view card details Start a deck Decks with Luke Cage

Variants

Man-Thing

Ongoing: 1, 2, and 3-Cost cards here have -2 Power.

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

view card details Start a deck Decks with Man-Thing

You could potentially start to consider more affliction combinations as the best way to maximize this card. If you combine this card with the likes of Luke Cage and Man-Thing, you can potentially create a deck that adds taxes to playing in every location for your opponent.

At only two energy, this direction has the potential to work. It would likely only be a part of these decks, but they could be the best place to minimize the impact on yourself while gaining the most from the effect. These decks would look to use the -3 power as a way of swinging power and making the card worth at least six power (whenever you can). This might be enough to make it functional in these decks.

Variants

Spectrum

On Reveal: Give your Ongoing cards +2 Power.

Collection Level 1-14

view card details Start a deck Decks with Spectrum

This leads me to one more synergy worth mentioning; it is, after all, an Ongoing card. These decks often already run very few high-cost cards, so this can be a potential home as well. It works as a target for Spectrum buffs while having an impact on what your opponent can play in a lane.

The Verdict

This one takes some work to see how it could be effective, which is only really when the right cards all fall in the right locations. As a tech card, it’s effective range is very narrow, but there will be times when the -3 power surprises your opponent and wins you the game (similar to how Man-Thing can win games).

It is still only a 2-Cost though, and decks that are looking to afflict the opponent’s cards or use Ongoing cards can be built with U.S. Agent. This means that the card is potentially playable. The question will be whether it actually improves any of these decks in any significant way.

As it stands, it is hard to imagine how this card will have a big enough impact on the meta or how the meta could change to improve this card. The effect is narrow, easily countered, and can hurt you as much as your opponent without the use of other cards or an accommodating strategy. Most of these strategies can operate entirely without this card, and it might just be easier to play without it.

Potential Score:

Spectrum

The Spectrum of USA

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 25 days ago

0

1x Collection Level 1-14

3x Collection Level 18-214 (Pool 1)

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)

1x Recruit Season

3

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4.3

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

This Spectrum deck looks to incorporate the negative effects from U.S. Agent to provide some value, but this deck primarily supports the card by not being impacted by it much. The value will be there sometimes, but it will often just act as a way to activate Ms. Marvel and get extra power from Spectrum.

Hazmat

U.S. Hazard

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 25 days ago

0

1x Collection Level 1-14

7x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

3.2

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

3.9

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

This deck is all-in on Hazmat and even runs Echo since that is really the only plan here. Man-Thing and U.S. Agent provide further affliction, and Luke Cage is here to ensure you don’t feel the downsides.

The full line is Echo ➔ Zabu ➔ Luke Cage, followed by Wong ➔ Hazmat + Absorbing Man ➔ Odin on Turn 6. Then you just hope your opponent has played cards during the game.

CTRL ALT US

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 25 days ago

0

2x 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)

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

3.2

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4.8

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

A more consistent direction may be to slot U.S. Agent into the Toxic Sera Control deck (where he fits kind of perfectly). Here he is used as a proactive card that can have an impact on the final turns. This style of deck is where U.S. Agent may be able to surprise opponents and show some real value.

High Evolutionary

Get High In The USA

Created by SafetyBlade

, updated 25 days ago

0

1x Collection Level 222-474 (Pool 2)

2x Collection Level 486+ (Pool 3)

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

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

4x Starter Card

3.2

Cost

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

4.6

Power

0-
1
2
3
4
5+

Here you want to afflict as many cards as possible for a cheap Abomination and big Hulk on the final turn. Playing U.S. Agent to hit a single 4- or 5-drop should be enough when combined with Man-Thing and Evolved Cyclops.

Variants

Closing Thoughts

While U.S. Agent is not the strongest card of the Thunderbolts season, he could slot into a couple fringe decks and make a real impact. Will that impact be worth the card? Probably not, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Good Luck, Have Fun, and Stay Safe!