Table of Contents
Welcome to our new series of Marvel Snap guides, where we feature a Series 4 or 5 card and analyze how to use it. The goal is to give you a tutorial on how to use the card most effectively in an everchanging meta, as well as help you decide if the card is worth the tokens or if you should pick it up during a Spotlight Cache week!
We will aim to revise this guide each time it becomes featured in a Spotlight Cache. If the card becomes rebalanced or the meta has changed a lot, please let us know in the comments and we will look to update it based on demand!
Decks with X-23
Series 5 cards can be purchased for 6,000 Collector’s Tokens from the Token Shop initially as a Weekly Spotlight card, or opened as one of the featured cards in the Spotlight Caches that are found every 120 Levels on the Collection Level Track after Collection Level 500 (until the next new card releases the following week).
Who is X-23?
X-23, also known as Laura Kinney, is the clone / daughter of Wolverine. As Wolverine’s descendant, she possesses the same abilities of regeneration and weirds retractable adamantium claws. While once created to be a trained assassin, she escaped and found herself allied with the X-Men. She would one day take the mantle as The Wolverine.
The character is fairly new, being first introduced in the show X-Men Evolution. The character has since had many more stories written about her, as well as her first live action appearance. In the film Logan, X-23 makes her introduction to the X-Men live action universe.
How to Use X-23
X-23 is the key card that unlocks new play lines for destroy decks. Her ability to give extra energy lets you ramp out big cards, or simply play multiple smaller targets early game easier. Her ability also works for discard decks, though the effect is hardly ever utilized. Her usage is nearly identical to Wolverine for both discard and destroy decks.
Best Synergies
Since you can destroy her multiple times, X-23 pairs great with Knull and Death. Each destruction adds Power to Knull, and lowers the Cost for Death! Her extra energy can also help to ramp out Knull early, which can give you the option for Arnim Zola on turn 6!
Decks with Knull
Decks with Arnim Zola
To maximize her effectiveness with Knull, she also works great with Forge and Hulkbuster! Since she can’t be destroyed, the extra Power lets her ramp Knull‘s Power at a more efficient rate.
Decks with Hulkbuster
All of your destroy cards can enable X-23‘s ability. Carnage, Venom, and Deathlok all have equal utility, but Killmonger is especially useful. If your X-23 lands in a location that is difficult to destroy her in, Killmonger can still trigger her without issue.
Decks with Carnage
Decks with Venom
If you want to try using X-23 in a discard deck, Colleen Wing is your best discarder. Since she targets the lowest Power card in hand, X-23 should most often be your Lowest Power. Discarding her can give you a boost to your energy next turn, and also clear your hand for more important discard targets.
Decks with Colleen Wing
Meta Competitive Deck
Kingvenom
This is your standard destroy list. While it’s an old list, it still remains the best classic destroy list out there. X-23 uses her strongest synergies in a number of ways, and is the bread and butter of the deck.
Fun Off-Meta Deck
den
This deck made an appearance during Blink’s season. It is a wacky destroy deck that uses Galactus as a surprise win condition. X-23 allows you a destruction focused ramp tool to get targets like Knull, Destroyer, and Galactus on the board sooner. She also gives you an unkillable card, which can win you the match if you play Galactus onto a location like Alter of Death.
Weaknesses and Things to Avoid
Your typical destroy counters are your biggest weakness with X-23. Armor and Cosmo can prevent destruction, making her a simple [1/2].
Since X-23 can land randomly, she may often times be the only card at a location. This makes her vulnerable to Red Guardian, especially since X-23 will often be your lowest Power card at a location. If she is powerless, her destruction will stop your late game combos.
Decks with Red Guardian
Closing Thoughts
Destroy decks often rise and fall in meta standings, though the deck itself has rarely been nerfed. When the surrounding meta is favorable to the destroy archetype, X-23 can shine and help enable some of the best combos in the game. While you will never really use her discard functionality, her usefulness to destroy decks definitely makes up for it.
Is X-23 worth using 6K Collector’s Tokens?
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