Marvel Snap is one of the best card games for mobile, and it’s reviewed quite well, but despite its accessibility, you may struggle with building a deck. While your first deck will take you through the first couple of ranks, you’ll need to change up your strategy to reach victory.
Deck building in Marvel Snap is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the 12-card limit helps clarify potential strategies but can cause agonizing decisions over what to include.
We’ve gathered up the best decks for Marvel Snap for all players, but building them is half the battle. We’ve also explained how these decks work, so you can hit the ground running. And if you’re looking to get the most out of Marvel Snap, try playing the collectible card game on one of the best budget Android tablets for a much more immersive experience compared to playing on a phone.
Want to try deck-building outside of the game? Use this handy online deck builder to experiment with cards you don’t own.
What are Marvel Snap’s Pools?
This section is for beginners, so if you’re already familiar with Pools, you can skip ahead.
Marvel Snap doesn’t let you craft or buy cards outright, unlike other collectible card games. Instead, you unlock cards by ranking up your collection level, which is increased by upgrading cards.
While it seems random at first, the cards you unlock in the Collection Level Track are divided into three groups called Pools. While each Pool contains the same cards, the order in which players unlock them is random. This means beginners cannot immediately build decks from Pool 2 or 3 cards.
- Pool 1 (46 cards) – Level 18 – 214
- Pool 2 (25 cards) – Level 222 – 474
- Pool 3 (74 cards) – Level 486+
To avoid confusion, we’ve organized these decks into their respective Pools. Those new to the game should focus on Pool 1 decks while making use of these tips & tricks for beginners, and experienced players should skip to the Pool 3 section.
Regardless of your collection level, you may encounter cards from higher pools than yours. Because of this, we’ve included standard counters to Pool 1 and Pool 2 decks to save you from some crushing defeats.
Best Pool 1 decks
Due to the limited choice of cards, you may struggle to rack up consistent victories with Pool 1 decks. We recommend trying out a few to get a feel for the game’s mechanics, then replacing some cards in your favorite deck with Pool 2 cards.
Devil Dinosaur
Knowing that you don’t need to win every location is key here. Devil Dinosaur increases in power for every card in your hand (to a max of 17) and can be increased to 34 when paired with Onslaught. If you’re lucky enough to encounter the right locations, you can multiply this effect by stacking Iron Man on top. In turns 1-4, focus on filling your hand with cards to maximize Devil Dinosaur’s impact.
Watch out for: Shang-Chi
This Pool 2 card can be devastating to this deck, as its On Reveal ability can easily take out Devil Dinosaur. Counter this by playing Armor or Cosmo in the same location as Devil Dinosaur.
Ongoing
Ongoing is a relatively easy deck for beginners; it follows simple rules to achieve victory. The key cards here are Namor and Klaw. Ensure Namor stands alone on the rightmost slot and use Klaw to boost his power. Control another location with Iron Man; you’ve got some easy wins.
Watch out for: Enchantress
This card can nullify the effects of any Ongoing cards at its location. Fortunately, it’s an On Reveal card, so counter it via bluffing or Cosmo to waste your opponent’s attempt to nullify your best cards.
Best Pool 2 decks
Once you’ve collected a few Pool 2 cards, we recommend remaking your Pool 1 decks from scratch. Many Pool 2 cards, like Killmonger of Shang-Chi, are devastating to early decks.
Discard
The concept for this deck is simple, discard Apocalypse as often as possible, then slam him on the board to guarantee a location win. Apocalypse can’t win you two locations, so use powerful low-cost cards like Morbius and Blade to secure another location.
Watch out for: Discarding the wrong card
This is a reasonably risky deck, as you may discard necessary cards or never discard Apocalypse. We’ve included America Chavez to minimize this risk, but it’s wise to know when to cut your losses when playing with certain decks.
Movement
Pool 2 introduces plenty of movement cards that synergize with each other well. While it isn’t a very adaptable deck (if you spot the Fisk Tower location, retreat!), you can chain up a devastating combo without much risk. Multiple Man and Vulture are the keys to this deck, so play them as early as possible.
Watch out for: Predictable gameplay
By turn 3, your opponent will know what you’re up to with this deck. We recommend Snapping early if your opening hand looks good, as your opponent may retreat early. Keep an eye out for Professor X, as it prevents your cards from moving around.
Best Pool 3 decks
Pool 3 is where things start getting serious. While you can occasionally get away with using Pool 1 decks against Pool 2 tiers, this strategy won’t work here. Playing with these cards requires strong knowledge of the metagame.
Destroyer
The addition of Destroyer in Pool 3 offers players the ability to build an easy-to-learn but powerful deck. This 16-power card destroys all your other cards, but by including cards like Bucky Barnes and Armor, you can take advantage or negate this effect. Play Wave to put Destroyer down early.
Watch out for: Card placement
This deck can fall apart very quickly without careful card placement. Don’t be afraid to skip a turn for optimal positioning, and play Green Goblin and Hobgoblin in a different location than Destroyer for maximum efficiency.
Sera
While the Destroyer deck is relatively easy to learn, this deck requires key knowledge of all your options. Sera reduces the cost of all your cards by one, allowing you to chain up some truly devastating end-game combos. While Sera is vital here, this deck also rewards creative thinking, so it’s ideal for high-skill players who want to show off their deck-building skills.
Watch out for: Enchantress
While the Sera deck is incredibly powerful in the right hands, it’s also a common sight in Pool 3 decks. Expect people to counter your deck with cards like Enchantress, so keep all three locations open for Sera to minimize the chance of encountering it.
Practice is the best way to win
Building the best deck isn’t a guaranteed victory. The best players know their decks inside and out and what their opponents might play. Once you’ve made a deck you’re happy with, try out these tips and tricks to ensure you’re using it to its full effect.
