Marvel Snap is one of the hottest card games to hit Android in 2022. Our hands-on experience with Marvel Snap has only left us wanting more; the simple ruleset, quick tutorial, and lightning-fast matches are key ingredients why this game has a low barrier of entry for new players. However, the game isn’t afraid to throttle your way into PvP, which is why Android Police has assembled a handy guide for beginners — this way, anyone can start on a level playing field while strategizing on their favorite Android gaming phone.
How to play Marvel Snap
The game’s tutorial does a great job explaining the basics, but there is more to Marvel Snap than meets the eye, so we’ve outlined the primary ruleset you’ll utilize in your matches.
Objective and how to win
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You have six turns in total, and the game ends once all six turns have been played.
- Only 12 cards per deck and no duplicates are allowed.
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The game’s objective is to have more points than your opponent at each location (only three in total) by the end of the game. The player who scores the highest at the location takes ownership of that location, so you only need to win two out of three locations to secure the win.
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Regarding tiebreakers
: If you manage to tie with your opponent for location control, the tiebreaker is determined by the power differential at each of your winning locations.
The point system and passives
You only have to worry about two point systems for your matches: the energy (the blue icon), the effective cost for playing that card, and your power (the golden yellow icon), which is your card’s value that’ll add up to your total points in that location.
You acquire more energy per turn, so you don’t necessarily have to use up all your points on that turn, and the card’s power can change with passives.
Your cards may hold passives that change when you play them, often giving you more power when you’ve correctly played them in the most advantageous position. But not only do your cards have effects but so do the locations. You could potentially lose cards played in a location if you ignore the passives. Build out a card army, and poof, you might lose your army, thanks to RNG not being in your favor!
Competitive play
The Snap feature raises the stakes of winning and losing a match, enabling a lot of competitive play during your matches. Essentially it promotes gambling on winning more cubes or giving up more upon losing, which may choke out your opponents if you’re willing to put a lot on the line during your matches. Collecting cubes determine your rank. The more you own, the higher you climb the competitive ladder. Players that take risks may become rewarded handsomely depending on how many cubes they win per match. And if you’re stressed over how to tackle your competitive games, we have plenty of tips and tricks for advanced players that’ll up your strategic thinking during your sessions.
Note: Conceding matches happen when you or your opponent forfeits a match before it ends; you win/lose less when a forfeit occurs.
You don’t have to worry about your rank until you’ve reached level 10; you’ll start as a Recruit on default and then work your way to the top towards Infinite. The higher your rank during the season, the more rewards you’ll earn!
How to get more cards in Marvel Snap
Thankfully Marvel Snap is one of the best free-to-play games out there, with good reason. Gone are the days of dumping loads of money on opening gacha-based packs. However, it doesn’t mean you’ll cruise your way through unlocking more cards; it still requires diligent grinding to build your deck with your favorite cards.
Raising your Collection Level
Cards are broken down into pools, and to earn a specific card, you must unlock cards within those pools first. But accessing a new set of cards requires raising your Collection Level and clearing the previous card pool. You can increase your Collection Level simply by upgrading your cards to higher rarities.
Credits and Boosters
Upgrading cards require Credits and Boosters. So we’ve outlined the best sources to get more Credits and Boosters.
- Completing daily missions
- Caches in the season pass and Collection Level reward track
- Reaching a new tier in your Collection Level
- Boosters are tied to character cards; using lower rarity cards in matches has a higher chance of receiving Boosters
Ranking up in competitive play
Going up in rank during ladder play will grant a random card within a pool. It doesn’t guarantee you a specific card, but it is still another source for raising your Collection Level by having more cards you can upgrade.
Collector’s Tokens and the Token Shop
Unlocking late-game cards is difficult, sometimes taking months to get the card you want. But since the Power Cosmic season launch, the update brings a desired (permanent) feature for players who’ve reached Collection Level 500+. At Collection Level 500, a Token Shop unlocks where there’s a selection of rotating cards; you can pin and secure those cards by trading in Collector’s Tokens. To earn more Tokens, you must open Collector’s Caches and Collector’s Reserves in the Collection Level reward track. Alternatively, you can purchase Tokens by spending real money on the premium bundles.
Tips and tricks for beginners
Now that you know the general ruleset, it’s time to add some strategy with these compiled tips and tricks that we believe every beginner should know!
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Prepared the wrong play
? You can tap the energy icon to access the
Undo all actions
button. -
Save on your Credits
; your Credits are a more scarce resource. Even if purchasing Boosters is tempting, you can earn those just by playing. -
Anticipate the card reveal order
; it might be the difference maker in a match. The player with more control over the location (i.e., the most power points in each location) will reveal their cards first, and ties will generate a random order. The player’s nameplate on who reveals first will glow. -
Be selective with the cards going into your deck
. Only 12 cards make it into a deck, and you can choose which ones (no duplicates); ensure you have a mixture of hero cards that synergize well with your other cards that way you can construct the
best decks in Marvel Snap
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Don’t spread yourself too thin
. It’s better to build up your cards to secure one location at a time and have a strong standing with two locations by the end of the six turns. You only need to win two out of three locations to close out the match! -
Get good at energy management
. Be cheap with your energy cost so you can play your beastly cards later in the game. Some cards have conditional passives (but require 1 or 2 energy points to play) that add more power if you meet the requirements.
Play your cards right in Marvel Snap
Surprisingly, Marvel Snap offers a lot of depth for such a simple game, a welcoming entry for beginners and veteran card players. Matches are quick, and the lack of aggressive monetization on acquiring cards showed how Marvel Snap deserved to win the Best Mobile Game at the Games Awards 2022. And if you’re an avid enjoyer of the best card games on Android, you’ll want to start snapping your way to victory by downloading the Marvel Snap app below.
