Marvel Snap: Best Decks for Beginners

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Penned by Drew Swanson

Drew has been a fan of games since he could hold a GameCube controller. Nowadays, he plays everything from mobile and PC games, to PS5 and Switch.

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

Understanding how to play Marvel Snap to its fullest can be a daunting task for players new to the game. Luckily, the game eases players into the fray with its tiered card series system. Each of these decks utilizes cards in Series/Pool 1, meaning players will have access to them from early in the game. With this system in mind, here are the best Marvel Snap decks for beginners to test the waters with. The goal of these decks is to familiarize new players with the key mechanics of the game and the different types of play styles they will encounter as they rise through the ranks.

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The Best Pool 2 Decks in Marvel Snap

4 Best Marvel Snap Decks for Beginners

Let’s get right into our breakdown of the best Marvel Snap decks for beginners so you can start your climb through the ranks off on the right foot.

Deck #1: On Reveal

On Reveal abilities are one of the core card types in Marvel Snap. As such, new players should familiarize themselves with how these cards work.

Card List & Stats

This is one of Marvel Snap’s best decks for beginners because it showcases how powerful On Reveal effects can be. The best cards for turn one are either Rocket Raccoon or Yondu since they can give the player an early advantage. Nightcrawler’s ability to move lanes can be useful despite not being an On Reveal ability. Medusa and Star Lord are both 2-Cost/2-Power cards with the potential to reach 5-Power when played correctly thanks to their on reveal abilities.

Ironheart can power up cards even further with her On Reveal ability despite having 0-Power herself. Enchantress is a strong 4-Cost card whose On Reveal ability negates all Ongoing abilities at a location. This ability can throw a wrench in your opponent’s strategy if timed well. Jessica Jones has another On Reveal ability that can net her a total Power of 8 as long as you don’t play a card at the same location the next turn.

The final turns of the match should be dedicated to ensuring one location has three other cards with helpful on reveal abilities. White Tiger may only have 1-Power, but her ability plays a Tiger with 7-Power at another location. Gamora can reach a total Power of 12 if played at the same location an opponent plays a card that turn. With a field set up with several strong On Reveal cards, players should play Odin on turn six to reactivate the On Reveal abilities of all their cards at that location, potentially resulting in a huge late-game power swing.

Deck #2: Ongoing

The core type of ability in Marvel Snap is the Ongoing ability, and this deck aims to teach players how to effectively use cards of this type.

Card List & Stats

The goal of this deck is to take advantage of some powerful Ongoing cards like Devil Dinosaur and power up others while shutting down your opponent’s strategy. Nightcrawler and Uatu the Watcher aren’t cards with Ongoing abilities but are flexible cards to use in this deck. Uatu is especially useful for seeing if one of the locations will be Isle of Silence since this location disables all Ongoing abilities of cards there.

Cable has an On Reveal ability that is useful for adding more cards to your hand to boost the Power of Devil Dinosaur later on in the match. Lizard, Punisher, and Mister Fantastic are all Ongoing cards that can help bolster locations in need of more power. Captain America can also provide a much needed buff to cards at his location. Cosmo is important as his ability effectively shuts down an opponent from playing On Reveal cards at a location. 

The lynchpin of this deck is Devil Dinosaur whose Ongoing ability grants him +2 Power for each card in your hand. Moon Girl can help boost his power by doubling your hand size. Either Onslaught or Spectrum make for great turn six plays depending on the situation. Onslaught doubles the effect of all Ongoing abilities at a location while Spectrum spreads that Power out by granting +2 Power to all your Ongoing cards.

Deck #3: Managing Tempo

One of the keys to becoming a better Marvel Snap player is learning how to manage the tempo of the game, and this deck aims to teach you those skills.

Card List & Stats

The goal of this deck is to teach players how effectively managing the tempo of a game can lead to a big power swing on turn six and often win them the match. As such, the deck features a variety of cards dedicated to powering up the field as the match progresses. On turn one, players can play any of the deck’s 1-Cost cards, but Hawkeye is a great choice since his ability grants him +2 Power if a card is played at the same location next turn. This pairs well with Angela since she gains +2 Power each time a card is played at the same location, meaning players can player her before or after Hawkeye to quickly get a nice power increase

Controlling the middle location is ideal for this deck as both Medusa and Mister Fantastic benefit from being played there. Captain America can give one location a sizable boost if it already has three cards as it gives each of them +1 Power. Jessica Jones should be played at a location the player doesn’t plan to play anything at next turn since her ability gives her +4 Power if they don’t. 

Towards the end of the match, players should drop Iron Man on a location that could use a power boost since his ability doubles the location’s power. This can give the player some great momentum going into the final turn depending on how much Power a location already has. America Chavez is the perfect play on turn six since she is guaranteed to be drawn that turn and adding her 9-Power to a location can help swing it to your favor.

Deck #4: Lockdown Control

Aside from learning to manage tempo, being able to control the field and lock down locations to prevent opponents from playing cards there is another vital part of Marvel Snap strategy.

Card List & Stats

The goal of this deck is to lock down locations you are winning to prevent opponents from swinging momentum in their favor during the final turns of a match. This deck sort of acts as the opposite of the tempo management deck. Korg and Nightcrawler are all-around solid 1-Cost cards that are quite versatile. Like in the tempo management deck, Angela is once again useful here for snowballing power as the match goes on, a role Bishop will also play.

Armor is important as she can be used to stop opponents utilizing destroy decks in their tracks. Meanwhile, Scarlet Witch can potentially turn an unfavorable location into a favorable one. Cosmo is great for shutting down On Reveal cards, and Mister Fantastic can help boost adjacent locations. 

The key to this deck is ensuring you play Professor X on turn five to prevent the opponent from playing anything there on turn six. Professor X locks anyone out from playing at a location, so it’s ideal to play him on a lane you’re winning. However, Klaw can help you win a location with Professor X there as his ability powers up the location to his right. Spectrum can also provide a turn six power boost to all of your Ongoing cards like Professor X and Armor.

Join the High Ground

Hopefully this guide to the best Pool 1 decks for beginners in Marvel Snap was useful and you now feel more comfortable taking on challengers as you make your way up the ranks of Marvel Snap’s ladder. Let us know which decks you find success with in the comments down below. While you’re there, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss any of our upcoming guides for Marvel Snap.

Happy Gaming!