Building a deck that can stand up to the competition is crucial to Marvel Snap’s gameplay. Luckily, the game is divided in different card pools, changing which cards are available to players based on their Collection Level. This lets new players face off against opponents with access to the same pool of cards, making the matches more fair. Even within Pool 1, players will want to know which decks offer the best chance of success. Today, we’re breaking down the best Pool 1 decks in Marvel Snap, going over which cards to use, and looking at the strategy for how to use them most effectively.
Marvel Snap | Best Pool 1 Decks
Let’s dive right into the best decks for Pool 1 in Marvel Snap, ranked from good to fantastic!
5/5
KaZoo Deck
This deck is designed to flood the field with 1-Cost cards that get a power up from Kazar’s Ongoing ability to make them more powerful than they initially appear.
Card List
| Ant-Man 1-Cost/1-Power | Elektra 1-Cost/1-Power | Squirrel Girl 1-Cost/1-Power | Nightcrawler 1-Cost/2-Power | Rocket Raccoon 1-Cost/2-Power | Angela 2-Cost/0-Power |
| Lizard 2-Cost/5-Power | Mister Fantastic 3-Cost/2-Power | Captain America 3-Cost/3-Power | Kazar 4-Cost/4-Power | Blue Marvel 5-Cost/3-Power | Onslaught 6-Cost/7-Power |
Strategy
The goal of this deck is to fill the field with as many 1-Cost cards as possible so that higher-power cards like Kazar, Blue Marvel, and Onslaught can buff them at the end of the match. Squirrel Girl can be useful in the early game, as she places a 1-Cost Squirrel card at the other two locations, giving players an early advantage in field control. Rocket Raccoon is great if you can predict where your opponent will play a card, since he gains a power boost if played at the same location as an opponent. Nightcrawler is a flexible card, since he can be moved from one location to another. Ant-Man and Elektra are worth playing later despite being 1-Cost, since Ant-Man gains +3 Power if there are three other cards at the location he’s played. Elektra can destroy an opponent’s 1-Cost card.
More Low-Cost Options
Angela, Lizard, and Mister Fantastic are not 1-Cost cards, but they are low enough to be played early in the match. Angela gaines +2 Power each time a card is played at the same location. This makes her great in a deck that prioritizes playing lots of low-cost cards. Lizard is powerful as a 2-Cost/5-Power card, but has the downside of losing 3 Power if the opponent has four cards at that location. Mister Fantastic grants +2 Power to adjacent locations, making him best played in the middle.
Power Up Low-Cost Cards
The final, higher-cost cards in this deck are meant to power up the lower cost ones. Captain America has the Ongoing ability to give +1 Power to all other cards at the same location. Kazar has the Ongoing Ability to give all 1-Cost cards +1 Power, making him arguably the most important card in the deck and its namesake. Blue Marvel has the Ongoing ability to give all other cards +1 Power. Onslaught ties the whole thing together by doubling the effects of all other Ongoing abilities at the same location, meaning he is best played alongside Kazar or Blue Marvel.
4/5
Discard Aggro Deck
Like its higher-pool counterparts, this deck is focused on taking advantage of cards that benefit from being discarded. Though destruction isn’t the primary focus of this deck, some of the cards help make this Marvel Snap’s best Pool 1 destroy deck as well.
Card List
| Nova 1-Cost/1-Power | Squirrel Girl 1-Cost/1-Power | Angel 1-Cost/2-Power | Korg 1-Cost/2-Power | Blade 1-Cost/3-Power | Yondu 1-Cost/2-Power |
| Carnage 2-Cost/2-Power | Wolverine 2-Cost/2-Power | Lady Sif 3-Cost/4-Power | Sword Master 3-Cost/6-Power | Apocalypse 6-Cost/8-Power | America Chavez 6-Cost/9-Power |
Strategy
This deck takes advantage of both discard and destruction-oriented cards due to the limited availability of either in Pool 1. As such, the goal of this deck is to power up cards that benefit from being discarded like Apocalypse, while also using combos like Carnage and Nova to buff weaker cards. Squirrel Girl is useful here to provide destruction fodder for Carnage, who destroys all other friendly cards at this location, gaining +2 Power for each. Having Nova at the same location is a great strategy so that when it’s destroyed by Carnage, all of your other cards gain +1 Power.
Disrupt Your Opponent’s Strategy
Angel benefits from having cards destroyed, as she will automatically be played from your deck if a card of yours is destroyed. Korg and Yondu are mostly there to throw wrenches into your opponent’s deck. Korg’s On Reveal Ability puts a rock into your opponent’s deck, and Yondu’s destroys the top card on their deck. This can help control the momentum of the match by disrupting an opponent’s strategy.
Discard Apocalypse to Power Him Up
Blade, Lady Sif, and Sword Master are all cards with the purpose of discarding Apocalypse in order to power him up. Apocalypse returns to the player’s hand with +4 Power each time he gets discarded. These three cards can quickly power him up to swing the momentum of the match on turn six. America Chavez is a great all-around card because she’s a 6-Cost/9-Power card that is guaranteed to be drawn on turn six. This makes it perfect for situations where Apocalypse isn’t drawn before the end of the game.
3/5
Ongoing Deck
Next up on our list is Marvel Snap’s best Pool 1 Ongoing deck. Cards with Ongoing abilities can be effective at building upon each other, since their abilities last through the entire match.
Card List
| Ant-Man 1-Cost/1-Power | Nightcrawler 1-Cost/2-Power | Armor 2-Cost/3-Power | Colossus 2-Cost/3-Power | Lizard 2-Cost/5-Power | Mister Fantastic 3-Cost/2-Power |
| Captain America 3-Cost/2-Power | Cosmo 3-Cost/3-Power | Namor 4-Cost/6-Power | Iron Man 5-Cost/0-Power | Blue Marvel 5-Cost/3-Power | Spectrum 6-Cost/5-Power |
Strategy
The goal of this deck is to play cards with Ongoing abilities that build off one another and ramp up Power levels until the end of the game. 1-Cost cards like Ant-Man and Nightcrawler are versatile and easy to play in the early turns of a match. Armor is a great way to protect important, high-power cards from being destroyed. Colossus and Lizard round out the lower-cost cards in this deck as two fairly strong cards with Ongoing abilities.
Stop Your Opponent’s On Reveal Cards
Mister Fantastic once again is best suited for the middle location in order to give a Power boost to both other locations. Captain America is also great for boosting cards with low Power at the same location. Cosmo is important, as his ability prevents On Reveal abilities from happening at the same location. This card is great for this deck, since most cards in it utilize Ongoing abilities and won’t be affected. However, it can be a serious disruptor for opposing strategies.
Give Your Ongoing Cards a Final Boost
The final cards in the deck are the most important, as they can provide huge boosts late in the match. Namor should be played as the only card at a location if possible since his ability grants him +5 Power if he’s the only friendly card there. Iron Man may have 0-Power, but his ability doubles the total Power of a location. Blue Marvel and Spectrum can really seal the match in the player’s favor. Blue Marvel gives every card you control +1 Power, and Spectrum gives every card with an Ongoing ability +2 Power. The combination of these cards can turn the tide of the match in your favor in the final turns.
2/5
On Reveal Deck
As opposed to the Ongoing abilities of the previous deck, this one prioritizes cards with On Reveal abilities and the cards that synergize well with them.
Card List
| Elektra 1-Cost/1-Power | Korg 1-Cost/2-Power | Nightcrawler 1-Cost/2-Power | Cable 2-Cost/2-Power | Sentinel 2-Cost/3-Power | Medusa 2-Cost/2-Power |
| Ironheart 3-Cost/0-Power | Wolfsbane 3-Cost/1-Power | Enchantress 4-Cost/4-Power | Jessica Jones 4-Cost/4-Power | White Tiger 5-Cost/1-Power | Odin 6-Cost/8-Power |
Strategy
The goal of this deck is to play as many beneficial On Reveal cards as possible and finish with Odin on turn six. Doing so allows Odin’s ability to reactivate all On Reveal abilities of cards at the same location as him when played. This can be a great strategy to swing the match in your favor on turn 6, like most decks attempt to do. Low-cost cards like Elecktra, Korg, and Nightcrawler can give you an early game advantage. Korg can be used to add a rock to your opponent’s deck, and Elektra can help destroy one of their 1-Cost cards.
Flood the Field with On Reveal Cards
Cable can be useful, as he gives players a copy of the card on the bottom of their opponent’s deck. Sentinel can similarly help quickly fill the field by adding a copy of himself to the player’s hand when played. Medusa should be played at the middle location for the best effect, as her On reveal ability gives her +2 Power when done so. Ironheart can be especially useful despite having 0-Power. Her On Reveal ability gives three random friendly cards +2 Power. If doubled with Odin’s ability, this can mean a huge boost to a lot of cards. Wolfsbane should be played at a location with three cards to gain the most of her On Reveal ability to gain +2 Power for each card at a location.
Shut Down Opponents’ Ongoing Cards
Enchantress plays a similar role in this deck to Cosmo in the previous deck. Her ability removes the Ongoing abilities from all other cards at a location. This won’t affect cards in this deck, but could be devastating for opponents. Jessica Jones should be played strategically so that you don’t play a card at the same location next turn and she gains +4 Power from her ability. White Tiger spawns a 7-Power Tiger at another random location, which can be doubled if Odin is played at the same location as her the following turn.
1/5
Devil Dinosaur Deck
Devil Dinosaur decks are some of the strongest in the game, making them the top choice for Pool 1 players.
Card List
| Ant-Man 1-Cost/1-Power | Nightcrawler 1-Cost/2-Power | Angela 2-Cost/0-Power | Cable 2-Cost/2-Power | Sentinel 2-Cost/3-Power | Scarlet Witch 2-Cost/3-Power |
| Mister Fantastic 3-Cost/2-Power | Moon Girl 4-Cost/4-Power | White Queen 4-Cost/5-Power | Devil Dinosaur 5-Cost/6-Power | Professor X 5-Cost/3-Power | Spectrum 6-Cost/5-Power |
Strategy
Since Devil Dinosaur gains +2 Power for every card in your hand, the goal of this deck is to build momentum while keeping as many cards in your hand as possible. Ant-Man and Nightcrawler act as low-cost staples to play in the early turns of a match. Angela benefits from having cards played at the same location as her, since she gains +2 Power each time. Cable and Sentinel are both great, low-cost ways to get more cards into your hand.
Fill Your Hand with as Many Cards as Possible
Scarlet Witch can be helpful for getting rid of a disadvantageous location, since she can change one location to a random other one. Mister Fantastic is an all-around good card to give your other locations an extra boost of power. Moon Girl is crucial to this deck, since she can double your current hand. This can greatly power up Devil Dinosaur if played the turn prior. White Queen is essentially a more powerful Cable, since she gives players a copy of the highest Cost card in their opponent’s hand.
Lock Down the Win in the Final Turns
Professor X can shut down an opponent’s strategy when played at a location you’re winning. With his ability, no cards can be added, removed, or destroyed at the same location as him. This is a great way to lock down beneficial cards and prevent your opponent from destroying them. Spectrum played on the last turn can give Devil Dinosaur and other cards with Ongoing abilities a significant +2 Power increase that can often be the final nail in the coffin for opponents.
Join the High Ground!
Do you agree with our list of the best Pool 1 decks in Marvel Snap? Which ones have helped you rise through the ranks? Let us know in the comments down below. While you’re there, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss any upcoming guides for Marvel Snap.
Happy gaming!
