The Best Pool 1 Decks in Marvel Snap

Nuverse / Drew Swanson

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Human Made

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

Building a deck that can stand up to the competition is crucial to Marvel Snap’s gameplay. Luckily, the game is divided into different card pools, changing which cards are available based on your 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, you will want to know which decks offer the best chance of success.

I’ve got you covered, since today I’ll 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. The decks below are ranked from good to fantastic.

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The Best Pool 2 Decks in Marvel Snap

#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/2-Power	Nightcrawler 1-Cost/2-Power	Rocket Raccoon 1-Cost/2-Power	Angela 2-Cost/2-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. I find that 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. I’d save Ant-Man and Elektra to play 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. I think Angela is a fantastic card since gains +1 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. I recommend playing Mister Fantastic in the middle location since he grants +2 Power to adjacent locations.

Power Up Low-Cost Cards

The final, higher-cost cards in this deck are meant to power up the lower-cost ones. I’ve found Captain America to be quite helpful in this deck since he 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, which I believe him arguably the most important card in the deck and its namesake. Similarly, 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, so I’d recommend playing him alongside Kazar or Blue Marvel.

#4 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, I like taking advantage of some Pool 1 destroy cards in the deck as well.

Card List

Nova 1-Cost/1-Power	Squirrel Girl 1-Cost/2-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	America Chavez 2-Cost/3-Power	Lady Sif 3-Cost/5-Power	Sword Master 3-Cost/6-Power	Apocalypse 6-Cost/8-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. I like to use Squirrel Girl here to provide destruction fodder for Carnage, who destroys all other friendly cards at this location, gaining +2 Power for each. I’d also recommend putting Nova at the same location 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 he will automatically be played from your hand or deck if a card of yours is destroyed. I like keeping Korg and Yondu in this deck 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. I’ve found that this can help control the momentum of the match by disrupting an opponent’s strategy.

Discard Apocalypse to Power Him Up

America Chavez is an interesting card to include here, but I think her ability to give the top card of your deck +2 Power can be useful in certain situations, like buffing Apocalypse. 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. I like using these three cards in tandem to quickly power him up and swing the momentum of the match on turn six.

#3 Ongoing Deck

Next up on my list is Marvel Snap’s best Pool 1 Ongoing deck. I’ve found that 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/7-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. I think it’s beneficial to include 1-Cost cards like Ant-Man and Nightcrawler which are versatile and easy to play in the early turns of a match. Armor is also one of my favorite Pool 1 cards, and 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 I think they are two fairly strong cards with Ongoing abilities.

Stop Your Opponent’s On Reveal Cards

I would again recommend playing Mister Fantastic in 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. I’ve found that Cosmo is crucial to this deck 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 from what I’ve seen.

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. I would make sure Namor is 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 he has what I believe is a fantastic ability for Pool 1 that doubles the total Power of a location. Blue Marvel and Spectrum can also help seal the match in your favor. Blue Marvel gives every card you control +1 Power, and Spectrum gives every card with an Ongoing ability +2 Power. In my experience, the combination of these cards can turn the tide of the match in your favor in the final turns.

#2 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	Sentinel 2-Cost/3-Power	Medusa 2-Cost/2-Power	Ironheart 3-Cost/0-Power
Wolfsbane 3-Cost/1-Power	Cable 3-Cost/4-Power	Enchantress 4-Cost/5-Power	Jessica Jones 4-Cost/5-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. I’ve found that this can be a great strategy to swing the match in your favor on turn 6. I recommend trying to play low-cost cards like Elecktra, Korg, and Nightcrawler to give yourself 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 has undergone some changes over the game’s life, but I think he can still be useful for getting a free card from your opponent’s get. Sentinel can similarly help quickly fill the field by adding a copy of himself to your hand when played. I recommend playing Medusa at the middle location for the best effect, as her On reveal ability gives her +2 Power when done so. I find that 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. I also recommend playing Wolfsbane 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

I like running Enchantress in this deck since she plays a similar role 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. I would try to play Jessica Jones 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 I’ve used to great results when I’ve played Odin at the same location as her the following turn.

#1 Devil Dinosaur Deck

I think Devil Dinosaur decks are some of the strongest in the game, and this deck is a top choice for Pool 1 players.

Card List

Ant-Man 1-Cost/1-Power	Nightcrawler 1-Cost/2-Power	Angela 2-Cost/2-Power	Sentinel 2-Cost/3-Power	Scarlet Witch 2-Cost/3-Power	Mister Fantastic 3-Cost/2-Power
Cable 3-Cost/4-Power	Moon Girl 4-Cost/4-Power	White Queen 4-Cost/6-Power	Professor X 5-Cost/1-Power	Devil Dinosaur 5-Cost/6-Power	Spectrum 6-Cost/7-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. I like to include Ant-Man and Nightcrawler 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. I also think Cable and Sentinel are both great ways to get more cards into your hand for relatively low costs. 

Fill Your Hand with as Many Cards as Possible

I tend to use Scarlet Witch to get rid of a disadvantageous location since she can change one location to a random other one. I always like to include Mister Fantastic when possible since he 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 you a copy of the highest-cost card in your opponent’s hand.

Lock Down the Win in the Final Turns 

Aside from Devil Dinosaur, I think Professor X is one of the best cards in this deck since he 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. I’ve found that this strategy can protect 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 has often been the final nail in the coffin for my opponents.