Summary
The Big in Japan season ofMarvel Snapis finally here, and with it comes even more cards to bolster the destroy archetype. This season ofMarvel Snapfeatures Wolverine’s son Daken as the Season Pass card and introduces other cards like Lady Deathstrike, X-23, and Silver Samurai for players to add to their collection as well. These cards fit quite nicely into the established destroy deck archetype that has remained a popular option forMarvel Snapplayers over the season, continuing the game’s trend of adding more tools to this deck’s arsenal that recent seasons have followed.
The destroy deck archetype focuses on playing cards that benefit from being destroyed alongside cards that benefit from destroying other cards to create natural synergy within a deck. Popular cards for this archetype include Deadpool, Wolverine, and Bucky Barnes who benefit from being destroyed, as well as Venom and Carnage who destroy cards to gain buffs. Last season’s addition ofPhoenix Forcewas a natural fit for destroy decks as it could revive destroyed cards and allow them to move freely, and it seems like Daken and the other new cards coming this season will welcome additions to the archetype as well.
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Marvel Snap’s New Daken Card is Another Solid Destroy Deck Staple
The star of the Big in Japan season ofMarvel Snap, Daken, holds a lot of potential as he is essentially two cards in one. He is a 3-Cost/4-Power card with an On Reveal ability that adds a 1-Cost/1-Power Muramasa Shard card to the player’s hand. Like othercreation cards inMarvel Snap, Daken’s power hinges on the player’s use of the Muramasa Shard he creates as it has the ability to double Daken’s Power when discarded or destroyed, meaning he can quickly go from a 4-Power card to an 8-Power or more card.
The versatility of the Muramasa Shard Daken creates is its greatest strength, opening up a lot of strategies for powering up Daken. As a 1-Cost card, the Muramasa Shard is easy to destroy using a card like Killmonger who is already a staple ofMarvel Snap’s destroy decks, and it even pairs with a discard deck staple like Colleen Wing as well creating the potential for discard/destroy hybrid deck to emerge inMarvel Snap. Creating multiple Muramasa Shards via a card like Wong or a location like Cloning Vats can be a great way to quickly snowball Daken’s Power level and lead to a nasty surprise on turn six.
Focusing solely on the Muramasa Shard discounts the other ways Daken can be powered up before it’s even played since boosting Daken’s base Power means he will benefit even more from the Muramasa Shard’s Power-doubling ability. Using Forge on the second turn to give Daken +2 when he’s played means he will get a total Power of 12 instead of 8 after Muramasa Shard is destroyed. This strategy can be iterated upon further withMarvel Snapcards like Shuriwho can double Daken’s Power prior to the Muramasa Shard’s ability, or another destroy deck staple like Nova who can give Daken a small Power buff when destroyed.
There are a handful of downsides to Daken that players will need to account for to get the most out of this new card. For one, Daken is a pretty underwhelming card without the Muramasa Shard’s ability, so capitalizing on it will be the focus of most decks he’s in, but commonMarvel Snapcontrol deck cardslike Cosmo can prevent his ability from activating and giving the player a Muramasa Shard. Additionally, trying to snowball Daken’s Power with multiple Muramasa Shards can be a double-edged sword as it leaves him open to be destroyed by Shang-Chi, which could undermine the entire strategy of a deck centered around him.
Marvel Snapis available for PC and mobile devices.
