Mastering Marvel Snap: A Comprehensive Guide to Gameplay, Tips, and Strategies

Marvel Snap marks the inaugural release from Second Dinner, a game development studio established by former Hearthstone developers Ben Brode, Yong Woo, and Hamilton Chu. Similar to Hearthstone, it serves as a collectible card game launched globally on October 18, 2022.

Situated within the Marvel Universe, it showcases iconic characters including Wolverine, Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Hulk. The game has garnered a substantial following, attracting many newcomers to card games and Marvel enthusiasts.

This guide will acquaint you with optimal gameplay strategies, card collection techniques, and more to ensure a successful start in Marvel Snap.

What is Marvel Snap?

Whether you’re a devotee of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), an enthusiast of Marvel Comics, or a committed CCG player, engaging in Marvel Snap is poised to deliver a novel and invigorating experience.

Marvel Snap is a card-battler designed to seamlessly fuse the globally renowned aesthetic of Marvel Heroes and Villains with collectible cards, swift and dynamic gameplay, and a range of rule-altering locations, ensuring each game unfolds uniquely.

Collectors have the opportunity to pursue super-rare card variants, while players can expand their collections and unlock new rewards, all within quick games that often last less than 5 minutes.

Marvel Snap aims to address common issues found in other CCGs and video games by introducing a unique gameplay approach: each game consists of only six turns, completed simultaneously by both players. This results in fast-paced, action-packed matches where every move feels significant and exhilarating. With dedicated voice-lines, captivating animated effects, and dynamic game elements that evolve with each playthrough, Marvel Snap offers an immersive experience that resonates with players and Marvel enthusiasts alike.

Currently, Marvel Snap is available for mobile devices on iOS, Android, and Windows platforms. Additionally, M1 and M2 Macs can access the game via the app store, although there is currently no dedicated Mac version available.

The Fundamentals

Upon entering a game of Marvel Snap, you’ll notice three hexagonal shapes positioned in the center of the playing field—these are the Locations. The primary objective of Marvel Snap is straightforward: secure victory at two out of the three central Locations on the game board by the conclusion of the final turn.

How do you emerge victorious at a Location? By accumulating more Power than your opponent. Each card in Marvel Snap possesses a Power value, visible at the top right of the card within a glowing orange circle. As you play cards to a Location, the Power on your side of that Location increases.

Marvel Snap games are concise, lasting only six turns! Following six turns, the player with superior Power at two out of three Locations claims victory. In the event of a tie at any or all Locations, the player with the highest total Power across all three Locations secures the win. Should total Power be tied as well, the game concludes in a draw.

The Essentials of Gameplay

Dive deep into the mechanics of Marvel Snap, exploring how energy costs, power values, and unique abilities define the gameplay. This comprehensive guide covers everything from basic card attributes to advanced strategies, ensuring you’re well-equipped to dominate the game board.

Energy and Its Role

Every card in Marvel Snap, along with its variants, features not only a Power value but also an Energy cost. The Energy cost is displayed in the top left corner of the card, within a glowing blue circle, indicating the energy required to play the card.

Starting with Energy

You begin the game with one Energy on your first turn, gaining additional Energy at the start of each subsequent turn. By the final turn, you will have six Energies at your disposal.

Playing Your Cards

There are no limits to the number of cards you can play in a turn, as long as you have the Energy to spend. This opens up strategic gameplay options, allowing for various combinations based on your available Energy and cards.

Card Deployment and Turn Mechanics

Initiating a Card

To play a card, drag it from your hand onto a location. Remember, each location can hold a maximum of four cards.

The Simultaneity of Turns

Marvel Snap operates with simultaneous turns. Cards remain face down until both players press the End Turn button, unveiling the strategic moves made by each player.

Understanding Card Attributes

The Two Fundamental Attributes: Energy and Power

Cards in Marvel Snap are defined by two primary attributes: Energy and Power. Energy denotes the card’s cost, while Power represents its strength at a location.

Beyond the Basics: Unique Abilities

Many cards possess unique abilities that provide additional benefits or effects. These abilities can be explored by clicking on a card and reading the text beneath its artwork.

Key Gameplay Mechanics

“On Reveal” and “Ongoing” Effects

Cards feature keywords like “On Reveal” and “Ongoing,” indicating when their effects are activated. “On Reveal” effects trigger upon the card’s revelation, while “Ongoing” effects persist throughout the game.

Discovering Various Abilities

Marvel Snap’s comprehensive card database allows players to explore the wide range of effects and abilities that cards possess, encouraging strategic deck building and gameplay.

Conclusion

Embrace the challenge and excitement of Marvel Snap by mastering the strategic use of Energy, understanding the power dynamics of cards, and leveraging unique abilities to outmaneuver your opponents. Whether you’re deploying cards based on their Energy costs or activating powerful “On Reveal” effects, Marvel Snap offers a deeply rewarding experience for players at all levels.

The Locations

In Marvel Snap, it’s not just the cards that wield influence; each Location harbors a unique effect capable of reshaping the game’s dynamics. Take Stark Tower, for instance, which grants “At the end of turn 5, give all cards here +2 Power.”

Should Stark Tower emerge in a game, players would strive to occupy all four card slots before turn 5 to maximize its benefits. With each Location presenting a distinct opportunity for strategic play, every game of Marvel Snap unfolds with its own unique flavor. While some Location effects benefit both players, others pose challenges or hinder specific strategies or cards.

To secure victory at a Location, players must deploy cards to increase their stats at the site. Unless specified otherwise in the Location text, the player with the highest stat total at a Location by the final turn claims victory. Managing space and card allocation becomes a critical aspect of gameplay, given the limit of four cards per Location.

Initially, only one Location—the left one—is revealed at the game’s onset. The middle and right Locations unveil before turns two and three, respectively, activating their effects immediately upon revelation. Notably, players can deploy cards to unrevealed Locations, sometimes circumventing specific Location effects (e.g., playing a 1-cost card on Hellfire Club before its revelation).

Each game presents three random Locations, with some being rarer than others. At times, certain Locations are designated as “Featured” or “Hot,” increasing their frequency in games.

Despite the potential drawbacks of certain Locations, players may still vie for them due to the element of uncertainty. Locations remain hidden until turn three of six, unveiling to both players progressively. This unpredictability not only fosters unexpected twists but also ensures each game maintains freshness and variety, as the sequence of Location revelations significantly impacts gameplay dynamics. For a comprehensive overview of all Marvel Snap Locations, refer to our Location database, which lists all known Locations and their effects.

The Stakes

Now that you’ve grasped the basics of the game, understanding the dynamics of vying for three Locations, playing cards over six turns, and managing escalating Energy levels, let’s delve into the crucial elements of snapping, retreating, and Cubes.

Given the variability in card draws and the impact of Locations on each game, matches often unfold with players experiencing advantages or disadvantages. To infuse more excitement into these variations, Snap introduces an intriguing system to elevate the stakes: Cubes! In every game, you and your opponent compete for Cosmic Cubes, which elevate your in-game rank.

The game commences with players vying for 1 Cube. Drawing inspiration from games like Texas Hold ‘Em, Marvel Snap employs the core mechanic of “snapping.” At any point during the game, you or your opponent can “Snap,” doubling the number of Cubes at stake. Furthermore, Cubes automatically double at the game’s conclusion. Consequently, a player can potentially win (or lose) a maximum of 8 Cubes in a single game.

However, akin to Texas Hold ‘Em, players have the option to retreat if they prefer not to play for higher stakes. Either player can press the Retreat button at any time, located in the bottom left corner of the screen, to exit the game. In doing so, they only forfeit an amount of Cubes equal to the stakes at the beginning of the turn they chose to retreat.

Encountering unfavorable outcomes due to variance? A strategic retreat may be in order.

Marvel Snap’s brevity, coupled with the ability to retreat with minimal loss in unfavorable situations, transforms bad variance into a more lighthearted experience, alleviating the frustration often associated with unlucky breaks. This aspect stands out as one of Marvel Snap’s most compelling features, prompting players to return for redemption even after setbacks that might deter them from other games.

Mastering the art of snapping, retreating judiciously, and effectively managing Cubes are pivotal to ascending the ranked ladder, and Cube management may become integral to higher-level tournament play, akin to chips in Poker. Hence, early practice is advisable!

A crucial note: The snapping feature is initially locked for new players and unlocks after sufficient progress. Typically, after playing 10-20 matches, players engage in a scripted match against an AI opponent, introducing the snapping mechanic. Following this match, snapping becomes available for every subsequent match.

Now that we’ve covered the gameboard dynamics, you can construct a deck and utilize it effectively in gameplay.