Is it time once again for more balance changes in Marvel Snap (Free)? I mean, I’m writing this so it must be. The meta in this game has been absolutely chaotic over the last couple of months, but the combination of new cards and a few of the previous balance changes have seen a particular deck or two rocketing to the top. This latest OTA update seeks to address some of that. And you probably know what that means: the ol’ nerf bat is out for blood. Let’s check the damage.
There are definitely a lot of nerfs this time around, so let’s look at the cards getting strengthened first. Captain America is a card that doesn’t seem particularly popular or unpopular, but maybe that’s not good enough for such a major character? Whatever the case, Cap is trading a little Power for a much-improved ability. He goes from 3-Cost 3-Power to 3-Cost 2-Power, with his ability now providing +2 Power to other cards at the location with Ongoing abilities. That Ongoing stipulation means you have to be a little more aware of exactly which cards you play him with, but overall it’s a nice improvement for America’s Butt.
Next up is Baron Mordo, Doctor Strange’s nemesis. He’s another one that is getting a change to his ability to make him a little stronger, but unlike Captain America, Mordo’s stats are remaining unchanged. Before, his On Reveal ability would cause the opponent to draw a card and then set that card’s Cost to 6. It had a nasty habit of backfiring. Now, the On Reveal ability will make the top card of your opponent’s deck cost 6, but only until Turn 6. Will this pull Mordo out of the gutter he’s found himself in? Only time will tell.
There are a couple of cards that are simply getting stat buffs, as well. Grand Master is going from 2-Cost 0-Power to 2-Cost 2-Power to entice more players to put his fun ability into play. Two points of power is indeed a good boost. Leader, always a card you don’t want to see on your final turn, is getting a little boost from 6-Cost 2-Power to 6-Cost 3-Power. Second Dinner says he was languishing, but I’ve still seen him pop up a fair bit. With an extra point of power, I’ll probably see him more.
Okay, on to the cards getting knocked down a bit. Most of these are aimed at curtailing Spectrum decks, which have been doing very well recently. So what better place to start than with Spectrum herself? She’s losing a point of power, going from 6-Cost 7-Power to 6-Cost 6-Power. Not a huge loss, but something to consider to be sure. One of her common partners in crime, Luke Cage, is also taking a hit to his power. 3-Cost 4-Power becomes 3-Cost 3-Power. Who’s the Power Man now?
Werewolf By Night is taking a heavy hit to his power stat, but… this might not be as much of a nerf as it seems. He was 4-Cost 4-Power, and he’s now 3-Cost 1-Power. That might appear to be a rough drop, but that point shaved off his cost gives him one more turn to jump around building up power with his ability. I could see this going sideways in a hurry, but we’ll have to look at how players choose to use him now.
Poor little Leech is getting some whiplash, and I don’t mean the irresistible need to be reunited with his boid. He was just recently knocked down from being a 5-Cost card to a 4-Cost card, and now he’s zipping back up again. Leech is now 5-Cost 5-Power, and from what Second Dinner’s notes imply, it seems the great anti-Annihilus experiment failed. Leech’s consolation prize is two extra points of power, which should serve him well unless Bastion rolls in.
Last but not least, what I assume is the latest attempt to fend off Annihilus a bit. Sentry had trouble fitting in for the longest time, but when Annihilus arrived it was like he had found a best friend. Well, now Sentry and the Void are getting a change to their stats, going from 4-Cost 10-Power and 4-Cost -10-Power respectively to 4-Cost 8-Power and 4-Cost -8-Power. This takes Sentry out of the striking range of Shang-Chi, but it also messes up some of his positive interactions as well, all while negating some of the impact of the Void.
That’s it for this batch of balance adjustments. I can kind of see what Second Dinner is trying to do with these, but I’m not sure they’re going to have the desired effect. What do you think? Do you use any of these cards? Are you going to try them, or remove any from your decks? Let us know in the comments below!
