The Marvel Universe is releasing content almost daily. From Disney Plus to the Marvel Cinematic Universe shows and movies to the comics where it all started. Even the realm of video games isn’t safe from the all-conquering comic giant. Marvel Snap is now out and available to play for free, and promises to be an in-depth, action-packed, 1v1, multiplayer collectible card game.
Marvel Snap is the latest mobile game release from the team over at Second Dinner. Card game alumni Ben Brode is leading the charge on Marvel Snap and has plenty of experience when it comes to mobile card game experiences — after all, he is one of Hearthstone's former bosses. Available for download on Steam, Android, and iOS, Marvel Snap is a card-battling game. For beginner players, here are a few hints and tricks to make the initial steps into the game a touch easier.
Updated on September 22, 2023, by Waseem Muhammad: Since the game's official release on PC last month, Marvel Snap has increased its player base by an enormous amount making the game much more popular. With the addition of new cards such as Alioth and Loki, the game's dynamics have completely changed, making more players invent new decks to counter these cards to win. And so, a few more tips have been added in order for beginner players to understand the game more and win more Cubes than before.
12 Try To Stay Away From Microtransactions
Microtransactions are pretty common, especially in games that are free to play. Marvel Snap also has microtransactions such as Variant Bundles in the Shop and the Battle Pass which has a newly released card along with three variants, boosters, and more. Now, as much as all of this might sound exciting to hear, it is best not to engage with these items, at least not during the first hours of the game. This is because a player might spend a lot of money on cards and variants only to find the game not to their liking lateron.
Marvel Snap is a strategic card-based game, so it's not for everyone to spend 100 or more hours on it. The more players get acquainted with the game, the more they can start considering whether these microtransactions are for them.
11 Use Credits Efficiently
Credits are a free currency in Marvel Snap. This currency allows the player to upgrade their cards, which increases the total Collection Level. As a player progresses through the Collection Level, they will get boosters, credits, and random cards. Upgrading cards has only cosmetic value as the cards become more shiny or animated.
Saving credits early on and using them efficiently is a necessity. A player should only upgrade their cards from Uncommon to Rare as this only requires 25 Credits and 5 Boosters. Upgrading them to a higher level will give the player more Collection Level; however, this is more costly as the amount of Credit needed does not scale accordingly and is more expensive.
10 Play Around The Unrevealed Locations
At the start of every match, there are three locations, out of which the leftmost location is revealed immediately. The remaining two locations are then revealed after a turn each. Now, there are a lot of locations in Marvel Snap, and learning how they affect the cards can take time. But this still allows the player to take advantage of the locations.
If the player plays a card on an unrevealed location and the location turns out to be Sanctum Sanctorum, a location where no cards can be played, the player can win that location with only one card. However, some locations might also benefit the opponent if a card is played there. So, playing around the Unrevealed locations and possibly getting the upper hand can be greatly beneficial.
9 Do Not Rely On RNG
There are a lot of players in Marvel Snap who have the mindset to win by relying on RNG. This can provide a win in some cases but is highly risky. However, RNG is not to be confused with predicting how the opponent is going to play their cards.
Playing cards with particular RNG effects or thinking the location will affect oneself better instead of the opponent when there is a 50% chance isn't a good line of thinking. One could play into the RNG element, but it is possible to lose more Cubes than winning them.
8 Try Outsmarting The Opponent
If a player thinks about the multiple ways the opponent will use their cards and plays around that, they will likely see more success in their matches. From the first few cards placed, a player can already get an idea of what other cards the opponent will use and possibly how they will play the cards.
Using this to one's advantage, it's possible to play in a way that stops one's opponent from taking the lead in multiple locations. Predicting good use of a Shang-Chi card or simply dropping a Galactus card at a location where the opponent does not want to commit can catch them off guard.
7 Playing A Deck That Suits You
In Marvel Snap, there are hundreds of cards and dozens of decks the player can build with them. There are decks with cards objectively better than others, but they can only be obtained later on in the game. During the early game, it is best to try out all the cards and go with the ones that stick out from the rest.
Understanding every card's ability and playing it with other cards that amplify its effects typically provides the best results. Common decks such as Kazar with multiple one-cost cards and Multiple Man move decks are widely popular and can be acquired early on.
6 Do Not Overcommit To One Location
As the main goal in Marvel Snap is winning two out of the three locations, there are a lot of players that tend to overcommit to one location and barely have any power elsewhere, solidifying their loss. As everyone can play only four cards at one location, it is best to play high-power cards in multiple locations. This keeps the opponent guessing which locations the player tries to win at.
Overcommitting early on a location only to have the opponent negate some of the player's cards' effects can jeopardize their strategy and ruin their chance at earning more Cubes.
5 Retreating Before Losing Too Much
Retreating early is one of the features that not a lot of players in the early game understand. Winning Cubes, of course, should be the number one priority. However, if at any point the player feels like their opponent is in a more comfortable position or the locations are benefiting the opponent more, they can simply use the Retreat button on their screen.
Retreating is not always a bad thing to do. It is better to lose a single Cube and start another match than to play the entire match and lose eight Cubes instead. If the player has multiple high-power cards in one location and the opponent plays Shang-Chi, destroying the player's cards, then it is better to retreat than to aimlessly proceed, knowing they will lose.
4 Snapping For The Win
Snapping is a feature in Marvel Snap that allows the player to gamble their Cubes, increasing how many Cubes they will win or lose when the game ends. Both players can Snap, setting the value of the Cubes at eight at the end of the game. Gambling the Cubes might be fun for some players if they win; however, Snapping early on and losing them all can stress the player out if it happens multiple times. In this case, the player should wait and see how the game progresses.
If the player feels more comfortable with their hand and how their cards are placed, then they can Snap, allowing them to gain a lot of Cubes. Plus, this also ensures they don't lose more Cubes on a loss.
3 Priority Matters
One of the most important aspects of the game is the Priority feature that applies during the game. The Priority feature indicates which player will reveal their cards first. This can potentially change the outcome of the game in many ways. Whoever is winning more locations will have to reveal first.
To check which player has the Priority, look at the name tags to see which is glowing. The one that does will go first. In a situation when the locations are at a tie or at the start of the game, the revealer is picked at random.
2 Complete Missions
There are various missions available to complete in Marvel Snap. Some will provide an extra challenge and make gameplay completely different. Many of them will require a switch-up of the roster in the currently selected deck to complete.
Daily missions, which refresh every 24 hours, are usually quick and easy. These include missions such as leveling up a card or winning X amount of matches, which will earn completion and provide players with XP. Marvel Snap also has weekly challenges, recruit missions, and a season pass, the first of which is symbiote-themed. All of these options will pay out XP when complete.
1 Read The Fine Print About Abilities
While this does not mean endless reading of terms and conditions, it does require taking a further look at various elements of Marvel Snap. Specifically, pay attention to character cards and the locations that spawn throughout the match. Both of these will have some further information that can turn the tide of the match quickly.
To try and swing the match the right way, first check the abilities of each character card in the selected deck. Most (but not all) characters have a special ability that is based on powers from the comics, which can change the playing field if they are played correctly. Second, the locations that appear will often have a status effect that players should keep in mind as the match progresses. Reading the fine print, in this instance, truly is beneficial and will make a winner out of a beginner who pays them heed.
Marvel Snap is available on Android, iOS, and PC.