Marvel Snap may have redefined the meta once again with the latest balance patch for February 2023. Following on the heels of a nerf to Zabu and Silver Surfer, formerly two of the game's most powerful cards, players had evolved their strategies around a new set of cards in their place. However, the popularity of these new decks may be in jeopardy as the recent update gave Sandman a huge buff, making him the perfect counter to many of the game's most popular decks.
Developer Second Dinner Studios has been consistent with their tweaks to help balance the gameplay of Marvel Snap. Although the likes of Zabu and Silver Surfer being featured as Season Pass rewards were an easy way for players to purchase some of the game's most powerful cards, recent additions have been more balanced. This latest update further shakes up the strategies that were dominant in the game's meta, demonstrating that Second Dinner is committed to continuing to update the game in order to give players the best experience possible.
How Sandman Became a Must-Use Card
Prior to this latest update, Sandman didn't see much usage outside of a few specific scenarios and was overall a very situational card. As a 4-Cost/1-Power card, it wasn't all that useful aside from its ability that forces players to only play one card per turn. This could be useful in Kazoo Marvel Snap decks if the player could flood the field with low-cost cards early, play Sandman on turn 4 to cut off their opponent's strategy, and then play cards like Kazar and Blue Marvel to give their weaker cards a boost.
With this new update, Sandman retains his same ability only now as a 5-Cost/5-Power card, making his playability much more versatile. Whereas before players wouldn't get much value out of playing Sandman aside from his Ongoing ability in Marvel Snap, now he has a useful ability and a decent Power level to back it up. The only downside to this change is he needs to be paired with Electro on turn 3 to give players enough energy on turn 4 to play him. As a result, it's very likely Sandman will see an increase in usage in the future meta, especially given that he can help counter some of the current most popular decks in the game.
With the fall of Zabu and Silver Surfer in Marvel Snap's meta, decks that utilize a late-game flood of cards have had to shift accordingly. Zabu now has to be paired with Sera to help drive down the cost of certain cards and make them easier to play. However, this strategy falls flat once Sandman is played and opponents are limited to playing one card a turn, meaning their Zabu and Sera combo is a waste. Destroy decks that utilize low-Cost cards like Deadpool and Wolverine who can keep returning to the field with greater power are also threatened by this new Sandman.
Perhaps the greatest result of this change will be the rise in Zoo decks that feature cards like Doctor Doom and Ultron who can bypass Sandman's one-card-per-turn ability by creating separate cards when played. This could mean that Patriot decks in Marvel Snap will likely become the new dominant deck type since he can take advantage of cards like these that create multiple other cards without abilities and give them a power boost. The new Sandman-centric meta will likely continue through the next season of Marvel Snap or until a new set of cards is introduced that is able to redefine the way players approach the game.
Marvel Snap is available now for PC and Mobile devices.