Like other online card games, the hero and villain cards in Marvel Snap have different abilities, in addition to their cost and power. During the power struggle in the locations present on the board, these abilities are most responsible for the synergies of a deck and possible twists to win a Snap.
You can find five different types of abilities on Marvel Snap cards, in addition to those that don’t have abilities. Two of the most prominent abilities are On Reveal and Ongoing, as both types of abilities have been present in a large number of cards since the beginning of the game.
How On Reveal abilities work in Marvel Snap
Cards that have On Reveal abilities activate their effects once they are turned face up on the board. Their effects are instantaneous and cannot be affected once activated. The main positive side of these abilities is that the only way to act against On Reveal effects is to predict the plays, but you have to act at the right time.
This means that several factors are at play when using this type of effect, such as the order of the players, the different locations on the board, and the way your opponent can respond to your move.
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In each round it is possible to observe that the avatar and nickname of one of the players will be glowing, which means that that player will reveal his cards on that turn before the opponent. Being the first player will activate the On Reveal effects of your cards before your opponents’ cards.
Locations that interact with On Reveal in Marvel Snap
Different locations have effects that change the way On Reveal abilities work. Dark Dimension, for example, makes the cards there not reveal themselves until the end of the game. On Reveal cards played there would have all their effects activated only in the final round. Lemuria has a similar effect, but only for the round in which this location is revealed. While Deep Space completely negates On Reveal effects that would activate there, Kamar-Taj makes each effect happen twice.
Counters for On Reveal decks in Marvel Snap
There is currently only one card that can negate opponents’ On Reveal effects. Cosmo is a three-cost with three power card and has the following ability: “Ongoing: On Reveal abilities won’t happen at this location.” This means that after it is turned face-up, no On Reveal effects can occur in that location until the end of the game or Cosmo is destroyed.
Decks with On Reveal cards in Marvel Snap
The following cards form a strong starting deck to learn how to handle game mechanics and powerful combos. The main move is to use White Tiger’s effect on turn five and double it with Odin’s ability on turn six, generating 14 power for the other locations. Many of the other cards benefit from locations like Kamar-Taj and have different effects to deal with the opponent in the early rounds.
Some of the cards in this deck must be placed in locations that the player does not want to contest, as their effects affect other locations, such as Ironheart and White Tiger. Going further, it is possible to populate a location with low-cost units to be sure where White Tiger’s Tiger will be created in the final rounds.
Enchantress is a great tool for dealing with Ongoing decks that opponents may be using, being able to completely negate entire board combos with Onslaught.
How Ongoing abilities work in Marvel Snap
Cards that have Ongoing abilities activate their effects from the moment they are revealed until the end of the game or they are destroyed. Their effects are continuous and are affected by moves or cards played later.
The main upside of Ongoing abilities is that when using them, it’s possible to contest locations immediately while continuing to build up power during future rounds, thanks to the effects of cards that were played earlier, making it harder for the enemy to prep. An Iron Man in an empty spot scores zero power, but if a Hulk is placed there the next round, the location will suddenly have 24 total power, for example. However, opponents have until the end of the game to react to these effects.
Locations that integrate with Ongoing in Marvel Snap
There are two locations that change the way the Ongoing effect works in Marvel Snap. Isle of Silence disables all Ongoing effects there, while Onslaught’s Citadel has the effect of doubling all Ongoing effects of cards there.
Counters for Ongoing decks in Marvel Snap
The main alternative to face cards with Ongoing effects is Enchantress, a four-cost card with four power and the following ability: “On Reveal: Removes the abilities from all Ongoing cards at this location.” It easily deals with Ongoing effects chained in the same location.
Rogue is a three-cost, one power card from pool three and has the following ability: “On Reveal: Steal an Ongoing ability from a random enemy card at this location.” For players with pool three Ongoing decks, it can be a bit of a hassle.
Decks with Ongoing cards in Marvel Snap
The following deck is a solid early-game option for learning how to handle game mechanics and powerful combos. Klaw, Iron Man, and Spectrum allow for big plays in the final turns and can turn the power of a location. With Namor being a good card to contest a location alone, the other cards are possible recipients of Spectrum’s bonus.
Lizard and Punisher make an interesting combo because to decrease Lizard’s power, the opponent needs four cards on the opposite side, while a greater number of cards on the opposite side benefits the Punisher’s power. If you have Ant-man and Captain America in hand, you’ll probably want to play them together with two other cards until the final round to contest a location.
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Published: Oct 29, 2022 06:21 pm