Most of the time, Marvel heroes have their own superpowers and abilities that they use in combat. But in the case of Taskmaster, he has the ability to copy and mimic any fighting style which makes him one of the most infamous yet powerful forces in the Marvel universe, especially when he became a mercenary for hire for some of the franchise’s most renowned criminal organizations.
In Marvel Snap, Taskmaster is themed around his ability in the comics and movies. His specialty of copying a fighting style can be seen in-game and is used to create another potential offensive juggernaut which can help you find ways to win.
Marvel Snap Taskmaster abilities, explained
Taskmaster is a five-cost, zero-Power card with the ability that reads “On Reveal: Set this card’s Power equal to that of the last card you played. (if that card’s in play).” On paper, Taskmaster is a tech card that can be used on almost any deck, since his ability is a general effect is pretty straightforward on what it does. However, his full potential can be maximized if he is used to copy a card with high Power.
You can get Taskmaster as a series three card in the game, specifically once you reach Collection Level 486. You can also pick him up as the free series three card every season rotation, and it won’t cost you any amount of tokens just to include him in your collection of cards.
Strategy and best combos for Taskmaster decks in Marvel Snap
As mentioned, Taskmaster has a general effect that can be used for almost any card in the game. But there are some standouts that can make Taskmaster a force to be reckoned with.
Taskmaster found his value as a devastating finisher when he became the go-to turn-six play in the Shuri/Red Skull deck. The amount of Power that Taskmaster can have in this deck is potentially massive, especially if you pull off the Shuri combo with Red Skull which can create a 28-Power juggernaut.
She-Hulk is also a great pick for Taskmaster’s effect. A turn-five skip can pave the way for an 18-Power She-Hulk on turn six, assuming you played Shuri on turn four. Some other five-cost cards with high Power that can work alongside Taskmaster include Vision and Doctor Octopus.
The best Taskmaster decks in Marvel Snap
Shuri Red Skull
The classic Shuri and Red Skull deck was one of the most famous decks that ever existed in Marvel Snap. This deck’s game plan is plain and simple: play Shuri on turn four, Red Skull or any other high-Power card on turn five, and copy its Power with Taskmaster. This may seem very mechanical and predictable, but it truly worked as an outstanding and effective strategy that truly dominated the meta.
In April, however, Shuri got nerfed. Her ability now restricts her to playing the next card in the same location as her in order to grant the double-Power bonus. This made the deck a lot more predictable and prone to cards such as Shang-Chi and Cosmo. Still, this engine proved to be a wrecking force in the game, especially in creating a huge amount of Power for your locations.
Aside from Red Skull, Typhoid Mary and She-Hulk are your other turn-five plays to best gain the double-power ability of Shuri. Armor is there to eventually protect the Shuri target, while Sauron removes all the Ongoing abilities of your cards in the hand and deck, especially the drawback effects of Typhoid Mary and Red Skull.
Sunspot, Zero, and Lizard can be added to build up your early game. Cap off the deck with Enchantress as a great Ongoing disruptor for you and your opponent.
Win condition cards for this deck
Aside from Taskmaster, the other win condition cards for this deck are:
- Shuri
- Red Skull
- Typhoid Mary
- She-Hulk
- Sauron
- Armor
Shuri is the heart and soul of this deck. It should always be your priority to play her on turn four to pave the way for the power-doubling effect to trigger. Red Skull, Typhoid Mary, and She-Hulk are your best targets for Shuri’s effect, and their Power would be the ideal target for Taskmaster to copy.
Sauron is there to remove the drawback Ongoing abilities of your cards, while Armor ensures that the Shuri target or Taskmaster can’t be destroyed by the opponent.
Destroy Move
Another interesting deck where Taskmaster can be used is in a strategy that involves the use of two of the game’s most popular mechanics, namely Destroy and Move. This became possible with the arrival of Phoenix Force, which allows both mechanics to co-exist in the same deck.
Phoenix Force is a four-cost, five-Power card that revives and merges with a destroyed card, granting it its Power as well as the ability to move once per turn. Some of the great targets for this effect are Human Torch and Multiple Man since the former can double its Power in a single movement, while the latter can leave a copy of itself in the original location where it is played.
Carnage and Venom are your destroy enablers for the deck. As for the move staples, you can put the likes of Ghost-Spider, Iron Fist, Dagger, Cloak, and Heimdall. Shuri can be added to provide more offensive prowess, especially in doubling the Power of the revived and merged card by Phoenix Force.
Win condition cards for this deck
Aside from Taskmaster, the other win condition cards for this deck are:
- Phoenix Force
- Shuri
- Human Torch
- Multiple Man
- Carnage
- Venom
- Heimdall
Phoenix Force allows the destroy and move mechanics to work hand-in-hand in this deck, so you must always aim to play it in almost every match. A revived Human Torch on a Shuri location can give you a 14-Power Torch in the process, and a single move can bring it to a massive 28-Power.
Multiple Man, on the other hand, can give you 16-Power clones if the Phoenix Force and Shuri combo is pulled off. So, it is best to always prioritize to destroy either Human Torch or Multiple Man by using either Carnage or Venom. Heimdall is there as a great move initiator on turn six.
How to counter Taskmaster decks
Taskmaster has an On Reveal ability. So, Cosmo is the best counter for him because of the latter’s ability to prevent On Reveal abilities from happening in the same location as her, may it be from her user or the opponent’s side of the cards. With Cosmo being a vital part of the Shuri deck, you must always be careful about where you should play Taskmaster since Cosmo can botch it in an instant.
When you use Taskmaster to target the Power of a card with nine or more Power, it makes him prone to Shang-Chi’s destruction ability. So, be careful about where you should place Taskmaster especially if you don’t have cards to protect you like Armor since his main priority to protect would be the Shuri effect target.
Taskmaster is also vulnerable to Shadow King’s ability to bring back the Power of the cards in the same location as him to their base Power. So, the Taskmaster’s supposed Power could become zero in the process.
As for the Destroy Move deck, Armor can also be a threat to this strategy. Once his Ongoing effect to prevent cards from being destroyed in the same location as him is in play, it will also affect your cards that could be your targets for the destruction combo.
Taskmaster decks’ current state in the meta
Taskmaster does not see a lot of usage in the current meta aside from the decks above. But the Shuri Red Skull has proven its success as a meta staple for quite some time already, especially before Shuri was nerfed.
The Destroy Move deck, on the other hand, is more of a combo-based deck that works in a straightforward manner and revolves around Phoenix Force’s ability. That is why it has become a predictable deck, but still a fun yet not that competitive type of strategy in the current meta.
