Thanos is one of the most popular and most powerful cards in Marvel Snap. He’s one of the “Big Bad” cards in the game, meaning he will never leave Series Five and is only a potential collectible for players who’ve completed and gotten all cards through Series Four.
He’s been one of the most popular cards in the Marvel Snap meta for months and has been tweaked several times with both buffs and nerfs. But where do he and his Infinity Stones stand now?
Here’s everything to know about Thanos in Marvel Snap, including decks to use him in, how to counter him, and more.
Thanos card abilities in Marvel Snap
“At the start of the game, shuffle the six Infinity Stones into your deck,” is how Thanos’s card text reads. Thanos and his fully-kitted Infinity Gauntlet are a nightmare for both the Avengers and his Snap opponents in the game that was partially named after his actions.
He’s a six-energy, 10-Power card, but if you’re able to play out all six Infinity Stones from his deck, he will be buffed to 20 overall Power, making him one of the strongest cards in the game.
But the utility of the Infinity Stones is just as important. Their abilities can turn the tide of battle as well, and you can find an easier time playing all of them combined with certain cards.
Here’s what the Infinity Stones do in Marvel Snap.
The Infinity Stones in Marvel Snap
- Mind Stone: 1/1 “On Reveal: Draw 2 Stones from your deck.”
- Soul Stone: 1/1 “On Reveal: Draw a card. Ongoing: Enemy cards here have -1 Power.”
- Time Stone: 1/1 “On Reveal: Draw a card. Next turn, you get +1 Energy.”
- Reality Stone: 1/1 “On Reveal: Transform this location into a new one. Draw a card.”
- Space Stone: 1/1 “On Reveal: Next turn, you can move one card to this location. Draw a card.”
- Power Stone: 1/3 “Ongoing: If you’ve played all 6 stones, Thanos has +10 Power. (wherever he is)”
Each stone’s unique ability also comes with the ability to draw another card, upping your chances to find another stone you can play to keep powering up The Mad Titan so you can play him for a massive Power swing toward the end of the game.
Thanos strategy in Marvel Snap
Play. Those. Stones.
The general strategy with most Thanos decks is to play all of your Infinity Stones to buff Thanos as much as possible, all while combining the stones and their abilities with other cards to keep adding Power spread out across the board.
To do so, you will need to fill up your board with Infinity Stones, so you will likely clog up your own side. This means Thanos works well with Destroy cards that will help clear his side of the board once the stones are played, so there’s quite a bit that goes into each Thanos game.
Best combo synergy with Thanos in Marvel Snap
Even after getting nerfed, there’s one card that synergizes best with The Mad Titan than the rest: Lockjaw.
The teleporting dog is still the best method for playing out as many of your stones as possible, all with a little bit of luck. Playing Lockjaw as soon as possible and then playing as many stones as you can at his position will give you your best bet at finding and playing out all six stones.
Lockjaw can be found in just about any of the most popular Thanos decks, but there are several other cards he synergizes well with, such as:
- Blue Marvel
- Ka-Zar
- Carnage
- Deathlok
- Killmonger
- Wave
- Death
If you’re looking to keep your board filled up with Stones and then buff them, you can use Blue Marvel and Ka-Zar to do so. But if you want to clear your board for other bigger cards, then Carnage, Deathlok, and Killmonger are very fun.
Wave, meanwhile, will allow you to play big cards on turn four to secure more Power, such as Death or Thanos himself.
The best Thanos decks in Marvel Snap
Ongoing Thanos
Players should consider snapping if several of the following cards have been drawn:
- Thanos
- Onslaught
- Spectrum
- Kazar
This deck is focused on Ongoing cards and works well with Thanos, with cards like Kazar and Blue Marvel boosting the low power of any Infinity Stones you have played.
Spectrum is a game-changer in the final turn, as her On Reveal ability provides additional Power to any Ongoing cards you have played, and you have a wide array of options on turn six with Onslaught and Thanos to consider.
With Armor and Cosmo in the deck, you are provided with powerful counters against any destroy deck, or if an opponent is looking to utilize On Reveal abilities, so this well-rounded deck has great defense too.
Thanos Death
Players should consider snapping if several of the following cards have been drawn:
- Knull
- Death
- Killmonger
- Thanos
The focus in this deck, like every Thanos deck, is getting as many stones played as possible. But there’s the added focus of destroying as many cards as possible to reduce the cost of Death and increase Knull’s power.
In truth, it does mean you’re more than likely to not play Thanos on turn six and instead opt for Knull, but it gives you a choice. If you’ve been unable to destroy cards and Knull’s power is low, then Thanos’ 10 Power is a welcome boost.
Killmonger is a key card in this deck, as his On Reveal ability destroys all cards played in the game with a cost of one, which includes any Infinity Stones that have been played. Using Killmonger can significantly reduce the cost of Death in one fell swoop.
Thanos Galactus
Players should consider snapping if several of the following cards have been drawn:
- Galactus
- Death
- Wave
- Knull
This deck does not focus on bringing Thanos into play, though he is an option on turn six, but instead takes advantage of the addition of Infinity Stones in the deck, which can be destroyed to reduce the cost of Death.
Playing Wave on turn three or four, followed by Galactus, will destroy the locations where Galactus was not played if he is your only card there, which alters the tide of the game significantly and quickly shatters the plans of your opponent.
Galactus can be followed by Death, who should have a cost of zero by this stage, and Knull, who has the combined Power of every card destroyed in the game. If you have to wait until turn six to play Galactus, try to play Nimrod on turn five, as he will then pack out the final location.
Lockjaw Thanos
Players should consider snapping if several of the following cards have been drawn:
- Lockjaw
- Shang-Chi
- Blue Marvel
- Thanos
With an array of high-cost, high-power cards, this deck would not work without Thanos, as the Infinity Stones are required to provide you with options to play in the early stages of any game.
Lockjaw is vital, as you can play cards at the same location as him that activate abilities and then swap with another card in your deck, which then activates its abilities. By doing so, you can play the Infinity Stones numerous times or get high-power cards out of your deck swiftly.
There are plenty of final options on turn six, with She-Hulk, Thanos, America Chavez, and Magneto to choose from if they are in your hand. By this stage, a few of the above should already be in play, so you can use the final power boost to guarantee victory.
How to counter Thanos decks in Marvel Snap
Killmonger is great against Thanos decks that are looking to fill the board with stones, but it’s a risky play in case they are playing a Thanos Death deck because you’d just be helping them out at that point.
If the opponent is trying to draw stones, you can disrupt them by filling their deck with garbage with cards like Rock Slide. Darkhawk is also strong, considering he gets more powerful with each additional card in your opponent’s deck.
Leech is a catch-all card in Marvel Snap, so play him if you want to suck away any abilities in your opponent’s hand, including the abilities of all stones and Thanos himself, along with any of his combo cards they have waiting in the wings.
