The Marvel universe is no stranger to powerful, Hulk-like characters, and the latest addition to *Marvel Snap* is Starbrand. Here's a detailed look at the best Starbrand decks to help you dominate the game.
Jump To:
- How Starbrand Works in Marvel Snap
- Best Day One Starbrand Decks in Marvel Snap
- Should You Use Spotlight Cache Keys or Collector’s Tokens on Starbrand?
How Starbrand Works in Marvel Snap
Starbrand is a 3-cost, 10-power card with an ability that reads: “Ongoing: Your opponent has +3 Power at each other location.” Unlike Mister Fantastic, whose effect is limited to adjacent locations, Starbrand's power boost affects all locations except the one it's played in. As an Ongoing card, decks featuring Starbrand often include cards like Zero, Sauron, and Enchantress to mitigate its drawback. While Starbrand is vulnerable to Shang-Chi, it synergizes well with cards like Surtur. However, fitting Starbrand into decks can be challenging due to competition for the 3-cost slot with cards like Surtur or Sauron.
Best Day One Starbrand Decks in Marvel Snap
Starbrand fits well into two established deck archetypes: Shuri Sauron and Surtur. Let's explore these decks:
Shuri Sauron Deck
- Deck List: Zabu, Zero, Armor, Lizard, Sauron, Starbrand, Shuri, Ares, Enchantress, Typhoid Mary, Red Skull, Taskmaster
- Copy List: Click here to copy this list from Untapped.
This deck is budget-friendly, with Ares being the only Series 5 card, which can be substituted with Vision. The strategy revolves around using Zero, Sauron, and Enchantress to neutralize the negative effects of your Ongoing cards, then leveraging Shuri to buff a lane, often with Red Skull, and finishing with Taskmaster to replicate the power. Traditionally, Ebony Maw was used instead of Zabu, but with Taskmaster's cost increase to 6, Zabu allows for powerful plays with Shuri and Starbrand on the final turns. Starbrand's drawback is less impactful in this tall deck, and Enchantress can cancel it out while potentially hitting an opponent's Ongoing card.
Surtur Deck
- Deck List: Zabu, Zero, Armor, Sam Wilson, Captain America, Cosmo, Surtur, Starbrand, Ares, Attuma, Crossbones, Cull Obsidian, Skaar
- Copy List: Click here to copy this list from Untapped.
This deck is more expensive, featuring four Series 5 cards. The synergy between Sam Wilson and Cull Obsidian, combined with the high-level play of Surtur and Ares, makes this deck potent. Starbrand enables playing Skaar at a reduced cost by setting up with Ares, Attuma, and Crossbones. Zero helps mitigate the downsides of Starbrand and Attuma, though careful play is needed to avoid negating your own Surtur or Ares. The key is timing Starbrand's play, ideally after Surtur and alongside Zero and Skaar on the final turn.
Should You Use Spotlight Cache Keys or Collector’s Tokens on Starbrand?
Starbrand is a "wait and see" card, especially with recent meta shifts due to cards like Agamotto and Eson. The viability of Shuri Sauron and Surtur decks remains uncertain, and it's wise to observe the meta's evolution before investing resources. If you have the means, give it a few days to see how Starbrand performs in the current environment.
And those are the best Starbrand decks in Marvel Snap.
Marvel Snap is available to play now.
