Marvel Snap is now well into its stride in 2023, having gone through early phases and multiple updates throughout 2022. As with any competitive game with seasons, some metas come and go, with cards always gaining and losing importance.

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While plenty of flashy cards with a huge Power output or abilities make an entire deck flow easier, players should never turn their noses up at the cheaper cards in Marvel Snap. Many 1-Cost cards deserve a place in some of the strongest decks, whether needed for early round priority, to buff other cards later on, or even just to swamp and fill up a location. There are plenty of honorable mentions, including Elektra, Blade, Squirrel Girl, and Ebony Maw.

10 Nova

Nova card from Marvel Snap on top of promotional art.

Nova was once incredibly powerful, but it needed to be nerfed. Now, this 1-Cost card gives its allied cards +1 Power instead of +2 when it is destroyed. This can still be useful, however, just as long as there are other cards in play by the time it is destroyed.

Any sort of Power boost is valuable when players have cards like Venom on hand to take that power as their own. As far as destroy decks go, many players will opt for Sunspot as a consistent source of Power over Nova, but if they want to go all-in with destroying cards and enjoying their subsequent buffs, then they should experiment with Nova.

9 Bast

The Bast card in Marvel Snap on top of promotional art.

Bast is a Pool 4 card that many Marvel Snap players will have overlooked by this point simply because of its ability being reductive in terms of outright Power output. Bast's On Reveal ability sets the Power of all cards in the player's hand to 3.

While this is terrible for those who have 6-Cost cards in their hand, this offers some of the less-powerful 1-Cost cards more Power and adds Power to cards like Taskmaster, Iron Man, and Ironheart. It really depends on what other cards make up the deck alongside Bast, but it is certainly a low-cost card worth experimenting with.

8 Titania

Titania card Marvel Snap with Marvel Snap background.

Titania isn't always mentioned in the same breath as the best Marvel Snap cards, but it adds an extra layer of unpredictability and fun to proceedings. Titania brings an impressive 5 Power for only costing 1 Energy, but her ability has her switching sides whenever a card is played at her location.

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If played at the right moment, Titania can be sent to the opponent's side to fill up their location and leave them unable to make another move there before playing another card later on and having it return to the user's side. This won't always work in the player's favor, but 5 Power coming from a 1-Cost card is nothing to be laughed at.

7 Zero

Zero card from Marvel Snap over promotional art.

Zero can take time to master, but when a player uses him just right, it makes Zero easily one of the best 1-Cost cards in Marvel Snap. There are several cards in Marvel Snap that tempt players with a cost much lower than their high Power output should require, but they come with a negative or frustrating ability.

Zero removes the ability of the next card that the user plays, which means that it can use these high-Power cards without the worry of their troublesome abilities. Strong examples of cards that go well with Zero are Red Skull, as it won't buff opposing cards, Ebony Maw and Titania are calmed down, while Attuma and Destroyer will only bring their Power and not their considerable destruction.

6 Ant-Man

The Ant-Man card from Marvel Snap on top of promotional art.

Ant-Man's small stature and low Power output may not pose much of a threat at the start of a Marvel Snap bout, but with the right assistance, it can play a big role. Ant-Man can be played in the first turn, but then its ability doesn't activate until its location is full with three other cards. When Ant-Man has its three cards next to it, it gains +3 Power.

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There are ways to boost Ant-Man even further, through the likes of Blue Marvel, Ironheart, and Ka-Zar, making it an integral part of a zoo or low-cost deck. Ant-Man does make a player's goal to fill a location somewhat obvious, however, and it must always be wary of Killmonger and Elektra.

5 Iceman

Iceman card from Marvel Snap over promotional art.

There is a lot of luck about Iceman's ability, but giving one random card in the opponent's hand +1 Cost is a potential game changer. Cards like Magik and Professor X will be rendered useless with this additional cost, while the extra cost will harm overpowered cards like Shuri.

Iceman is disruptive, and while the more expensive Scorpion targets the Power or an opponent's entire hand rather than a specific card, a combination of the two can wreak havoc on an opponent. Players concerned about certain strategies should always take Iceman as a potential counter and disruptor.

4 Korg

Korg's card in Marvel Snap in front of a starry sky.

Thor's lovable friend Korg is another 1-Cost card worth having, and not just for its 2 Power. Shuffling a solitary Rock into an opponent's deck may not seem like a great ability at first glance, but that Rock really could come in clutch in the later rounds.

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Every Marvel Snap player goes through games where they feel like their luck is out, and cards like Korg and Leech can feast on this and make their misery worse. There is very little worse than coming to a final turn and waiting for a big 6-Cost card to arrive, only for it to be a Rock. This is why players should not dismiss the guaranteed option of America Chavez.

3 Nightcrawler

Nightcrawler card from Marvel Snap over promotional art.

As a 1-Cost card, Nightcrawler can be played in the first round, but that isn't the end of its involvement. Nightcrawler can be moved manually once to another location. At face value, this may not seem too valuable, but this gives Nightcrawler an unpredictability, as it can be moved to achieve a number of goals.

Moving Nightcrawler can help fill up a location that may have Ant-Man waiting to activate its ability while moving could keep it away from the dangerous Elektra. Nightcrawler can have added worth in combinations with the likes of Ka-Zar and Hulkbuster, meaning that its Power output could actually come into play by the end of the game.

2 The Hood

The Hood in Marvel Snap, with its description in front of a starry sky.

As is the case of a lot of these 1-Cost cards, The Hood does not look appealing at face value. Anything with minus Power seems like a recipe for disaster, but when played in the right decks, this can become a strong card.

When played, The Hood adds a Demon to the player's hand, which also costs 1 Energy, but for 6 Power. Hood can then be destroyed by Deathlok or consumed by Carnage to either eliminate the negative Power or turn it into a positive contribution. Doing so will essentially make The Hood worth 6 Power, making it one of the best 1-Cost cards in Marvel Snap.

1 Sunspot

Sunspot card in Marvel Snap with Marvel Snap background.

Sunspot was introduced back in Pool 2, but it persists as the best 1-Cost card in Marvel Snap. There is no guarantee that players will always draw cards that consume all the available Energy each turn, and that is where Sunspot comes in. Sunspot gains +1 Power for each unspent Energy, and with decks that burn through their cards early on, Sunspot can be a strong powerhouse in the later stages.

As a 1-Cost card, Sunspot always has a target on its back, whether it is Elektra or Killmonger, so players would do well to keep it safe with cards like Armor. While it does have its weaknesses, Sunspot's potential makes it a must-have in even the most explosive and offensive of decks.

NEXT: Every Marvel Snap Card In Pool 5