Marvel Snap's discard decks are some of the riskiest strategies in the game, but when they win, they win big. Some cards like Blade, Lady Sif and Sword Master discard cards from players' hands in exchange for better-than-average stats or abilities. Other cards synergize with discard effects, like Apocalypse, which returns to the player's hand with +4 Power after being discarded. But one discard deck has emerged victorious in Marvel Snap's increasingly competitive meta: Hela Discard.
This is a highly effective archetype in the right hands that makes excellent use of Hela, an extremely powerful 6-Cost Series 3 card with strong discard synergy. While it does rely on RNG like all discard decks, if players take careful and calculated risks, it's easy to maintain a positive winrate while enjoying strategic and explosive victories. Here's why Hela Discard decks are making waves in Marvel Snap.
Hela Is the Ideal Win Condition for Marvel Snap's Discard Decks
Hela is a 6-Cost 6-Power card with the ability "On Reveal: Resurrect all cards you discarded from your hand to random locations." It's immediately clear this card is a powerful finisher. If players spent most turns consistently playing cards with discard effects, Hela facilitates an overwhelmingly strong Turn 6 by flooding all three locations with discarded cards.
Hela Discard players need to be careful not to discard Hela itself. Most discard decks require players to take calculated risks; players usually need to play their lower-cost discard cards on their early turns, and sometimes they discard a powerful late-game card. Hela is a great way to bring these back, but even if players find themselves discarding Hela, the game isn't over. Most discard cards in Marvel Snap have very strong stats and abilities for their cost, so it's normally possible to win just by overpowering the opponent on the board.
Marvel Snap: Odin, Magneto and Infinaut Have Great Synergy With Hela
The Hela Discard deck dominating Marvel Snap's meta makes use of multiple powerful synergies. Players use Blade, Colleen Wing, Lady Sif and Sword Master to discard cards and maintain a strong early game. Morbius gains power for every discarded card, and Ghost Rider summons a discarded card at the location it's played.
Most competitive discard decks in Marvel Snap include Infinaut -- an enormous 6-Cost 20-Power card that's an ideal target for Lady Sif's discard effects and a powerful card for Hela to summon at the end of the game. Odin is a great choice, as it actives the On Reveal ability of all other cards, which is an effective way to discard more cards. The other slots are flexible, but many players use Magneto for its 12 Power combined with its formidable On Reveal effect, or even Hulk, a basic card with 12 Power and no ability.
Hela is the main win condition. Most cards in the deck have good Power for their Cost, particularly higher cost cards like Magneto, Hulk and Infinaut. If players manage to discard all three over the course of a match, playing Hela on Turn 6 adds a whopping 50 Power to the board in one turn, in addition to any cards discarded earlier in the game. If players take careful, calculated risks to minimize the likelihood of discarding Hela, this discard deck is a force to be reckoned with.