Marvel Snap Releases New Balance Update

Key Takeaways

• Marvel Snap’s November 2024 update changes key cards’ powers and abilities to promote balance and competitive gameplay.
• Noteworthy changes include Surtur’s power adjustment, Agent Venom’s debuff, and numerous buffs to other cards.
• Thanos is reworked yet again, drawn at the start of the game, shaking up deck strategies and gameplay dynamics.

Marvel Snap has just released a new balance update that changes a lot of noteworthy cards. It’s quite a common occurrence for the Marvel Snap developers to adjust existing cards after a new season starts. Most of the time, it’s because the game tends to become unbalanced in favor of certain decks due to the arrival of newer cards that shift matches in a certain way. This time is no different, as several changes are being introduced to encourage competitive gameplay.

Recently, the latest Marvel Snap November 2024 update was released, which introduced some minor changes relating to the current season’s cards. While the focus of the patch was the surprising return of Deadpool’s Diner, this season’s cards received new descriptors which didn’t necessarily change the effects that they had. Still, many fans had some concerns about the card’s attributes in question, especially the Season Pass one, Surtur. Second Dinner may have heard the rumblings, as Surtur and others have been reworked for the new balance update.

Marvel Snap‘s latest balance update includes several key changes. As mentioned, Marvel Snap Season Pass card Surtur is getting adjusted from a 3/5 to a 3/4. In addition, cards like Skaar, Silver Sable, and Shadow King get a -1 in their Power. Meanwhile, Agent Venom also got a debuff, as all cards’ Powers in a player’s deck will now be set to 3 instead of the previously designated 4.

As far as buffs go, cards like Black Widow, Destroyer, Winter Soldier, Heimdall, and Crystal have gotten an increase in Power. Valentina and Jessica Jones also receive an adjustment in card effects that could be highly favorable to the player. Agatha Harkness received a minor text change which won’t really affect the play style. However, Marvel Snap reworked Thanos yet again by making another update. Instead of taking up space in the opening hand, Thanos will now be drawn at the start of the game. This means a Thanos Deck will have the Mad Titan as an extra card in the player’s hand.

It has also been said that some adjustments to the Infinity Stones were being considered, but the developers decided to do it one step at a time to not disturb the game’s landscape too much. The developers are hoping that players can help discover creative builds for Thanos Decks in Marvel Snap before they decide to look into changing some of the additional effects that the Stones bring into the mix. Still, the amount of change in the new balance update is hefty enough to keep players up on their toes and restudy the synergy of the decks they’ve built with the cards they have.

Marvel Snap Latest Balance Update

Agent Venom

• [Old] 2/4 – On Reveal: Set the Power of all cards in your deck to 4.
• [New] 2/5 – On Reveal: Set the Power of all cards in your deck to 3.

Surtur

• [Old] 3/5 – After you play a card with 10 or more Power, this gains +3 Power.
• [Change] 3/5 -> 3/4

Skaar

• [Old] 6/11 – Costs 2 less for each of your cards that has 10 or more Power.
• [Change] 6/11 -> 6/10

Silver Sable

• [Old] 1/1 – On Reveal: Steal 2 Power from the top card of your opponent’s deck.
• [Change] 1/1 -> 1/0

Shadow King

• [Old] 2/3 – On Reveal: Reset all cards here to their original Power.
• [Change] 2/3 -> 2/2

Black Widow

• [Old] 3/3 – On Reveal: Add a Widow’s Bite to your opponent’s hand.
• [New] 3/4 – Activate: Add a Widow’s Bite to your opponent’s hand.

Destroyer

• [Old] 6/14 – On Reveal: Destroy your cards at other locations.
• [Change] 6/14 -> 6/16

Valentina

• [Old] 2/3 – On Reveal: Add a random 6-Cost card to your hand. Give it -2 Cost and -3 Power.
• [New] 2/3 – On Reveal: Add a random 6-Cost card to your hand. Give it -2 Cost and -2 Power.

Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes)

Jessica Jones

• [Old] 4/5 – On Reveal: If you don’t play a card at this location next turn, +4 Power.
• [New] 4/5 – On Reveal: If you don’t play a card at this location next turn, +5 Power.

Heimdall

• [Old] 6/9 – On Reveal: Move your other cards one location to the left.
• [Change] 6/9 -> 6/10

Crystal

• [Old] 3/3 – On Reveal: Each player draws a card.
• [Change] 3/3 -> 3/4

Agatha Harkness (text only)

• [Old] 6/14 – Agatha starts in your hand. She plays your cards for you on even turns.
• [New] 6/14 – At the start of the game, draw Agatha. She controls your cards on even turns.

Thanos

• [Old] 6/10 – Starts in your opening hand and shuffles the six Infinity Stones into your deck.
• [New] 6/10 – At the start of the game, draw Thanos and shuffle the six Infinity Stones into your deck.