Mortals, the OG God of War is in Marvel Snap

Ares, the God of War, descends upon the mortal realm of Marvel Snap, challenging the established meta. His appearance in the comics, however, is a curious one. After Norman Osborn's controversial ascension as the Avengers' leader following Secret Invasion, Ares, alongside the unstable Sentry, surprisingly joins Osborn's ranks. This seemingly contradictory alliance stems from Ares' unwavering loyalty not to a specific faction, but to the very concept of war itself. This aligns perfectly with his Marvel Snap card's design and playstyle.

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Strategic Deployment of Ares

Unlike cards with readily apparent synergies, Ares demands a unique strategic approach. His effectiveness hinges on utilizing high-power cards. Cards like Grandmaster and Odin, with their on-reveal effects, offer intriguing synergies. While a 12-power, 4-energy card is decent, a 21-power, 6-energy card is far more desirable. Repeating his ability is key to maximizing his potential outside of Surtur-centric decks.

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Defensive measures are also crucial. Despite his disdain for weaker opponents, protecting Ares with cards like Cosmo or Armor is often necessary.

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Ares: Not a Game Changer

While Ares possesses impressive power (analogous to Gwenpool or Galactus), his reliance on high-power cards makes him vulnerable to control decks and cards like Shang-Chi. Building a deck solely around high power is generally unsustainable unless your wager significantly outweighs the opponent's (which is rarely the case). Even move-based strategies, which accumulate power, often incorporate disruption. Ares needs to surpass the performance of Surtur decks, which currently struggle to maintain competitiveness (averaging around 51.5% win rate at Infinity level).

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The comparison to Death, a 12-power card often costing less energy, further highlights Ares' current limitations. While he offers valuable information, his overall impact remains questionable.

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Conclusion: A Risky Play

Ares is arguably the weakest card of the season. His susceptibility to counters and the declining popularity of high-power archetypes hinder his effectiveness. His success hinges on specific deck construction and a favorable wager. Ultimately, a 4/6 card is generally poor, even if a 4/12 is strong, unless paired with a potent ability. His potential is overshadowed by cards offering energy manipulation or widespread power boosts.

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