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The Marvel universe is renowned for its array of powerful, Hulk-like characters, and the latest addition to *Marvel Snap* is Starbrand. Here's a comprehensive 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 formidable 3-cost, 10-power card with an Ongoing ability: “Ongoing: Your opponent has +3 Power at each other location.” Unlike Mister Fantastic, whose effects are limited to adjacent locations, Starbrand's power boost applies to every location except where it's played. To counter this drawback, decks featuring Starbrand often include cards like Zero, Sauron, and Enchantress to neutralize the opponent's power gains.
While Starbrand is vulnerable to Shang-Chi, it synergizes well with cards like Surtur. However, fitting Starbrand into a deck can be challenging due to its 3-cost slot, which often competes with cards like Surtur or Sauron.
Best Day One Starbrand Decks in Marvel Snap
Starbrand can be seamlessly integrated into two established deck types: Shuri Sauron and Surtur. Let's explore how Starbrand revitalizes these decks:
Shuri Sauron Deck:
- Zabu
- Zero
- Armor
- Lizard
- Sauron
- Starbrand
- Shuri
- Ares
- Enchantress
- Typhoid Mary
- Red Skull
- Taskmaster
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 remove negative effects from your Ongoing cards. Then, you can buff another lane with Shuri into a high-power card like Red Skull and secure the final location with Taskmaster's copied power.
With Zabu replacing Ebony Maw, you gain flexibility to play Shuri alongside Starbrand or Ares on the final turns, providing unexpected power spikes. Starbrand's drawback is less impactful in this deck, as you can neutralize it with Enchantress after playing him.
Surtur Deck:
- Zabu
- Zero
- Armor
- Sam Wilson
- Captain America
- Cosmo
- Surtur
- Starbrand
- Ares
- Attuma
- Crossbones
- Cull Obsidian
- Skaar
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 Surtur and Ares, powers this deck to high levels. With Starbrand, you can reduce Skaar to a 1-cost card by playing Starbrand followed by two of Ares, Attuma, and Crossbones on turns 4 and 5.
Zero helps mitigate the downsides of Starbrand and Attuma. Even without perfect timing, Zero remains a strong final turn play. However, timing Starbrand's play is crucial—ideally after Surtur and perhaps with Zero and Skaar on the final turn. This requires some practice to master.
Should You Use Spotlight Cache Keys or Collector’s Tokens on Starbrand?
Starbrand is a "wait and see" card due to recent meta shifts with powerful additions like Agamotto and Eson. It's uncertain whether Shuri Sauron can keep up, even with Starbrand's inclusion, and Surtur decks' viability post-Aero and Skaar nerfs is still being assessed. If you have the resources, it's wise to observe the meta's evolution over a few days before committing to Starbrand.
And those are the best Starbrand decks in Marvel Snap.
Marvel Snap is available to play now.
