God of War Joins Marvel Snap

Ares, the God of War, descends upon the mortal realm of Marvel Snap, ready to shake up the meta and revive forgotten archetypes. But how does this Olympian warrior end up aligning with Norman Osborn, the unlikely leader of the Avengers post-Secret Invasion? With most Avengers abandoning Osborn, only Ares and the mentally unstable Sentry remain. This raises a crucial question: how can a supposed Avenger, a champion of good, support such an obviously villainous leader?

The answer lies in Ares' unwavering loyalty to war itself, not to any specific side. This inherent characteristic perfectly explains his presence in Marvel Comics and his compelling design in Marvel Snap. Ares thrives in large-scale conflicts, preferring the company of powerful individuals, even if they're less than pleasant. He's simply a fan of a good brawl.

Table of Contents

• Best Cards to Team Up With Ares
• Ares Isn't a Big Bad, Sadly
• Concluding Thoughts

Best Cards to Team Up With Ares

Unlike some cards with readily apparent synergies, Ares lacks an immediate, established connection. He needs a unique approach. Ares' strength lies in decks packed with high-power cards. Cards with "on reveal" abilities pair exceptionally well, creating opportunities for strategic plays with Grandmaster or Odin. While a 12-power card costing 4 energy is decent, a 21-power card for 6 energy is significantly more desirable. The key to maximizing Ares outside of Surtur decks is to leverage and repeat his ability.

Despite Ares' disdain for weaker opponents, consider protecting him with cards like Cosmo or Armor. These unexpected pairings can create a surprising defensive strategy that even the God of War might appreciate.

Ares Isn't a Big Bad, Sadly

While a true [4/12] card isn't currently available, analogues like Gwenpool and Galactus can reach a comparable power level. The rise of control decks like Mill and Wiccan Control highlights a need for defensive strategies against cards like Shang-Chi. This necessitates a specific deck construction for Ares, unlike the more flexible decks currently trending.

Building a deck solely around power is generally unviable unless your wager consistently outperforms Mister Negative (which is unlikely). Even Move decks, which focus on accumulating power, often incorporate disruption for an advantage. Ares needs to surpass the performance of Surtur decks, which haven't been highly competitive lately. Currently, Surtur 10-Power decks boast a mediocre win rate of around 51.5% at high levels of play.

Matchups become complex. For instance, a 3 vs. 2 scenario favors you if your opponent's top three cards only include one Rock. However, Darkhawk lacks strong archetypal support in this context. Mill decks can significantly boost Ares' effectiveness against opponents low on cards. However, compared to Death (a 12-power card often costing less energy), Ares' value is questionable.

Ares' current status as one of the weaker cards in the season makes his inclusion a gamble. Playing him involves a coin flip; winning the wager and assessing the power curve is crucial. Use this knowledge to your advantage, incorporating cards like Alioth, Cosmo, Man-Thing, and Red Guardian for disruptive strategies.

Concluding Thoughts

Overall, Ares is likely a card to skip this season. His susceptibility to counters, compared to energy-cheating cards (like Wiccan) and widespread power-granting cards (like Galactus), diminishes his appeal. His consistent success requires a highly specific deck build. A [4/6] card is generally weak, even if a [4/12] is excellent, unless it has a powerful accompanying ability.