Joaquin Torres Falcon: A Comprehensive Guide to His Marvel Snap Abilities and Deck Potential

Until recently, Joaquin Torres Falcon was a mystery to me too. But discovering his unique origins—a falcon-human hybrid from experimental tampering—along with his impressive healing and mental link to Sam Wilson via Redwing, instantly grabbed my attention. This guide won't delve into his full backstory, but let's cut to the chase: is he worth your Spotlight Keys?

Table of Contents

• What Does He Do?
• What Are the Best 1-Cost Cards to Pair with Torres?
  • Tier 1 – Top Choices
  • Tier 2 – Solid Options
  • Tier 3 – Less Effective
  • Special Cases
• How Should We Use Him?
• Day One Decks to Try
  • Falcon's Power
  • Diamondback
  • Time to Mill

What Does He Do?

Torres' ability is straightforward and effective: he's essentially a Wong, but only for 1-cost cards.

What Are the Best 1-Cost Cards to Pair with Torres?

There are currently 23 1-cost cards with On Reveal effects. Here's a tiered list for pairing them with Torres:

Tier 1 – Top Choices

Cards like Blade and Yondu have specific uses, and doubling their effects is game-changing. These cards offer huge power, especially if you can bounce them back to your hand with another Falcon for a second play in the Torres lane.

Tier 2 – Solid Options

These cards aren't as impactful as Tier 1, but still offer significant advantages. For example, Collector gets massively buffed, Devil Dinosaur grows huge with Agent 13 or Maria Hill, and Mantis shines. America Chavez isn't guaranteed card play, but she's still viable.

Tier 3 – Less Effective

Cards like Squirrel Girl might be late-game lane fillers, but they don't generally synergize well with Torres' strategy. Overloading your board isn't ideal.

Special Cases

Nico Minoru's powerful On Reveal is incredible doubled, though not always feasible. Basic Arrow is strong with Torres, but requires multiple steps, reducing reliability. Thanos (not a 1-cost) adds six 1-costs, five with On Reveals—experimenting with Thanos and Torres could be interesting.

How Should We Use Him?

Discussions around 1-cost cards often focus on Bounce mechanics, where Torres shines. Use him in bounce decks to maximize your 1-cost cards. Applications outside bounce are more limited. While established lists may not have room for him, consider him in Discard or Mill decks for extra discards or mill effects with Yondu.

A Moonstone Victoria Hand hand-generation deck could also work well, letting Collector grow massively off a single Agent 13 or Maria Hill with doubled effects.

Day One Decks to Try

Falcon's Power

This straightforward Bounce deck uses Torres to create massive 1-cost cards like Rocket and Hawkeye. Since Torres excels as a bounce card, replaying him isn't necessary, keeping him on the board. A few 3-cost cards make the deck slightly top-heavy, but Torres adds excitement and high-roll potential.

Diamondback

Korg pairs exceptionally well with Torres to grow Darkhawk. Supporting characters like Zabu, Ares, Cassandra, and Rockslide enhance this strong lineup.

Time to Mill

While Mill is popular, Torres adds an annoying edge, especially late-game. Playing him on turn 3 might weaken the deck compared to current versions, delaying key plays like Yondu to turn 4 or Iceman to turn 5. Still, experimentation is worthwhile.

Understanding Torres' abilities and strategic pairings unlocks his potential in Marvel Snap. Whether through Bounce or other strategies, Torres offers exciting possibilities for competitive play.