
The Marvel universe is no stranger to powerful, Hulk-like characters, and Starbrand is the latest to make a splash in *Marvel Snap*. Here's a detailed look at the best Starbrand decks to try out on day one.
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 that states: "Ongoing: Your opponent has +3 Power at each other location." Unlike Mister Fantastic, who affects only adjacent locations, Starbrand boosts your opponent's power at all other locations. To counter this, decks featuring Starbrand often incorporate cards like Zero, Sauron, and Enchantress to mitigate his drawback.
While Starbrand is particularly vulnerable to Shang-Chi, he synergizes well with cards like Surtur. However, fitting him into decks can be challenging due to his 3-cost slot, which often competes with other powerful cards like Surtur or Sauron.
Best Day One Starbrand Decks in Marvel Snap
Starbrand fits well into two established deck archetypes: Shuri Sauron and Surtur. Let's explore how he can revitalize 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, easily replaceable with Vision. Leveraging Zabu's ability, the deck focuses on removing negative effects from Ongoing cards using Zero, Sauron, and Enchantress. The strategy involves buffing a lane with Shuri into a card like Red Skull, then copying that power with Taskmaster. With Taskmaster's recent nerf to 6 cost, Zabu allows for powerful plays with Shuri and Starbrand on the final turns. Starbrand's drawback is less impactful when going tall with Shuri, and Enchantress can neutralize it while potentially hitting an opponent's Ongoing card.
Related: Best Redwing Decks in Marvel Snap
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, forms the backbone of this high-level deck. Starbrand enables playing Skaar at a reduced cost by setting up with Ares, Attuma, and Crossbones. Zero helps mitigate the downsides of Starbrand and Attuma, though careful play is needed to avoid negating your own Surtur or Ares. Timing Starbrand's play is crucial, ideally after Surtur and alongside Zero and Skaar on the final turn.
Should You Use Spotlight Cache Keys or Collector’s Tokens on Starbrand?
Starbrand is a "wait and see" card, especially with recent meta shifts due to cards like Agamotto and Eson. The viability of Shuri Sauron and Surtur decks remains uncertain, and it's wise to observe how the meta evolves over a few days before investing resources in Starbrand.
And those are the best Starbrand decks in Marvel Snap.
Marvel Snap is available to play now.