Marvel Snap: July 20th Balancing Analysis. Is Bounce dead? And what about Phoenix Force?
Marvel Snap: July 20th Balancing Analysis. Is Bounce dead? And what about Phoenix Force? – Welcome to this new article on Marvel Snap. Today we are analyzing the balance changes released on July 20th to see how they will influence the Marvel Snap meta.
In particular, the nerfs have hit Bounce hard, with Kitty Prude and Hit Monkey getting nerfed. The deck will take a significant hit and won’t be able to deliver the performances it has given us until now.
You can find all the analyses below, card by card, along with some decks that, in my opinion, could come out as winners from this patch. Now, I simply wish you happy reading.
Marvel Snap: July 20th Balancing Analysis. Is Bounce dead? And what about Phoenix Force?
But what will happen to Bounce?
Bounce was undoubtedly the strongest deck in the meta and deserved some nerfs, but these are really significant. The patch has weakened both Hit Monkey and Kitty Pryde, which should make Bounce an average or even weak deck.
We might see some interesting modifications for Bounce, although I believe that for quite some time, we won’t see it in the meta. I say this because I know the players, and I’m aware that, at least initially, they will be reluctant to modify this deck and, instead, they will try something new.
Sera and Lockjaw were also hit by the nerfs.
One of the decks affected by the nerfs is Lockjaw since it relied on a card that has been weakened: Spider-Ham. However, the nerf to Lockjaw is much lighter compared to the one applied to Bounce, as it can replace Spider-Ham with other cards like Iceman or Sunspot.
Sera also had 2 of its cards nerfed (Hit Monkey and Kitty Pryde). However, unlike Bounce, Sera is much easier to adapt and has plenty of viable versions, which can be easily modified.
Let’s talk about the buffs: Magik.
The buff to Magik is really good. Previously, you would use the card to play another card that costs 6 more or, in combos, to search for a card that helps you seal the game definitively. Now, these decks can continue to use it at a reduced cost, but Magik can be utilized in many other situations.
Sera is the first that comes to mind to take advantage of the card cost reduction for an additional turn. It can also be used with Silver Surfer for explosive combos, for example, with Cerberus. Below, I’ll list three meta decks that already play Magik.
The deck aims to discard all its cards and then reach the seventh turn to revive them with Hela to close the game. Alternatively, you can seek victory by simply playing cards that cost 6 or more and overpowering your opponent.
A good deck that heavily relies on the “Discovery” mechanic, particularly on the Wong+White Tiger+Odin combo. Thanks to Magik, we can further repeat the combo with Absorbing Man. This deck might be weaker than the previous one, but it has always impressed me, and maybe some players will be able to make it work.
The Negative deck has always focused on turning the game around in the final turns. Since Magik used to cost 5, we couldn’t play Iron Man, but now we can. Additionally, we must keep in mind that with this deck, playing one extra turn can truly change the game.
Living Tribunal gets a fantastic buff.
A three-point buff is truly significant. Many decks that struggle to distribute their power could take advantage of it. Two lists that come to mind are Hela Discard and Lockjaw, both of which could greatly benefit from this card. Anyway, below, I’ll leave you with a list currently using Living Tribunal.
Phoenix Force
The buff to Phoenix Force is truly excellent. First of all, you could use it on Human Torch to continuously empower him, making him a difficult target for Shang Chi. Even if it were to revive Multiple Man, it would still be very valuable. Below, I’ll leave you with a list that, in my opinion, works very well with Phoenix Force.
Conclusion
Here concludes our article. What do you think about it? Do you believe these were good balancing changes? Let us know in the comments. We’ll see you soon with a new article.
