This deck got me to infinite!
And here's the full play guide, written by me! I hope it helps you climb!
Be sure to follow me on Twitch if you like this kind of content! ~@Kylix_lol
Updated on: 04/29/23
- Concept
The idea behind Hit/Sera is to setup your end game combos early, manipulate the field to your liking and drop a massive turn 6 swing that will win the game for you. This deck grabs a TON of cubes this way!
- Turn Order
In a perfect world with no extra card draws, the ideal turn order would be: T1 skip, T2 Angela, T3 Bishop, T4 Polaris, T5 Sera, T6 Nova + Mysterio + Hit Monkey + Scarlet Witch (or Sentinel) + Killmonger (in that sequence)
- This is probably the most potent combo the deck has to offer. Most matches won't unfold like this, but I wanted to show you what a great top deck would look like.
- Dropping Nova on turn 4 with a Sentinel or Polaris is viable, but could get him trapped or triggered early by your opponent. Using him on turn 6 with Killmonger is recommended since your opponent won’t see it coming or be able to counter it.
- Mysterio is a key component to this deck's big swing as he provides +6 to Hit Monkey, +3 to Bishop, +2 to Angela and absorbs another +3 from Nova while offering 4 power himself... all for (usually) 1 energy.
- Also, keep in mind that Hit Monkey gains power from face down cards (just like Wolfsbane), so you don't have to play him last! This is important when utilizing your Nova buff! Remember to flip Killmonger AFTER Hit Monkey!
There are MANY ways your hand can (and will) unfold with this deck, so try to think about what will set you up for success at the end of the match and ruin your opponent's strategy. This is a more advanced build, so you will be doing a lot of thinking and calculations! That's normal!
- Snapping and Retreating
Understanding when to snap and when to retreat is essential. I call it "Snap Discipline" and once I figured out this part of the game, I sailed up the ladder. I'll try to explain when and why I snap with this deck to help you make better decisions in your own games.
Early snaps. If I have an absolutely stellar opening hand that includes Sera on turn 2 or 3, I will snap. It's very rare though. Generally, you'll want to wait for all 3 locations to reveal. Sometimes snapping early will backfire if a game-losing location (like TVA) shows up and you've already committed.
Mid-game snaps. The majority of my snaps happen on turn 4 or 5 if I'm dropping Sera and have a good follow-up combo ready for turn 6. Mysterio, Hit Monkey, Nova + Killmonger, Bishop/Angela already on the field, etc. The bulk of your snaps should be happening here.
Late-game snaps. I generally don't recommend snapping on turn 6, as your opponent will be able to tell that they're going to lose and you'll only get 1 cube instead of 2 when they retreat. Sometimes it's better to just not snap at all if you haven't by this point.
Retreats. I recommend retreating if you get unfavorable locations (like Space Throne, Sanctum, etc) without Scarlet Witch in hand, or if your opponent has a clear lead and you don't have Sera for turn 5. Not having her is usually a bad sign, but it's not totally impossible to win without her. It's just a bit risky as you'll have less options on turn 6. Better to retreat when things aren't looking good and save yourself some cubes. Remember that you can lose seven "1 cube" games in a row, then win a single "8 cube" game and still come out positive!
- Meta Matchups
Thanos
- It's possible to beat Thanos decks by hitting their big boys, like Dino, with Enchantress or Death/Thanos with Shang-Chi. You can also board wipe them with a well timed Killmonger, but it's still a very risky match-up because they almost always have Leech. Proceed with caution. It's usually a 50/50, so don't be afraid to retreat if things don't feel right by turn 5.
Shuri
- Shuri was a top tier meta deck, so you've probably seen a lot of her. Luckily, disrupting her strat isn't very hard because of how telegraphed her moves are and she's not so bad post-nerf. You can do advanced stuff like Polaris her armor away from a doubled card and kill it with Shang-Chi. You could also focus on alternate lane early, then Enchantress/Shang the armored lane on T6. Your cards like Angela/Bishop aren't affected by Cosmo either. Shuri can still totally over power you under the right circumstances though, so don't underestimate her abilities!
Galactus
- It's not always a clear win, but I actually prefer this match up because of how predictable it is. You should be able to spot a Galactus deck by turn 2 or 3 and then figure out if you can beat it or not. Once you understand what you're up against, it's easy to decide if you should stay or leave.
- If you can grab priority and have Polaris in hand, you can usually move something into the Galactus lane and stop him from triggering. Or you can use her to force his Galactus to be played into a more preferable lane. If you don't have a good counter though, retreat! If you do, snap and get the bonus cubes!
- Most Galactus decks have very obvious tells like Wolverine, Cloak, Nimrod, Wave, Green Goblin, Hob Goblin, Electro, T5 Doc Oc, etc. If you see any of these cards at higher ranks, it will usually be a Galactus deck!
- Generally, the Galactus player will throw goblins into the future Galactus lane to weaken and clog it. This is your sign of where you need to counter! Other than that, just look for the free lane and try to counter there when you think they're dropping him. If you pull it off, they will retreat and you get some free cubes!
Electro/Sandman
- Run away. Retreat. Do not enter here. Do not pass go. Go directly to jail.
- Seriously. Sandman totally hard counters Sera (as does a turn 5 Wave) and there's usually nothing you can do about it. Enchantress might work, but she'll have to be played on turn 5 for the guaranteed Sandman hit, which means you won't be able to play Sera, which greatly diminishes your final turn.
- Early warning signs will be ramps like Psylocke, Electro, Wave, etc. And they want to get Sandman (or sometimes Leech) out as early as possible. Advanced players will know that you're running a Sera deck by turn 2 if you've placed anything and they will usually snap with Sandman/Leech in hand. All I can say is... good luck with this one.
- Additional Info
Here are some quick tips I learned about this deck to help you climb!
- Hide! Your! Plan! Sometimes putting Nova out too early (for example) will get him caught in Armor. It's okay to save him for a big turn 6 surprise with Killmonger, but you can put him out earlier if it's safe. You'll have to decide what the optimal play is during your match!
- If you suspect Galactus, try to grab priority asap and use Polaris to counter him!
- Again, Hit Monkey gains power from face down cards the same way Wolfsbane does, so you don't have to play him last! Make sure he's flipped before you trigger Nova so he gets the additional boost!
- Scarlet Witch can (and will) mess you up sometimes. Be prepared for her to change winning locations into losing ones and vice versa.
- More importantly, you'll need her to remove detrimental locations (like Dream Dimension which ruins Sera) or locations that only benefit your opponent (like Titan).
- She should also be used to remove negative power locations so you can land your Shang-Chi more consistently and she steals lanes like Alter of Death or Death's Domain on turn 6, plus she combos well with Hit Monkey for a single energy if you can save her for the last turn.
- She can also snake wins from Magik/Limbo players who think they'll be getting an extra turn! So use her to your advantage!
- Polaris is way better than people realize. Think about saving her for the right time and always consider "why" moving your opponent's card to another location might mess up their strategy. She can also steal a lane at the end of a game under certain conditions.
- Don't underestimate your Sentinels! They can provide some much needed power and they will always keep flowing!
- Think about splitting your win conditions across multiple lanes. You usually don't want Angela, Bishop and Hit Monkey all in the same place. These are your biggest cards. Instead, try having one of them in each lane to maximize your potential.
- Mysterio cannot 'play' clones into some unplayable locations, so be careful with your calculations when you use him. He also fills 1 spot across the board, so don't clog yourself too early. Think about where things will end up on turn 6!
- Never straight up retreat, always use "Retreat Later" - This will save you lots of cubes and only cost you a few extra seconds.
Hope this helps and good luck out there! You got this!