Hello, and welcome back to Burning Questions. Things are heating up outside and in-game as summer arrives in the Northern Hemisphere and via new variants. Let's jump in.
1) How can I get better at retreating?
It's a constant refrain and the instant advice you'll receive for improving at Marvel Snap: get better at Snapping and retreating. Easier said than done! How?
Regarding retreating, I think there are two primary things to consider: the metagame and your mentality.
A crucial part of retreating well is to discern the possible and most likely output of your opponent's deck. Consider what your opponent might play, especially on turn 6 or after they Snap. This means having total knowledge of the cards in the game and a deep understanding of the metagame. Metagame or “the meta” is often used, but what does it mean? Metagame refers to the parts of the game outside the literal items that make up the game, like the cards and locations. In other words, the players and what they choose to do. How much play is the newest card seeing? Are people playing a lot of Leech or Shadow King? Which decks are especially popular? Which decks, while powerful, aren't being played because of bad matchups or simply player preference? “The Meta” is often a shorthand for which decks are being played in what proportions. The best players at metagaming often find counters to the most popular and powerful decks. How do you broaden your meta knowledge and skill? Play a lot. Knowledge of what others are playing and why comes with experience. Another helpful tool to improve is note-taking. Keeping notes on what decks you play against, what turn 6 plays come down, and which players you often face will help you improve your retreating. I also recommend following SnapDecks on Twitter to see what people are playing and checking out content creators who specifically do a meta-analysis. The best way to know when to retreat is to know what to expect from your opponent.
Second, and equally important, is ensuring your retreating mentality is healthy. Think of 1-Cube retreats as victories. Good retreats are positive. Not just filler in your day that you gloss over, but actively positive results that lead to cube gains in the long run. Additionally, do not let pride or sunk-cost feelings prevent you from retreating. I see it so often: one player Snaps, circumstances change, and they will now lose. They stay in any way because they snapped. Retreating doesn't mean your initial Snap was bad, and it doesn't mean you failed. Retreating for 4 shows that you can analyze a situation calmly and make the right choice. A good retreat is as critical to gaining ranks or SP as a win. Retreating for 4 when most players would stay and lose 8 is crucial. You can tell that this is a rare skill because if you retreat in a game when you are the one who Snapped, opponents will send you the Thanos emote or ”Snap?” as if you've made an error. A large number of players play the game something like this:
- Never Snap until turn 4 or 5 (often 6)
- Only Snap when in an absolutely dominant position
- Retreat if they don't hit their combo, stay if they do
- Never retreat when circumstances change
- Rarely, if ever, retreat for 4-cubes
- Retreat too often on 2-cube coin flips or when slightly unfavored
Players like this can often achieve high ranks, but only through heavy play time and because their MMR allows them to play against other players who do the same. Retreating instead of losing extra cubes is good!
If hitting infinite is difficult for you, try sharpening your retreating skills. This doesn't necessarily mean retreating more but retreating optimally.
2) If you were stranded on a desert island with no supplies, which character would you bring with you to help you survive?
Ok, so I'm going to exclude options like Captain Marvel, who could just fly me to safety; Magik, who could just open a portal to escape; or Galactus, who could just scoop me up and put me on a different planet. Let's take this as a survivalist situation. Which characters would do the best on the Super Hero version of the TV show Alone? Let's say we're stranded on a desert isle on a deserted planet.
Iceman
I mean, my first instinct is obvious. He can conjure drinking water out of thin air, and we could make an igloo in which to live. Storm would probably have similar utility plus additional abilities, but we're on a strange planet—I don't want to take the small risk that she can't tap into her powers there.
Human Torch
Like Iceman, he could get us fresh water by boiling sea water and capturing the vapor. Also, the first thing you must do in a survivalist situation is make a fire. Easy peasy.
Ka-Zar
He lives in the Savage Land and wears a loincloth. He knows how to live off the land until we're rescued. He would teach me to spearfish. He's probably going to take things more seriously than Bobby or Johnny.
Mister Fantastic
We crash land with no supplies or technology, so guys like Tony Stark would be useless. I also don't want to be trapped with a villain who doesn't have my safety at heart, so Doc Ock isn't an option. Reed Richards is probably the strongest choice. Like a super-powered version of the professor on Gilligan's Island, he could probably rig up an interstellar communication device with just a couple of coconuts and some microchips he made out of super-heated sand.
3) What are the best Summer vacation variants?
Last week, we got a new superyacht version of the Helicarrier in a bundle. But is it among the best Summer vacation variants? Here are my top three.
This Iceman is cool and relaxed about Bobby Drake—a great variant from David Nakayama.
Unfortunately, this Armor was in a bundle that came out last September. Cannonball!!!!
Wilson Fisk knows how to enjoy the summer. He's got a cocktail and a sweet Hawaiian shirt. Don't worry—his flip phone is a burner; he's got a smartphone capable of running Snap in his pocket.
Let's hop over to the official Marvel Snap discord and see what's hot in the ask-the-team channel.
4) Q: Is Red Guardian too good?
As title, how does it perform from release? It can counter so many key cards while having targeting and low cost at the same time. Cards like Wong, Ironman etc. are no place to live right now…
A: He's a strong card with a range of playable homes, but not too problematic. Decks with Wong and Iron Man still see success; Wong is arguably at an all-time high on competitive performance since launch.
-Glenn
Author's note
Red Guardian is a solid card but far from problematic. Filtering to the last seven days, Infinite Rank is only currently sitting with a high playrate (12.8%) and a decent drawn win rate (52%). One of the card’s strengths is that it can always have some positive impact, being a 3-Cost 5-power play, even when he isn't swinging a game by hitting a key target. However, this also accounts for why Red Guardian is pretty balanced. Red Guardian is often settling for medium-value targets like Angela and Jeff, which are good targets but hardly game-winning.
5) Q: Glenn has answered questions in the past that referenced theoretical new keywords used on cards such as Angela, Thena, and Elsa.
Is the new card mechanic in development “Trigger” or something of the sort?
A: I don't believe I've made any specific references to those cards in relation to a new keyword, but maybe I'm wrong or was unclear about something. But no, the "new card mechanic" is not a "new word for existing functionality.”
-Glenn
Author's note
Information about the upcoming keyword has been vague but always pointed to being something new rather than “a new word for old functionality.” I think the new keyword will debut in October with several new Symbiote characters that have been datamined. Venom: The Last Dance has a release date of October 25th, and Second Dinner loves to harmonize seasons with films when they can. Also, the Symbiotes seem like solid candidates to do something new and worthy of a new keyword. It will have to be something fundamental and simple enough that new players can understand it innately in the way they can with Ongoing and On Reveal. I'm guessing something like Join, Merge, Unite, or Meld. Other suggestions I saw on Twitter were On Draw, which triggers when cards are drawn, and Synergize, which gives a boost across several cards in the spirit of the popular Avengers vs. X-Men event. I'd love to hear your keyword predictions/wishlists. Let me see them in the comments!
That's it for this week. Find me on Twitter or leave a comment with your own Burning Question! I'll be off for a short Summer vacation next week, so stay cool until then.