If you’ve been paying attention to recent data mines, then you’ve noticed that a brand new keyword will be hitting Marvel Snap in the upcoming months. It appears as though the designers want to give us quite a few options for this new keyword as they are releasing 11 new cards across three seasons, here at Snap.Fan, we know players are going to be excited about this, so we dived in to find out as much as we can at this stage about Objective. (Note that all datamines are subject to change. What we found here could be different from what is released in-game.)
What is Objective?
This new keyword provides you with a goal! You get a clear gameplay path to accomplish, and when you complete it, you get a reward. This is such a fun addition to the game, as it gives you something to work toward to swing the game in your favour. We’ve seen little bits of this throughout Snap’s history, with cards like Thor asking you to find Mjolnir or Fantomex asking you to discard and destroy a card before using his ability. Objective takes these types of abilities and unifies them under a single banner. If you are hearing about this for the first time, let’s take a look at the in-game tool-up text, which is currently datamined to be:
Objective: An Objective completes after the turn, if in play with its condition met.
Let’s go ahead and break it down for further understanding.
“An Objective completes after the turn.”
From the data mines, we’ve been able to determine that the Objective ability will happen after End of Turn abilities, both from characters and locations. This means it’s happening after stuff such as Thena or Havok. Essentially, what you need to be on the lookout for is the keyword End of Turn. If you see that, then you can plan for your completed Objective to resolve once those End of Turns have finished. Remember that End of Turn is different from End of Game, so Objectives will happen before cards made facedown by Invisible Woman or Supergiant are revealed.
“if in play with its condition met.”
The card with Objective needs to be in play for it to trigger. I’ve seen a couple of people confused about whether it can happen in your hand or deck; that’s not the case. The important part here is that the condition is met.
We did some digging, and it looks as if Objective cards check every turn whether or not the quest is being progressed. It’s why they have the new “tracker” in their text box. For example, Juggernaut, Horseman of War, has a “(0/6)” after their ability. This will let you know at a glance how far away you are from achieving his Objective, meaning you don’t have to have your Objective card on the board to start your mission; you are progressing towards the goal as soon as the game starts!
Who is Objective?
As I mentioned earlier, we are about to see a huge focus on Objective. 11 new cards will be here before we know it. For your ease in viewing, here they are all.
Do I think any current cards can be reworked into Objective? It’s possible, but doing so would change more of their synergies than it would help. The main example I can think of would be Fantomex. If we take the Activate away and make it an Objective, then we lose out on synergizing him with Jocasta. Other cards with a “questlike” ability, such as Thor and Lin Lie, would also lose On Reveal and Ongoing synergies, respectively. In my opinion, I’d rather they take a card that sees absolutely no play, or doesn’t have an exciting and thematic ability, and give them a completely new Objective. Maybe something like White Widow or Mister Fantastic First Steps?
When is Objective?
March, April, and even May will feature this new keyword. March and April appear to be a pair of seasons that share a thematic link. We’ve seen this before with a Spider-Man-based season going into a Symbiote one, or the Fantastic Four First Steps before the Heralds of Galactus. Even though the Horseman will be heavily tied thematically to Objective, they won’t be the only cards with this new keyword. We are already getting hints of how it’ll pop up occasionally with a new Punisher. We won’t have to wait for another Apocalypse or Horseman-based season to get more Objectives!
Where is Objective?
Getting excited about Objective? Wondering how you get these cards? All the Objective cards are Series 5, so you won’t be seeing them for free in limited-time game modes. The Season Pass and the weekly new releases are what you will need to target to acquire them. If you are an F2P player, this means you can expect to get about 6 of them. Keep an eye on what the community discovers once these cards come out to see which ones fit your particular play style and collection.
Why Objective?
Does the game need another keyword? Is it worth adding another layer of complexity to the game? I’d argue we’ve had pseudo-Objectives in the game for a long time now. When you play a Destroy deck, your goal is to destroy Deadpool as many times as you can. Your gameplay decisions all revolve around this. Objective is going to offer this with many different flavours of goals to work towards. From the fun and thematic Selene to the absolutely insane Gambit, I’d have to guess the design intent was to have something for any player.
I’m personally very excited for this new keyword. I had felt that Activate had fallen flat, and End of Turn was essentially renaming something we had seen before. Objective is the first time we are getting something new in a long while. The main thing that will separate you from your opponent is understanding the subtle synergies that Objective cards will demand. Take a long look at your collection and try to game out how you will complete these Objectives.
Let me know in the comments below who you are excited for and how you are going to solve their individual puzzle!
On a personal note, this is my last article for Snap.Fan. If you haven’t heard yet, this is Snap.Fan’s final week of articles. But don’t despair! Your favourite Snap.Fan creators can still be found involved in keeping you informed about the comings and goings of Marvel Snap. I will primarily be found on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AugustTurnZero, where I have a weekly podcast, Drive Home! Keep an eye out for more content from me coming soon.
Huge thanks to Snap.Fan for letting me be involved, and a special thanks to all of you for reading!
Editor BEWD Here: Here's an objective for you, subscribe to August’s YouTube channel, turn on notifications, and give a like on one of his videos on me!