We've almost made it a week since the last OTA update, so let’s discuss the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly that’s resulted from the most recent balance changes.
THE GOOD
I will begin by stating that this OTA change is a positive one, although it does not make these cards significantly better.
Ronan the Accuser and Maximus
I believe that Ronan and Maximus are positive changes. Ronan needed a buff, and adding plus 2 at a base level is a good start. Among 5 cost threats, Ronan can now technically have the highest power for a single 5 drop, and is primarily contested in this space by Devil Dinosaur.
Before the Over The Air update, Ronan was frequently paired with Master Mold, but not always with Maximus, to provide him with an extra buff. Ronan's ability is essentially the opposite of Devil Dino; you want your opponent's hand size to be large at the end of the game. However, controlling your opponent's hand size on turn six can be challenging, particularly when they have a maximum hand size of seven. That's where Maximus comes in. Previously, at three cost, Maximus was less flexible than he is now at two cost. Now, you can play him on turn six with another four-drop, resulting in a more powerful play than just playing two three-drops.
Here is a sample decklist that has been showing pretty positive stats post-OTA.
Ronan Maximus
With this new configuration, you now have three cards that can enhance Ronan's abilities on turn six when accompanying a four-drop like Iron Lad or Ms. Marvel. So, for instance, if you play Ronan on turn five, you can then drop Ms. Marvel and Maximus on turn six, adding a total of 25 power to the board all at once. Before this, Maximus wouldn't have allowed such flexibility, and you would have been stuck playing another three-drop alongside him, which would have resulted in less overall power unless it was Mystique. However, let's consider the Mystique example. If you play Ronan on turn five and then Mystique, Maximus, and a one-drop on turn six, this is more flexible in general and can offer a lot more power depending on the one-drop. Previously, you would have just played Mystique and Maximus, which, while good power, is less flexible.
Maximus is a valuable card to use later in the game when letting the opponent draw more cards is less important. In Marvel Snap, the goal is to accumulate more points to win. Spending only 2 energy to drop 6 power is a good strategy to maximize points. If the cost can be decreased even further, such as in a Sera-type shell, then Maximus becomes even more effective.
Sera Maximus
This deck is a powerful combination of various tech cards from the game. Tech cards are useful on their own, but when paired with cost-effective power cards, they become even more effective. With Maximus now costing only 2, players can deploy a lot of power while still having the option to play higher-cost tech cards like Shang or Enchantress. All in all, I believe these changes are some of the positive outcomes of this OTA.
THE BAD
I believe the recent change to Viper isn't good. Most of the decks that use her have a low win rate and negative cube rate, and changing her to a 3 cost doesn't improve her performance. She has become too slow for most decks and at 4 power, the loss of tempo and flexibility is not worth the trade-off.
I remember the developers mentioned that they wanted to limit the use of Havok in Viper because it could be unfun for players. However, realistically, players won't be able to use Havok until turn three at the earliest, so reducing Viper's power to 3 doesn't change that. Besides, the concept wasn't consistent and the devs didn't have any data other than their internal testing to support the idea that it could be a problem. It seems like they made the change just for the sake of changing something, without considering how it would affect the gameplay. While it's true that they could change it back, these types of changes don't feel good and can be frustrating for players.
THE UGLY
Let's discuss the card that received a nerf in the latest OTA update.
Before the OTA update, Professor X had a consistently high usage rate of 30% in Marvel Snap, which is an impressive feat for a single card. However, playing against an opponent who can cheat out a Professor X card a turn early can be a frustrating experience. One has to guess which lane the opponent will use, and now you’re left fighting for the remaining two lanes, while the opponent only needs to win one. While there are counterplay options available, such as playing cards like Ms Marvel and Klaw, or even using the help of everyone's favorite shark, including these cards in every deck is not always feasible.
The recent nerf has reduced Professor X's power to 1. Although the cost and effect remain the same, this change seems beneficial. It was risky to place Professor X in an open lane since any power there would have resulted in an instant loss. Moreover, everyone's favorite shark would have dominated the game. Therefore, it is easier to contest the lane where Professor X is expected to appear because minus 2 power is a significant decrease. However, the change is in the Ugly category for two reasons.
- It is a gut punch to the card if you love Professor X. Second, it does not address the main issue: his lane lock ability.
- Despite the decrease in popularity, the change also opens up more ways to use Professor X early because of Ravonna Renslayer. The problem with Professor X is that he can easily lock down a lane with Snap's love for making cards that reduce costs or cheat out energy. As long as the concept of energy cheat on turn 3 and lane lock on turn 4 is possible in the game, this issue will resurface repeatedly.
Cerebro Watch
Whenever there is an update to the game, the power level of one or more cards can change. Some cards can become stronger, while others may become weaker. As a result, new cards may become useful for certain decks, while others may become less popular. So, it's important to keep track of which tools different decks have acquired over time.
Black Widow
I believe that C3 is already a strong contender in the game, especially because of the tech cards that have 3 power and the cards that may appear useless but can be useful with a Cerebro. However, now that Black Widow is an option for the deck, we can add some disruption to our game plan. Black Widow can be annoying for the opponent, and by playing her, we can disrupt their strategy and potentially get a Cerebro buff. This seems like a fun addition to me.
Black Widow OTA
Martyr
It seems that the card Marytr in the game Snap, which has an unusual ability that can make you lose, has received a buff and now has up to 5 power. The C5 deck is known for producing a lot of power, and adding a 1 cost card that can add even more power to the board is a good idea. However, using Martyr is not easy as it requires you to carefully consider the placement of your cards and know which lanes to fill and when. Despite this, considering the benefits of cheap power, it might be worth taking a risk and trying her out.
Marytr OTA
The Irrelevant
There were some changes made to the OTA, most of which don't have much impact, such as the change to Punisher. However, I'd like to draw attention to one change that may initially seem irrelevant. Werewolf by Night's cost has been increased to 4, which may reduce his overall power, but this can be mitigated with an additional turn of setup. Additionally, this change places him entirely within the world of Zabu, which means he has been given extra power.
The reason why the change in cost is not significant is mainly because the affected card, which is a part of the Loki deck, is still strong and fits perfectly well in the deck. This deck has always been one of the best decks in the format, and the slight increase in cost does not affect its performance in any way. This particular card still serves as a reliable backup win condition due to its high stats and simple mechanics. Therefore, the change in its cost only affects it slightly and does not make it less effective.
Conclusion
I believe that the OTA was decent overall. It did not have any major negative impacts on many cards but rather helped adjust them into various roles. The introduction of newer cards appears to have caused more changes, but there are always pros and cons to any OTA. Please share your thoughts on the most recent OTA in the comments section below. Thank you for reading!