Best Starbrand Decks in Marvel Snap

The Marvel universe boasts many hulking heroes, and now, Starbrand joins the ranks of *Marvel Snap*. This guide explores the best Starbrand decks currently available.

How Starbrand Works in Marvel Snap

Starbrand is a 3-cost, 10-power card with the ability: “Ongoing: Your opponent has +3 Power at each other location.” Unlike Mister Fantastic, this effect isn't limited to adjacent locations; Starbrand grants power to every location he's not in. Consequently, decks utilizing Starbrand often incorporate cards like Zero, Sauron, and Enchantress to mitigate this opponent power boost. Shang-Chi hard counters Starbrand, while synergies with Surtur are potent. However, his 3-cost placement can be tricky, often competing with Surtur or Sauron for deck slots.

Best Day One Starbrand Decks in Marvel Snap

Starbrand integrates well into existing archetypes like Shuri Sauron and Surtur. Let's examine if he revitalizes these strategies:

Shuri Sauron Deck

Zabu
Zero
Armor
Lizard
Sauron
Starbrand
Shuri
Ares
Enchantress
Typhoid Mary
Red Skull
Taskmaster

[Click here to copy this list from Untapped.]

This budget-friendly deck (only Ares is a Series 5 card; easily replaced by Vision) leverages Zabu's synergy. The strategy revolves around neutralizing negative Ongoing effects with Zero, Sauron, and Enchantress; boosting a lane with Shuri into a high-power card like Red Skull; and copying that power with Taskmaster. Zabu replaces Ebony Maw, offering flexibility to play Shuri alongside Starbrand or Ares for surprise power spikes, mitigating Taskmaster's 6-cost nerf. Starbrand's opponent power boost is less impactful due to the high power plays, further mitigated by Enchantress.

Surtur Deck

Zabu
Zero
Armor
Sam Wilson
Captain America
Cosmo
Surtur
Starbrand
Ares
Attuma
Crossbones
Cull Obsidian
Skaar

[Click here to copy this list from Untapped.]

This deck is more expensive, featuring four Series 5 cards. Sam Wilson and Cull Obsidian synergize well, while Surtur and Ares are crucial. Starbrand allows for potentially reducing Skaar's cost to 1 by playing him alongside Ares, Attuma, and Crossbones. Zero counters the drawbacks of Starbrand and Attuma, even if not perfectly integrated. The challenge lies in optimal Starbrand timing; ideally, playing him alongside Zero and Skaar on the final turn, after Surtur, although this isn't always feasible.

Should You Use Spotlight Cache Keys or Collector’s Tokens on Starbrand?

Starbrand's viability is uncertain given recent meta shifts with Agamotto and Eson. The effectiveness of Shuri Sauron and Surtur decks remains to be seen. Consider waiting to observe his performance before investing resources.

Marvel Snap is available now.