Ares, the God of War, descends upon the mortal realm of Marvel Snap, aiming to conquer and revitalize underperforming archetypes. But how does this deity of conflict find himself amidst the superheroics of the Avengers?
Following the Secret Invasion, Norman Osborn assumes leadership of the Avengers, leaving Ares and Sentry as his only remaining teammates. Sentry's allegiance stems from his intentional insanity, but Ares's support for the clearly villainous Osborn seems paradoxical. After all, isn't he supposed to be fighting evil?
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The answer lies in Ares's unwavering loyalty to war itself, not to any specific faction. This perfectly aligns his Marvel Comics persona with his Marvel Snap card. Ares thrives in large-scale conflicts, preferring the company of powerful individuals – a rather blunt and unrefined character.
Table of Contents
- Best Cards to Team Up With Ares
- Ares: Surprisingly Not a Top-Tier Threat
- Conclusion
Best Cards to Team Up With Ares
Unlike cards with readily apparent synergies (e.g., Bullseye, Swarm, and Scorn), Ares requires a unique strategic approach. His strength lies in high-power cards. Cards like Grandmaster or Odin, with their on-reveal effects, create intriguing possibilities. While a 4-energy, 12-power card is decent, a 6-energy, 21-power card is far more desirable. Repeating his ability is key to maximizing his effectiveness outside of Surtur decks.
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Despite his disdain for weaker opponents, consider protecting Ares with cards like Cosmo or Armor.
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Ares: Surprisingly Not a Top-Tier Threat
While the game lacks a direct 4/12 power card equivalent, similar power levels can be achieved (Gwenpool, Galactus). However, the rise of control decks (Mill, Wiccan Control) necessitates defensive strategies against Shang-Chi. This contrasts with the current trend of flexible decks, requiring highly specific deck construction for Ares to function effectively.
Relying solely on power is generally unsustainable unless your wager significantly surpasses Mister Negative's (which it usually won't). Even Move decks, which accumulate high power, often incorporate disruption for an advantage. Ares needs to outperform Surtur decks, which currently have a suboptimal win rate (around 51.5% at high levels of play).
The Surtur 10-Power archetype, while aiming for a Cerebro-10 synergy, struggles to maintain competitiveness. Matchups become complex; for example, a 3 vs. 2 scenario arises if your opponent's top three cards only include one Rock, but Darkhawk lacks strong archetypes in this context. Mill decks can significantly boost Ares's effectiveness when the opponent lacks card resources.
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However, Death (12 power, usually lower energy cost) outperforms Ares, making his inclusion questionable. Despite his power, Ares offers valuable strategic insight.
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Ares's weakness lies in his susceptibility to counters. A simple coin flip determines the outcome when playing him strategically. Understanding power curves and numbers is crucial for effective gameplay.
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This knowledge allows for disruptive strategies using cards like Alioth, Cosmo, Man-Thing, and Red Guardian.
Conclusion
Ares is arguably the least desirable card of the season. His vulnerability to counters, compared to energy-cheating cards (Wiccan) and widespread power-granting cards (Galactus), diminishes his appeal. His effectiveness hinges on very specific deck construction. A 4/6 card is generally weak, even if a 4/12 card is strong, unless paired with a powerful ability.
