Best Diamondback Decks in Marvel Snap

Diamondback, a relatively obscure Marvel villain, slithers into Marvel Snap, offering intriguing potential for both villainous and heroic strategies. This guide explores optimal deck builds featuring this 3-cost, 3-power card whose ability ("Ongoing: Enemy cards here afflicted with negative Power have an additional -2 Power") synergizes powerfully with negative-effect cards.

Diamondback's Mechanics in Marvel Snap

Diamondback's strength hinges on maximizing her Ongoing effect. Cards like U.S. Agent and Man-Thing are key allies, but Scorpion, Hazmat, Cassandra Nova, Scream, and Bullseye also enhance her effectiveness. Aim for at least two negatively-afflicted enemy cards to boost her power to 7. However, be wary of Luke Cage (who negates her ability), Enchantress, and Rogue, which can significantly hinder her impact.

Top Diamondback Decks in Marvel Snap

Despite her seemingly niche role, Diamondback fits surprisingly well into several competitive archetypes, including Scream Move, Toxic Ajax, High Evolutionary, and Bullseye Discard. While she excels in Toxic Ajax and High Evolutionary decks (which share similarities), let's examine two distinct examples: Scream Move and Toxic Ajax.

1. Scream Move Deck:

This deck focuses on manipulating enemy card locations with Kingpin and Scream, while leveraging Diamondback's power in conjunction with Kingpin to control a lane. The second half of the deck incorporates a Doom 2099 package for late-game power plays, using Aero, Doctor Doom, Magneto, and Doombot to amplify the negative effects. Key Series 5 cards include Scream, Rocket Raccoon & Groot, and Doom 2099. If lacking Sam Wilson, consider replacing him with another affliction card like Scorpion.

2. Toxic Ajax Deck:

This deck, arguably Diamondback's optimal home, aims to maximize Ajax's power through various affliction cards. Strategic card placement is crucial, as sometimes withholding Luke Cage can boost Ajax's power further. Malekith provides unexpected power spikes by potentially drawing cards like Hazmat and Diamondback, while Anti-Venom offers late-game surprises. Rogue serves as a counter to the potentially game-breaking Luke Cage. This deck is resource-intensive, featuring numerous Series 5 cards (Silver Sable, U.S. Agent, Red Guardian, Rocket Raccoon & Groot, Malekith, Anti-Venom, and Ajax). Silver Sable can be substituted with a card like Nebula.

Is Diamondback Worth the Investment?

Diamondback's value depends on your existing card collection and playstyle. If you possess many affliction cards and enjoy decks like Ajax or Scream, she's a worthwhile addition. However, if you avoid affliction-based strategies or lack essential cards like Scream and Rocket Raccoon & Groot, she might not be a priority, as her usefulness is confined to expensive deck builds.

Marvel Snap is available now.