MARVEL SNAP has taken the world by storm with its Hearthstone gameplay. The mobile game even bagged a trophy at a sidelined corner of The Game Awards 2022. Mixing the free energy scaling with lanes, from none other than Valve's Artifact, has paid off for the already recognizable comic franchises. Unlike Valve's maligned stillborn, however, the game has speed in mind. A round of MARVEL SNAP is incapable of going over just a few minutes long, meaning anyone always has time to complete one or two hits of dopamine.

Players unlock characters as they play, fitting their favorites in a deck of 12 cards. Most decks build around a certain theme, usually one or two key cards. For instance, Odin lets other cards trigger their abilities more than once, while Spectrum gives everyone a powerful boost, as long as they hold a certain quality. It's all about synergy; you know what that's like. You've seen one of these before.

Obviously, since this is the kind of game it is, some cards are objectively better than others. A card that costs one energy and has two power isn't as good as the same cost for two power and an additional skill. Some skills, in fact, are so indispensable that you might as well play that card in every deck. Nightcrawler is allowed to move after being played, giving you the ability to correct a mistake or send a last ditch reinforcement to a location. Given how extremely rare it is to move independently in MARVEL SNAP, that makes Nightcrawler a top tier pick. Top tier, but not the best.

You see, to ensure your six turns go well, everyone has a game plan. That scheme snowballs all the way to turn 6, when the real big guns come out. There are decks that rely on this chain of events, so much so that America Chavez, a 6-cost card, is highly sought after, because it removes itself from play until the last turn. That means the deck can never draw a card too early. MARVEL SNAP is all about game flow.

That's why you should throw a wrench in your opponent's plans, every game.

Professor X is a mostly unassuming 5-cost card. With only 3 power, it wanes against some of the more heavy hitters like Spectrum or Spider-Woman. Even the skills for most of the large cards have much more sweeping results at face value. Big buffs or huge turnarounds are not uncommon by turn 5. All Professor X has is one trick. Here's what the card reads:

"Ongoing: Lock down this location. (Cards can't be added, removed, etc.)"

Let's circle back to that whole game flow thing. As your opponent is feeling confident and strong, all Professor X has to do is look out for a location that can be sabotaged. Permanently. Once that card is played, that's it; nothing can touch that location anymore. Being more powerful in two of three locations is the winning condition in MARVEL SNAP. Now think of how much easier winning would be if one of those spots was already assured. Wouldn't it be funny if the game was already decided, before that final chess piece can even land?

On a majority of occasions, throwing down Professor X makes all previous plans go out the window. In extreme cases, some locations have already been locked, either by the game or by playing its maximum of four cards, leaving yet fewer options in your adversary's arsenal. In a handful of games, in fact, my opponent and I were fighting for just one lane. And while they were ramping up for their final showstopper, I whipped out Professor X and ended the game on turn 5 already. No more free lanes; literally nothing can be played. It's over, right now.

This deadlock play is never not funny, because there will be a brief pause after it happens, where your opposition is left stunned. Those few seconds of confused silence are the best feeling I've had in MARVEL SNAP yet.

Unfortunately, a major downside to this game is that MARVEL SNAP doesn't reward you for being smart. As players can double or triple down on rank points, the game also offers a way to get out early and lose fewer points. Considering that the game is over before it's over, your rival will just leave every time Professor X hits the board, to save points. That's okay, though. Playing video games is not about winning. It's about making sure your opponent loses!

As an added bonus, Professor X doesn't really fit a theme, like most decks, so it can be shoehorned in almost every build. The only downside is that being a 5-cost will almost certainly increase the total energy of your deck, but not every card always needs to be played. It's good to have options. It's even better when your counterpart has none.

If you're not playing Professor X yet, you need to atone for that mistake immediately. Without a doubt, it's the best card in the MARVEL SNAP, because no one ever expects it and the card always ruins your opponent's day. Be the reason someone closes the game today.

There is no meta if you can't play the meta.
 

Daav Valentaten (@DaavPuke)
Editor-In-Chief, NoobFeed