Mortals, the OG God of War is in Marvel Snap

Ares, the God of War, descends upon the mortal realm of Marvel Snap, aiming to shake up the meta and revive forgotten archetypes. But how does this deity of conflict find himself among the ranks of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, even under the dubious leadership of Norman Osborn following the Secret Invasion? And why would a god of war align himself with such an undeniably villainous figure? Isn't he, you know, *supposed* to fight bad guys?

The answer lies in Ares' unwavering loyalty: not to a specific side, but to war itself. This inherent nature perfectly mirrors his Marvel Snap card, explaining his presence in Osborn's unconventional Avengers team. Ares thrives in large-scale conflicts, preferring the company of powerful individuals – a preference that makes his alliance with Osborn, however unsettling, somewhat understandable. He's a powerful force, but also, let's be honest, a bit of a dullard.

Best Cards to Team Up With Ares

Ares lacks the instant synergy found in other pairings (think Bullseye/Swarm/Scorn or Victoria Hand/Moonstone/Wiccan). His strength lies in a different approach. Ares excels in decks packed with high-power cards. Cards with "on reveal" abilities, like Grandmaster or Odin, create exciting possibilities for cunning plays. While a 4-energy, 12-power card is decent, a 6-energy, 21-power card is far more desirable. The key to maximizing Ares' potential beyond Surtur decks is to leverage his ability repeatedly.

Despite his disdain for weaker opponents like Shang-Chi and Shadow King, consider protecting Ares with cards like Cosmo or Armor. (Though, let's be honest, Ares would probably scoff at the idea of needing protection from a Japanese teenager or a Russian dog.)

Ares: Not So Big Bad After All

While a raw 4/12 card isn't available in Marvel Snap, cards like Gwenpool and Galactus offer comparable power levels. However, the recent rise of control decks (Mill and Wiccan Control) highlights a crucial point: Ares requires a very specific deck build to thrive. Unlike the current trend of flexible decks, Ares demands a focused strategy.

Building a deck solely around power isn't viable unless your wager consistently outstrips Mister Negative's (spoiler: it usually doesn't). Even move-based decks, which accumulate power, often incorporate disruption for an advantage. Ares needs to significantly outperform Surtur decks, which are currently struggling to maintain competitiveness. The Surtur 10-power archetype boasts a mediocre 51.5% win rate at Infinity level play, dipping even lower below.

Ares' effectiveness hinges on specific matchups. Against opponents whose top three cards contain only one rock, the odds slightly favor Ares (3 vs. 2). However, Darkhawk lacks strong archetypes in this scenario. Mill decks can drastically amplify Ares' power, but this requires the opponent to be out of card resources. Death, a 12-power card with lower energy cost, often outperforms Ares.

Ares' current status as a relatively weak card necessitates creative strategies. A simple coin flip scenario arises when playing Ares on curve, winning the wager, and adapting to the power curve. However, utilizing disruptive strategies with cards like Alioth, Cosmo, Man-Thing, and Red Guardian offers a viable path to victory.

Concluding Thoughts

In my assessment, Ares is a skip for most players this month. His vulnerability to counters, compared to energy-cheating cards like Wiccan and field-wide power boosters like Galactus, diminishes his appeal. His reliance on specific deck construction to consistently win wagers further limits his usability. A 4/6 card is generally weak, even if a 4/12 is strong, unless paired with an exceptional ability.