This August, Marvel Snap will welcome yet another new season, and this time, it will be themed around the adventure of Wolverine in the land of the rising sun, titled “Big in Japan.” As usual, new cards will arrive in the game to give players more options to use in their decks, including this month’s season pass card, Daken.
In the comics, Daken is the son of Wolverine who inherited his father’s powers. This includes the ability to heal fast and the iconic claws that grow in their hands which can be used in short-range combat. In Marvel Snap, Daken is mainly another great addition to two deck archetypes, making them more viable than ever.
Marvel Snap Daken abilities, explained
Daken is a three-cost, four-Power card with the ability that reads “On Reveal: Add the Muramasa Shard to your hand.” The Muramasa Shard is a one-cost, one-Power card that doubles Daken’s current Power when it is discarded or destroyed.
On his own, Daken is just a decent mid to late-game Power booster to your locations. So, you must be able to discard or destroy the Muramasa Shard in order to maximize Daken’s full potential as an offensive threat.
Players can get Daken when they purchase the season pass for $9.99 USD or a Premium+ version for $14.99. You will not need to spend tokens once he arrives this season.
Strategy and best combos for Daken decks in Marvel Snap
Daken’s role in Marvel Snap is to boost Discard and Destroy decks. Muramasa Shard’s effect to double Daken’s Power can only be triggered by those two mechanics, so building decks that cater to either Discard or Destroy are the main strategies that can bring out Daken’s full potential as a possible massive Power source.
Muramasa Shard’s effect to double Daken’s Power can only be triggered by those two mechanics, so building decks that cater to either Discard or Destroy are the main strategies that can bring out Daken’s full potential as a possible massive Power source.
To discard the Muramasa Shard, you can use units that allow you to discard cards from your hand. This includes Blade, Colleen Wing, Lady Sif, Moon Knight, Swordmaster, and M.O.D.O.K. The best cards that can be used among all of these discarders are Colleen Wing and M.O.D.O.K., since the former discards the lowest-cost card from your hand, while the latter discards your entire hand.
Related: Best Mirage decks in Marvel Snap
As for destroying the Muramasa Shard, cards such as Carnage, Venom, Killmonger, Deathlok, and Destroyer are your best picks. All of these cards enable you to use the destruction mechanic, so it is best to save either of those until you can play the Muramasa Shard on one of your locations.
Moon Girl can be used to possibly duplicate the Muramasa Shard in your hand. This can pave the way for doubling Daken’s Power one more time. Also, cards like Forge and Shuri can grant additional Power to Daken, possibly making the double Power bonus even larger.
The best Daken decks in Marvel Snap
Daken Destroy
As mentioned, Daken can be used to his fullest in a Destroy deck. This deck is the standard Destroy deck which revolves around the destructive mechanic to unlock certain advantages.
Aside from the Muramasa Shard, the other cards you use in this deck that benefit from being destroyed are Deadpool, Bucky Barnes, and Wolverine. Both Deadpool and Wolverine gain additional Power when destroyed and regenerate themselves, while Bucky Barnes creates the two-cost, six-Power Winter Soldier on the location where he is destroyed. X-23, on the other hand, regenerates herself after being destroyed and gives plus-one energy in the next turn.
Your destroy enablers for this deck are Carnage, Venom, and Deathlok. Yondu can be added to destroy the top card of your opponent’s deck. As for Knull and Death, their combo is a staple. The former has an Ongoing ability which gains the total Power of all destroyed cards, while the latter is an eight-cost, 12-Power card that reduces her cost for each destroyed card, both for you and for the opponent.
Cap off the deck with Shang-Chi, which destroys all units with nine-Power or more on your opponent’s side the location where you played him, and Arnim Zola, which destroys a card in a location and summons copies of it in the other two locations.
Win condition cards for this deck
Aside from Daken, the other win condition cards for this deck are:
- Knull
- Death
- Arnim Zola
- Shang-Chi
Knull and Death are your main Power sources in this deck aside from Daken. Both cards gain significant Power and advantages from destroying cards for both sides, so it is best to maximize your destruction throughout the duration of the match to make for potential offensive threats in the late game. Arnim Zola is a great tech card since it can surprisingly put cards on the other two locations.
Shang-Chi adds more spice since he can convert his destruction ability to more offense for your side. He can also boost Knull’s Power in the process.
Daken Discard
The standard Discard deck just got a major boost with Daken’s arrival and is in a prime position to take on the meta this season.
Colleen Wing, Lady Sif, Swordmaster, and M.O.D.O.K. are your discard enablers. As for the cards that benefit from being discarded, you can put the likes of Wolverine, Swarm, and Apocalypse. Wolverine and Swarm are both cheap cards that can gain certain advantages when discarded, while Apocalypse stacks Power every time he is discarded by a card or a location effect.
The combo of Storm and Dracula is also present since both can guarantee you a win on a single location if you manage to discard and keep Apocalypse in your hand. Morbius can be added as another Power source since he can gain plus two Power for every card discarded.
Cap off the deck with America Chavez who is a six-cost, nine-Power card that you will always draw on turn six. She is also another great target for Dracula’s effect in case you need to play Apocalypse to boost another location.
Win condition cards for this deck
Aside from Daken, the other win condition cards for this deck are:
- Morbius
- Storm
- Dracula
- M.O.D.O.K.
- Apocalypse
- America Chavez
Morbius is your alternative Power source for the deck since he can greatly benefit from discarding your cards. The Storm and Dracula package can almost secure you a win on a single location. M.O.D.O.K., on the other hand, is the ultimate discard enabler, as well as being a good five-cost, eight-Power location booster who is immune to Shang-Chi’s destruction effect.
Apocalypse and America Chavez are your possible targets for Dracula, as well as your turn six or more options.
Daken decks’ current state in the meta
Both the Destroy and Discard decks have been a meta staple for a long time already, but are not the top-tier decks. These mechanic-based decks, however, do not revolve on a single win condition to be consistent, and Daken being a part of these strategies just solidifies both decks as a reliable offensive engine in the game.
Daken’s presence adds another offensive option for both the Destroy and Discard decks. The double-Power potential can be prone to Shang-Chi since Daken’s Power would be eight in the first Muramasa Shard discard or destruction.
