Best DoomWave decks in Marvel Snap and how to counter them

In Marvel Snap, there are several cards that can be used together to overwhelm your opponents by restricting their moves. Doomwave decks specialize in holding down opponents by changing energy costs for both players using cards like Wave and Doctor Doom. This move allows you to play high-energy cards at a lower cost, making it perfect for cards like Doctor Doom, America Chavez, and She-Hulk to take control of locations.

Synergizing different cards to get a favorable outcome in Marvel Snap works best with decks that have backup options. The Doomwave deck focuses on bringing out Doctor Doom early in the game, by using Wave to lower the energy cost.

Similarly, a Doomwave deck also needs certain cards like Shang-Chi, White Queen, and Spider-Man to devastate the opponents during the last few turns.

Here are the best Doomwave decks and how to counter them in Marvel Snap.

Best DoomWave decks in Marvel Snap

Classic DoomWave

The classic Doomwave deck consists of a balanced composition with cards that can halt your opponent’s moves. You start the game with cards like Sunspot and Iceman. These two cards are powerful enough on their own and set up the flow of the match. With Iceman, you can increase the cost of an opponent’s card, which will be a recurring theme in a Doomwave deck. Follow it up in turn two with cards like Scorpion or Lizard. 

While Scorpion is admittedly the better choice for turn two, you may not pull this card fast enough. Playing Lizard can be detrimental as its ongoing ability will reduce this card’s power if there are four opposing cards at the location. Make sure to play Lizard at a location where the opponent is least likely to play cards. 

Turn three is the most critical move for a Doomwave deck as this is where you want to set up the incoming rush. If you have Wave in your hand, play it on turn three to set the cost of all cards to four during the next turn. This allows you to play cards like Doctor Doom at a two-cost discount. If you don’t have Doom in your hand, try playing other six-cost cards like America Chavez, and She-Hulk.

As for the backup cards, you can use Shang-Chi, Aero, and Spider-Man. Shang-Chi can destroy all opponent cards above nine power at a specific location. Likewise, Aero can shift an opponent’s card to a location of your choosing, making it the perfect weapon to counter cards like Galactus. As for Spider-Man, you can lock up a location for the upcoming turn with this card, and we recommend playing it on turn five if necessary.

Sandman Doomwave

Sandman Doomwave is a strategic variant of the basic Doomwave deck where you take further control of the opponent’s moves. The idea remains similar to the classic Doomwave deck, but you play Sandman on turn four instead of Doctor Doom. This completely changes the course of the game, as Sandman forces both players to play only one card per turn.

Some of the cards you would ideally want in a Sandman Doomwave deck are Ebony Maw, Electro, Heimdall, and Aero. Ebony Maw will work as a distraction card, making opponents feel that you won’t challenge that location. With Doctor Doom, however, you can place a five-power Doom Bot at the same location as Ebony Maw. Similarly, if you have Heimdall, you can move other cards to Ebony Maw’s location on turn six.

Related: Marvel Snap destroy deck guide for each pool

Win condition cards for DoomWave decks in Marvel Snap

The win condition cards for a Doomwave deck are Wave and Doctor Doom. The target is to play Wave on turn three and follow up with a six-cost card on turn four. Ideally, you want to play Doctor Doom on turn four, but if you don’t have it in the draw try going for the other high-cost cards. Wave and Doctor Doom are both On Reveal cards, and you need to ensure that their abilities happen in order to succeed with this deck.

How to counter DoomWave decks in Marvel Snap

Since Doomwave decks mostly rely on the On Reveal abilities of Wave and Doctor Doom, you can counter them with cards like Cosmo. Cosmo’s Ongoing ability stops On Reveal abilities from happening at a specific location. Make sure to play Cosmo where the opponent will most likely play Doctor Doom or Wave.

At the same time, you can rely on staple cards like Professor X to lock down an entire location. Professor X is a five-cost card and can be played early on if your opponent uses Wave on turn three. You can play this card at a location where your opponent doesn’t have cards or is losing on total power.

You can also use Goose, which stops both players from playing cards that cost four, five, and six at a specific location. The trick to counter Doomwave decks is to identify the moves early on and play your cards in spots where the opponent won’t expect them. The main cards in Doomwave decks mostly have On Reveal abilities, so countering them will depend on playing the right cards on the proper turn.