In the Marvel universe, the Sinister Six has become one of the most infamous groups of villains to ever exist, mainly battling Spider-Man. One of its founding members, Kraven, is known to many as a brutal hunter while proving his worth as a strong opponent since his life goal is to beat the friendly neighborhood.
Kraven is also a potentially dangerous card in Marvel Snap. He has an ability that can be spammed over and over again to build up his Power, which can then become massive in the process. He is a vital part of some of the game’s strongest decks.
Marvel Snap Kraven abilities, explained
Kraven is a two-cost, two-Power card with the ability that reads “When a card moves here, this gains +2 Power.” At first glance, he is a mediocre card based on his stats alone. But if you create a deck using cards that can spam the Move mechanic, he is a potential massive Power source, especially in the late game.
You can get Kraven in the early stages of the game, particularly once you reach Collection Level 18 to 214. He is a series one card, so you can already create and test decks using Kraven off the bat.
Strategy and best combos for Kraven decks in Marvel Snap
In theory, Kraven can be limited to Move decks since you need to move cards on the location where he is placed to stack Power to him. There are some cards, however, that can help you spam his effect, even if it is not a totally dedicated deck for Move.
Some of the cards that can move other units to Kraven’s location include Iron Fist, Ghost-Spider, Cloak, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and Heimdall. But since Kraven’s effect also triggers when cards from your opponent’s side of the locations move to his location, cards like Polaris, Juggernaut, and Magneto can also help stack Power onto Kraven.
Cards that can move independently are also vital for Kraven, such as Nightcrawler, Jeff the Baby Land Shark, Silk, Vision, and the revived and merged card Phoenix Force. All of these can greatly increase Kraven’s Power, so including them in the same deck as him is the most ideal thing to do.
The best Kraven decks in Marvel Snap
Aggro Toolbox Move
A deck where Kraven can get his highest value possible is in a Move package using toolbox cards. This is not the typical move deck where its main goal is to just move around cards to create huge Power on locations. Instead, this is more of an adjustable build that relies on a handful of strategies surrounding the Move mechanic, such as building Power, disrupting the opponent’s setup, manipulating the locations, and more.
Aside from Kraven, the other main Power source for this deck is Angela. She gains plus two Power every time you play a card in the same location as her. Both cards benefit from the play and move strategy, where you play cards on the Angela location but move them to the Kraven location, creating more space for the former while stacking Power for both cards.
Some of the cards that can move around locations that are in this deck include Jeff the Baby Land Shark, Spider-Man, and Vision. Silk can move to another location every time you or your opponent plays a card in the same location as her. Captain Marvel, on the other hand, moves to a winnable location at the end of the game.
Kitty Pryde is there to spam Angela’s ability since she can bounce back to your hand while also gaining plus-one Power in the process. Cap off the deck with Miles Morales, who is a four-cost, five-Power card that will cost one if a card moved in the last turn, Shang-Chi for destroying your opponent’s cards with nine or more Power on the location where you played him, Legion, who can turn all locations to the location where he is placed, and America Chavez, who is a six-cost, nine-Power card that you will always draw on turn six.
Win condition cards for this deck
Aside from Kraven, the other win condition cards for this deck are:
- Angela
- Silk
- Kitty Pryde
- Captain Marvel
- Shang-Chi
- Legion
As mentioned, Kraven and Angela are the main Power sources of this deck. It is always your priority to distribute them in two separate locations to potentially create massive Power on those. As for Silk, she can be a game-changer in the late game, especially since her movement depends on both players’ last-turn plays.
Kitty Pryde can be another alternative Power source if you can bounce her as many times as possible, while Captain Marvel is a game-winning bomb. Shang-Chi and Legion’s disruption effects can be converted into offense for your side.
Standard Move
This classic Move deck is the original home of Kraven. It offers many opportunities to move your units, which can potentially make Kraven’s payoff bigger while also increasing the Power of some of the cards whenever they are moved.
Your move enablers for this deck are Ghost-Spider, Iron Fist, Cloak, Doctor Strange, and Heimdall. They have their prescribed timing of usage, ranging from the early up to the late game. Silk and Miles Morales are also in this deck.
As for the cards that can gain Power when moved, you can put the likes of Human Torch, Dagger and Vulture. Spider-Man 2099, on the other hand, destroys a card when you move him for the first time. The key to using this deck is to maximize its movement capabilities as much as possible to create more Power for your locations.
Win condition cards for this deck
Aside from Kraven, the other win condition cards for this deck are:
- Human Torch
- Dagger
- Vulture
- Spider-Man 2099
- Heimdall
Human Torch, Dagger, and Vulture are your main Power sources for the deck. That is why it is a must to move them around as much as possible. Spider-Man 2099 can be a pseudo-Shang-Chi since he can destroy a card when moved, but you should remember that he destroys a random card.
Heimdall can give you the last turn Move push while also contributing Power to the board thanks to his six-cost, eight-Power stat line.
How to counter Kraven decks
Kraven’s ability isn’t labeled as either an On Reveal or Ongoing. So, cards like Cosmo, Enchantress, Echo, and Rogue won’t work against him. Though, there are some cards that can be a threat to him.
Shang-Chi is the number one disruptor for Kraven. His ability to destroy the opponent’s cards with nine or more Power can be a potential counter card for Kraven, especially if you already made his Power ten or more. So, it is ideal that you’ll make Kraven’s Power above 10 in the last turn, assuming that your opponent would have priority during that time.
As for Move decks in general, cards that can lock down locations can be the biggest counter for them. This includes Professor X, who can completely shut down a location and prevent the addition and removal of cards in any form for both players.
Kraven decks’ current state in the meta
Overall, Move decks have been consistent throughout the Marvel Snap meta. They have a specific mechanic that can be maximized to bring out the potential of the cards in this type of deck. However, the Aggro Toolbox Move is more of the meta deck in this list since you have more offensive options and adjustable cards that can adapt to almost any opposing deck available in the game.
As for the Standard Move deck, it has a straightforward strategy of moving cards across locations to create potentially massive Power on your cards. This is more of a predictable strategy, especially if you always opt to finish the game with Heimdall, who moves all cards to the left. Still, it is a fun deck that you may enjoy playing.
