Mastering Marvel Snap's Iron Patriot: Deck Guide, Strategies, and Counters
Marvel Snap's Dark Avengers season introduces Iron Patriot, a powerful two-cost, three-power card that adds a high-cost card to your hand, potentially with a significant cost reduction. This guide explores optimal deck builds, effective gameplay strategies, and counters to this formidable card.
The Best Deck for Iron Patriot
This deck synergizes Iron Patriot with the classic Devil Dino and Victoria Hand engine. The core consists of:
| Card | Cost | Power |
|---|---|---|
| Iron Patriot | 2 | 3 |
| Devil Dino | 5 | 3 |
| Victoria Hand | 2 | 3 |
| Mobius M. Mobius | 3 | 3 |
| Sentinel | 2 | 3 |
| Quinjet | 1 | 2 |
| Moon Girl | 4 | 5 |
| Valentina | 2 | 3 |
| Agent Coulson | 3 | 4 |
| Mirage | 2 | 2 |
| Kate Bishop | 2 | 3 |
| Frigga | 3 | 4 |
Synergies:
- Iron Patriot: Provides a discounted high-cost card, fueling the engine.
- Card Generation: Valentina, Sentinel, Mirage, Agent Coulson, Moon Girl, and Kate Bishop generate cards to trigger Victoria Hand.
- Cost Reduction: Quinjet further discounts generated cards.
- Duplication: Frigga duplicates a card, maximizing Victoria Hand's effect and potentially doubling Iron Patriot's impact.
- Cost Protection: Mobius M. Mobius prevents opponent cost manipulation.
- Win Condition: Devil Dino leverages hand size for massive power boosts.
How to Play Iron Patriot Effectively
- Strategic Placement: Play Iron Patriot in a lane your opponent is unlikely to contest early to secure the cost reduction. Combos like Ebony Maw + War Machine can help secure the lane, but be mindful of resource commitment.
- Hand Management: Carefully manage your hand size, playing card generators only when you have space. Avoid playing Agent Coulson with a full hand.
- Maximize Duplication: Use duplication effects like Moon Girl after benefiting from cost reductions to maximize value.
How to Counter Iron Patriot
Two main counter-strategies exist: cost manipulation and hand clogging. Iron Patriot decks rely on energy and hand space. Cards that disrupt these aspects are effective counters.
Strong counters include: US Agent, Cosmo, Iceman, Wave, Sandman, Shadow King, and even the junk archetype cards like Green Goblin and Hobgoblin. Valkyrie can also be a cheeky counter by removing crucial buffs from Victoria Hand.
Is Iron Patriot Worth It?
Iron Patriot is a strong addition, particularly valuable for competitive players. However, it doesn't fundamentally change the meta. F2P players can focus on Victoria Hand, achieving similar results without needing Iron Patriot. Purchasing the premium pass solely for Iron Patriot is not necessarily recommended.
