Summary
Ahead of theMarvel Rivalslaunch,Marvel Snapintroduced a season celebrating this new squad-based hero shooter with a set of themed cards. The December season includes six cards: Galacta, the season pass card, as well as Luna Snow, Doom 2099, Bruce Banner, Peni Parker, andMarvel Snap’s first double-hero card, Rocket Raccoon & Groot.
This announcement is paired with controversy overMarvel Snap’scard acquisition mechanics. Players are unified in criticizing Second Dinner for not addressing these mechanics, instead releasing more cards amid a frustrating system.
Second Dinner has yet to comment on the player requests, and it seems unlikely they will. The card acquisition system is tightly connected to the game’s business model and microtransactions—an aspect many developers are hesitant to change.
For now, the best strategy for fans is to be highly selective with their resources, spending only on cards they’re certain about. And that certainty requires understanding how each card works, along with its strengths and weaknesses. The following ranking evaluates the new cards in theMarvel Rivalsseason, ranking them from worst to best to help players decide where to invest their resources.
6Luna Snow
Luna’s Booster Comes at a Cost
Luna Snow is the first card to joinMarvel Snapin theMarvel Rivalsseason. Her ability adds an Ice Cube to each side of her location, generating one extra Energy per turn until there are three other cards in the location. At that point, the Ice Cube self-destructs and stops providing Energy.
Based on her ability, Luna Snow seems likea great fit for ramp decks inMarvel Snap. She’s also a solid option for clog setups. However, there are two reasons why she may not be the next must-have card: 1) Her effect benefits both players, so the enemy can also take advantage of the extra Energy, and 2) There are other Energy-generating cards with more reliable synergies, such as Hope Summers, Psylocke, and Electro.
5Peni Parker
Peni’s Synergies Can Be Clunky
Peni Parker joinsMarvel SnapfromMarvel Rivalsas anOn Reveal cardwith a three-part ability. First, she adds Sp//dr (pronounced “Spider”) to the player’s hand. Second, she generates +1 Energy every time she merges with another card. If merged with Sp//dr, Peni Parker gains the ability to move on the next turn.
Despite these interesting abilities and synergies, Peni Parker doesn’t seem to be a META-relevant card. Her main boost relies on the “merge” archetype, which has never been a dominant part of the metagame. While merge gained some traction briefly after Symbiote Spider-Man’s release, it quickly faded asthe META shifted back toward Arishemand Hela and later favored Surtur for a short period.
4Bruce Banner
Bruce Is a Low-Risk, High-Reward Play
Stat-wise, Bruce Banner doesn’t appear to be a powerful card. This two-Cost, one-Power card’s true value comes from its risk-reward dynamic. Bruce Banner is essentially a two-cost Hulk, which can be incredibly rewarding. Of course, there’s a chance he never transforms and remains a one-Power card. However, paying two Energy and sacrificing only one board spot for a potential Hulk makes it worth the gamble.
Bruce also showsstrong synergy potential with High-Evo decks. His low Cost makes him easy to play early, offering the chance to have two Hulks as primary win conditions. The downside, and why he ranks lower than other cards, is his RNG-based mechanic. Each turn, there’s only a 25% chance for him to become Hulk—decent odds, but not reliable enough for risk-averse players.
3Doom 2099
Playing the New Doom Is Almost Intuitive
The original Doctor Doom has been a metagame staple since the early days ofMarvel Snap. Now, his new version, Doom 2099, looks set to not only shake up the META but also elevate the original Doom’s position on the leaderboards. Doom 2099 adds a DoomBot 2099 to a random location after each turn. These Bots have anOngoing abilitythat grants +1 Power to all other Bots and Dooms on the board.
Doom 2099 is a strong addition toMarvel Snapfor two main reasons: 1) He’s easy to play—dropping him on turn three or four lets you leverage his Bots’ Power, and 2) He synergizes well with the original Doom, as his Bots boost all Dooms and DoomBots on the board. The only downside is Doom 2099’s RNG when summoning his Bots, which can backfire when card positioning is critical.
2Galacta
Galacta’s Generous Buffs Fit Most Archetypes
Marvel Snap’s December Season Pass cardis Galacta, the daughter of Galactus. She enters the game as a passive buff provider, adding +3 Power to each card played in other lanes. What makes her effect especially valuable is that Galacta applies her buff before the On Reveal abilities trigger. This means she can enhance buff-benefiting cards like Black Panther, Human Torch, and even Brood. She’s also likely to revive the Galactus META, as the father-daughter synergy looks promising.
In terms of ability,Galacta is similar to Gwenpoolbut with little to no RNG, which is why she ranks among the top two cards of theMarvel Rivalsseason. The main downside is her Cost. At four Energy, Galacta can make it harder to get her buff on earlier turns, possibly forcing players to rely on discount cards like Zabu, which limits deck-building flexibility.
1Rocket Raccoon & Groot
This Duo Is Unlikely to Fade Away
InMarvel Snap’sMarvel Rivalsseason,Rocket Raccoon & Groot is the best card. While its ability might not be as flashy as some other new cards, it’s consistent. Rocket Raccoon & Groot allows the player to steal one Power from enemy cards after they’re played to its lane. Additionally, it’s a move card, letting the player reposition it once per game.
This combination of disruptive ability and unpredictability at a low Cost makes Rocket Raccoon & Groot a perfect card.Marvel Snap’s metagameis unlikely to forget it anytime soon, and it’s poised to become a staple in many top-tier decks.
Players seeking more insights onMarvel Snap’sDecember lineup can watch Cozy Snap and Alex Coccia’s discussion, where they go over the abilities and synergies of all the new cards and rank them.
