Ares, the God of War, descends upon the mortal realm of Marvel Snap, aiming to shake up the meta and revive forgotten archetypes. But how does this iconic figure from mythology find himself amidst the chaos of the Marvel Comics universe, and specifically, siding with Norman Osborn's controversial Avengers team? After Secret Invasion leaves Osborn in charge, only Ares and a mentally unstable Sentry remain. Ares' allegiance, however, isn't to any particular side; his loyalty lies with war itself, a perfect reflection of his Marvel Snap card's essence. He thrives in large-scale conflicts, preferring the company of powerful figures, making his unexpected alliance with Osborn somewhat understandable.

Table of Contents

• Best Cards to Team Up With Ares
• Ares Isn't a Big Bad, Sadly
• Concluding Thoughts

Best Cards to Team Up With Ares

Unlike some cards with instant synergies, Ares requires a more strategic approach. He excels in decks packed with high-power cards. His on-reveal ability creates opportunities for cunning plays with cards like Grandmaster or Odin. While a 4-energy, 12-power card is decent, a 6-energy, 21-power card is far more impactful. Repeating his ability is key to maximizing his potential outside of Surtur-centric decks.

Despite his disdain for weaker opponents, consider shielding Ares with protective cards like Cosmo or Armor to mitigate threats like Shang-Chi or Shadow King.

Ares Isn't a Big Bad, Sadly

While a raw 4/12 card is absent from the Snap card pool, analogues like Gwenpool and Galactus can reach similar power levels. The rise of control decks like Mill and Wiccan Control highlights the need for defensive strategies against Shang-Chi. This necessitates a very specific deck construction for Ares, unlike the more flexible decks currently prevalent. Building a deck solely around power is generally unviable unless your wager significantly outmatches Mister Negative's (which it usually doesn't). Even Move decks, focused on accumulating power, often incorporate disruption for an advantage. Ares needs to surpass Surtur decks in performance to be truly competitive.

The Surtur 10-Power archetype currently boasts a win rate around 51.5% at high levels of play, highlighting the challenge Ares faces. Matchups can vary greatly; for example, a 3 vs. 2 scenario is possible if your opponent's top three cards only contain one Rock, but Darkhawk lacks strong synergies in this context. Mill decks can significantly boost Ares' effectiveness against opponents lacking card protection.

Ares' current status as a potentially weak card necessitates a strategic approach. A simple coin flip scenario exists when playing him on curve, winning the wager, and adapting to the power curve. Understanding this allows for effective utilization of cards like Alioth, Cosmo, Man-Thing, and Red Guardian within a disruptive strategy.

Concluding Thoughts

Ares, in my view, is a skippable card for the season. His susceptibility to counters compared to energy-cheating cards (like Wiccan) and field-wide power cards (like Galactus) diminishes his appeal. His consistent wager success requires a highly specific deck build. A 4/6 card is generally weak, even if a 4/12 is powerful, unless paired with exceptional abilities.