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 did this deity of conflict find himself among the ranks of the Avengers, even under the dubious leadership of Norman Osborn following the Secret Invasion? With most Avengers abandoning Osborn, only Ares and the mentally unstable Sentry remained. This raises the question: how could a supposed Avenger align himself with such an undeniably villainous figure?
The answer lies in Ares' unique loyalty: not to a specific side, but to war itself. This inherent characteristic perfectly encapsulates his Marvel Snap card's flavor, highlighting his preference for large-scale conflicts and powerful allies. He's a force of nature, a blunt instrument, and frankly, a bit of a jerk.
Best Cards to Team Up With Ares
Unlike some cards with readily apparent synergies, Ares lacks an immediate, obvious connection. He doesn't synergize with established combos like Bullseye, Swarm, and Scorn, or Victoria Hand, Moonstone, and Wiccan. His strength lies in a different approach.
Ares thrives in decks packed with high-power cards. Cards with "on reveal" abilities pair exceptionally well, allowing for clever plays with Grandmaster or Odin. While a 12-power card costing 4 energy is decent, a 21-power card for 6 energy is significantly more desirable. The key to utilizing Ares effectively, outside of Surtur decks, is leveraging the repetition of his ability.
Despite his disdain for weaker opponents like Shang-Chi and Shadow King, consider protecting him with cards like Cosmo or Armor – though Ares would likely scoff at the idea of relying on a Russian dog or Japanese teenager for protection.
Ares: Not So Big Bad After All
While a raw [4/12] card isn't currently in the game, we have equivalents that reach Ares' power level (Gwenpool and Galactus come to mind). The rise of control decks like Mill and Wiccan Control, designed to counter Shang-Chi, highlights the need for specific deck construction when using Ares. This contrasts with the current trend of flexible deck builds.
Relying solely on power isn't a viable strategy unless your wager consistently outperforms Mister Negative's (which it rarely will). Even move-based strategies, focusing on accumulating power, often incorporate disruption for an advantage. Ares needs to significantly outperform Surtur decks to be competitive, as those decks currently struggle.
Surtur 10-power archetypes currently boast a win rate around 51.5% at high levels of play, dropping to 48% at lower ranks. A matchup against an opponent whose top three cards only contain one Rock results in a roughly even 3 vs. 2 advantage for Ares, although Darkhawk lacks strong archetypes in this scenario. Mill decks can make Ares incredibly powerful when the opponent is low on cards.
However, Ares' [4/12] is outclassed by cards like Death (12 power at lower energy cost). While intriguing, Ares' place in the meta remains uncertain. His value extends beyond raw power; he serves as a valuable source of information and disruption.
By understanding his strengths and weaknesses, players can utilize cards like Alioth, Cosmo, Man-Thing, and Red Guardian to create disruptive strategies and secure victory.
Concluding Thoughts
In my opinion, Ares is a skippable card this season. His susceptibility to counters compared to energy-cheating cards (like Wiccan) and widespread power-granting cards (like Galactus) diminishes his appeal. His reliance on specific deck construction to consistently win wagers further limits his effectiveness. A [4/6] is generally weak, even if a [4/12] is strong, unless paired with a powerful ability.
