Ares, the God of War, descends upon the mortal realm of Marvel Snap, aiming to shake up the meta and revive underperforming archetypes. But how does this deity of conflict find himself among the ranks of Earth's Mightiest Heroes—or rather, *under* Norman Osborn's leadership after the chaos of Secret Invasion? With the original Avengers scattered, only Ares and the mentally unstable Sentry remain by Osborn's side. This raises the question: how does a supposed Avenger align himself with such an undeniably villainous figure?
The answer lies in Ares' unwavering loyalty to war itself, not to any specific faction. This inherent characteristic perfectly mirrors his portrayal in Marvel Comics and his Marvel Snap card. Ares thrives on large-scale conflict and prefers the company of powerful individuals—a stark contrast to his portrayal as a simple, dull jerk.
Best Cards to Team Up With Ares
Unlike cards with readily apparent synergies (think Bullseye, Swarm, and Scorn, or Victoria Hand, Moonstone, and Wiccan), Ares requires a more strategic approach. His strength lies in decks packed with high-power cards. Cards with "on reveal" abilities, synergizing well with Grandmaster or Odin, are particularly effective. While a 4-energy, 12-power card is decent, a 6-energy, 21-power card is far more preferable. The key to maximizing Ares' potential outside of Surtur decks is replicating his ability.
Despite his disdain for weaker opponents like Shang-Chi and Shadow King, consider protecting Ares with cards like Cosmo or Armor—though the God of War would likely scoff at the idea of relying on a Russian dog or Japanese teen.
Ares: Not Quite the Big Bad
While a raw 4/12 card doesn't exist in Marvel Snap, analogues like Gwenpool and Galactus can achieve similar power levels. The rise of control decks like Mill and Wiccan Control, designed to counter Shang-Chi, highlights the need for a highly specific deck build to effectively utilize Ares. Relying solely on power isn't viable unless your wager consistently outperforms Mister Negative's (which is unlikely). Even Move decks, known for accumulating power, incorporate disruption for an advantage. Ares likely needs to surpass Surtur's performance to become truly competitive, as Surtur decks currently struggle.
The Surtur 10-power archetype (which dreams of Cerebro-10 synergy) boasts a mediocre win rate of approximately 51.5% at Infinity level, dropping to 48% below. A matchup against an opponent with only one Rock among their top three cards presents a 3 vs. 2 advantage for Ares, but Darkhawk's lack of strong archetypes hinders this strategy. Mill decks can make Ares incredibly powerful when the opponent runs out of cards, transforming him into a formidable force.
However, Ares' power is somewhat outdated; a 4-energy Death card (with 12 power) often proves superior. While intriguing, Ares' place in the current meta remains questionable. His value extends beyond raw power; he serves as a valuable source of information.
Ares currently appears to be one of the weaker cards in the season, making his effective utilization a challenge. Playing Ares often involves a gamble, relying on winning the wager and carefully managing the power curve. A disruptive strategy utilizing cards like Alioth, Cosmo, Man-Thing, and Red Guardian can effectively complement Ares.
Conclusion
In my opinion, Ares is a card to avoid this month. His susceptibility to counters, compared to energy-cheating cards like Wiccan and widespread power-granting cards like Galactus, diminishes his appeal within the 10-power archetype. His consistent success requires a highly specific deck build. Even a 4/12 card is exceptionally strong, a 4/6 is underwhelming unless paired with a powerful ability.
