Mastering Marvel Snap's Iron Patriot: Deck Guide, Strategies, and Counters
Marvel Snap's Dark Avengers season introduces Iron Patriot, a premium Season Pass card. This 2-Cost, 3-Power card adds a high-Cost card to your hand, potentially with a significant cost reduction. This guide explores optimal deck building, effective gameplay, counter strategies, and the overall value of Iron Patriot.
The Best Deck for Iron Patriot
Iron Patriot excels in a card-generation archetype, synergizing particularly well with Devil Dino and Victoria Hand. The core deck includes:
| 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 |
Frigga can be substituted with Cosmo to mitigate opponent counter-strategies.
Synergies:
- Iron Patriot provides a discounted high-Cost card, fueling the strategy.
- Valentina, Sentinel, Mirage, Agent Coulson, Moon Girl, and Kate Bishop generate cards, triggering Victoria Hand's effect.
- Quinjet further reduces the cost of generated cards.
- Frigga duplicates a card, amplifying Victoria Hand's impact and potentially doubling Iron Patriot's effect.
- Mobius M. Mobius protects against cost manipulation.
- Devil Dino serves as the win condition, leveraging the generated cards for powerful buffs.
How to Play Iron Patriot Effectively
- Strategic Placement: Play Iron Patriot in a lane your opponent is unlikely to contest early. The cost reduction only activates if you win the location on the next turn. Combos like Ebony Maw + War Machine can secure the lane, but risk over-commitment.
- Hand Management: Carefully manage your hand size, especially if Devil Dino is your win condition. Only play card generators when you have space for the added cards. Avoid Agent Coulson with a full hand.
- Maximize Duplication: When using duplication effects like Moon Girl, prioritize playing her after utilizing Iron Patriot's discount or other cost reduction to maximize value.
How to Counter Iron Patriot
Counter strategies focus on disrupting energy and hand space:
- Cost Manipulation: Cards like US Agent, Cosmo, Iceman, Wave, Sandman, and Shadow King interfere with card costs.
- Clogging: The junk archetype (Green Goblin, Hobgoblin) disrupts the opponent's strategy.
- Targeted Removal: Valkyrie can remove crucial buffs from Victoria Hand.
Is Iron Patriot Worth It?
Iron Patriot is a valuable addition for competitive players, enhancing card-generation strategies. However, it doesn't fundamentally change the meta. Free-to-play players can effectively utilize the same archetype with Victoria Hand without needing Iron Patriot, making the premium pass purchase less crucial for him.
