Marvel Snap June 13 OTA balance patch gives Professor X a headache

Published June 13, 2024 6:30 PM, by Ozzie Mejia

One of the biggest questions that both Marvel Snap developers and players have had since the beginning of the game is, how does the team go about balancing a card like Professor X. The team has tried balancing Charles Xavier's stats, but the stats aren't the issue. It's his effect of completely locking down a location. The team at Second Dinner believes they've found a solution with the June 13 OTA balance patch and it may be one that totally wrecks Professor X as a usable card.

The following changes have been instituted with the June 13 OTA balance patch, as explained on the Marvel Snap website:

• Professor X
  • [Old] 5/1 - Ongoing: Lock down this location. (Cards can't be added, removed, etc.)
  • [New] 5/2 - Ongoing: Moving is the only way to add or remove a card from here.
• Cannonball
  • [Old] 5/8 - On Reveal: Move the highest-Power enemy card here away. If you can’t, destroy it with a Rock.
  • [Change] 5/8 -> 5/7
• Hela
  • [Old] 6/6 - On Reveal: Resurrect all cards you discarded to random locations.
  • [New] 6/6 - On Reveal: Resurrect all cards you discarded to random locations with -2 Power.
• Ebony Blade (created by Black Knight)
  • [Old] 4/0 - Ongoing: Can't be destroyed and its Power can't be reduced.
  • [New] 4/0 - Ongoing: Can't be destroyed.
• Red Hulk
  • [Old] 6/9 - When your opponent ends a turn with unspent Energy, +4 Power. (if in hand or in play)
  • [New] 6/10 - When your opponent ends a turn with unspent Energy, +3 Power. (if in hand or in play)
• Gilgamesh
  • [Old] 5/7 - On Reveal: +1 Power for each of your other cards in play with increased Power.
  • [Change] 5/7 -> 5/9
• Captain America
  • [Old] 3/2 - Ongoing: Your other Ongoing cards here have +2 Power.
  • [Change] 3/2 -> 3/3
• Shanna
  • [Old] 3/2 - On Reveal: Add a random 1-Cost card to each location.
  • [Change] 3/2 -> 3/4
• Stegron
  • [Old] 4/6 - On Reveal: Move an enemy card from here to another location.
  • [New] 4/7 - On Reveal: Move an enemy card here one location to the right.

Professor X's use with Cannonball has led to a heavy increase in game-winning cards becoming Rocks and many Turn 6 swings, making him more of a nuisance than anticipated. Of course, this might take things too far in another direction. Allowing the use of Nightcrawler, Vision, Nocturne, and others to move into Professor X locations may lead to the X-Men patriarch becoming unviable.

Speaking of viability, Hela has been used in numerous Discard decks, but her usage in decks with Iron Man, Onslaught, and The Living Tribunal have made her difficult to bear. The -2 Mana nerf should, in theory, bring those decks back to Earth... until those decks start using Luke Cage and his Ongoing effect that prevents power decreases. Whether Hela's nerf ends up being much of a nerf in the long run remains to be seen.

We'll continue our coverage of Marvel Snap in the weeks ahead. Gilgamesh's buff should make these Gilgamesh decks more useful, so check those out. Be sure to also follow our coverage and guides by bookmarking the Marvel Snap topic page here at Shacknews.