Mastering Marvel Snap's Iron Patriot: Deck Builds, Strategies, and Counters
Marvel Snap's Dark Avengers season introduces Iron Patriot, a powerful two-cost, three-power card that adds a high-cost card to your hand, potentially with a significant cost reduction. This guide explores optimal deck strategies, effective gameplay, counters, and whether Iron Patriot is worth the investment.
The Best Deck for Iron Patriot
This deck leverages Iron Patriot's synergy with the classic card-generation archetype, similar to Devil Dino strategies. The core consists of Iron Patriot, Devil Dino, and Victoria Hand, supported by:
| 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 (or Cosmo) | 3 | 4 |
Synergies:
- Iron Patriot: Provides a discounted high-cost card, fueling the strategy.
- Card Generation: Valentina, Sentinel, Mirage, Agent Coulson, Moon Girl, and Kate Bishop generate cards, triggering Victoria Hand's ability.
- Cost Reduction: Quinjet further discounts generated cards.
- Duplication: Frigga duplicates a card, maximizing Victoria Hand's effect and potentially doubling Iron Patriot's impact. Cosmo provides protection against opponent's cost manipulation.
- Cost Protection: Mobius M. Mobius prevents opponent's cost manipulation.
- Win Condition: Devil Dino utilizes 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 to secure the cost reduction. Combos like Ebony Maw + War Machine can also secure the lane, but risk over-commitment.
- Hand Management: Carefully manage your hand size to maximize Devil Dino's potential. Avoid playing card generators when your hand is full.
- Maximize Duplication: Use duplication effects like Moon Girl after benefiting from cost reduction to maximize value.
How to Counter Iron Patriot
Two primary counter-strategies exist: cost manipulation and hand clogging. Iron Patriot decks need energy and hand space. Cards that interfere with these aspects are effective counters.
Strong counter options include: US Agent, Cosmo, Iceman, Wave, Sandman, Shadow King, Green Goblin, Hobgoblin, and Valkyrie (to remove Victoria Hand buffs).
Is Iron Patriot Worth It?
Iron Patriot is a strong addition to competitive decks, but it won't revolutionize the meta. While valuable for competitive players, it doesn't justify purchasing the premium pass for free-to-play players. Victoria Hand provides similar card-generation capabilities without relying on Iron Patriot.
