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 builds, effective gameplay strategies, counters, and assesses Iron Patriot's overall value.
The Best Deck for Iron Patriot
Iron Patriot excels in a card-generation archetype, synergizing powerfully with Devil Dino and Victoria Hand. This core trio is supported by: Sentinel, Quinjet, Valentina, Mirage, Frigga, Mobius M. Mobius, Moon Girl, Agent Coulson, and Kate Bishop.
| 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 replaced with Cosmo to mitigate opponent counter-strategies.)
Deck 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 key abilities.
- Mobius M. Mobius protects against cost manipulation by opponents.
- Devil Dino serves as the win condition, leveraging the generated cards for significant power boosts.
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. Play card generators only when you have space for the added cards. Avoid Agent Coulson if your hand is full.
- Maximize Duplication: When using duplication effects like Moon Girl, prioritize playing her after utilizing Iron Patriot's discount or other cost reduction to maximize the value of duplicates.
How to Counter Iron Patriot
Counter Iron Patriot by disrupting energy management and board space. Cards that interfere with these aspects effectively counter this strategy.
Effective counters include: US Agent, Cosmo, Iceman, Wave, Sandman, Shadow King, and even junk archetype cards like Green Goblin and Hobgoblin. Valkyrie can also be a cheeky counter, removing crucial buffs from Victoria Hand.
Is Iron Patriot Worth It?
Iron Patriot is a valuable addition for competitive players, but won't revolutionize the meta. It's a strong card, but not essential enough to justify purchasing the premium pass. Free-to-play players can focus on Victoria Hand, which enables a similar card-generation archetype without relying on Iron Patriot.
