Ares, the God of War, descends upon the mortal realm of Marvel Snap, aiming to reignite forgotten archetypes and reclaim top win rates. But how does this deity of conflict find himself among the ranks of Earth's Mightiest Heroes? When Norman Osborn usurps Tony Stark's leadership of the Avengers post-Secret Invasion, most Avengers abandon ship. Yet, Ares and Sentry remain. While Sentry's allegiance stems from his fractured sanity, Ares' motives are far more intriguing. An Avenger supporting a villain? It seems paradoxical.
The answer lies in Ares' unwavering loyalty to war itself, not to any specific faction. This perfectly mirrors his Marvel Snap card—a fitting embodiment of his chaotic nature. Ares thrives in grand, powerful conflicts, preferring the company of formidable individuals. He's a brute, a force of nature, and frankly, a bit of a dullard.
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 different approach. He excels in decks brimming with high-power cards. His "on reveal" ability opens doors for strategic plays with cards like Grandmaster or Odin. While a 12-power, 4-energy card is decent, a 21-power, 6-energy card is far more preferable. The key to maximizing Ares' potential, outside of Surtur decks, is to leverage his ability repeatedly.
Despite his disdain for weaker opponents like Shang-Chi and Shadow King, consider protecting Ares with cards like Cosmo or Armor. (Though the thought of Ares alongside a Russian dog is amusingly incongruous.)
Ares: Not the Big Bad, Sadly
While a raw [4/12] card isn't available, analogues like Gwenpool and Galactus can reach comparable power levels. The rise of control decks (like Mill and Wiccan Control) highlights the need to protect Ares from cards like Shang-Chi. This necessitates a highly specific deck construction, deviating from the current trend of flexible decks.
Relying solely on power isn't viable unless your wager consistently surpasses Mister Negative's (which it usually won't). Even Move decks, known for accumulating power, often incorporate disruption for an advantage. Ares needs to outperform even Surtur decks to be competitive, and those aren't currently performing exceptionally well. The Surtur 10-Power archetype (despite dreams of a functional Cerebro-10) boasts a mediocre 51.5% win rate at Infinity level play, plummeting to 48% below.
Consider this: a 3 vs. 2 scenario if your opponent's top three cards only include one Rock. Darkhawk lacks strong archetypes here. Mill decks can transform Ares into a game-changer when your opponent is low on cards. However, the 12-power Death card is often a better choice, being cheaper and more efficient.
Ares' current status as arguably the weakest card of the season underscores the challenge. Using him often becomes a coin flip; the outcome hinges heavily on the power curve and numerical advantage. Strategic play is key.
Employing disruptive strategies with cards like Alioth, Cosmo, Man-Thing, and Red Guardian can significantly improve your chances.
Concluding Thoughts
In my assessment, Ares is a card to skip this month. His susceptibility to counters, especially compared to energy-cheating cards (like Wiccan) and widespread power-granting cards (like Galactus), diminishes his appeal within the current meta. His effectiveness relies heavily on a meticulously crafted deck. Even a [4/6] is underwhelming without a powerful ability attached, despite the potential of a [4/12].
