"OG God of War Joins Marvel Snap"

Ares, the God of War, enters the mortal realm with a mission to conquer and revive archetypes that have been absent from the top winrates. In the Marvel Comics universe, Ares finds himself aligning with Norman Osborne, who has taken over the Avengers following the events of Secret Invasion. Unlike the rest of the Avengers who abandon Osborne, Ares remains by his side, alongside the Sentry. This allegiance might seem counterintuitive for an Avenger, whose role is traditionally to combat evil. However, Ares' loyalty lies not with a side, but with the concept of war itself. This characteristic is mirrored in his Marvel Snap card, where he is depicted as enjoying the thrill of battle and preferring the company of the powerful.

Image: ensigame.com

In Marvel Snap, Ares is not tied to a specific synergy like some other cards, such as Bullseye and Swarm, or Victoria Hand and Moonstone with Wiccan. Instead, he thrives in decks filled with high-power cards. One strategic approach involves pairing Ares with cards like Grandmaster or Odin, utilizing their on-reveal effects to maximize Ares' potential. A 4-energy card with 12 power is solid, but boosting it to 21 power with 6 energy could be game-changing. Outside of Surtur decks, repeating Ares' ability might be his most effective use.

Image: ensigame.com

Despite his disdain for smaller foes like Shang Chi and Shadow King, protecting Ares with cards like Cosmo or Armor can be beneficial. These cards can shield him from threats, ensuring his power remains intact.

Image: ensigame.com

Ares may not be considered a "Big Bad" in the traditional sense, but his power level is comparable to other high-impact cards like Gwenpool and Galacta. With the rise of Control decks such as Mill and Wiccan Control, specific deck construction is necessary to counter threats like Shang-Chi. Ares' success hinges on outshining Surtur decks, which have been underperforming in competitive play.

The Surtur 10 Power archetype currently holds a 51.5% win rate and a dismal 0.15 cube gain at Infinity levels, dropping to 48% at lower levels. In certain matchups, even the Move archetype uses disruption to gain an advantage, suggesting Ares needs to outperform Surtur to be viable.

Image: ensigame.com

In scenarios against Mill decks, Ares can become exceptionally powerful when the opponent runs out of cards. However, compared to Death, which offers 12 power at a lower energy cost, Ares might struggle to find his place. Despite this, Ares provides valuable information about the opponent's power curve, which can be used to strategize with cards like Alioth, Cosmo, Man-Thing, and Red Guardian to disrupt the opponent's plans.

Image: ensigame.com

Ares' performance in the current meta suggests he might be the weakest card of the season. Playing him on a curve often results in a coin flip scenario, where understanding the power dynamics can lead to victory.

Image: ensigame.com

In conclusion, Ares is likely a card to skip this month. The 10 Power archetype has lost its appeal due to easy counters and the rise of cards that offer energy cheating or widespread power boosts. To succeed with Ares, a very specific deck construction is required, and without a remarkable ability, even a 4/12 card can be overshadowed by more versatile options.