It’s been just over a week now since Marvel Snap (Free) had its full release on PC, and the competition is hopping more than it has in a while. Throw in some nasty new cards from the Big in Japan season, and you’ve got a recipe that probably needs a bit of tweaking before it goes into the oven. The latest update for the game is focused on balancing some cards, and it’s a rather interesting mix in some ways. At the very least, it should see the return of a certain Doctor to the forefront of the field. Let’s dig in and see what the changes are and what they might mean for the meta.

Five cards have been changed in this over-the-air update, and like all such updates the only things that have been altered are numerical values. But in a game like Marvel Snap, even a single point difference can completely change a card’s effectiveness. That was seen a little while back when Doctor Doom was subjected to humiliation at the hands of that fool RICHA… BRODE, seeing his ingenious DoomBots nerfed down to 6-Cost 4-Power from their previous excellence of 6-Cost 5-Power. This ruined Doom’s synergies with some other cards, especially Cerebro, who buffs the player’s highest Power cards. Well, it seems BRODE is wiser than Doom had taken him for, as he has seen the error of his ways and returned Doom’s DoomBots to their previous levels. Doctor Doom has officially been de-nerfed, and all of Latveria will rejoice.

Let’s now move to the next, and final, buff for this update. This one is a bit surprising, as it involves a very new card. We saw this happen last month with the Phoenix Force, and it just goes to show that you never know how a card will truly work until it’s in the hands of players. Lady Deathstrike is a pretty interesting card, with stats of 5-Cost 3-Power and the On Reveal ability to destroy each card at the location she’s played if its Power is lower than hers. If you find a way to buff her as she enters play, she can really do a number on things. But she’s gone over like a lead balloon so far, so Second Dinner has decided to give her an extra point of Power, bringing her up to 5-Cost 4-Power. I get the sense there is going to be a fine line with her between underpowered and overpowered, so let’s see where she lands now.

Nerf Number One, Carol Danvers! She was recently buffed and started actually appearing in decks fairly often. Usually paired with Darkhawk, Cerebro, or a Move-based deck. I guess she was showing up too often, as her 4-Cost 5-Power is now 4-Cost 4-Power. If I can editorialize for a second here, I think this was too hasty of a change. People were already countering her, and I don’t feel like she was particularly game-breaking. But I don’t have the data in front of me, and Second Dinner does. Carol heads to the penalty box for now, and we’ll have to see if she can get out again.

Nerf Number Two, Legion! This one isn’t too surprising as Legion-based decks have been all the rage of late. He launched as a 5-Power 8-Cost card with the On Reveal ability to make every location the same as the one he is played at. A real game changer ability, for sure. And given that, his Power was pretty high for his Cost. He’s been adjusted to 5-Power 7-Cost, but I doubt that will hurt him too much in the meta. That ability is still pretty epic, after all.

Nerf Number Three, Rockslide! Well, this might be a nerf or a buff depending on how you view things. He was a 4-Cost 5-Power card with the On Reveal ability to shuffle two Rocks into the opponent’s deck, feeding any Darkhawks you might happen to have on hand. He’s now a 3-Cost 3-Power card, which means you can get him out earlier. That said, his Power was always a useful part of any Darkhawk deck and that is going to have to be compensated for now. On the other hand, he now qualifies for Silver Surfer Friend status. He might be showing up in more Surfer-based decks like the ever-reliable Sera Surfer deck.

That’s the lot for this week. We should be hearing about the next season soon as Big in Japan rolls to a close, and our new deck building guide for September will be up early next week. What do you think of these changes? Do they affect your decks? I wasn’t using any of these cards in my decks, so the biggest concern I have is with Doctor Doom getting up in my face again. It’s been a nice break. Feel free to comment below with your thoughts on Marvel Snap and this update. Happy Snapping!