Ares, God of War, descends upon the mortal realm of Marvel Snap, aiming to conquer and revitalize underperforming archetypes. But how does this deity of conflict find himself amidst the superheroics of the Avengers?

Following the Secret Invasion, Norman Osborn takes the reins of the Avengers, leaving Ares and Sentry as his only companions. Sentry's allegiance is attributed to his intentional insanity, but Ares' support for the clearly villainous Osborn is perplexing. How can a supposed Avenger align himself with such evil?

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The answer lies in Ares' unwavering loyalty to war itself, not to any specific faction. This perfectly mirrors his Marvel Snap card's design. Ares thrives in large-scale conflicts, preferring the company of powerful individuals. He's essentially a powerful, yet somewhat dull, brute.

Table of Contents

• Best Cards to Team Up With Ares
• Ares Isn't a Top-Tier Card (Sadly)
• Conclusion

Best Cards to Team Up With Ares

Unlike cards with established synergies (e.g., Bullseye, Swarm, and Scorn), Ares requires a unique approach. His strength lies in decks packed with high-power cards. Cards with "on reveal" abilities synergize well with Grandmaster or Odin, maximizing his potential. While a 12-power card costing 4 energy is decent, a 21-power card for 6 energy is far more desirable. Repeating his ability is key to maximizing his effectiveness outside of Surtur decks.

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Despite his disdain for weaker opponents, consider protecting Ares with cards like Cosmo or Armor.

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Ares Isn't a Top-Tier Card (Sadly)

While a raw 4/12 card is absent from the game, equivalents exist (Gwenpool, Galactus). However, the rise of control decks like Mill and Wiccan Control highlights Ares' vulnerability to disruption, particularly Shang-Chi. This necessitates a highly specific deck build, unlike the more flexible meta decks.

Relying solely on power is unsustainable unless your wager significantly surpasses Mister Negative's (which it generally won't). Even Move decks, which accumulate high power, often incorporate disruption. Ares needs to outperform Surtur decks, which currently have a subpar win rate (around 51.5% at high levels).

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Matchups against Rock-heavy decks are problematic. Mill decks can make Ares exceptionally powerful, but this is highly situational. Compared to the 4-cost Death (12 power), Ares falls short.

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Ares' current weakness makes him a risky play. His effectiveness relies heavily on winning the wager and favorable power curves.

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Disruptive strategies using cards like Alioth, Cosmo, Man-Thing, and Red Guardian can enhance Ares' performance.

Conclusion

Ares is arguably the weakest card of the season. His susceptibility to counters, coupled with the declining popularity of high-power archetypes, makes him a risky inclusion. His effectiveness is heavily reliant on specific deck construction and a favorable wager. Ultimately, a 4/6 card is generally poor, even if a 4/12 is strong, unless paired with exceptional abilities.