How to Play Snow Guard
From Hawk-ward to Bear-able
A Guide to Snowguard
Snowguard recently received a rework patch on September 5, 2023. The Snowguard rework changed the card’s purpose from being utilized for Hot and Featured locations to a card that has a deck-building identity. The current rendition of Snowguard adds the hawk and bear to your hand. The bear card remained the same, but the Hawk’s text changed from “On Reveal: Ignore all location abilities next turn” to “On Reveal: Ignore all location abilities until the end of next turn (or the game)”.
Although this rework and text changes were supposed to alleviate confusion, it does take a lot of understanding to effectively use the Hawk and Bear. The Bear is more straightforward but has fewer locations to interact with, while the Hawk has more impact on how turns and the end of the game are affected. To understand both of these cards a little more fluidly, I will break down the locations into five different sections: passive, effect, on reveal, ongoing, and turn-based. In these sections, I will explain how the hawk and bear interact with the locations within each section. Afterwards, I will provide some deck lists that have implemented Snowguard, as the card has had a positive impact on the current meta in Marvel Snap.
Passive
Passive locations are calculated at the end of the game. These locations will always reactivate even if the Hawk has been played on the final turn of the game to factor into the final score of the game. Playing the hawk outside of the final turn of the game will allow you to access these locations to play on them. The bear has no effect on any of these locations outside of providing its power towards that location’s lane.
Atlantis: If you play the Hawk on turn 6, the calculations will still factor in if the opponent has one card at the location for the final scoring.
Deep Space: This location will trigger a card's ongoing effect when played after the Hawk has been played but will return the location's state during calculations. On reveal cards with a lingering effect will be active after the next turn. For example, if you play Iron-Man after the Hawk was played the previous turn or on the same turn the Hawk was played, you will receive the double location power. The ongoing effect will trigger until the calculations phase, during which it will revert to the location’s passive ability and the ironman’s ongoing ability will not be affected. Another example is if you play Hawk on turn 3 and then Rescue on turn 4, you will have the chance to complete Rescue’s on reveal.
Necrosha: The negative power will be disabled during the turn and reflect throughout the next turn after the Hawk has been played, but will revert back to the negative power state during the calculations phase.
Effect
These locations have repercussions for interacting on this lane. The Hawk can remove the repercussions of this location for the turn it was played and for the next turn (if not already prompted by an interaction). The Bear cannot retrigger the repercussion if the interaction on this lane has already been prompted. These locations are a mixture of ongoing and turn based locations that manipulate the locations repercussions without reverting or affecting the end of the game or calculations phase.
Aunt May’s: If you play Hawk into Aunt May, it will stop all cards played after the Hawk, including the Hawk itself, on the same turn from triggering on Aunt May's, as well as all cards played next turn if the repercussion hasn’t been met prior to the Hawk being revealed. Once the repercussions have been met, the bear will not allow your next card to be played at this location to be moved and receive the buff again.
Jotunheim: Cards at this location will not receive the afflicted -1 power during the turn the Hawk was played or the following turn. The Bear can’t double up on the affliction. If the Hawk is played at this location on turn 6, the location's repercussions will not retrigger at the end of the game or during calculations.
Rickety Bridge: Hawk will stop the repercussions of this location on turn 6 at the end of the game and calculations phase.
On Reveal
When these locations are revealed, action is prompted. This action can be retriggered by the Bear. The Hawk’s only interaction with these locations is that they are ignored for that turn and the next turn. If you come across an instance where you have to use the Hawk to interact with the other locations that aren’t on reveal and a on reveal location is revealed the next turn, you can still prompt the action when you play the bear. For example, if on turn 2 you play Hawk and an on reveal location is revealed on turn 3 but is disabled, you can prompt the action with the bear being played at that location if desired.
Collapsed Mine: When playing the Bear on this location after the Rocks have been destroyed, the rocks will retrigger in both lanes with the same conditions to destroy the rocks.
Project Pegasus: The Bear will retrigger the energy gain for the next turn.
The Peak: Retrigger the effect for this location with the Bear. For cards that were already affected the first time by this location, the retriggering will swap the power and cost to the most current power and cost levels. An example of this is if Infinaut is hit by the peak before the Bear is played, the card won’t be reverted to a 6 cost and 20 power when the Bear is played and The Peak is triggered for the second time on Infinaut. Infinaut’s cost will become 6, and its power will be 6, as that would reflect the current stats of Infinaut prior to the second peak trigger.
Ongoing
These locations have continual repercussions throughout the game. The Hawk is able to cancel the ongoing effect for these locations for a turn, and it won’t have any factor on the end of the game or calculation phases. The main purpose of canceling these locations is to prevent the opponent from benefiting from the positive effects that ongoing locations provide. Another factor in playing the Hawk at these locations is to avoid the negative effects that may be provided by specific ongoing locations. The Bear does not have any effect on ongoing locations. Do note that conditions are felt by your opponent as well as yourself.
Asteroid M: Playing the Hawk will allow you to freely play 3 and 4 cost cards at any location while this location is inactive.
Limbo: The Hawk will prevent turn 6 from happening. To gain this effect, the Hawk must be played and triggered on turn 5 or 6.
Morag: Disable the condition of playing at another lane prior to playing here for the next turn (technically, for the same turn, Hawk was played, but ideally, you can meet the location’s repercussions by playing Hawk first + another card).
Shuri’s Lab: If you are ahead at this location, shut the location down to prevent your opponent from catching up, factoring in the doubling of a card’s power for the turn the Hawk was played and the next turn.
The Superflow: Accidentally have a card on Superflow? Prevent your opponent from gaining extra energy the next turn by using the Hawk to cancel this location.
Weirdworld: Do you want to reprise the glory of your deck for one turn? Play the Hawk and top deck that card that will change the tide of battle in your favor (hopefully)
Turn-based
These locations are not retriggered by the Bear but can provide excellent opportunities with the Hawk’s abilities. Turn based locations take some planning, as the hawk can allow you to ignore that location's effect if played on the appropriate turn for the Hawk’s turn and the coming turn.
Asgard: Can’t catch up at this location? Play the Hawk on turn 3 or 4 to disable this location and prevent your opponent from receiving the benefit.
Dark Dimension: When the Hawk is played, all unrevealed cards that were previously played are revealed and will continue to be revealed until the end of the game. For example, Rocket Raccoon is placed in the Dark Dimension on turn 1. Snowguard is played on turn 2 to play Hawk on turn 3. Once Hawk is revealed on turn 3, Rocket Raccoon is revealed in the Dark Dimension. Turn 5 would return the Dark Dimension passive to reveal any other cards played in this lane on the remaining turns to be revealed at the end of the game phase.
Klyn: Do you want to sneak something into this location? Play the Hawk to do so on your next turn.
Los Diablos Base: Do you have locations that benefit you? Protect them with the Hawk being played on turn 2 or 3. Call the card Hawk Armor after you complete this feat.
Mount Vesuvius: Do you want to retreat on turn 6? Play the Hawk on turn 5 to have that choice if you don’t find a winning line.
TVA: Do you want to spend more time with your opponent? Stop the game from ending by playing the Hawk on turn 3.
Final Thoughts
The rework of Snowguard has provided versatility and identity for the card. Locations play a huge role in the gameplay of Marvel Snap. The ability to manipulate locations in a positive or negative way is crucial. The important aspect to get used to is using your Hawk and Bear effectively to have a more positive outcome for your gameplay in comparison to your opponent. I hope that this guide helped you understand how the Hawk and Bear interact with the locations in the game. I do want to caution that all three cards (Snowguard, Hawk, and Bear) are on reveal. You must play these cards in lanes with the ability to trigger the card's effect. Playing these cards in the lane with cards like Cosmo or locations like Deep Space or Knowhere will not trigger the on reveal effects. Below, you will find some deck lists that include Snowguard. Have a BEWDiful Day!
