Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius makes its way into Marvel Snap today with an effect that has a bigger impact on the game than any other previously released location!
“Players can’t retreat after turn 5.” is incredible text that changes a core aspect of Marvel Snap. In games with an active Mount Vesuvius, you’re essentially playing a 5-turn game. Everything after Turn 4 acts as a final turn, as players have less opportunity to react by retreating.Today we’re going to look at what that means for the game, and what decks to prioritize playing while it is the featured location.
The Turn 6 Snap
While we don’t know 100% how this location will function before its release, the guess is that the game otherwise plays as normal, with players being allowed to Snap on Turns 6 and 7. This is going to lead to a lot of one-cube retreats on Turn 5 and games regularly ending for 4 or 8 cubes. Snapping on Turn 6 is typically a play reserved for hyper close games, bluffing, and counter bluffing, as a Turn 6 snap tends to just be a reminder for your opponent to retreat. Now, opponents cannot retreat to the Turn 6 Snap, meaning we’ll be seeing it much more frequently.
It also needs to be taken into account on Turn 5 so that you can retreat for 1 before you’re locked in for 4. Snapping on Turns 1 and 2 in games where Mount Vesuvius hasn’t been revealed yet is still going to happen. Aggressive snaps will still net you 2 cubes in games your opponent doesn’t want to pay to see Turn 6, but not snapping will lead many players into a false sense of confidence that they’re playing a 1-cube game, allowing you to up the stakes later when they can’t refuse.
Location Manipulation
While I’m generally a huge opponent of Location manipulation in regards to featured locations, there’s no denying that these cards and others will have a huge impact on the game today, or rather, they can deny the impact that Mount Vesuvius would otherwise have. Their stock definitely goes up in almost all strategies, as they provide an incredible tool to get out of an otherwise tricky situation.
With Galactus picking up steam with the recent release of Alioth, it’s important to note that Galactus is 1) incredible at location manipulation and 2) a big fan of Locations with no play restrictions. Make Mount Vesuvius erupt with the G-Man, or use it to help you bury the other locations in ash!
“Did I draw it?”-style Decks
Mount V has a high impact on other single-card combo decks too, such as Hela and Cerebro. If you did draw it, you can, of course, Snap for extra Cubes, but if you are hoping to draw the key card on Turn 6 or Turn 7, it’s now a lot more dangerous to take that gamble. Not only can you not retreat, but you also cannot bluff Snap, as your opponent cannot retreat either.
On the other hand, decks including America Chavez take away this guesswork. Knowing your exact output on turn 6 by turn 5 is more important than ever since turn 5 is effectively the start of the final turn.
The Value of Surprise
Surprising your opponent with a Turn 5 play that impacts them will lead to them staying in games more often. Unfortunately, Legion doesn’t quite fit this bill, but Wong, Sandman, Wave, Professor X, Galactus, and Leader (those last 2 requiring ramp) are all cards that can surprise your opponent by presenting them with fewer options going into the final turn.
In a similar but opposite way, there’s less reason to wait for Turn 6 to play tech cards like Shadow King and Shang-Chi. Whereas previously some of the power in these cards was the surprise, you now have an additional “final turn” to play them.
Reading, Bluffing, and the Turn Timer
While I don’t exactly wish to draw attention to this, it should be noted that the best tactics in Mount Vesuvius games unfortunately revolve around running out the turn timer. Simply put, if your opponent doesn’t Snap, it’s theoretically more beneficial for you to Snap. Because of this, you should wait to Snap on 6 to goad your opponent into Snapping (with the idea being you aren’t Snapping because your play is bad). There are mind games here, as there are in any Snap game, but it’s an important thing to stand by. Without the ability to retreat on 6, you should always be Snapping in favorable spots. If your opponent does not believe their spot to be favorable, you may want to reevaluate your perceived position.