Ares, the God of War, descends upon the mortal realm of Marvel Snap, challenging the established meta. His appearance in the comics, however, is rather unusual. Following the Secret Invasion, Norman Osborn leads a fractured Avengers team, with Ares and a strategically insane Sentry as his unlikely allies. Ares' allegiance, however, lies not with good or evil, but with war itself. This perfectly aligns with his Marvel Snap card's characteristics. He thrives in high-power matchups and prefers the company of powerful beings.

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Optimal Deck Synergies:

Unlike cards with readily apparent synergies, Ares demands a unique deck-building approach. His strength lies in high-power cards. Cards like Grandmaster and Odin, with their on-reveal effects, can enhance his strategic potential. While a 12-power, 4-energy card is acceptable, a 21-power, 6-energy card is significantly more desirable. Repeating his ability is key to maximizing his effectiveness outside of Surtur-centric decks.

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Protective options like Cosmo or Armor can mitigate threats from smaller cards like Shang-Chi and Shadow King, although Ares might not appreciate the assistance.

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Ares: Not a Top-Tier Threat (Yet):

Despite his potential, Ares currently lacks the raw power to consistently dominate. While comparable cards exist, the rise of control decks like Mill and Wiccan Control presents significant challenges. Building a deck solely around high power is risky, and outperforming Surtur decks, which already struggle with a win rate around 51.5%, is a significant hurdle. The synergy with Mill decks is promising, transforming him into a formidable force when the opponent is low on cards, but this is situational.

Image: ensigame.com

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The inherent risk in playing Ares is highlighted by the coin-flip nature of his deployment. His effectiveness is heavily reliant on the power curve and the opponent's hand.

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Conclusion:

Ares is currently considered a weaker card. His susceptibility to counters and the current meta's shift away from high-power archetypes hinder his effectiveness. His reliance on specific deck construction further limits his overall viability. While a 4/12 card is powerful, a 4/6 card is significantly less desirable, unless paired with a powerful ability. Therefore, he's likely a card to avoid for now.