With over 375 collectible cards featuring stunning art and innovative design, Marvel Snap offers one of the most rewarding long-term progression systems found in digital card games.
However, between starter decks, random acquisitions, and special sets – it‘s easy to feel overwhelmed as a new player.
That‘s why in this extensive guide, I‘ll be breaking down everything you need to know about successfully collecting every Marvel Snap card available by fully unlocking all card pools and exclusive series.
How Marvel Snap‘s Card Collection Process Works
Snap divides cards into multiple pools and sets that become accessible as your Collection Level increases through gaining XP:
- Collection Level: Ranges from 1 onwards indefinitely, unlocking new content.
- Starter Cards: 13 default cards granted to all players.
- Seasons: Timed events with exclusive card rewards.
- Card Pools: Named groups of cards unlocked at certain levels.
- Special Sets: Rare variant cards in Series 4 and 5.
Reaching milestone Collection Levels allows you to obtain pools with more advanced cards. You can upgrade their abilities over time as well.
Now let‘s explore Marvel Snap‘s card acquisition journey in detail!
Getting Started: Starter Cards & Levels 1-18
Starter Cards (Levels 1-13)
Installing Snap immediately gifts you 13 starter cards to compose beginner decks:
| Card | Ability |
|---|---|
| Iron Man | +1 Power when you have more unspent energy next turn. |
| Hulk | +1 Power for each card your rival played last turn. |
| Wolfsbane | Moves to your opponent‘s side when revealed. |
| Cyclops | Has +1 Power for each other card you played this game. |
You‘re able to upgrade starter cards over time to unlock more potential from their abilities. This forms the core of early progression.
Unlockable Cards (Levels 1-18)
Additionally, levels 1 through 18 grant 8 predetermined cards in fixed order:
| Level | Unlocked Card |
|---|---|
| 2 | Jessica Jones |
| 4 | Ka-Zar |
| 6 | Mister Fantastic |
| 8 | Spectrum |
| 10 | Nightcrawler |
| 12 | Wolfsbane |
| 14 | White Tiger |
| 16 | Odin |
For example, reaching Collection Level 2 unlocks Jessica Jones for all players. She gains +4 Power if no cards are played in her location next turn.
These cards introduce you to basic location and hand synergies to build upon.
Recruit Season Rewards
While leveling early on, you may also complete Recruit Season during your first 30 days. This mock season pass offers free cards and other valuable rewards by finishing missions.
The 50 levels provide the 5 Recruit cards:
| Card | Ability |
|---|---|
| Ant-Man | Has 0 Power while in hand. |
| Colossus | +5 Power on reveal. |
| Ironheart | Moves locations when discarded |
| Gamora | +1 Power per empty adjacent slot. |
| Blue Marvel | Your cards here can‘t have Power reduced. |
I recommend completing Recruit Season ASAP to accelerate long-term progression with those cards.
Pool 1 (Levels 18-214)
Reaching level 18 introduces the first Marvel Snap card pool, beginning random acquisitions.
Pool 1 encompasses 46 cards like Scarlet Witch, Rocket Raccoon, and Elektra. Instead of fixed unlocks per level, you now randomly obtain new Pool 1 cards each time you upgrade any card‘s tier.
Pool 1 highlights basic effects like:
| Card | Ability |
|---|---|
| Enchantress | Removes all Ongoing abilities from location. |
| Carnage | Has +2 Power for each card your rival played last turn. |
| Spider-Woman | Applies -1 Power debuff to all enemy cards revealed. |
You‘ll receive Pool 1 cards up to level 214 as you play matches and upgrade owned cards.
Here are tips for progressing smoothly through early game:
- Upgrade 1-cost cards first.
- Build themed discard or self-synergy focused decks.
- Reroll daily missions for easy Credit farming.
- Save to immediately afford next card tier.
Stay patient in these beginning stages while accumulating key cards for future deckbuilding.
Best Early Game Pool 1 Cards
These Pool 1 cards make excellent additions to starter decks for new players:
Enchantress: Neutralizes opposing card abilities.
Spider-Woman: Weakens enemy teamwide.
Angela: Scales exponentially when comboed.
Jessica Jones: Functions as delayed nuke.
Entering Mid Game With Pool 2 (Levels 222-474)
Upon hitting Collection Level 222, the 25 card Pool 2 unlocks, pushing you into the mid game.
Pool 2 presents more complex cards like these:
| Card | Ability |
|---|---|
| Killmonger | Destroys 1-Cost card played before him each turn. |
| Scorpion | Applies -1 Power debuff to rival‘s hand next turn |
| Storm | Locks location when revealed. No more cards playable there. |
You‘ll acquire random Pool 2 cards over time through upgrading owned cards across all modes.
Here are effective tips for the mid game:
- Craft decks around a win condition or combo.
- Save Tokens for important Token Shop cards.
- Only upgrade key Pool 2 cards to start.
- Recycle unwanted Pool 2s for progression materials.
Getting the right Pool 2 cards facilitates specialization into competitive archetypes.
Best Mid Game Pool 2 Cards
These Pool 2 picks stand out as recurring powerhouses:
Killmonger: Hard counter to early aggro.
Scorpion: Cripples enemy hand buffs.
Storm: Secures locations decisively.
Okoye: Mass teamwide stat buff.
Entering The Late Game With Massive Pool 3 (Levels 486+)
At level 486, the Pool 3 unlocks with no upward limit. This epic 75 card pool contains ultimate abilities from the likes of Apocalypse, Captain Marvel and Doctor Doom.
Some examples include:
| Card | Ability |
|---|---|
| Doctor Doom | Adjacent locations gain +5 Power. |
| Wasp | +1 Power for each rival card played last turn. |
| Mystique | Acquires last card‘s Ongoing ability. |
Navigating Pool 3 efficiently requires strict optimization given its sheer size. Follow these guidelines:
- Commit long-term to 1-2 chosen deck archetypes that share cards. This reduces total upgrade costs.
- Use Fast Upgrade on key Rare/Epic cards when possible to save mass Boosters.
- Buy the most impactful Pool 3 deck cards from Token Shop first.
- Only upgrade supplemental cards to the bare minimum tiers needed.
- Dismantle unwanted Pool 3 extras for Tokens to acquire variants/missing cards.
Staying selective allows faster refinement of Pool 3 collection into competitive constructs.
Best Late Game Pool 3 Cards
These iconic cards cement dominant strategies:
Patriot: Powers up ability-less cards massively.
Mystique: Miraculously adaptable to any situation.
Doctor Doom: Supercharges neighboring lanes exponentially.
Brood: Becomes an unstoppable swarm when unchecked.
Special Card Series For Late Game Collectors
At extreme Collection Levels, you‘ll unlock ultra rare special card sets beyond the main pools.
Collector‘s Cache & Reserve (Levels 500-1000+)
The Collector‘s Cache first unlocks between levels 500-999. Reaching level 1000 also awards the Collector‘s Reserve. Both provide chances at exclusive card series and other rewards on each open.
Here‘s a comparison:
| Collector‘s Cache | Collector‘s Reserve | |
|---|---|---|
| Unlock Level | 500 | 1000 |
| New Card Rate | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Contents | Pool 3, Series 4 & 5 Cards, Credits, Boosters | Pool 3, Series 4 & 5 Cards, Credits, Boosters, Variants |
| Bad Luck Protection | 1:6 opens | 1:9 opens |
While Reserve takes longer to unlock, it does offer increased Series card rates and special variant cards.
Series 4 Cards (Levels 500+)
Collector‘s Cache and Reserve provide opportunities to acquire Series 4 cards starting from level 500. These are amongst the rarest and most unconventionally powerful cards in Marvel Snap:
| Card | Ability |
|---|---|
| Titania | Can switch sides when location Power differs by 2+. |
| Absorbing Man | Copies last played card‘s Ongoing ability. |
| Orka | Has +5 Power if only card in location. |
With as low as 2.5% drop chance, Series 4 cards enable creative new deck archetypes given their unique effects.
Here are some favorites:
Titania: Cornerstone in disruption decks.
Absorbing Man: Fits any deck and meta.
Orka: Provides devastating burst potential.
Luke Cage: Shields your board against Power manipulation.
Series 5 Cards (Levels 500+)
Finally, the exceedingly scarce Series 5 cards represent peak rarity at under 0.25% drop rate from Collector‘s caches after level 500.
These apex cards spark awe and frustration alike for their sheer game warping dominance:
| Card | Ability |
|---|---|
| Apocalypse | Reveals rival‘s hand for 3 turns. |
| Galactus | Obliterates all other locations when revealed if alone there. |
| Knull | Power equals that of destroyed enemy cards. |
Despite astronomical odds, the sheer impact of Series 5 cards justifies enduring the grind should you choose to chase them.
Here are favorites that consistently dominate meta snapshots:
Knull: True destroyer unleashed.
Black Panther: Trading king due to double reveal power.
Galactus: Ultimate board nuke when unanswered.
Super-Skrull: Mimics the strongest rival card abilities.
Optimizing Collection Level Progression
Now let‘s discuss how to skyrocket your Collection Level efficiently by integrating smart progression tactics:
Complete Daily & Event Missions
Actively rerolling daily missions for higher Credit rewards speeds upgrade pace significantly over time.
Prioritize Low Cost Cards
Upgrading cheaper 1-3 cost cards first ultimately saves more resources for investing into late game rarities.
Utilize Fast Upgrade Whenever Available
Spend Credits to upgrade 3 cards instantly every 8 hours rather than wasting mass Boosters.
Buy Key Token Shop Cards
Getting special Epic/Legendary cards like Apocalypse early from Tokens creates concentrated power.
Upgrade Support Cards Minimally
Save resources by only enhancing supplementary cards to the minimum level needed for your central win conditions to function.
And that covers everything you need to know about acquiring all Marvel Snap cards!
I hope mapping out the intimidating underlying progression systems, card effects, and expert strategies helps you deeply customize optimal builds on the journey to collect it all from New Recruit towards Cosmic Conqueror!
Let me know in the comments if this guide has given you a better grasp of Marvel Snap‘s diverse collectible progression experience.
