Best Darkhawk deck and how to counter it
Darkhawk has risen and can't be stopped!
Marvel Snap has officially opened the floodgates for new characters. With so many making their way to the stage, we still really don’t know much about them yet, or how to use them. On top of that, there has also been a ton of Google searching for the best decks for certain cards, and that's why I’m here.
Today, we are going to break down Darkhawk, his abilities, the best deck for him and how to counter him. So, let’s not waste any more of your time and get to it!
Darkhawk locks in as a 4-Cost, 0-Power card. Hang on, I know. Before you even say: “But Jeremy, who even wants a 0-Power card, let alone having it in their deck?”. You don’t use Darkhawk for his power, obviously. You use him for his ability. Check this out, Darkhawk’s ability provides “Ongoing: +2 Power for each card in your opponent's deck.”. It’s definitely not your typical card but it can be a huge game-changer. I’ll explain why…
So, in short, Darkhawk gets +2 power for every card in your opponent's deck, not hand! Please make sure that you read this correctly: Darkhawk does not get +2 power for cards in your challenger's hand, but rather their deck. The point of using Darkhawk and receiving his max potential is to prey off of the cards in your opponent's deck. Here is a killer deck for Darkhawk:
- Korg
- Rock Slide
- Ms Marvel
- Devil Dinosaur
- Black Widow
- Agent Coulson
- Mystique
- Mr. Fantastic
- Dr. Doom
- Zabu
- Hawkeye
- (Darkhawk)
Only a few cards above could be swapped out for others. For example, you could exchange Devil Dinosaur for another heavy-hitter with a high amount of power, like Onsalught, or Iron Lad. Another trade that could be suitable is for Hawkeye. He’s only a 1-Cost card, but does provide a quaint ability of “On reveal: If you play a card at this location next turn, +3 Power.”. If you really want to take him out, you can replace him with Nightcrawler, Yondu or Quiksilver. Besides those substitutions, the rest of the deck is concrete.
The standouts of the deck are Korg, Rock Slide, Mystique and Black Widow. Korg is a pretty straightforward character. When placed on the board, he shuffles a rock into your opponent's deck. Rock Slide does the same exact thing but adds two rocks instead. So, just these two cards alone, add three more cards to your opponent's deck. Now, with adding Darkhawk into the match, he’ll receive +2 power for every card in your opponent's deck, plus the rocks that Korg and Rock Slide have previously added.
Mystique and Black Widow are hidden gems for this lineup. Black Widow is a 2-Cost, 1-Power that tosses a Widow’s Bite into your foe's deck. The Widow’s Bite is a 0-Cost, 0-Power card. However, the Widow’s Bite will be another tally mark for Darkhawk’s ability. Equipping Black Widow sets the stage for a perfect alley-oop opportunity for Darkhawk.
Mystique is a tough one to pin down. On reveal, “If the last card you played has an Ongoing, copy its text. (if it's in play)”. To make Mystique a true threat, you need to play her after Darkhawk is on the board. I’ll explain why: Now, knowing Darkhawk’s ability, if you drop Mystique immediately after, she then adopts his skill. So, you’re dealing with double the power with little energy spent.
The Counter
A counter to Darkhawk is pretty straightforward, and can be created fairly easily. Knowing that Darkhawk has an ongoing ability, your goal is to create a team that can silence or hinder his strike before it takes effect. Here’s a counter deck that I found incredibly effective:
- Enchantress
- Yondu
- Leech
- Scorpion
- HobGoblin
- Gambit
- Cosmo
- Green Goblin
- Korg
- America Chavez
- Iceman
- Bishop
Enchantress, Leech and Gambit are your saviours for this counter deck. Gambit is your first line of defense because he’ll destroy a random card in your opponent's deck. Essentially, the use of Gambit relies solely on luck, whether he'll destroy Darkhawk or not.
Leech is a valuable asset because he can strip away all capabilities from your enemies' cards held in their hand. Lastly, Enchantress is your main key to stopping Darkhawk. When in play, Enchantress completely silences all ongoing abilities at the pillar she's placed at. Darkhawk is a huge asset and can advance you past most of your opponents. By making the decks above, you will be ready to dominate the board and be prepared to defend yourself against him. Hope this helps!
