Traditional Discard
Scorn, Blade, Morbius, Colleen Wing, Gambit, Corvus Glaive, Lady Sif, Dracula, Proxima Midnight, M.O.D.O.K., Khonshu, Apocalypse
The basic version of Discard falls into a tricky place, particularly when you compare it to other popular Discard sub-archetypes. Sure, it can climb up to ridiculous numbers, but it’s not as good at playing mind games as Hela or as easy to execute as the mid-range variant.
Mill
The Hood, Yondu, Cable, Iron Patriot, Killmonger, Red Guardian, Baron Zemo, Gladiator, Shang-Chi, Misery, Lady Deathstrike, Death
Although noticeably weak against large decks like Arishem and Thanos, Mill can be an oppressive force, especially against combo decks. It gets progressively stronger with each turn, but if your opponent draws semi-luckily, you’re in trouble.
Surtur
Zabu, Zero, Iron Patriot, Cosmo, Juggernaut, Surtur, Starbrand, Attuma, Crossbones, Cull Obsidian, Typhoid Mary, Skaar
The nerfs to Surtur and Skaar in this deck were definitely felt, but not enough to tear it down completely. It can still pump out freakishly high levels of Power, but it’s nowhere near the level it was when Surtur first came out. It’s also tough to justify the deck when Sauron exists and is doing well.
Patriot
Zabu, Dazzler, Mystique, Luke Cage, Patriot, Super Skrull, Doom 2099, Iron Lad, Iron Man, Blue Marvel, Doctor Doom, Ultron
Patriot is another easy-to-use deck that relies on one specific combo with Ultron to win the match. The only hurdle it faces is predictability — your opponent usually knows where you’ll play Ultron, and if they throw down a Killmonger, Enchantress, Alioth, or Cosmo, there’s no way to recover.
Destroy
Deadpool, Nico Minoru, X-23, Carnage, Hulk Buster, Wolverine, Killmonger, Venom, Deathlok, Arnim Zola, Knull, Death
Destroy decks are a classic option that has a simple game plan with a relatively high Power ceiling. The simplicity and popularity, though, are its only pitfall — everyone at this point knows how to play around the deck.
Negative
Psylocke, Ravonna Renslayer, Ironheart, Mystique, Sage, Magik, Mr. Negative, Wong, Iron Man, Jane Foster, Gorr the God Butcher, Taskmaster
Getting Mr. Negative out early is a straightforward winning condition. There’s no deck out there that can stop you, but that initial overreliance on one card can be problematic.
Phoenix Force
Arana, Human Torch, Nico Minoru, Carnage, Hulk Buster, Multiple Man, Venom, Deathlok, Shuri, Phoenix Force, Nimrod, Arnim Zola
Similar to Negative decks, Phoenix Force makes or breaks this deck. If you draw it, you win the game; if not, you need spontaneous and unbelievably lucky combinations to pull off a sly win.
Clog
The Hood, Nebula, Titania, Grandmaster, Hawkeye Kate Bishop, Green Goblin, Magik, Debrii, Viper, Shang-Chi, Cannonball, Alioth
Clog’s entire strategy is denying your opponent the opportunity to play cards — a viable move against even the top-tier decks. However, it also means the opponent knows what they can and can’t do when locked up, making for an easy retreat and, consequently, a low Cube Rate for you.
Tribunal
Howard the Duck, Ravonna Renslayer, Magik, Mystique, Jubilee, Super Skrull, Iron Lad, Iron Man, Blue Marvel, Sera, Onslaught, The Living Tribunal
Want a deck that’ll put 300 Power across each lane? Tribunal is the way to go. Had it not been so vulnerable to a variety of cards, this deck would have landed in the A-tier category.