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Marvel SNAP players everywhere are feeling the oppressive power of Surtur, but is the lord of Muspelheim really that good?
The Meta Tyrant Article Series dives into the numbers behind the latest card or deck terrorizing the Marvel SNAP meta game and whether the hatred is fueled by true performance or mere emotion. See what the Untapped analytics say about Surtur below.
We’ll be analyzing Surtur's performance across a number of parameters:
- We’ll be looking at Surtur's metrics at both Top 50% and 10% Infinite
- We’ll be looking at Surtur's overall win percentage in these ranks, as well as its average cubes and popularity
- Finally, we'll look at the archetypes using Surtur best and how the card is performing in the current meta
Our Card Tier List are based on the Average Cubes and Popularity of a card when compared to all other cards in Marvel SNAP.
CARD ANALYSIS
At Top 50% Infinite, Surtur doesn't even break into Tier A on our Card Tier List. Despite its meager 52.2% winrate and +0.12 average cube rate, the card has hit 20.9% popularity - a play rate eclipsed only by cards like Shadow King (35.1%), Shang-Chi (31.2%) and Alioth (29.9%). We see similar stats in Top 10% Infinite, where Surtur is sitting in Tier B with a 18.6% play rate, +0.09 average cube rate and a 51.5% winrate. The metrics come after nerfs to Surtur's main deck in the Marvel SNAP OTA Balance Update — November 14, 2024. While metrics have since declined, basic deck compisition and strategies outlined in our Early Review of Surtur.
The card may feel oppressive below Top Infinite, where it maintains a 55.4% win rate and +0.32 average cube rate with a 17.8% popularity, but the upper ranks paint a different picture.
DECK ANALYSIS
With thousands of games already logged by the Untapped Companion at Top Infinite since the start of the War of the Nine Realms Season, we have a good picture of which decks are working for Surtur. Here are the best-performing options:
The most popular decks featuring Surtur played at both Top 50% and Top 10% Infinite are identical, putting up metrics with minimal differences. Top 50% shows a +0.04 average cube rate and 49.0% winrate. The deck often plays cards like Attuma, Crossbones and Cull Obsidian, which have great synergy with Surtur. If you are missing any of the cards listed, don't worry - you can always find a deck tailored to your collection on our Marvel SNAP Decks page.
At Top 10% Infinite, the deck has been maintaining a +0.07 average cube rate and 50.6% winrate in the same time period.
These stats are weaker compared to Surtur's individual stats and the Surtur Archetype is currently sitting in Tier B at Top 10% Infinite, losing out Discard Archetype and Move Archetype.
ARCHETYPE ANALYSIS
Click for more archetype details
The archetype utilizing Surtur best is the titular Surtur Archetype, sitting in Tier B with a +0.15 average cube rate and 53.2% winrate at Top 10% Infinite. Tier B also includes Discard Archetype, Malekith Archetype, War Machine Archetype and Arishem Archetype. The archetype accounts for 5.3% of the meta at Top 10%.
FINAL THOUGHTS
While Surtur may feel oppressive at lower ranks, it falls short of other decks in both Top 50% and Top 10%. It's high popularity indicates people are sticking with the new card, despite its shortcomings.
Looking past the numbers, its clear that Surtur's deck composition is warping the meta more than the card itself. Before Surtur's release, tech card play rates, specifically Cosmo, were at an all-time high. Surtur's most common builds once again utilize Cosmo, and now include Armor and even Juggernaut. Losing to these cards feels bad, especially a Turn 6 Juggernaut, which sometimes steals games whether the opponent has priority or not. The play lines of the deck are simple and not much can counter the raw power the deck can safely tuck behind Cosmo or Armor. That being said, the deck is predictable, and the stats reflect that.
Do you agree? Is Surtur the meta tyrant it seems to be? What are you playing to counter it? Let us know your thoughts over at @UntappedSNAP on Twitter/X. Alternatively, come and chat with the wider Marvel SNAP Community on our Discord Server!
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