Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross has arrived in Marvel Snap, the character portrayed by Harrison Ford in Captain America: Brave New World. While his acting pedigree is impressive, let's analyze if his in-game counterpart is meta-defining.
How Thaddeus Thunderbolt Ross Functions in Marvel Snap
Ross is a 2-cost, 2-power card with the ability: "When your opponent ends a turn with unspent Energy, draw a card with 10 or more Power." This mechanic, similar to Red Hulk and High Evolutionary effects, is potent due to the power of card draw in Marvel Snap. However, the restriction to 10+ power cards significantly limits its applicability.
Currently, Ross can draw cards such as: Attuma, Black Cat, Crossbones, Cull Obsidian, Typhoid Mary, Aero, Heimdall, Helicarrier, Red Hulk, Sasquatch, She-Hulk, Skaar, Thanos (if generated), Orka, Emperor Hulkling, Hulk, Magneto, Death, Red Skull, Agatha Harkness (if generated), Giganto, Destroyer, and The Infinaut. Most decks contain only one, if any, of these high-cost cards. Therefore, Ross's effectiveness hinges on deck composition; decks with multiple 10+ power cards benefit greatly from his deck-thinning and card draw potential. Red Guardian directly counters Ross.
Optimal Thaddeus Thunderbolt Ross Decks
Ross synergizes well with Surtur decks. A sample Surtur deck includes: Zabu, Hydra Bob, Ross, Armor, Cosmo, Juggernaut, Surtur, Ares, Attuma, Crossbones, Cull Obsidian, and Skaar. Note this deck is heavy on Series 5 cards. The strategy involves playing Surtur on turn 3, then playing 10-power cards to boost Surtur's power to 10, making Skaar free. Juggernaut, Cosmo, and Armor provide late-game protection. Ross significantly enhances this deck by drawing high-cost cards like Skaar, often securing victory.
A Hela deck incorporating Ross also exists: Black Knight, Blade, Ross, Lady Sif, Ghost Rider, War Machine, Hell Cow, Black Cat, Aero, Hela, The Infinaut, and Death. This deck focuses on discarding high-power cards of varying costs to resurrect with Hela on the final turn. Ross improves consistency by drawing these high-power cards for discarding.
Is Thaddeus Thunderbolt Ross Worth the Investment?
Currently, unless you're dedicated to Surtur/Ares decks, Ross might not be worth the Spotlight Cache Keys or Collector's Tokens if resources are limited. His value will increase with the addition of more 10-power cards, but his utility is currently niche. The prevalence of Wiccan decks, where opponents rarely leave unspent energy, further diminishes his effectiveness.
