Redwing Decks Dominate Marvel Snap

Marvel Snap's roster of animal companions has been rather limited – Cosmo, Groose, Zabu, and Hit Monkey being the mainstays – until the arrival of Redwing, Falcon's avian ally, in the Brave New World season.

Redwing's Mechanics in Marvel Snap

Redwing is a 3-cost, 4-power card with a unique ability: The first time it moves, a card from your hand is added to its original location. This ability has some crucial limitations: it's a one-time effect, unaffected by cards like Symbiote Spider-Man or attempts to replay it. Precise card targeting with Redwing proves challenging. Move decks often feature low-power cards (like Iron Fist) that are undesirable targets, while Scream decks typically manipulate opponent's cards rather than their own.

Despite these limitations, budget-friendly move cards like Madame Web or Cloak (accessible to lower Collection Level players) can effectively utilize Redwing. Its potential for surprising victories lies in strategically deploying high-impact cards like Galactus early or drawing powerful cards such as The Infinaut.

Optimal Redwing Decks (Day One)

Ares and Surtur, dominant in the previous season, reappear in a Scream-based deck incorporating Aero, Heimdall, and now, Redwing. While ideal Surtur plays usually occur on turn 3, Redwing integrates surprisingly well. This high-cost deck includes Series 5 cards: Hydra Bob, Scream, Redwing, Surtur, Ares, and Cull Obsidian. Hydra Bob can be substituted with a 1-cost card like Rocket Raccoon or Iceman, but the remaining Series 5 cards are essential. The strategy focuses on turn 3 Surtur deployment, followed by high-power cards to amplify Surtur's power, with Scream providing an alternative win condition. Polaris, Aero, and Magneto facilitate opponent's card manipulation, while Redwing, when moved to Heimdall, boosts Surtur and draws a powerful card.

Another potential Redwing inclusion is in a Madame Web deck. Dagger's nerf has diminished the viability of move-focused decks, leaving Madame Web as a possible synergy. This deck, primarily focused on Doom 2099's Ongoing ability, utilizes Madame Web to reposition cards and Redwing to draw a card on the subsequent turn. However, this represents the only practical way to activate Redwing's ability in this deck.

Is Redwing Worth the Investment?

Currently, Redwing's value is questionable. Its underwhelming power and reliance on a currently weak archetype suggest that saving resources for stronger cards is a wiser approach. A significant buff from Second Dinner would be necessary to justify its inclusion in Spotlight Cache Keys or Collector's Tokens spending.