Discard players, rejoice! Khonshu, the God of the Moon, has made his grand entrance into *Marvel Snap*, bringing an exciting new dynamic to discard-centric decks. Known for its complexity, Khonshu is one of the most intriguing cards released by Second Dinner to date. Let's delve deeper into how Khonshu operates and how you can leverage his power to your advantage.
How Khonshu Works in *Marvel Snap*
Khonshu is a 6-cost, 5-power card with an ability that reads: "When discarded, returns in its next phase. On Reveal: Resurrect a card you discarded to another location with its Power set to 5."
Khonshu's 'next phase' evolves into a 6-cost, 8-power card with an ability that reads: "When discarded, returns in its final phase. On Reveal: Resurrect a card you discarded to another location with its Power set to 8."
Finally, Khonshu's 'final phase' transforms into a 6-cost, 12-power card with an ability that reads: "On Reveal: Resurrect a card you discarded to another location with its Power set to 12."
Each time Khonshu is discarded, he returns to your hand and upgrades, enhancing his On Reveal effect significantly. This mechanic mirrors the functionality of Apocalypse, making Khonshu a strategic asset in discard decks.
The ideal strategy with Khonshu involves discarding him once or twice before playing him on the final turn, resurrecting a card that benefits from a power boost, such as Iron Man or Gorr the God Butcher. While Khonshu's inability to revive a specific card poses a limitation, deploying a 12-power final phase Khonshu on turn 6 to bring back a 1-cost, 12-power Meek can often secure victory.
Best Day One Khonshu Decks in *Marvel Snap*
Experimentation will be key to discovering the best deck for Khonshu, as he doesn't fit seamlessly into traditional discard strategies. Initially, I envision him fitting well into a Darkhawk-style Stature deck, along with alternative discard-type decks. Here's a look at the former:
- Korg
- Blade
- Fenris Wolf
- Juggernaut
- Moon Knight
- Lady Sif
- Rock Slide
- Silver Samurai
- Darkhawk
- Black Bolt
- Stature
- Khonshu
[ttpp]
This deck contains only one Series 5 card, Fenris Wolf, which is crucial as resurrecting an opponent’s discarded card using Moon Knight, Silver Samurai, or Black Bolt can often be a winning move.
The strategy with this deck is to fill your opponent's deck with rocks to power up Darkhawk and discard Khonshu as frequently as possible. Cards like Moon Knight, Blade, and Lady Sif help in targeting Khonshu effectively. Timing is crucial; you'll want to discard Khonshu at the right moment to maximize his upgrades without prematurely discarding other key cards like Rock Slide.
The goal is to play Stature early, followed by Darkhawk on turn 5, and Khonshu on turn 6 to revive a card with 8 to 12 power. Since all these cards have less than 8 power, Khonshu directly enhances them.
While Khonshu may not fit into traditional discard decks over Apocalypse, there is ample room for experimentation. His 6-cost nature makes it challenging to pair him with Apocalypse without energy ramp, which can be achieved with cards like Corvus Glaive in the following list:
- Miek
- Scorn
- Blade
- Morbius
- Swarm
- Moon Knight
- Corvus Glaive
- Lady Sif
- Dracula
- MODOK
- Khonshu
- Apocalypse
[ttpp]
This deck's only Series 5 card is Scorn, which can be substituted with another discard activator like Colleen Wing or X-23 for additional energy ramp.
This deck operates as a traditional discard list but hinges on playing Corvus Glaive on turn 3 to enable the deployment of Khonshu alongside other discard activators. This strategy aims to enhance Apocalypse and flood the board. Whether this approach will outperform traditional discard lists without Khonshu is yet to be determined, but with Moon Knight, Blade, and Lady Sif, getting Khonshu to his final phase should be manageable while keeping Apocalypse strong for Dracula to absorb.
Is Khonshu Worth Spotlight Cache Keys or Collector’s Tokens?
Regardless of your preference for discard decks, Khonshu is a card that combines power with intriguing mechanics. He is poised to become a key player in hybrid discard lists and may well become meta-relevant. If you have the resources, investing in Khonshu is a worthwhile decision, as his potential to shake up the meta is significant.
