Discard players, rejoice! Khonshu, the God of the Moon, has made his grand entrance into *Marvel Snap*, bringing a powerful new tool for discard-centric decks. This card, introduced by Second Dinner, is among the most complex released so far, so let's dive deep into how Khonshu functions in the game.
How Khonshu Works in Marvel Snap
Khonshu is a 6-cost card with an initial power of 5 and a unique ability: "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’ transforms it into a 6-cost, 8-power card with the ability: "When discarded, returns in its final phase. On Reveal: Resurrect a card you discarded to another location with its Power set to 8."
Khonshu’s ‘final phase’ becomes a 6-cost, 12-power card with the ability: "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. This mechanic is reminiscent of Apocalypse, as players aim to discard Khonshu one or two times before playing him on the final turn. The goal is to resurrect a card that benefits from a power boost, such as Iron Man or Gorr the God Butcher.
While Khonshu can't revive a specific card, playing a 12-power final phase Khonshu on turn 6 to bring back a 1-cost card like Meek at 12 power can often secure a victory.
Best Day One Khonshu Decks in Marvel Snap
Finding the optimal deck for Khonshu will require experimentation, as he might not fit seamlessly into traditional discard decks. I envision him working well in a Darkhawk-style Stature deck, along with some alternative discard strategies. Here’s an example of the former:
- Korg
- Blade
- Fenris Wolf
- Juggernaut
- Moon Knight
- Lady Sif
- Rock Slide
- Silver Samurai
- Darkhawk
- Black Bolt
- Stature
- Khonshu
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This deck includes only one Series 5 card, Fenris Wolf, which is crucial as resurrecting an opponent’s discarded card via Moon Knight, Silver Samurai, or Black Bolt can often be a game-winning move.
The strategy here is to fill your opponent’s deck with rocks to boost Darkhawk and discard Khonshu as frequently as possible. Key cards like Moon Knight and Blade will consistently hit Khonshu. Timing is essential; you want Moon Knight to target Khonshu, not Rock Slide.
Play Stature early to set up for a turn 5 Darkhawk and a turn 6 Khonshu, which can then revive a card with 8 to 12 power. Since all these cards have less than 8 power, Khonshu directly buffs them.
While Khonshu may not replace Apocalypse in traditional discard decks, there's room for experimentation. Combining Khonshu with Apocalypse is challenging due to their 6-cost nature, but energy ramp cards like Corvus Glaive can help. Here's an alternative list:
- Miek
- Scorn
- Blade
- Morbius
- Swarm
- Moon Knight
- Corvus Glaive
- Lady Sif
- Dracula
- MODOK
- Khonshu
- Apocalypse
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This deck features Scorn as the only Series 5 card, which can be swapped for other discard activators like Colleen Wing or X-23 for more energy ramp.
The strategy focuses on playing Corvus Glaive on turn 3 to enable dropping Khonshu alongside other discard activators, boosting Apocalypse and flooding the board. Whether this approach can outperform traditional discard lists without Khonshu is yet to be seen, but with Moon Knight, Blade, and Lady Sif, getting Khonshu to his final phase while maintaining Apocalypse's strength for Dracula should be achievable.
Is Khonshu Worth Spotlight Cache Keys or Collector’s Tokens?
Regardless of your preference for discard decks, Khonshu is both powerful and intriguing. He's likely to feature prominently in hybrid discard lists and could become meta-relevant. If you have the resources, Khonshu is definitely worth acquiring.
