Best Thaddeus Thunderbolt Ross Decks in Marvel Snap

Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross joins the Marvel Snap roster, portrayed by Harrison Ford in Captain America: Brave New World. While his casting suggests significant impact, let's analyze his in-game potential.

Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross: Card Mechanics

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, hinges on card draw – a powerful element in Marvel Snap.

However, the restriction to 10+ power cards significantly limits Ross's utility. Currently, this includes cards like 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 a few, if any, of these high-cost cards. Therefore, Ross's effectiveness is directly tied to deck composition. Deck thinning becomes a key strategic advantage if you incorporate multiple high-power cards.

Red Guardian serves as a direct counter to Ross's ability.

Optimal Deck Synergies

Ross synergizes best with Surtur decks. A sample Surtur deck includes: Zabu, Hydra Bob, Ross, Armor, Cosmo, Juggernaut, Surtur, Ares, Attuma, Crossbones, Cull Obsidian, and Skaar. Note that this deck features several Series 5 cards (Hydra Bob, Surtur, Ares, Cull Obsidian, Skaar), potentially requiring substitutions with cards like Iceman, Nico Minoru, or Spider-Ham for Hydra Bob, and Aero for Cull Obsidian.

The strategy centers on playing Surtur on turn 3, followed by high-power cards to boost Surtur's power to 10, making Skaar free to play. Juggernaut, Cosmo, and Armor provide crucial end-game control. Ross significantly enhances this deck's consistency by drawing high-cost cards like Skaar, often securing victory.

A Hela deck incorporating Ross also shows promise: Black Knight, Blade, Ross, Lady Sif, Ghost Rider, War Machine, Hell Cow, Black Cat, Aero, Hela, The Infinaut, and Death. Series 5 cards (Black Knight, War Machine) might need replacing with Ares or Swordmaster. The strategy revolves around discarding high-power cards of varying costs to be revived by Hela on the final turn. Ross ensures consistent drawing of these high-power cards for discarding.

Value Assessment

Currently, unless you're a dedicated Surtur/Ares player, Ross isn't a high-priority acquisition if resources are limited. His value will increase as more 10+ power cards are added to the game. However, his limited synergy with many decks, coupled with the current meta's dominance by Wiccan decks (where opponents rarely leave unspent energy), currently restricts his overall impact.