Best Sebastian Shaw Decks in Marvel Snap

December’s Marvel Snap Season Pass card gives players the markedly non-Christmassy Sebastian Shaw, and so we’re breaking down how he works, the best decks featuring him, how to counter the card, and if he’s worth buying the Season Pass for this month.

How Sebastian Shaw Works in Marvel Snap

A 3-Cost, 4-Power card, Sebastian Shaw has an ability that reads: “When this card permanently gains Power, gain +2 more Power. (wherever this is).”

Best Sebastian Shaw Decks in Marvel Snap

First and foremost, temporary or Ongoing effects like, for example, Blue Marvel’s do not buff up Sebastian Shaw. However, there are a ton of other cards and location effects that can give him more Power. To name a few: Nova, Elsa Bloodstone, Forge, Hulk Buster, Shuri, and – most importantly – Silver Surfer. Yes, at 3-Cost Sebastian Shaw may be the card that brings Silver Surfer back into the meta after it fell off a few seasons back.

With that in mind, here’s the best Sebastian Shaw deck you’re likely to see in the Marvel Snap meta early in the Hellfire Gala season:

• Forge
• Nova
• Goose
• Brood
• Rogue
• Silver Surfer
• Mobius M. Mobius
• Sebastian Shaw
• Hulkbuster
• Spider-Man
• Maximus (or Gladiator)
• Sera

If you’ve played Marvel Snap for a while, you’re well aware how to pilot this deck: put down Nova on turn 1, Goose on turn 2 to limit where your opponent can play, a high-stated 3-Cost card like Spider-Man or Brood, Forge into Sebastian Shaw on turn 4, Sera on turn 5, and then drop two more 3-Cost cards (you can add in Killmonger to kill Nova, depending on your strategy) and finally Silver Surfer to increase the power of your entire board. With this ideal play line, Sebastian Shaw will grow to a staggering 17-Power. Yes, that will likely win you a lane and makes for one of the best Sebastian Shaw decks in Marvel Snap.

The great thing about this deck is you can swap out cards such as Rogue to counteract the meta. Want to stop Shuri decks? Swap in Cosmo. Werewolf by Night a problem? Well, you can take out Goose and throw in Shadow King. It’s incredibly flexible and, with the sheer power Sebastian Shaw provides, entirely likely that this deck will rise to the top.

In terms of other best decks for the card in Marvel Snap, Sebastian Shaw also slots into the Destroy archetype incredibly well, as they typically run a few cards that increase stats for the sake of Deadpool: Forge, Nova, and Hulkbuster. Time will tell if Sebastian Shaw will truly find a home in Destroy, but pre-release fans of the playstyle are excited for his release. Here’s a list:

• Deadpool
• Forge
• Nova
• X-23
• Carnage
• Hulkbuster
• Killmonger
• Sebastian Shaw
• Venom
• Arnim Zola
• Knull
• Death

Three 6-Cost cards at the top might seem like a little bit much, but consider that Death will typically be greatly discounted by the end of the game, and you have X-23’s energy buff to ramp into them on the final turns. Here, Sebastian Shaw provides another win condition. If you don’t have the Deadpool line immediately available: drop him into a lane with Hulkbuster, power him up with Forge, give him and the rest of your cards a buff with Forge, and so on. You can even Arnim Zola him on the final turn for a surprise win or two.

Sebastian Shaw Counters in Marvel Snap

Unlike Werewolf by Night, Sebastian Shaw is much easier to hit with Shang-Chi and Shadow King. If you don’t plan on playing the latest Season Pass card, consider slotting either of those into one of your tech slots that you’re likely using to counter the onslaught of Ongoing cards in the meta right now thanks to Ms. Marvel’s release. Otherwise, be wary if your opponent snaps early in the game while playing cards such as Forge.

Related: I Finally Hit Infinite in Marvel Snap, and All That Effort Wasn’t Worth It

Who Is Sebastian Shaw?

Who is Sebastian Shaw, you ask? Created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne, Shaw debuted in Uncanny X-Men #129 in 1980. As the leader of the secretive Hellfire Club, he’s a supervillain that attempts to control the world from the shadows. He’s also a powerful mutant that can absorb the energy to greatly power himself up, making him a threat to primarily the X-Men. His Marvel Snap card reflects this, and like recent Season Pass cards, his ability threatens to shift the meta in his image.

Is Sebastian Shaw Worth Buying the Season Pass For?

Sebastian Shaw is absolutely worth buying a Season Pass for in Marvel Snap, because the best decks featuring him are super powerful. Shaw is the type of card that can slot into more decks than you’d think and will only get more powerful over time. Second Dinner has done a great job at making Season Pass cards impactful without defining metas like they did in the past with the original Zabu and Silver Surfer cards. While this may be a hot take, Sebastian Shaw has the potential to become a problem that Second Dinner may nerf later; however, I would still expect him to be a powerful card if they did so. Plus, you’ll get extra gold and credits along with the rest of the Season Pass goodies.