Two years after it was originally announced, card battler Marvel Snap’s Draft mode is finally here.
The new limited-time game mode launches today, but I got a chance to play it early a few weeks ago thanks to the devs at Second Dinner. And as a long-time player, I couldn’t be more pleased with how the randomized mode has been iterated.
Table of contents
RNG protection
In traditional Marvel Snap, you build a deck and play in a variety of modes. In Draft, you begin with a starter set pack of three cards belonging to a particular archetype (Destroy, Ramp, On Reveal, etc.) and then build from there by selecting one of three choices until you have 10 cards to begin your Draft run. You then play until you get five wins or two losses and collect rewards along the way while further building and upgrading your deck.
After your starter set is chosen, you go through several rounds of choices to build out your deck, and the cards that come within these choices are all within the same sort of build, so there are limits to how RNG things can get. If you pick a Destroy starter, you will end up picking from cards that lean into that archetype.
There’s still a sense of randomness to the card choices you get, along with some abilities they come equipped with, but you choose the cards that go into the deck, and you also choose which cards to upgrade and what to upgrade them with on your journey.
The even playing field makes Draft mode feel inherently more casual and noob-friendly, as players in the mode all draft from the same pool of available cards, so you’re not left in the lurch if you missed out on the latest Series Five overpowered card.
Augments are everything
To further separate Draft from other modes, a key component for individual card buffs and abilities called Augments really makes it stand out. There are also Stat Boosts, which add Power or reduce Energy cost for specific cards, so you never really know what to expect.
After your first match, you choose a new card to add to the deck, and the cards on offer have all been assigned color-coded rarities that dictate when and how they appear in your draft process. But once you’re drafting, the fun begins with Augments. Existing cards in your deck can be augmented with a variety of abilities inspired by cards in the game, which could make for some wild iterations.
These abilities include things like Superstar (always starts in your opening hand), Encore (On Reveal ability repeats), Amplify (Ongoing ability effect applies a second time), and Overload (at the start of each turn, gain +1 energy if you’re winning the location). It shakes things up in every run and adds a level of roguelite variety for each Draft.
Some cards you draft have Augments built in, but others can be selected and chosen throughout your Draft run. In my time playing, I got a four-cost Living Tribunal and a Cassandra Nova with her On Reveal repeating itself, as some examples of how unique things can get.
There might be some times you lose to a ridiculously-rolled card that’s had its cost reduced or has an additional ability on top of an already-good one, but I had fun with the mode for the day I had access to it, and I’m excited to try out more.
Augments feel like a necessary, integral part of the Draft experience, furthering the excitement and randomness in each successive run so no two drafts feel the same. They, combined with the fact that you can have duplicate cards in your deck (a potential game-changer), make for some very fun if not silly interactions that makes the mode worth playing.
Easy access
To play Draft, players need a Draft Ticket, of which everyone will start with 10. You can earn more on the reward track for the mode or spend 100 Gold (around $1) to get another. If you win your Draft run, you get to keep your ticket to go again. There’s also a login event calendar where you can earn more just by playing the game and claiming them, but the mode has a lower barrier of entry than most we’ve seen.
The first iteration of Draft begins today and will run for two weeks until Sept. 7. After that, the devs will build on feedback before bringing it back in the future, like other limited-time modes such as Grand Arena or Team Clash.
For more on Draft, check out my interview with Second Dinner devs here.
