Psylocke Fractured Frontier gave my Virus deck another way to cut costs. Doctor Octopus Fractured Frontier gave Surfer a different route into Galactus. And Shou-Lao gave a Wong deck another finish when the opponent thought they knew what was coming.
Those were my three picks in the August 8, 2026 episode. This is the original pre-OTA deck review, with the lists from that video's description. The card interactions and my judgments below belong to that recording's balance state.
Fractured Virusesuses: Virus with a Fractured Frontier twist
Original list: King Eitri, Techno-Organic Virus, Tarantula, Scarlet Witch, Shadowlands Daredevil, Psylocke Fractured Frontier, Starbrand, Thanos Fractured Frontier, Wilson Fisk, Sasquatch, Skaar, Monstro Octopus.
Open the original Fractured Virusesuses list.
I started with a familiar Virus shell and added two Fractured Frontier cards. Psylocke Fractured Frontier was the interesting part of the cost plan. In the recording, I counted five targets for her reductions and compared that saving with what Quinjet normally did for repeated Virus plays. Psylocke could produce the saving together while putting more power on the board.
The curve mattered, too. I could play her on turn three or alongside the Demon from Shadowlands Daredevil on turn four. That gave the deck a way to keep developing instead of spending a turn only preparing a later play.
I liked how difficult the finish was to read. King Eitri, Tarantula, Shadowlands Daredevil and Starbrand could suggest one route, then the deck could keep ramping or move into Thanos Fractured Frontier. Scarlet Witch supplied location control, and the larger cards meant I had plenty of power available beyond a single Thanos finish.
One line I highlighted was putting Sasquatch or Wilson Fisk into a lane alone before playing Thanos Fractured Frontier. In that August version, the resulting power also helped the Skaar and Monstro Octopus plan. I called the deck fun and worth trying because the familiar pieces and the new cards were working together.
Watch the Virus breakdown from 0:30.
Mother Who: Surfer with a Galactus route
Original list: Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Surge, Doctor Octopus Fractured Frontier, Grandmaster, Brood, Captain Carter, Maverick, Silver Surfer, Hope Summers, Prodigy, Stick, Galactus.
Open the original Mother Who list.
Doctor Octopus Fractured Frontier took the place I had been using for Mother Askani. I was enjoying the extra power and the uncertainty his cycling added. Galactus made that more interesting: letting him sit in hand and using Doctor Octopus later was a line I discussed for adding another three power to him.
The other interaction I wanted people to notice was Doctor Octopus with Surge. Surge could prepare an empowered card, and Doctor Octopus could cycle cards while preserving access to that cheaper play later. My interest was in having more control over what was coming through the deck and when I could use it.
That sat alongside the existing Surfer development. Brood, Captain Carter, Maverick and Silver Surfer were still there; adding Galactus gave the list another ending. I had removed Storm Horseman of Famine after a point KM Best made on the podcast, and I said in the video that I thought the change was a good call.
I wasn't claiming every hand should become a Galactus hand. The attraction was having those different lines available inside a Surfer deck. Surge and Doctor Octopus Fractured Frontier were the additions I thought helped that version stay surprisingly good.
Shou-Laura Farming: another finish behind Wong
Original list: Wasp, Quicksilver, Awesome Andy, H.E.R.B.I.E., Hawkeye Kate Bishop, Sam Wilson Captain America, Venus, Psylocke Fractured Frontier, Wong, Shou-Lao the Undying, Thanos Fractured Frontier, Aurora.
Open the original Shou-Laura Farming list.
I arrived at this list while experimenting with Wong and Thanos Fractured Frontier and looking for ways to play multiple cards in a turn. Hawkeye Kate Bishop was a card I particularly liked drawing in that setup.
The opening could resemble a Wiccan deck. Then Wong could suggest the familiar Thanos route. Shou-Lao the Undying gave me another direction: with Venus already down, Wasp and Shou-Lao could create a large power turn without needing to push every possible trigger.
Psylocke Fractured Frontier was another way to make the later turn fit. In the recording, I discussed giving her reduction more time so a four-cost payoff could be paired with a two-cost card such as Sam Wilson Captain America. Aurora on Wong was another line I liked.
Wasp had a specific job here. I included her for Shou-Lao, and she didn't need an Aurora buff to justify the slot. I also discussed using her position to protect Venus from the Cosmic Ghost Rider pressure I was seeing at the time. That little card helped the other pieces work.
Watch Shou-Laura Farming from 6:22. For more deck explanations, browse the MARVEL SNAP deck guides; the best-decks hub collects the site's broader deck coverage.
