--- canonical_url: https://itsguestgaming.com/articles/scorpion-is-about-to-become-a-top-5-deck-ep-150-marvel-snapcast markdown_url: https://itsguestgaming.com/articles/scorpion-is-about-to-become-a-top-5-deck-ep-150-marvel-snapcast.md page_type: article title: "Scorpion Is About to Become a Top 5 Deck | Ep. 150 Marvel Snapcast" description: "Marvel Snapcast weighs Scorpion Brand New Day’s ceiling, Luke Cage counterplay, Enchantress pressure, and Grand Arena precons." date_published: 2026-07-24 date_modified: 2026-08-23 --- Marvel Snap Article # Scorpion Is About to Become a Top 5 Deck | Ep. 150 Marvel Snapcast Marvel Snapcast weighs Scorpion Brand New Day’s ceiling, Luke Cage counterplay, Enchantress pressure, and Grand Arena precons. [Watch Source Video](https://itsguestgaming.com/articles/scorpion-is-about-to-become-a-top-5-deck-ep-150-marvel-snapcast#source-video)[More Articles](https://itsguestgaming.com/articles) [![Scorpion Is About to Become a Top 5 Deck | Ep. 150 Marvel Snapcast thumbnail](https://i1.ytimg.com/vi/XHR_wq_Hc34/hqdefault.jpg)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHR_wq_Hc34) Original episode ## Watch the original video Scorpion Is About to Become a Top 5 Deck | Ep. 150 Marvel Snapcast is the original source for this page. Watch it for the full discussion and examples from the episode. Source YouTube video Published 2026-07-24 Read time 7 min Format Marvel Snap analysis Transcript Backed by verified transcript Transcript size 11,737 words [Watch source video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHR_wq_Hc34) [Open on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHR_wq_Hc34)[More Articles](https://itsguestgaming.com/articles) Article sections[Luke Cage no longer ends the matchup by himself](https://itsguestgaming.com/articles/scorpion-is-about-to-become-a-top-5-deck-ep-150-marvel-snapcast#article-luke-cage-no-longer-ends-the-matchup-by-himself)[Two Scorpion shells are already taking shape](https://itsguestgaming.com/articles/scorpion-is-about-to-become-a-top-5-deck-ep-150-marvel-snapcast#article-two-scorpion-shells-are-already-taking-shape)[The ceiling is real, and so is Enchantress](https://itsguestgaming.com/articles/scorpion-is-about-to-become-a-top-5-deck-ep-150-marvel-snapcast#article-the-ceiling-is-real-and-so-is-enchantress)[A top deck needs a second plan](https://itsguestgaming.com/articles/scorpion-is-about-to-become-a-top-5-deck-ep-150-marvel-snapcast#article-a-top-deck-needs-a-second-plan)[Spider Showdown kept Luke Cage available](https://itsguestgaming.com/articles/scorpion-is-about-to-become-a-top-5-deck-ep-150-marvel-snapcast#article-spider-showdown-kept-luke-cage-available)[Grand Arena’s precons need a clearer purpose](https://itsguestgaming.com/articles/scorpion-is-about-to-become-a-top-5-deck-ep-150-marvel-snapcast#article-grand-arena-s-precons-need-a-clearer-purpose) [Scorpion Brand New Day](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/scorpion-brand-new-day) can produce the kind of numbers that make players want to build the most outrageous combo possible. Marvel Snapcast’s bigger question is whether that spectacle becomes a durable deck once opponents recognize the setup and start bringing the right interaction. The show is high on [Scorpion](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/scorpion)’s potential, especially after the [Luke Cage](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/luke-cage) change. It also stops short of calling the card solved. Early builds fall into two broad camps, and the flashier camp may be giving opponents a very obvious lane to attack. The version that reaches the top of the ladder may need to keep its combo ceiling while giving itself a plan that does not collapse when the opponent has the answer. ## Luke Cage no longer ends the matchup by himself The discussion starts with Luke Cage because the hosts see his change as central to Scorpion Brand New Day existing at all. One host strongly rejects the idea that Luke Cage was buffed. A lower cost may make Luke Cage easier to include, but it does not replace his former ability to shut down an affliction strategy outright. That distinction matters because Scorpion now has room to matter while Luke Cage is still in the card pool. The argument is not that Luke Cage became weak. He remains a good card against Scorpion, and holding him until the back end of a game can help a player place him after seeing where the important power is likely to land. The dispute is over whether that flexibility compensates for no longer stopping the whole plan on its own. Scorpion makes the loss of that blanket protection much more visible because it targets the full board. A lane-focused affliction card can leave a smaller job for Luke Cage. When Scorpion reaches across every lane, mitigation still matters, but it feels different from turning the strategy off entirely. Both hosts agree the change was good design. The disagreement is about the label. One sees a card that became much worse at its original job despite its lower cost. The other sees a changed role that rewards patience and allocation rather than an automatic early deployment. For Scorpion players, the useful conclusion is simpler: Luke Cage is still relevant, but he is no longer a reason to dismiss the archetype before trying it. ## Two Scorpion shells are already taking shape Marvel Snapcast separates the early Scorpion ideas into a mid-range affliction shell and an all-in combo shell. Neither felt finished after the first day, and that uncertainty is part of the appeal. The card has enough open space that the hosts can see a broad range of outcomes, from a persistent archetype to something much stronger if the right build is discovered. The first route leans on making multiple Scorpions. Ancient One is the clearest example in the conversation, because additional Scorpions make each later affliction effect more punishing. The second route aims to put a major affliction stack onto a single card and then double it. [Diamondback](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/diamondback) is part of that discussion, particularly because the hosts value targeted effects that may reach cards sitting in the back line. Those plans can both produce powerful games, but the recommendation is to commit to a direction rather than cram every payoff into the same shell. Build toward two or three Scorpions, or build toward a large affliction stack that one Scorpion can multiply. The card is not being framed as a small amount of value spread across the board. It is being framed as a finisher that asks the rest of the deck to create a payoff worth doubling. That is why the show is enthusiastic about experimentation without claiming a final list. Players were already trying standard mid-range affliction builds, [Pixie](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/pixie) ideas, and other combinations. The variety is encouraging, yet it does not prove that any one version has found the right balance of setup, output, and resilience. ## The ceiling is real, and so is [Enchantress](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/enchantress) The most extreme Scorpion setups can push the game’s displayed negative totals to a limit. The hosts enjoy the absurdity, but they do not mistake it for proof that the deck is ready for serious play. The practical questions are how easily an all-in Scorpion deck can be disrupted and whether it is still losing games after it gets to combo. Enchantress sits at the center of that disagreement. One host looks at [Moonstone](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/moonstone), [Prodigy](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/prodigy), and Ancient One-style lanes and sees a highly telegraphed target. If Scorpion arrives late and the player has committed the game to a visible ongoing payoff, Enchantress can stop the part that matters. A deck does not have to match the enormous negative total if it can prevent that total from happening. From that perspective, a larger ramp shell that can fit Enchantress may be a strong response to the current combo-heavy experiments. The host also raises Luke Cage as a possible consideration in that kind of approach. This is a read on the field as it stands, not a declaration that every Scorpion deck loses to Enchantress. The pushback is equally important. The loudest combo is not necessarily the version with the best long-term results. A smaller mid-range Scorpion package may not present one decisive lane for Enchantress to hit. It may also be premature to reserve a costly final-turn answer for a card that has not yet proved itself in ladder or tournament play. That tension defines the card. A dedicated Scorpion combo can look like a Living Tribunal-style stack: powerful enough to demand respect, but predictable enough that a well-timed answer can undo the investment. The host advancing the Enchantress case is not arguing Scorpion has no future. The claim is that the current maximalist builds are vulnerable now, and players should punish them until a more flexible version emerges. ## A top deck needs a second plan The more optimistic long-term vision is a Scorpion deck that can change roles based on the matchup. It could invest in the combo when the opponent lacks the right disruption, then play a fairer mid-range game when that disruption is present. The comparison offered on the show is an ongoing deck that can choose between committing to a big lane and taking a more ordinary points plan instead. Scorpion’s cost makes that difficult. A late payoff leaves narrow sequencing windows, so the deck may need setup, cost manipulation, or a shell that can make the card strong without dedicating everything to it. Pixie and [Jocasta](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/jocasta) appear in the discussion as possible ways players have explored that space, but the hosts do not present either as the solved answer. That is the gap between clip-worthy games and a genuine top-five deck. Winning by an absurd margin is fun. Winning by enough, while preserving choices against interaction, is the harder deckbuilding task. The show’s most confident position is that Scorpion is good and that its ceiling is extraordinary. Its final form remains an open question. ## Spider Showdown kept Luke Cage available That uncertainty also influenced the Spider Showdown ban discussion. The hosts say they repeatedly considered banning Luke Cage. After the update that changed him, they removed Luke Cage from the ban list while keeping [Shadow King](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/shadow-king) banned. One host is relieved by that decision after watching strong players explore Scorpion in the opening day. Their concern is not that every Scorpion list is already optimized. It is that the ceiling is high enough for Scorpion to have been a major tournament threat if Luke Cage were unavailable. Expecting players to bring Luke Cage is therefore reasonable, even if the show remains divided on whether Enchantress may be the sharper answer against the overt combo variants. The tournament takeaway is cautious rather than absolute. Respect Scorpion now. Do not treat early experiments as the final deck, and do not assume a single counter settles every version that could emerge. ## Grand Arena’s precons need a clearer purpose Later, the conversation turns to Grand Arena Showdown. The hosts like the basic concept and suggest Grand Arena Anything is probably better than the original version. Their problem is with the built-in decks, especially after creator-made precons gave way to simpler offerings. Simplicity could help a newer player enter a mode that already feels different from normal Marvel Snap. The hosts grant that possibility. Then they question whether the current precons actually accomplish it. [Quinjet](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/quinjet) in a [Thanos](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/thanos) precon becomes the clearest example, followed by recurring packages around cards such as [Onslaught](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/onslaught), Claw, [Iron Man](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/iron-man), [Ms. Marvel](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/ms-marvel), [Cosmo](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/cosmo), and Mr. Fantastic. They also point out that Mr. Fantastic appears in a prebuilt [Captain America](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/captain-america) deck while not being available when making a custom version of that deck. Those choices matter because some players will take the first precon rather than build a deck for the mode themselves. The show’s practical advice for anyone entering Grand Arena is direct: play something ongoing. Scorpion Brand New Day has the raw power to become a serious force, but the best version will need to earn that status through flexibility, not just a huge screenshot. Watch the full Marvel Snapcast discussion: the original episode. Referenced MARVEL SNAP cards ## Cards in this article [![Scorpion Brand New Day card art](https://itsguestgaming.com/assets/snap-reference/card-thumbnails/scorpion-brand-new-day.webp?v=ota-20260921)](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/scorpion-brand-new-day) [Scorpion Brand New Day](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/scorpion-brand-new-day) Cost6Power8SeriesSeries 5 Ongoing: Double the Power reductions on all enemy cards. [![Scorpion card art](https://itsguestgaming.com/assets/snap-reference/card-thumbnails/scorpion.webp)](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/scorpion) [Scorpion](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/scorpion) Cost2Power3SeriesSeries 2 (Collection Level 222-486) On Reveal: Afflict cards in your opponent's hand with -1 Power. [![Luke Cage card art](https://itsguestgaming.com/assets/snap-reference/card-thumbnails/luke-cage.webp?v=ota-20260921)](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/luke-cage) [Luke Cage](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/luke-cage) Cost2Power2SeriesSeries 3 (Collection Level 486+) Ongoing: Your front-row cards can't have their Power reduced. [![Diamondback card art](https://itsguestgaming.com/assets/snap-reference/card-thumbnails/diamondback.webp)](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/diamondback) [Diamondback](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/diamondback) Cost3Power3SeriesSeries 5 Ongoing: Enemy cards here afflicted with negative Power have an additional -2 Power. [![Pixie card art](https://itsguestgaming.com/assets/snap-reference/card-thumbnails/pixie.webp)](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/pixie) [Pixie](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/pixie) Cost2Power3SeriesSeries 4 On Reveal: Shuffle the base Costs of all cards in your deck that started there. [![Enchantress card art](https://itsguestgaming.com/assets/snap-reference/card-thumbnails/enchantress.webp)](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/enchantress) [Enchantress](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/enchantress) Cost5Power8SeriesSeries 1 (Collection Level 18-214) On Reveal: Remove the abilities from all Ongoing cards here. [![Moonstone card art](https://itsguestgaming.com/assets/snap-reference/card-thumbnails/moonstone.webp)](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/moonstone) [Moonstone](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/moonstone) Cost4Power6SeriesSeries 5 Ongoing: Has the Ongoing effects of your 3-Cost or less cards here. [![Prodigy card art](https://itsguestgaming.com/assets/snap-reference/card-thumbnails/prodigy.webp)](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/prodigy) [Prodigy](https://itsguestgaming.com/marvel-snap/cards/prodigy) Cost3Power4SeriesSeries 5 On Reveal: If this is in the back row, copy the text of the card in front of it. Continue reading ## Related MARVEL SNAP articles [![They DIDN'T Nerf Gambit HOD?! Ah...here's why... | Ep. 149 Marvel Snapcast thumbnail](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Fw5RoqOEugo/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://itsguestgaming.com/articles/they-didn-t-nerf-gambit-hod-ah-here-s-why-ep-149-marvel-snapcast) Marvel Snapcast Podcast · 2026-07-17 ### [They DIDN'T Nerf Gambit HOD?! Ah...here's why... | Ep. 149 Marvel Snapcast](https://itsguestgaming.com/articles/they-didn-t-nerf-gambit-hod-ah-here-s-why-ep-149-marvel-snapcast) How the Mother Escani change affects Gambit Horseman of Death and how Luke Cage changes affliction after the current balance update. [![Scorpion Brand New Day Is Worth EVERY Token | Marvel Snap: Good or Garbage thumbnail](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ECW_O60NJc0/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://itsguestgaming.com/articles/scorpion-brand-new-day-is-worth-every-token-marvel-snap-good-or-garbage) Card Reviews · 2026-07-22 ### [Scorpion Brand New Day Is Worth EVERY Token | Marvel Snap: Good or Garbage](https://itsguestgaming.com/articles/scorpion-brand-new-day-is-worth-every-token-marvel-snap-good-or-garbage) Scorpion Brand New Day gives Affliction a powerful payoff, with Ancient One builds and targeted reductions leading the testing. [![Livin' the Meme Dream | Ep. 138 Marvel Snapcast thumbnail](https://i2.ytimg.com/vi/EASVdcoiY3g/hqdefault.jpg)](https://itsguestgaming.com/articles/livin-the-meme-dream-ep-138-marvel-snapcast) Marvel Snapcast Podcast · 2026-04-24T03:00:33-07:00 ### [Livin' the Meme Dream | Ep. 138 Marvel Snapcast](https://itsguestgaming.com/articles/livin-the-meme-dream-ep-138-marvel-snapcast) Grand Arena’s delay, Star-Lord counterplay, meme decks, and Cosmic Ghost Rider plus Sandman in the Doom 2099 build discussed.