What is MARVEL SNAP Draft?
Draft is a Limited Time Game Mode where every player builds a deck from the mode’s available card pool. The mode does not ask whether you own a card in your normal collection. The goal is to make a functioning deck from the offers you receive, then make it stronger after each match.
Every battle still uses the familiar six-turn, three-location MARVEL SNAP rules. You win by controlling two locations at the end. The difference is that the 10-to-12-card deck can contain duplicate cards, cards with altered stats, and cards carrying Draft-only Augments.
How a Draft run starts
A run begins with three starter groups. Each group is built around an archetype such as Destroy, Move, or Ongoing. Pick one group, then choose one card from each three-card offer until the deck reaches 10 cards. That is when the first match begins.
The starter group is a direction, not a promise that every later choice fits perfectly. It gives the run a reliable first shape; later offers decide whether you deepen that shape or take a flexible card that keeps the deck from becoming too narrow.
What happens during the run?
After every match, win or lose, Draft gives you an upgrade opportunity. Before the deck reaches 12 cards, an upgrade can add another card. At the cap, Augments become the main way the run changes.
Draft also has one Respawn Token use per run. A Respawn Token gives the run another life after two losses. It is a decision to preserve a run that still has a realistic route to five wins, not a reason to protect a pile of picks with no coherent plan.
What makes Draft different from Ranked and Conquest?
Ranked and Conquest ask you to bring a complete 12-card deck, then prove it against the field. Draft asks you to make that deck under pressure. Card evaluation still matters, but the right pick depends on the cards already taken, the curve you need, the offers that may follow, and what an Augment can turn into a win condition.
Augments add an additional effect to a card. Stat boosts change Cost or Power. Quickdraw effects are active on the first turn after a card is drawn. All three can make a normal card behave in a way it never would in standard play.
Who should play Draft?
New players can use Draft to learn archetypes without needing a complete collection. Returning players can bring back instincts about locations, priority, and turn-six swings while learning a new deck-building layer. Current players get a limited format where familiar cards need a different evaluation.
The mode rewards a clear plan more than card rarity. A card that supports the rest of a run is often better than a premium-looking option that creates a second, unrelated plan.
Your first-run checklist
- Choose a starter group with a play pattern you can explain in one sentence.
- Use early picks to finish the starter group’s basic jobs: setup, payoff, curve, and a way to win two locations.
- Do not take every high-rarity card. Ask what it does for the 10-card deck you are building now.
- After a loss, identify whether the deck lacked Power, access, flexibility, or a plan for locations. Make the next upgrade address that problem.
- Save the Respawn Token for a run that has a real win condition and still has time to reach five wins.
MARVEL SNAP Draft FAQ
Do you need cards in your collection to play Draft?
No. The official Draft blog says players draft from the mode’s available cards regardless of collection.
Can a Draft deck have duplicate cards?
Yes. Draft can offer duplicates. A deck should still have a purpose for every copy, because duplicates can improve consistency or make a deck less flexible depending on the card.
How are ties handled in Draft?
A tie counts as a loss for the run and costs a life. For post-game rewards, the FAQ says a tie counts as a win.
How long does a run take?
The mode was designed around a run that can finish in roughly half an hour, and a run can be resumed. Actual time depends on matches, upgrades, and whether the run reaches five wins.
