In Marvel Snap's waning Marvel Rivals season (a carryover from October's We Are Venom), a free card, Lasher, is obtainable via the returning High Voltage game mode. But is this symbiote worth the effort?
Lasher's Mechanics in Marvel Snap
Lasher is a 2-power, 2-cost card with the ability: Activate: Afflict an enemy card here with negative Power equal to this card’s Power.
Essentially, Lasher inflicts -2 power on an opponent's card unless boosted. Given Marvel Snap's numerous buff options, Lasher offers more potential than free cards like Agony and King Etri.
For example, Namora can transform Lasher into a 7-power card, or even a 12-power card with Wong or Odin, effectively creating a 14 or 24-power play. He synergizes particularly well with the season pass card, Galacta.
Remember, as an Activate card, playing Lasher by turn 5 maximizes his impact.
Optimal Lasher Decks in Marvel Snap
While Lasher's meta position is still developing, he fits well within buff-heavy decks, such as Silver Surfer decks. These decks often lack two-cost slots, but Lasher's late-game activation provides significant power swings. Here's an example deck:
Nova, Forge, Lasher, Okoye, Brood, Silver Surfer, Killmonger, Nakia, Red Guardian, Sebastian Shaw, Copycat, Galacta: Daughter of Galactus (Copy this list from Untapped)
This deck features expensive Series 5 cards (Red Guardian, Sebastian Shaw, Copycat, and Galacta, excluding the season pass). However, most (except Galacta) can be substituted with other strong 3-cost cards like Juggernaut or Polaris.
Lasher serves as a third target for Forge, ideally saved for Brood or Sebastian Shaw. After playing Galacta on turn 4, buff options often dwindle, making Lasher a valuable addition. With Galacta's buff, a 2-cost, 5-power Lasher inflicting -5 power becomes effectively a 10-power card, requiring no extra energy on the final turn.
This Silver Surfer deck is adaptable; consider excluding cards like Absorbing Man, Gwenpool, and Sera.
Lasher's best fit appears to be in current meta decks with strong hand and board buffs. While he might find a niche in affliction decks without buffs, experimentation with Namora as the primary buff card shows promise.
Another example deck (though very expensive):
Agony, Zabu, Lasher, Psylocke, Hulk Buster, Jeff!, Captain Marvel, Scarlet Spider, Galacta: Daughter of Galactus, Gwenpool, Symbiote Spider-Man, Namora (Copy this list from Untapped)
This deck heavily relies on several necessary Series 5 cards (Scarlet Spider, Galacta, Gwenpool, Symbiote Spider-Man, and Namora). Jeff! can be replaced by Nightcrawler.
With these cards, the deck aims to utilize Galacta, Gwenpool, and Namora to buff Lasher and Scarlet Spider, spreading power across the board. Zabu and Psylocke facilitate early deployment of 4-cost cards, while Symbiote Spider-Man reactivates Namora. Jeff! and Hulk Buster offer backup.
Is Lasher Worth the High Voltage Grind?
Given Marvel Snap's increasing cost, Lasher is worthwhile if you have the time to grind High Voltage. It offers numerous rewards before obtaining Lasher. He might not become a meta mainstay, but like Agony, he'll likely see play in several relevant decks.