There is a wide diversity of characters in the Marvel universe, ranging from human and intergalactic, to the celestial beings and different entities that surround its entire universe. One of those is Alioth, who is a cloud-like entity most notably known for guarding The Void.
Alioth looks like a purple-colored, huge pile of clouds that has the task of guarding the founder and creator of the Time Variance Authority (TVA), known as Nathaniel Richards or He Who Remains. With this, Alioth can consume all forms of matter and energy from a whole timeline. Somehow, they’ve replicated this effect in Marvel Snap, making Alioth an instant game-changer when played.
Alioth abilities in Marvel Snap, explained
Alioth is a six-cost, five-Power card with the ability that reads “On Reveal: Destroy ALL enemy cards played here this turn. (including unrevealed cards).” Alioth is already a strong card at first glance since it can completely disrupt an opponent’s setup in a single location in an instant.
But when you have the right cards to play around it, you can even bring out Alioth’s potential to the fullest, making his impact in the game more devastating for the opponent.
Once available in the game, Alioth will be released as a series five card, meaning players would have to spend 6,000 tokens to purchase it from the Weekly Spotlight section of the Token Shop. Players can also grab Alioth from the four-card pool of the Spotlight Caches rotation from Sept. 11 to 18.
Strategy and best combos for Alioth decks in Marvel Snap
Alioth has a general effect that makes it a great tech card for almost all decks in Marvel Snap. It could be considered an upgraded Shang-Chi since Alioth can destroy cards regardless of their Power. However, its potential drawback is the requirement that cards Alioth can destroy should be played on the same turn you placed it in a location.
There are some cards, however, that can maximize Alioth’s ability. In terms of controlling your opponent to play cards on a single location, Galactus would be the best partner for Alioth thanks to his ability to destroy the other two locations. Forcing both players to play cards in a single location would mean that it is almost a guaranteed win for the Alioth user.
Lockdown cards such as Storm and Professor X can also force your opponent to play cards in a single location, making the chances of Alioth being able to destroy your opponent’s turn six cards much higher. Also, location fillers such as the duo of Green Goblin and Hobgoblin can take up spaces on your opponent’s locations to force a single-location battle. You can also use those to create less Power on one of your opponent’s locations to potentially pave the way for Galactus.
The best Alioth decks in Marvel Snap
Alioth Galactus
As mentioned, Alioth works very well with Galactus. The aim of this deck is simple: play Galactus on turn four or five, then end the game with the Alioth play. This combo is a true instigator of destruction, as well as a powerful strategy that can help players farm wins on the ladder or in Conquest.
But aside from the Galactus and Alioth win condition, the Nimrod and Destroyer combo is also here as an alternative winning strategy in the late game. Spreading copies of Nimrod through the destruction ability of either Galactus or Destroyer can help build Power on locations. Forge is also there to make Galactus or Nimrod’s Power bigger.
Galactus staples such as Yondu (for bonus card destruction), Wolverine (for added Power and regeneration), Electro and Wave (for allowing you to play high-cost cards as early as turn four), Green Goblin and Hobgoblin (location disruption for the opponent), and Death (high-Power card that can cost less for every card destroyed in the game) are also included in the deck.
Win condition cards for this deck
Aside from Alioth, the win condition cards for this deck are:
- Galactus
- Nimrod
- Destroyer
- Wolverine
- Death
Galactus is the main win condition card for this deck. Playing him on turn four or five is always the most ideal scenario, so be wise about where to play him to keep yourself winning on your desired Galactus location. The Nimrod and Destroyer combo is your backup win condition strategy if you won’t manage to pull off the Galactus play successfully.
Wolverine and Death can be added for more Power in the late game, especially if you are able to do the Galactus combo.
Alioth Lockdown
Another way of using Alioth is in a lockdown deck which focuses on locking down location to secure a potential win, converting the lock as offense for your side. This can then lead to a single-location battle with Alioth, making the situation favorable for your side if that happens (except if cards like Cosmo or Armor are also there).
Professor X and Storm are your lockdown providers for this deck. Juggernaut is a big help too, as he can be used as a follow-up play in the Storm location to move cards that your opponent will play in the same location where they are placed. Nebula is a potential massive Power source thanks to her ability to stack plus-two Power at the end of every turn where your opponent can’t play cards on her location.
Mister Fantastic and Klaw are in this deck to potentially give Power to another location even if they are not placed there. Daredevil can be added for vision on turn five, while Psylocke and Wave can pave the way for a possible turn four Professor X. Cap off the deck with Jeff the Baby Land Shark for its literally unstoppable ability to be played or moved anywhere, and Legion for location manipulation.
Win condition cards for this deck
Aside from Alioth, the win condition cards for this deck are:
- Professor X
- Storm
- Legion
- Mister Fantastic
- Klaw
- Jeff the Baby Land Shark
Professor X and Storm are your primary lockdown cards, so it should always be your priority to play at least one of those in the game. Legion, on the other hand, can instantly change the locations to the location where you play him.
Mister Fantastic and Klaw can be the surprise factors for this deck, as well as Jeff the Baby Land Shark’s unstoppable ability.
How to counter Alioth decks
Alioth has an On Reveal ability that makes Cosmo a threat to it. Cosmo prevents On Reveal abilities from taking effect in the same location as her. So if your opponent managed to play her first before Alioth is revealed, then the destruction effect won’t work.
Cards that benefit from being destroyed are also considered counters for Alioth. This includes Wolverine and X23, who can both regenerate on locations with various bonuses and advantages if they are destroyed by Alioth. Nimrod, on the other hand, can summon copies of himself on the other two locations if he is destroyed, making the Alioth play weaker.
Alioth is also a counter to itself. Assuming that both players played Alioth on the same turn and in the same location, the first Alioth that will be revealed will be the winner, since it can destroy the other Alioth in the process.
Alioth decks’ current state in the meta
Alioth is a vital part of meta decks today. With it being considered a great tech card that can be inserted on almost any deck, Alioth has revamped decks to a whole new level thanks to the destruction capability you can have in the late game.
The deck where Alioth’s usage can be fully utilized is in a Galactus deck. The fact that you can almost secure a win most of the time with the Galactus and Alioth combo makes it a consistent engine that many consider as an overpowered strategy.
