High Voltage: Overdrive Strategy Guide Mar '26

HV:O is Back from March 23-30

Marvel Snap’s goofiest mode is back from March 23-30. I’ll give you all the tips, decks, best cards, high-flying combos, and tips you need to maximize your High Voltage: Overdrive experience and grab the keystone of the new rocks archetype for free!

If you're interested in the economy of the event, don't miss Lauren's guide!

High Voltage: Overdrive Economy Guide - Mar ’26

Everything you need to know about using your resources in the High Voltage: Overdrive economy.

Fourth LocationLaurenWhatevs

Refresher Course

At the start of the game, you and your opponent will each have eight random cards shuffled into your decks that will be marked as "Charged." Each Charged card gets -1 Cost and +1 Power. Unlike regular High: Voltage, Overdrive is 4 turns (sorry Ebony Maw), the extra Energy ranges from 2-4 each turn (trimmed down from 2-5 in regular HV, sorry Sera), and there is an array of Overdrive effects that will go off if you and your opponent have played 5 total charged cards between you. Here are the Overdrive effects (this list has changed, but there's been no official announcement, we're working on updating it):

Scaling Effects (they get bigger if they go off on later turns):

• Give each charged card +1/+2/+3/+4 power (no matter where they are)
• Add 1/2/3 Chimichangas to each player's side of each location (this effect may have been removed, but we've received no official confirmation).
• Move 2/4/6 (total) cards one location to the left
• Transform charged cards in play into ones that cost 0/1/2/3 more
• Destroy the 1/2/3/4 lowest powered cards for each player(on ties, choose one at random)
• Repeat 1/2/3/4 random 'On Reveals' for each player
• Each player draws 2/3/4 cards. Their costs all become 3.

Non-Scaling (can only happen on turn 4):

• Destroy the two locations with the lowest powers. (if there is a tie, leave one at random)
• The winner of this game gets twice as many volts.
• Each player adds a Blob to a random location. (if able)

Keys to the Mode

• 3 and 4-Cost cards take on added importance since you can often play them on the first turn.
• 1-Cost cards are less important and have a far smaller meta share than on ladder.
• Randomness is integral to the mode. You can't control everything and it's a very unpredictable game mode.
• Keep track of how many Charged cards have been played to try to predict and leverage the chaotic Overdrive effects better than your opponent.
• Because of the Blob and single location Overdrive effects, big cards with raw Power are critical to winning.
• Missions are more important than wins. Have a solid go-to deck, but also prepare a deck or two that can specifically complete the Energy and Cost-related missions.

Newcomers

We didn't have these cards last time, but expect to see these A LOT this time around. In particular, Foom and Gambit are going to be ubiquitous. Surely they'll ban Horseman Gambit soon, right?

Best Cards

Here are some of the cards that are either especially powerful or especially fun in this game mode. Look, if you're not going to play Cobra in HV:O, you're never going to play him. Cards like Juggernaut and Cannonball have outsized impact in games with so few turns. Sersi is my personal favorite HV:O card and transforming cards that have already been transformed can lead to major Power output.

Banned Cards List

They haven't added any new bans, but I hope they get Kang and Mysterio off the ban list and Horseman Gambit on for next time.

Scott's HV:O Decks

My Favorite

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Sersi is so fun. So it transforming Doombots into 7s!

Play 5-Costs

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This is the most fun way to play a ton of 5-Costs. Sera will occasionally let you sneak in an extra one. Valkyrie can take care of a lot of what you might face in this mode.

Play 6-Costs

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Mr. Negative can let us play a bunch of 6-Costs for free! Plus, we can make some pretty hefty Knulls with this deck.

Spend energy

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Spend Energy, make Giant Man-Spiders, repeat.

Final Thoughts

High Voltage is all about crazy unpredictability. Embrace the chaos and take advantage of the mode to play some chaotic cards like Sersi or Strange Supreme. You'll have a lot more fun if you open yourself up to unpredictable power spikes on the last turn, when you don't know if they'll win you the game or lose it. I do wonder if the new Gambit will be subject to an emergency ban, but until then, just play big cards so he can't do as much damage.

For supporters, I've included 6 more fun HV:O decks below the paywall. If you love HV:O or what we do here at Fourth Location, consider joining today!