What do to with Selene, Horseman of Famine
We're getting a second card for one of Marvel's most dramatic and powerful Mutants, Selene. Here's everything I'm excited to try with the new Selene, Horseman of Famine!
A 4/14?
Selene provides 4 Power on her own body, takes 5 away from an opposing card, and adds that 5 to herself. In essence, she's 14 Power for 4 Energy, which is a great Cost/Power ratio. It's hard to copy or multiply her effect, though, which modern Marvel Snap is all about.
Famine Pathways
So we just need to get 3 cards with no abilities into play. Unlike Gambit, these explicitly don't need to be played from your hand, which gives Selene a lot more paths to fulfill her Objective.
Rocks
The first place your mind may go is to rocks thanks to the new Rock archetype with Ozymandias at its center. Rhino and Debrii are incredibly easy ways to get cards without abilities on board. I'm not convinced Selene enhances the rocks deck, but I'm definitely going to try it, and there will definitely be decks with Debrii and Selene (plus En Sabah Nur) – it's just too easy.
Sandy Selene
Vanillas
We can just add the cards in the game with no abilities directly into our deck. This might make sense in a Patriot deck, but I'm also excited to chuck a Wasp and a couple other ways to generate cards without abilities and get a free 4/14. Is a 6/14 Hulk worth it as one of your 3 cards on the way to a 4/14?
Cobble Selene
Generated Cards
The only card the generates a no-ability card to hand is the Hood, but there are quite a few ways to get extra Demons, like Misery and Moon Girl. Demon is one of the primary non-rock strategies I'm looking forward to trying with Horseman Selene.
Handy Selene
Generated Tokens
The obvious choices are Brood and Sinister clones, but there are some spicy combos in here. Sometimes it's a stretch to get to three no ability cards with these, so there are some hoops to jump through. Two would have been far too easy, so I think the devs settled on the correct number with three. You could also try to do something crazy with Winter Soldier, who didn't quite make the graphic.
Hungry Wong
Remove Abilities
Remember, you don't have to play a card that doesn't have an ability, you just need to have three cards without abilities on board. This includes cards that have had their abilities removed. You won't have to worry about Cosmic Ghost Rider or Spider-Ham as much if you're playing a Selene deck – the may give you an occasional boost towards your Objective. But we can also remove our own abilities with Sauron, Zero, and Enchantress. Is it finally Ghost time?! Probably not, but this angle is one of the more overlooked synergies with Selene and one that I'm especially looking forward to exploring.
Self Hit Selene
Is She Worth It?
Some cards rise in my estimation when I go through the process of theory-crafting and actually building out decks and considering play lines. I was surprised by how many different angles I found with Selene and how much stuff I wanted to try. I am less excited for her in the sign-posted Rocks deck, but the decks where you have access to around 4 possible created cards (giving a little buffer) were the ones that got my blood pumping the most. At the end of the day, though, she is just a simple 4/14 that is difficult to further leverage. I think Selene is a fun and interesting card, but the modern combo-centric world of Marvel Snap might be an unwelcoming environment for this card. A year ago, I would have been absolutely in love with this card. Still, I'm quite excited to explore all of the under-the-radar ways to fulfill Selene's Objective.
Below the paywall supporters will find five more fun Selene decks with clever Objective fulfillment. If you are a big fan of the ancient mutant diva or if you're just a fan of what Lauren and I do here are Fourth Location, consider subscribing! Also, check out our YouTube channel and join our Discord!
