Discard players, rejoice! Khonshu, the God of the Moon, has arrived in *Marvel Snap*, bringing a powerful new tool to discard-centric decks. As one of the most intricate cards released by Second Dinner to date, let's delve into how Khonshu operates and how you can leverage his unique abilities.
How Khonshu Works in *Marvel Snap*
Khonshu is a 6-cost, 5-power card with an ability that reads: "When discarded, returns in its next phase. On Reveal: Resurrect a card you discarded to another location with its Power set to 5."
Khonshu's 'next phase' transforms him into a 6-cost, 8-power card with the ability: "When discarded, returns in its final phase. On Reveal: Resurrect a card you discarded to another location with its Power set to 8."
Finally, Khonshu's 'final phase' becomes a 6-cost, 12-power card with the ability: "On Reveal: Resurrect a card you discarded to another location with its Power set to 12."
Each time Khonshu is discarded, he returns to your hand, upgrading himself and making his On Reveal effect increasingly potent. This mechanic is reminiscent of how Apocalypse functions. The goal with Khonshu is typically to discard him one or two times before playing him on the final turn, resurrecting a card that benefits from a power boost, such as Iron Man or Gorr the God Butcher.
Despite his inability to revive a specific card, playing a 12-power final phase Khonshu on turn 6 to revive a 1-cost, 12-power Meek can often secure victory.
Best Day One Khonshu Decks in *Marvel Snap*
Finding the optimal deck for Khonshu will require significant experimentation, as he may not fit seamlessly into traditional discard decks. I envision him fitting well into a Darkhawk-style Stature list, as well as some alternative discard-type decks. Let's explore the former:
- Korg
- Blade
- Fenris Wolf
- Juggernaut
- Moon Knight
- Lady Sif
- Rock Slide
- Silver Samurai
- Darkhawk
- Black Bolt
- Stature
- Khonshu
[ttpp]
The only Series 5 card in this list is Fenris Wolf, which is crucial as resurrecting an opponent's discarded card from Moon Knight, Silver Samurai, or Black Bolt can often be a win condition.
The strategy with this deck is straightforward: fill your opponent's deck with rocks to boost Darkhawk and discard Khonshu as much as possible. Besides Fenris Wolf, Rock Slide, and Silver Samurai, Moon Knight will always target Khonshu, and Blade will hit him again after he returns to your hand. The key is knowing when to discard and when to hold back—ensuring Moon Knight hits Khonshu and not Rock Slide, for example.
Play Stature as early as possible to set up for Darkhawk on turn 5 and Khonshu on turn 6, reviving a card with 8-12 power. Since all these cards have less than 8 power, Khonshu directly buffs them.
While Khonshu may not fit into traditional discard decks over Apocalypse, there's room for experimentation. His 6-cost nature makes it challenging to run alongside Apocalypse without energy ramp, which can be achieved with Corvus Glaive in the following list:
- Miek
- Scorn
- Blade
- Morbius
- Swarm
- Moon Knight
- Corvus Glaive
- Lady Sif
- Dracula
- MODOK
- Khonshu
- Apocalypse
[ttpp]
The only Series 5 card here is Scorn, which can be replaced with another discard activator like Colleen Wing or X-23 for more energy ramp.
This deck leans towards a traditional discard style but relies heavily on playing Corvus Glaive on turn 3 to enable dropping Khonshu alongside other discard activators, boosting Apocalypse and flooding the board. Whether this outperforms traditional discard lists without Khonshu remains to be seen, but with Moon Knight, Blade, and Lady Sif, you should have no trouble getting Khonshu to his final phase while keeping Apocalypse strong for Dracula to absorb.
Is Khonshu Worth Spotlight Cache Keys or Collector's Tokens?
Regardless of your affinity for discard decks, Khonshu is both powerful and intriguing. He's likely to feature prominently in hybrid discard lists and could become meta-relevant. If you have the resources, it's definitely worth acquiring Khonshu.
