Everything you need to know about Marvel SNAP’s new Collector’s Tokens — plus the cards you should buy right now

Marvel SNAP has a new currency: Collector’s Tokens, which will help you collect the cards you want rather than relying on RNG. From the earliest days of SNAP, players wanted a system to let them earn specific cards, similar to the crafting systems in games like Hearthstone. Second Dinner’s answer to this problem are Collector’s Tokens, which can be used to buy cards from the new Token Shop.

Let’s dive deep into what Collector’s Tokens are, how you get them and how you should best spend them.

How RNG and card series caused card collection headaches

SNAP divides the cards into series, which players usually refer to as “pools.” You have to collect every card in Series 1 before you can collect cards in Series 2, and likewise for Series 3. And that’s where the system’s flaws really start to show, because Series 3 has a ton of cards, leading to a frustrating grind as players worked their way through Series 3, never quite getting the card they wanted.

Now, players can earn Collector’s Tokens which they can use to buy specific cards in the Token Shop, with the price based on the card’s Series. With players having more agency over their collection, you should be able to build the deck you want sooner. There’s still a potentially frustrating RNG element in waiting for the card you want to appear in the Token Shop, but as you get more and more cards, your odds of seeing the card you want should improve.

With the release of the Token Shop, SNAP has released two new series: Series 4 and Series 5. Unlike previous Series, you don’t have to own all the Series 3 before you can start collecting Series 4 or Series 5, which should make these new cards easier to collect. Series 4 and Series 5 cards can be rewards from Collector’s Reserve, but they are far rarer than Series 3 cards.

What are Collector’s Tokens and how can I spend them?

Collector’s Tokens are a new currency that you start earning at Collection Level 500 as you progress through the Collection Level reward track. Their only purpose is to let you buy cards in the Token Shop, which will offer you a single card you don’t have. If you don’t have all the Series 3 cards, the Token Shop will offer you a Series 3 card you don’t own. If you have all the Series 3 cards, the Token Shop will offer you a Series 4 or Series 5 card.

If you don’t like the card on offer, a new card will rotate in every eight hours. And if you want the current card but can’t afford it, you can pin it so it sticks around until you have enough Collector’s Tokens to buy it.

How do you get Collector’s Tokens?

Once you reach Collection Level 500, you’ll receive 3000 Tokens, which is enough to buy three Series 3 cards right away. If you were above Collection Level 500 when the Token Shop opened, you’ll receive your gift of 3000 plus additional Tokens depending on how high your Collection Level is. From level 500 and up, Collector’s Tokens can be found in Collector’s Caches and Collector’s Reserve. Series 3, 4, and 5 cards are also possible rewards from the Caches and Reserves, but Series 4 and 5 are far more rare than Series 3.

How should you spend your Collector’s Tokens?

So which cards should you should buy with your Collector’s Tokens? Let’s look at what cards cost in the Token Store:

• Series 3 cards: 1000 Collector’s Tokens
• Series 4 cards: 3000 Collector’s Tokens
• Series 5 cards: 6000 Collector’s Tokens

If you don’t have all the Series 3 cards, prioritize buying any of the following cards when they appear in the Shop.

Great Series 3 cards to buy with Collector’s Tokens

Mystique

If you see Mystique in the Token Shop, buy it or pin it, because it’s a great card. Acquiring Mystique opens up so many new deck building possibilities. A 3 cost Devil Dinosaur (Ongoing: +2 Power for each card in your hand)? Yes, please. She provides a necessary power boost that makes Cerebro (Ongoing: Your highest Power cards get +2 Power) decks, Patriot decks, and Kazar Zoo (aka KaZoo) decks competitive. She enables certain Wong combos. Even something as simple as copying Iron Man (Ongoing: Your total Power is doubled at this location) for 3 Power can swing a Location to you.

Patriot

Speaking of Eli Bradley, Patriot is another card you are going to want to jump on if you see him. He allows you to build the Tier 2 Patriot deck. You fill your deck with cards that you wouldn’t otherwise pick because they do nothing like Shocker, Thing, Cyclops. You buff these cards with Patriot, Mystique, Blue Marvel (Ongoing: Your other cards have +1 Power) and Onslaught (Ongoing: Double your other Ongoing effects at this location).

Sera

Sera might be one of the most potent cards in SNAP. Reducing the cost of other cards is a major power play in most card games, and SNAP is no exception. She enables combos that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. The Tier 1 Sera Miracle deck relies on this cost reduction to swing games on the last turn. Not only does this rack up the wins, but helps you earn more Cubes per game because you’ll turn what looks like a loss into a win.

Destroyer

Destroyer is another deck enabler. You can protect locations with Armor (Ongoing: Cards at this location can’t be destroyed) or Professor X (Ongoing: Lock down this location. (Cards can’t be added, removed, etc) while leaving Bucky Barnes (When this is destroyed, create the Winter Soldier in its place) and Nova (When this is destroyed, give your cards +1 Power) unprotected to get destroyed. You can even run Cosmo (Ongoing: On Reveal abilities won’t happen at this location) to negate  Destroyer’s effect and also disrupt many of your opponent’s cards. The Spectrum Destroyer deck is currently Tier 1.

Wong

There are so many “On Reveal” effects in SNAP and Wong makes them all better. White Tiger (On Reveal: Add a 7-Power Tiger to another location) gives two Tigers. Black Panther (On Reveal: Double this card’s Power) quadruples his power. Ironheart (On Reveal: Give 3 other cards +2 Power) gives out six buffs. The list goes on and on. And for the big finish, Odin (On Reveal: Activate the On Reveal abilities of your other cards at this location) triggers all the On Reveal abilities again, two times! The Wong Reveal deck is currently Tier 1. That deck also runs Doctor Doom who makes our “others receiving votes” list.

Lockjaw

Lockjaw is a great way to cheat out cards. He’s currently powering a Tier 1 Dracula (After the final turn, discard a card from your hand; this has its Power)/Discard deck, but has seen play in a greedy deck, and a Thor (On Reveal: Shuffle Mjölnir into your deck) based deck. It’s important to remember what you have left in your hand so you can predict what Lockjaw will give you.

Mysterio

Mysterio puts three 0-power cards on the board, one at each location. Only you know where the true 4-Power one is. Patriot, Blue Marvel, or a destroyed Nova can buff those other 0-Power Illusions, and they will get the buff from Locations like Nidavellir (Cards here have +5 Power.)

Others cards worth considering:

• Aero for the Tier 1 BAEro deck
• Green Goblin
• Armin Zola
• Death
• Debrii
• Mojo
• Doctor Doom

Great Series 4 and 5 cards to buy with Collector’s Tokens

Titania

Titania not only plays mind games with your opponent, but she can swing a Location on turn 6 allowing you to get more Cubes. She also has synergy with Zero (On Reveal: Remove the abilities on the next card you play), giving a Zero deck one more good target.

Bast

Cards typically have a low Power to offset a powerful effect. Bast (On Reveal: Set the Power of all cards in your hand to 3) can change that dynamic by buffing those cards. She goes right along with Valkyrie in a Cerebro-3 deck. She also works great in a KaZoo deck.

Absorbing Man

What Mystique is for Ongoing decks, Absorbing Man can be for On Reveal. He’ll give you a second Killmonger (On Reveal: Destroy ALL 1-Cost cards), or Venom (On Reveal: Destroy your other cards at this location; add their Power to this card), or Carnage. He can also give you a second Silver Surfer (On Reveal: Double the power of ALL 6-cost cards wherever they are) if you’ve gotten that card.

Valkyrie

Sunkeeper Tarim… I mean Valkyrie (On Reveal: Set ALL cards at this location to 3 Power) is a great card. Offensively, she slots perfectly into a Cerebro deck. Defensively, she’s a great counter to a tremendous threat on the other side of the board.

She-Hulk

She-Hulk is great for decks that skip turns. Infinaut is the obvious pairing. She would also do well in a deck that could cheat her out with cards like Wave, Lockjaw, or Hela. Even if you can’t reduce her cost, she’s a higher Power America Chavez.

What do you think of this new system? What card are you most excited about buying in the Token Shop?