Discard players, rejoice. Khonshu, the God of the Moon, has joined *Marvel Snap*, and with him comes an amazing tool for discard-centric decks. It’s also one of the most complicated cards Second Dinner has released to date, so let’s delve deeper into how Khonshu functions.

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."

Khonshu’s ‘final phase’ evolves him into 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."

As you can see, each time Khonshu is discarded, he returns to your hand and upgrades, making his On Reveal effect increasingly potent. This mechanic is reminiscent of how Apocalypse functions.

The typical strategy with Khonshu involves discarding 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.

Khonshu’s limitation lies in his inability to revive a specific card; however, playing a 12-power final phase Khonshu on turn 6 to revive a 1-cost, 12-power Meek often results in game-winning plays.

Best Day One Khonshu Decks in Marvel Snap

It will likely take extensive experimentation for players, including myself, to determine the optimal deck for Khonshu, as he may not fit well into traditional discard strategies. I envision him fitting into a Darkhawk-style Stature list, along with 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 essential because resurrecting an opponent’s discarded card from Moon Knight, Silver Samurai, or Black Bolt can often be a win condition in itself.

The strategy with this deck is straightforward: fill your opponent’s deck with rocks to boost Darkhawk and aim to discard Khonshu as frequently as possible. Besides Fenris Wolf, cards like Rock Slide and Silver Samurai, Moon Knight will always target Khonshu, and Blade will hit him again once he returns to your hand. The challenge lies in timing your discards—ensuring Moon Knight hits Khonshu instead of Rock Slide, for example.

Next, play Stature as early as possible to set up playing Darkhawk on turn 5 and Khonshu on turn 6, allowing you to resurrect a card with 8 to 12 power. Since all these cards have less than 8 power, Khonshu directly enhances their effectiveness.

While I don’t see Khonshu fitting into traditional discard decks over Apocalypse, there’s room for experimentation. Khonshu’s 6-cost nature makes it challenging to run alongside Apocalypse without energy ramp. In the following list, Corvus Glaive provides this ramp:

• Miek
• Scorn
• Blade
• Morbius
• Swarm
• Moon Knight
• Corvus Glaive
• Lady Sif
• Dracula
• MODOK
• Khonshu
• Apocalypse

[ttpp]

The only Series 5 card in this list is Scorn, which can be replaced with other discard activators like Colleen Wing or energy ramp options like X-23.

This deck leans towards a traditional discard style, but success hinges on playing Corvus Glaive on turn 3 to enable dropping Khonshu alongside other discard activators. This strategy aims to significantly enhance Apocalypse while flooding the board. Whether this approach 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 maintaining a strong Apocalypse for Dracula to absorb.

Is Khonshu Worth Spotlight Cache Keys or Collector’s Tokens?

Regardless of your preference for discard decks, Khonshu is a card that is both powerful and intriguing. There’s potential for him to feature prominently in hybrid discard lists, and I predict he’ll become meta-relevant in such configurations. Therefore, if you have the resources, it's worth acquiring Khonshu for your collection.