Brief Guide on Sylvans (part 1 - monsters) - By Baneful
June 2014

 

Obviously as new cards come out, the nature of this advice will change, but I think most of this advice here is timeless.

 

Sylvan Hermitree – Use 3.  Amazingly good.  Its a +1, usually, when you excavate.  Use 2 of these as fuel for the Rank-8 XYZ, Felgrand.

 

Sylvan Sagequoia – Use 3.  When excavated, it nets you a Sylvan spell.  Usually, Sylvan Charity.  Sylvan Charity every turn is amazing.  It can also excavate monsters freely too.  And its a LV7 for XYZ's as well.  Combine DDK Felgrand with MPB Draccosack for an amazing set up.

 

Sylvan Guardioak – Use 0.  Hermit and Sage are better, have better XYZ options and already excavate once per turn just fine.  It's second effect, when-excavated, 

 

Sylvan Lotuswain – Use 0 or 1.  The return-to-deck excavation effect works well late-game but is contradictory to you want early game.  If your opponent has a big set up, you get good excavation power.  Situational, and therefore option.  Not my cup of tea, but some decks can get away with running 1.

 

Sylvan Bladefender – Use 0.  Destroying battle is too slow.  You don't attack with LV4 or lower monsters.  Instead you use them to summon bigger attackers.  Since its not a very good card, adding itself does little either.

 

Sylvan Flowerknight – Use 0.  Its obsolete on both ends.  Mount Sylvania and Hermitree beat out this card's excavated effect.  And Marshalleaf does the on-summon excavation effect (the first effect) better.

 

Sylvan Marshalleaf – Use 3.  Quick double-excavation is helpful, plus monster removal.

 

Sylvan Mikorange – Use 0.  This card is awful.  Stat boost is really insignificant.  And since it requires being destroyed, its super slow just for 1 excavation.  At least Komushroomo gives you 5 for waiting.

 

Sylvan Komushroomo – Use 3.  Maybe a little slow but its a good defense wall, excavates 5 (that's a lot!) and works as spell/trap removal.

 

Sylvan Peaskeeper – Use 0 to 2.  It's up to you.  IMO, with the release of Sagequoia, the focus should be toward summoning them – not on summoning your weaker monsters.  However, since its first effect triggers no matter how its summoned, it is quite versatile.  A decent card, but I personally don't use it.

Sylvan Snapdrassinagon – Use 0 or 1.  The first effect is decent for Sylvania's discard and combo with a stacker like Charity or Hermittree.  But the second effect doesn't really make sense at all since its circular.  Why excavate a specific card to excavate a random card?  There's worse but there's much better.

 

Sylvan Cherubsprout – Use 0 or 1.  Good for searching out Spore, or Princessprout, and gives you an excavation.

Sylvan Princessprout – Use 2.  Special Summons itself as a LV7 or LV8.  Combine with Sagequoia or Hermitree into a Rank-7 or Rank-8 XYZ.

 

Alsei, the Sylvan High Protector – Use 1.  Excavation effect is on par with Hermitree's but you'd expect more from a LV8 XYZ.  Alsei's effect becomes useful when it can return an opponent's card from the field to the deck once per turn as you excavation combo.  Overall, good for certain situations.

 

Orea, the Sylvan High Arbiter – Use 2.  Really good, particularly early game, for filling your graveyard and setting up combos.  You discard a plant, stack your deck and then excavate accordingly. 

 

Other monsters:

 

Spore – Use 1.  Staple.  Lets you summon literally any XYZ/Synchro

 

Lonefire Blossom – Use 2.  Staple.  Searches out Hermitree, first and foremost.  Then, Sageqouia.

 

Kuribandit – Use 1 to 3 (your choice).  It's slow and contradicts with Miracle Fertilizer but excavating 5 and retrieving a Spell is just too good to pass up.

 

Copy Plant and Fallen Angel of Roses can be used for XYZ capabilities but are borderline cases. 

 

I wouldn't bother with non-Plant non-Sylvan monsters, though.  There's some exceptions.  I've seen some Sylvan decks use Effect Veiler in place of traps, and because of its Synchro abilities.

 

As for the extra deck, I would use like 4 or 5 Synchros, including Stardust, Black Rose and Scrap Dragon.  I would generally avoid LV4 XYZ's and instead focus on LV7 and LV8 XYZ's.  I use 2 Draccosack and 2 Felgrand to make a nearly impenetrable offense wall.  Also, splashing the Rank-7 Big Eye would help.

 

- Baneful

 

Contact: banefulscolumn@gmail.com

 

 

 

Contact: banefulscolumn@gmail.com