Sylvan

Sylvan
Error creating thumbnail: File missing "Guardioak", "Komushroomo", "Flowerknight", "Marshalleaf", "Orea", "Sagequoia", "Lotuswain" and "Peaskeeper".
Japanese	森（しん）羅（ら） 森羅 (base) しんら (ruby) Shinra (romanized)
French	Sylvan
German	Sylvanisch
Italian	Silvan
Korean	삼라 森羅 (Hanja) Samna (romanized)
Portuguese	Silvestre
Spanish	Silvana
Sets Legacy of the Valiant Primal Origin Legacy of the Valiant: Deluxe Edition Premium Gold: Return of the Bling Dimension of Chaos
Lists	Members Support

"Sylvan" (Japanese: 森（しん）羅（ら） Shinra) is an archetype of Plant-Type monsters that debuted in Legacy of the Valiant.

In the TCG, "Sylvan" cards pioneered a new game term, "excavate".

Design

Appearance

Each "Sylvan" monster is based on various plants and take on a variety of occupations.

Sylvan Monster	Origin
Sylvan Hermitree	Delonix regia tree/Hermit
Sylvan Sagequoia	Sequoia tree/Sage
Sylvan Guardioak	Oak tree/Guardian
Sylvan Lotuswain	Lotus Blossom/Coxswain
Sylvan Bladefender	Blade of grass/Defender
Sylvan Flowerknight	Flowers/Knight
Sylvan Marshalleaf	Leaf/Marshal
Sylvan Mikorange	Orange fruit/Shrine maiden
Sylvan Komushroomo	Mushroom/Komusō
Sylvan Peaskeeper	Pea pod/Peacekeeper
Sylvan Snapdrassinagon	Snapdragon/Assassin
Sylvan Cherubsprout	Plant sprout/Cherub
Sylvan Princessprout	Plant sprout/Princess
Alsei, the Sylvan High Protector	Alseis plant/Byakko
Orea, the Sylvan High Arbiter	Suzaku
Sylvan Princessprite	Princess/Sprite

Etymology

The Japanese word shinra is shortened from shinrabanshō (森羅万象) meaning "all things in nature", hence the plant-life motif. The word "sylvan" refers to an association with the woodland, specifically that which inhabits the wood, is made of tree materials, or comprises the forest itself.

Playing style

All monsters introduced thus far, except for "Alsei, the Sylvan High Protector", have the common effect of excavate a number of cards from the top of the Deck, and sending any excavated Plant-Type monsters to the Graveyard. In turn, the other effects of the Main Deck "Sylvan" monsters activate when they are excavated from the Deck and sent to the Graveyard.

Their basic playing style involves excavating other "Sylvan" monsters from the Deck and sending them to the Graveyard, in order to activate their effects, ranging from card destruction to monster revival. Their effects also let you, if no Plant-Type monsters were excavated, send potentially dead draws to the bottom of the Deck, thus allowing good draw advantage.

When playing "Sylvans", there is a tendency not to rely on Normal Summons, facilitating the use of "Miracle Fertilizer" without heavy repression. Such plays could include dropping a "Sylvan Hermitree" with "Mount Sylvania" and then having the advantage placing the card desired by its owner. Then activate "Miracle Fertilizer" to revive "Hermitree" to draw and activate a "Sylvan" effect.

One of the advantages of "Sylvan" is the lack of adding cards to the hand, instead of adding cards to the hand "Sylvan" cards put desired cards on the top of the Deck. While this may seem disadvantageous, by using cards such as "Shared Ride" or "Mistake" one can punish the opponent for adding cards or stopping them altogether, thus keeping with the pace of the Duel or slowing the opponent down without affecting the playing style of "Sylvan" player. This advantage becomes apparent against Decks that rely on adding cards to the hand, such as "Madolche" or "Bujin", or lockdowns involving "Thunder King Rai-Oh". "Fragrance Storm" also works very well in this Deck; you destroy one of your own Plants, but you draw 1 card and if it was a monster you can reveal it to draw one more card.

Some non-"Sylvan" cards that may be useful in a "Sylvan" Deck include:

• "Kuribandit": Adds a Spell/Trap Card while setting up the Graveyard for "Miracle Fertilizer" and triggering the effects of the "Sylvan" monster(s) sent to the Graveyard.

• "Fallen Angel of Roses": Can be Special Summoned by returning a low-Level "Sylvan" monster to the hand that has already used its effect, and also allows quick access to Rank 7 Xyz Monsters.

• "Rank-Up-Magic - The Seventh One": Can be placed on the top of the Deck using "Orea, the Sylvan High Arbiter", "Sylvan Hermitree" or "Sylvan Charity" in order to draw it during your next Draw Phase.

• "Number 49: Fortune Tune": Can be Xyz Summoned by using "Sylvan Marshalleaf", "Dandylion" or "Sylvan Princessprout". Alternative to the passive-aggressive wall "Wind-Up Zenmaines". Cano recycle "Dandylion", "Kuribandit", "Marshalleaf" or "Lonefire Blossom". Also, restores 500 LP during each of the player's Standby Phases, preparing for "Soul Charge".

• "A Feather of the Phoenix": The player can discard a high-Level Plant-Type monster (preparing for "Miracle Fertilizer") and place a fallen "Sylvan" monster on the top of the Deck.

• "Goblin Circus": Since this Deck often puts cards on the bottom of the Deck, this card can be used to retrieve them.

• "Rose Lover": Searchable by "Sylvan Cherubsprout", this monster can banish itself from the Graveyard to Special Summon any Plant-Type monster from the hand, and make it immune to the opponent's Trap Cards for the rest of that turn.

• "Foolish Burial": Send "Rose Lover" or "Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis" to the Graveyard.

• "Reasoning": Special Summon a "Sylvan" monster from your Deck. Since this card "excavates" the monster first, if your opponent guesses correctly, the monster is sent to your Graveyard and its effect can be activated.

Recommended cards

Main Deck Monster Cards Sylvan Peaskeeper Sylvan Hermitree Sylvan Sagequoia Sylvan Guardioak Sylvan Lotuswain Sylvan Bladefender Sylvan Flowerknight Sylvan Marshalleaf Sylvan Komushroomo Sylvan Cherubsprout Sylvan Princessprout Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis Copy Plant Dandylion Fallen Angel of Roses Kuribandit Lord Poison Lonefire Blossom Rose Lover Rose Paladin Spore Flowbot Spell Cards Mount Sylvania Sylvan Charity Archfiend's Oath Fragrance Storm One for One Solidarity (if using only Plant-Type monsters) Spellbook Organization Trade-In A Feather of the Phoenix Rank-Up-Magic - The Seventh One Miracle Fertilizer Mark of the Rose Foolish Burial Trap Cards Sylvan Blessing Mistake The Transmigration Prophecy Extra Deck Synchro Monsters It is possible to use Synchro Monsters of any Level, from "Formula Synchron" to "Star Eater", by managing the Levels of "Spore" and "Copy Plant". Xyz Monsters Alsei, the Sylvan High Protector Orea, the Sylvan High Arbiter Sylvan Princessprite Number 107: Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand Number 74: Master of Blades Number 11: Big Eye Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack Number 49: Fortune Tune Number C101: Silent Honor DARK and/or Number C107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon, if using "Rank-Up-Magic - The Seventh One".

Weaknesses

As with most Decks nowadays, "Sylvan" Decks rely a lot on the Graveyard, so cards like "The End of Anubis", "Soul Drain" and "Macro Cosmos" will cripple the Deck and are to be prepared against if using a "Sylvan" Deck.

Since a main strategy of "Sylvan" Decks is to put needed cards on top of the Deck so that effects that rely on excavating the top card of the Deck can lead to an advantage, cards like "Card Shuffle", "Grave Protector" and "Peeking Goblin" can mess up this stacking. "Ancient Telescope" and "Convulsion of Nature" are superb assists here as one can better time when to use such card effects to shuffle or re-locates "Sylvan"s in a Deck. If "Convulsion's" not being used, "Grave Lure", combined with "Sylvan" monster top-decking tactics and a good eye, can also interdict "Sylvan"s by not only also sending would be "Sylvan" monsters further down a Deck but also discarding the excavated "Sylvan" via the said Trap as soon as it is drawn. To similarly cease and desist their use this way, "Sylvans" can also be intercepted in the hand with cards like "Card Destruction", "Dragged Down into the Grave", "Drop Off" and "Moulinglacia the Elemental Lord" before they are Summoned and their effects trigger.

"Sylvan" Decks will also have a hard time facing Decks focused on milling. With all self milling, Decks using a deck destruction tactic will have an easier Duel; to counter this, cards like "The Transmigration Prophecy" and "Sylvan Guardioak" can help you recycle milled cards.

Finally, "Sylvan" monsters have very assorted Attributes, making it a cinch to cripple their field presence via "Gozen Match" and "Battle of the Elements".