Sylvan

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

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

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, their 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 this deck include:


 * "Kuribandit": gives you a Spell/Trap card while setting up the Graveyard to "Miracle Fertilizer" and triggering the effect of the "Sylvan" monster(s) sent to the Graveyard.


 * "Fallen Angel of Roses": you can Special Summon it by returning to your hand a low-Level "Sylvan" monster that used its effect and have quick access to a Rank 7 Xyz Monster; also, you will be able to reuse the effect of the monster you returned.


 * "Rank-Up-Magic - The Seventh One": with the effect of "Orea, the Sylvan High Arbiter", "Sylvan Hermitree" or "Sylvan Charity", you can put this card on the top of your Deck 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"; acts like an alternative to the passive-aggressive wall "Wind-Up Zenmaines". You can use it to recycle "Dandylion", "Kuribandit", "Marshalleaf" or "Lonefire Blossom". Also, during each of your Standby Phases, it gives you 500 Points, which can set up the game for "Soul Charge".


 * "A Feather of the Phoenix": you can discard a high-Level Plant that is stuck in your hand (and set up "Miracle Fertilizer") and place a fallen "Sylvan" monster on the top of the Deck.


 * "Goblin Circus": this is a very peculiar card. It is very common in this Deck to put powerful cards on the bottom of the Deck because it was excavated and wasn't a Plant-Type monster; with this card, you will be able to retrieve those cards; bear in mind that this effect is mandatory.


 * "Rose Lover": searchable by "Sylvan Cherubsprout", this monster can banish itself from the Graveyard one time each turn in order to Special Summon any Plant-Type monster from your hand, and make it immune to opposing Trap Cards for the rest of that turn; despite not being as powerful as "Lonefire Blossom", this card is able to unload powerful beaters (especially "Sylvan Hermitree") that might otherwise be Dead Draws.

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".