Sylvan Learning Center - part 1: Card Choices

From Debris Hime to Quickdraw Dandy Warrior to Synchrocentric, whenever plants have had strong cards available, they have always been a powerful engine.  Konami has finally released a Plant Archetype consisting of cards that have characteristics of Monsters of other themes.  They have also granted the deck an array of combos that produces some of the most dominating fields the game has seen.  The only things keeping this deck from being the number one played deck in the Meta are the facts that the deck can serve up some of the WORST unplayable hands and that the learning curve for the deck is extremely high.  Unlike some of the other decks in the format, this deck is unforgiving and has no "I win" cards that can just be played from the hand or activated on the field such as Geargiagear with no prior setup.

In this series of articles, I would like to discuss how to improve the deck and its faults.  I would like to offer outside of the box ideas for card choices, combos, and useful interactions between the cards in this deck and other strategies in the current Meta.

One of my main points of contention with card choices in this deck is the insistence of running Kuribandit as people believes that it gets you out of the Early Game by digging for needed power spells and fuels your graveyard for Soul Charge and Miracle Fertilizer.  Yes, it is an amazing card for what it does.  But let's also consider other things that it does not do.  It does not have Sylvan in its name, so it cannot be used for Sylvan Charity.  It does not have the Plant typing, so it does not work with your Excavating effects.  It does not provide field presence or deal with established fields.  Face it, if your opponent has a facedown Geargiarmor and 3 sets, you are not going to want to summon this guy and leave your field open.

This guy is my solution to the above conundrum.  While he shares the problem of not providing field presence, he is the perfect combo piece for excavating with Mount Sylvania.  You simply pitch him to activate Sylvania and stack a Sylvan on top of your deck.  Then his effect will activate and immediately Excavate the stacked card.  Opponent has a possible set Warning, Breakthrough Skill, or Black Horn of Heaven?  Activate Sylvania, send Snapdrassinagon -> place Komushroomo on top of deck.  Snap activates and excavates Komushroomo right away.  Opponent has that annoying Fire Hand and you have no monsters on the field?  Use Snapdrassinagon to place Marshalleaf on top of deck and Excavate Marshalleaf right away and kill Fire Hand without triggering its effect.  You can also send Sagequoia to add back a used Sylvan Charity for immediate use or send Hermit Tree to peek at your top 3 cards then use Miracle Fertilizer to revive Hermit and get a nearly guaranteed Excavate and a draw.

In testing this card, I have found that it is completely reliant on seeing and successfully resolving Mount Sylvania.  I have been using multiple copies of Terraforming to make sure I see one of my 3 copies as soon as possible.  When doing so, it gives the feel of Dragunities searching Ravine before the Dragon Rulers where released, because usually at the very least, you get to pitch a Hermit or Sagequoia from your hand to use with Fertilizer or Soul Charge.

Tell me what you think about Snapdrassinagon in the comments below.  Next time we'll talk about the use of Dragon Rulers and the Plant Princesses in this deck.

Dubkdad1