Last time around, we introduced you to Mount Sylvania and the low-Level Sylvan monsters that form the backbone of the new Sylvan strategy.  We talked about how Sylvan Marshalleaf’s monster-destroying power, and Sylvan Komushroomo’s spell-shattering ability can guide your opponent’s plays, and we touched on the Special Summoning strengths of Sylvan Peaskeeper.  We also discussed the supporting cast of Lonefire Blossom, Spore, and Dandylion.

Today we’re taking it up a notch!  While some of the smallest Sylvans have some of the best effects, there are also mid-sized Sylvans you’ll want to consider, and heavy-hitters that are must-plays.  Here are the Level 4, 6, and 8 Sylvans that can help you brute-force your way to a win…

While Marshalleaf, Komushroomo, and Peaskeeper all work best when they’re being excavated, these three monsters are all about attacking.  Sylvan Bladefender and Sylvan Flowerknight are both Level 4’s with strong ATK, and they both have effects that can excavate the top card of your Deck and send it to the Graveyard if they hit a Plant.  Bladefender’s especially good, packing 1900 ATK and an effect that adds it to your hand for free if it’s excavated to the Graveyard.  It’s also the Sneak Peek promo card, so you’ll get one just for signing up at the Legacy of the Valiant Sneak Peek! Sylvan Flowerknight lets you stack your next draw with a “Sylvan” card when he’s excavated, just like Mount Sylvania! In fact, he can even set you up to draw Mount Sylvania if you haven’t gotten to it yet.

Sylvan Guardioak’s a Level 6, so it’s a bit tougher to Normal Summon.  That said, you can Special Summon it straight from your deck with Lonefire Blossom, then excavate up to three cards from the top of your Deck every turn with Guardioak’s effect.  With Mount Sylvania stacking your top card, Guardioak will almost always get you one effect… and with a bit of luck, it can unleash two or even three in one go.  Its 2400 ATK makes it a strong attacker, too.

You don’t have to run any of these three cards in your Sylvan Deck, but they can help you pressure your opponent while you put together your combos.  As a Level 6, Guardioak can also boost Spore to Level 7; we’ll talk about why that’s so good at a later date. But for now, let’s go even bigger.

Meet the heavy-hitters of the Sylvan Main Deck!  All three are Level 8’s with killer effects, and they all do very different things.

First up is Sylvan Hermitree.  Clocking in at 2700 ATK it can really dish out the hurt, but the real value lies in its effect: once per turn it lets you excavate the top card of your Deck and plant it in your Graveyard if it’s a Plant-Type. That’s good on its own, but there’s more!   When Hermitree excavates a Plant and sends it to the Graveyard, you draw a card for free.  You’ll still get to trigger cool effects like Marshalleaf and Peaskeeper, but you’ll get a free draw too.  That makes it really easy to score two cards for nothing, every turn.  Hermitree also lets you rearrange the top three cards of your Deck if it’s excavated and sent to the Graveyard, so it combos nicely with all your other excavating effects.

Tytannial, Princess of Camellias can protect your cards from targeted effects: her ability lets you Tribute a Plant-Type monster to negate any targeting effect.  That’s awesome, because it combos with the Fluff Tokens from Dandylion and protects your all-important Mount Sylvania and Miracle Fertilizers.  You won’t want to Summon Tytannial in the early game, but once you get a few monsters on the field she’s an amazing pick.  You can play just one copy and search her out as needed with Lonefire Blossom.

Speaking of Princesses, Chirubimé, Princess of Autumn Leaves is a new addition to the royal family of Plant-Types, debuting in Legacy of the Valiant.  Chirubime has 2800 DEF, and as long as she’s face-up your opponent can’t attack your other Plants.  Then, when your opponent sends her to the Graveyard by battle or effect, you can Special Summon any other Plant from your Deck – no restrictions.  That’s a great way to get Tytannial or Hermitree into the mix, or you can search out a combo monster like Spore, Dandylion, or Lonefire Blossom.

To bring this all together you’ll need the right Spell and Trap Cards.  Miracle Fertilizer’s a must: it lets you revive high-Level monsters you discard for Mount Sylvania.  More than that, it lets you reuse Lonefire Blossom, which is the key to making this Deck work.  If you bring back Lonefire with Fertilizer and Tribute off Lonefire for its own effect, Fertilizer will be destroyed and you’ll get the big Special Summon of your choice.  But if you revive Lonefire Blossom and Tribute something else… say a Fluff Token, or a monster you Special Summoned for free with Sylvan Peaskeeper, you’ll keep Lonefire and Fertilizer on the field and use both of them again next turn. Chirubimé’s effect to draw attacks to herself make her very useful in this scenario. Lonefire Blossom is weak and easy to destroy in battle, but if your first Summon is the 2800 DEF attack-magnet Chirubimé, your Blossom becomes much more difficult to get rid of!

One for One gives you another way to discard monsters you can’t play from your hand, and it Summons Spore from your Deck for an immediate Synchro Summon.  Sylvan Peaskeeper’s another Level 1, and its excavating effect actually triggers when it’s Normal Summoned or Special Summoned, so it’s a solid Summon if you drew Spore first, then drew One for One later. You could even Summon Copy Plant to gain access to a wide variety of Synchro and Xyz plays!

Speaking of Peaskeeper, Sylvan Blessing lets you put a card from your hand on the top or bottom of your Deck, giving you a chance to stack a powerful Sylvan effect.  Then, it Special Summons a Sylvan monster from your hand or Graveyard, makes it immune to effects, and puts it on the top or bottom of your Deck in your End Phase.  While losing the monster you revive is usually a loss, you can use it as a Synchro or Xyz Material long before your End Phase… and some of the Sylvan Deck’s best monsters are Synchros and Xyz we haven’t even gotten to yet!

Check back later this week as we finish up our discussion, because we’re going to show you those massive monsters next.