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How to Counter Sylvans

Duel Links how to beat Sylvan deck, anti-sylvan cards,
update 17/04/2018

Sylvan decks

After the release of the Mini Box "Rampage of the Forest," Sylvan decks have have been dominating in PvP. This is because they are more accessible and easy to use since it starts with 1 Sylvan Komushroomo to destroy their opponent's monsters and spells and traps. But since Sylvan decks don't use a lot of spells and traps themselves because they need to excavate their plant monsters, this can be telling when they only set 1 monster on the field and pass the turn since it's most likely a Komushroomo, and negating it can be the key.

To know how to deal with a Sylvan deck, you'll need to understand their deck first, so be sure to check an example deck list first.

KC Cup

Since Sylvans decks are quite strong, there are a lot of people in the KC Cup that are using a Sylvan deck. It's good to prepare some counters against them if you want to climb through the ranks, as you'll most likely be facing plenty of them in both stage 1 and 2 of the KC Cup, while still being able to use them against other deck types of course.

Counters

  • Generally, if you think you're going against a Sylvan deck and they only set 1 monster, the possible monsters are Rose Lover, Magical Merchant, Sylvan Komushroomo, or World Carrotweight Champion.
  • You will need to pay attention if your opponent uses Rose Lover to special summon a monster. A monster that is special summoned using Rose Lover's effect is immune to traps for a turn, so make sure to not waste your Wall of Disruption, or Windstorm of Etaqua carelessly.
  • Keep track of how many Sylvan Marshalleaf and Komushroomo that are excavated and sent to the grave. If all 3 are already used, then you won't have to worry about getting your monster(s), or spells/traps destroyed.
  • Keep in mind that some Sylvan decks like to run cards that can return cards from the grave to the deck, and they will most likely return their Marshalleaf and Komushroomo.

Negating monster effects

The easiest way to prevent a Sylvan deck from popping off is to negate their effects, starting with Komushroomo since it mills 5 cards from their deck.

  • This makes Forbidden Chalice one of the most versatile card you can put in any deck to counter them since you can use it when you attack a Komushroomo, or use it when they flip their card.

  • Divine Wrath and Ultimate Providence have a slight drawback since you need to discard a card, but still effective against many deck types too since monster effects are quite common.

  • Both Divine Wrath and Ultimate Providence does not target, this means they are effective against cards like Hazy Flame Sphynx, and Ultimate Providence can be used to negate a spell/trap as well.

Pre-emptive destruction

If you think your opponent is playing a Sylvan deck, whether it's because they only set 1 monster, or because they used a Restart skill to show their hand, you can destroy their monster before they get to flip their Komushroomo.

  • Tribute to The Doomed, Parallel Twister, and Snipe Hunter can be used to destroy any monster, even if they are in face-down position.
  • The cost to use them is to discard a card, so it's better if you use these cards with certain cards/deck that can benefit from being in the grave.
  • Tribute to The Doomed can be good in a mirror matchup since you can discard a Rose Lover and special summon a monster, along with your normal summon to potentially win the game early.
  • Parallel Twister can be good in an Arkbrave Dragon deck because of cards like Paladin/Guardian of Felgrand, or good in a Paleozoic deck.
  • Snipe Hunter is arguably the most versatile of the 3 since you can target any card your opponent controls, provided they are not untargetable. This requires some luck and a cost of a discard though.

Unaffected / Untargetable

Assuming the worst, if a Komushroomo's effect activates and it sends a Marshalleaf and a Komushroomo, it will destroy both your monster and your spell/trap card. To avoid being left defenseless, you can use cards like Forbidden Dress to prevent getting destroyed, or banish it.

  • Forbidden Dress makes a monster untargetable, and can't be destroyed by card effects. But since it lowers a monster's attack by 600, it can easily be destroyed by battle, so it's best to use it on a monster with some good defense, or if you have some other protection cards.
  • Sea Stealth Attack is used in a Citadel Whale water deck, which is also a very strong deck that can go against Sylvans. When your opponent targets your monster, or the spell/trap card, you can activate Sea Stealth Attack to protect your monster and face-up spells and traps. But this will leave you open for attacks if you only have 1 monster and you banished it.
  • Other banish cards that you can tech in for most decks are cards like Interdimensional Matter Transporter, or Dimension Gate, which are still some good options.

Miss timing

This method can be a tricky, and mostly benefits if you are also using monsters with flip effects like a Geargia deck. Since Komushroomo's effect states that it will only activate when it's flipped face-up, this means that if it's flipped face-up in a response to something, resulting in its activation being in chain link 2 or higher, it will miss its timing.

  • Since Geargia deck benefits from The Spell Absorbing Life anyway, this can provide a way for you to prevent Komushroomo from activating.
  • Geargiattacker also has a similar effect activation as Komushroomo, so you'll need to be careful when using it since you can also make it miss its timing.
  • Geargianchor will not miss its timing if you use Spell Absorbing Life in chain link 2 or higher, and it will let you destroy your opponent's monster still, but only if you have other Geargia monster(s).

Other useful cards

These cards aren't all that versatile, but if you are using certain decks that work with them, then these can be some optional ways to get rid of Komushroomo.

CardExplanation
Lava Golem
Lava Golem
Can be a good tech card against many decks, but you can't summon any other monster for the rest of the turn.
Man-Eater Bug
Man-Eater Bug
Good option to set as first monster if you get first turn. Can also bait your opponent's Forbidden Chalice.
Evil Dragon Ananta
Evil Dragon Ananta
For Alien decks only. It's a good card removal since you can also destroy spell/trap card, but weak to Enemy Controller.
Divine Punishment
Divine Punishment
Counter trap Fairy deck is quite strong since you can negate most things, but relies heavily on getting some decent hand.
Different Dimension Ground
Different Dimension Ground
Banishing the excavated monsters prevents their effects from activating, but this only lasts for a turn.
Super Rush Headlong
Super Rush Headlong
This can help protect you for a turn to prevent getting destroyed by Hermitree. Also helps get over Komushroomo if it's face-up.

Comments

Hot New Top
Anonymous
I Hate Sylvans! They take hours to play against and everybody plays them. It's a boring deck and nobody has a unique deck to play against anymore.
<< Anonymous
Anonymous Reply
Did they ever have a unique deck?
THG
Seems like people are focusing on countering Sylvans with other Sylvans(which could be a good idea), but all you need is: monsters on the field when it is your turn, counter trap card "Ultimate Providance", possibly backrow removal while playing "Storm", or even "Enemy Controller". So adding multiple level 1-4 monsters you can normal summon is probably likely what you have to need enable to beat Sylvans. Easily can your backrow be destroyed and your monster too. Why you have Ulti Prov and cards in your hand enable to counter with. Tribute summons are needed enable to get past the bigger monsters with 2400ATK and 2700ATK, except only, 1800DEF and 1200DEF. So Enemy Controller would work out exceptionally, also Floodgate Traphole or Adhesion Traphole to lower that ATK by half, Void Traphole destroys any monsters special summoned with ATK over 2000. Void Traphole could be a great effect to pull off once your opponent gets out his bigger monsters. Just simply Void him, Trap em', and E-con them, until your moves are set in position for the win. It's all about them resources, like right now on the forum, Resources. The only True and Real Counter I do see for this deck, would be Mill Worm into a Chained Trap card that'll send all Mill Worms to the grave, and sometimes that won't even work(never have I tried it/ only won up against). Pretty 'Cucy', but oh well, might as well be said. I don't use Sylvans either, only win or lose, just gaining and giving a good strategy that could work up against Sylvans. Void Traphole, E-con, Floodgate, or either Ulti. Providence should definitely work out for the long run. Your choices for a counter, and there is more cards that'll allow you to negate a flip summon while doing just that(flip summoning). It's all about what will be discarded from your opponents deck and what you will have on your field and in your hand. Just simple advice, be prepared.
<< Anonymous
Anonymous Reply
SSA gives enough opportunity on first few turns.. you can basically negate abyss, tunafish, hammer shark, gishki, etc. Don't lump in SSA with 🔥 sylvans, SSA is more considerate and forgiving, but yes once they are set up, that just means you bricked, or your deck is too slow for SSA's pace, and that's a legit game mechanic!
<< Anonymous
Anonymous Reply
The only thing that makes SSA "fairer" than Sylvans is that they're marginally less consistent. (If they don't draw Sea Stealth Attack early, or draw it but no ALO, they can't do much, while a Sylvan player can set up with things other than Komushroomo/Merchant.) Once set up, I'd say SSA is harder to deal with than Sylvans are.
<< Anonymous
Anonymous Reply
Huh? Last time I checked, they are fairly consistent with Abyss Soldiers as second win condition, Skreeches and Fishborgs to mill early Whales, Gishki for rearranging top cards in deck, and can easily summon a Whale in less than 2 turns.
<< Anonymous
Anonymous Reply
...I didn't say SSA was inconsistent. I said it was less consistent than Sylvans, which they clearly are. (And heck, I even said they're MARGINALLY less consistent, meaning only slightly less consistent.)
Mut
Somebody know how to counter Sea Stealth Attack? Please, tell me! I still can't beat them easily. Can't get more DP on Kaiba Cup Stage 2 because it. TAT
<< Anonymous(Mut)
Aquablast Reply
Anti-Magic Arrows will stop SSA from working during battle phase. You can also use Spiritualism to return Umi/Legendary Ocean to hand. Both requires you to OTK the SSA user though. Make sure you have a combo to achieve that.
<< Anonymous(Mut)
Anonymous Reply
As an SSA player, I can confirm that AMA and cosmic cyclone is a nuisance. At the same time we have to get the right combo right away, which is why we run balance or restart. I have also lost matches, especially to sylvans, even when I get a good start because they force me to banish and then they flood and OTK. Its a good deck but definitely beatable.
<< Anonymous
Anonymous Reply
I'm using magic Jammers now to fend off occasional Cosmic Cyclones
<< Anonymous(Mut)
Anonymous Reply
As an SSA player, CA is a good counter but I use SRH to have a chance (Hymn of Light can't protect against SRH AND SSA). Sylvan is a 50/50. Masked heroes too. With a LVL 5 + ALO + SSA and Econ, SSA deck is unbeatable by 90% of the meta, except CA.
Anonymous
For now, the best counter I found is a Dark World deck. Really expensive... But with weak back row support and Komushroomo/Rose Lover set, it's an easy win. Dark World is also a good counter against Masked Heroes.
Anonymous
why PLANTS always 🔥ous.. first it's the wood boy with bamboo engine.. now it's sylvans with rose lover.. sigh.. even tho irl, plants are the most gentlest
<< Anonymous
Anonymous Reply
I guess you're new, Naturia was first.
<< Anonymous
Anonymous Reply
I also assume you have little knowledge about plants-type in TCG.
<< Anonymous
Anonymous Reply
I guess you're forgetful, the first plant ever to become 🔥ous (if we are to understood the term in terms of overwhelming usage) was Jerry Beans Man in Order-to-Charge beatdown decks.
Anonymous
Actually you can beat them if your opponent is cocky and not flip and spare you with one more turn
Anonymous
These 🔥s lose to Cyber Angels.
Anonymous
What we really need is how to counter geargia after turn 1 ties + pulsemines tho
Anonymous
i am actually winning every game against sylvans since i am using my golden fish deck. you guys should give it a try. even cyber angels are possible to beat with it
Anonymous
We need our lord and saviour dark law to end this 🔥 meta
Anonymous
We need our lord and saviour dark law to end this 🔥 meta
Anonymous
How to counter sylvans simple you hack where their address is and you bring your gun and blow them for being a dbag for ruining your day :)

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