Alright guys, confession time. I see Sylvanas Windrunner listed in so many top-tier decks. She is considered an excellent legendary almost by everyone. I just don't get her though. Maybe it's my play style (probably). I just feel like there are so many ways for your opponent to work around her. I can probably count on one hand how many times I have been pleased with my results for her and I have been running her in most decks (midrange Pally and Ramp Druid) for months. Am I missing something?
She can be used to clear the board, to force out a silence, or to provide tension against big threats. You play her before they'd want to put down a big minion to make them silence it instead of playing it, or you play it on a decent board where she'll trade as if she were a 5-8. Some classes have the versatility to actually kill her as well, but for the most part you play her to change the game or to set up for your later threats, and almost always to make your opponents tentative about putting something big down or to fuck with them after they have. Sylvanas isn't a dream card. She is a solid card that can sometimes pull off a ridiculous effect, but is otherwise just really solid.
Avoid using emotional responses to outcomes to judge the worth of something in, well, anything actually, and life gets much easier.
Alright guys, confession time. I see Sylvanas Windrunner listed in so many top-tier decks. She is considered an excellent legendary almost by everyone. I just don't get her though. Maybe it's my play style (probably). I just feel like there are so many ways for your opponent to work around her. I can probably count on one hand how many times I have been pleased with my results for her and I have been running her in most decks (midrange Pally and Ramp Druid) for months. Am I missing something?
The way she affects the board isn't always obvious. If a player runs their Tirion into her and you get a Tirion, her value is really obvious. The value from getting absolutely nothing, however, is sometimes just as good, but less apparent.
If your opponent runs 3 minions into your Sylvanas just to remove it without giving you anything, it just traded 3 for 1.
If your opponent doesn't play any minions, or floods to board with crap instead of dropping their Rag, you essentially just Sapped their big minion.
If your opponent just ignores Sylvanas for fear of her Deathrattle, you get to do work with her 5/5 body.
She facilitates a lot of bad plays on your opponents part, and sometimes you don't even realize they are being made. All the while, even the best play they could make is bad.
The way she affects the board isn't always obvious. If a player runs their Tirion into her and you get a Tirion, her value is really obvious. The value from getting absolutely nothing, however, is sometimes just as good, but less apparent.
If your opponent runs 3 minions into your Sylvanas just to remove it without giving you anything, it just traded 3 for 1.
If your opponent doesn't play any minions, or floods to board with crap instead of dropping their Rag, you essentially just Sapped their big minion.
If your opponent just ignores Sylvanas for fear of her Deathrattle, you get to do work with her 5/5 body.
She facilitates a lot of bad plays on your opponents part, and sometimes you don't even realize they are being made. All the while, even the best play they could make is bad.
Exactly this, she isn't played as much because of what she can do, which can be a lot, or seem like nothing, but you play her because of what it forces your opponent to do.
It's probably is like the OP stated, it's your play-style that isn't using her right. You do not use her for her "face value", you use to force your opponent into a bad, or even worse position.
She fills so many key positions all in one card, she can make your opponent delay, or crowd the board, or use a large removal, or numerous other outcomes. It's up to use to know when the best time to play her is and how to get the most value, you or your opponents probably aren't playing her right. At her worst, shes almost always a 2 for 1, more often... much better.
All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible. - T. E. Lawrence
Avoid using emotional responses to outcomes to judge the worth of something in, well, anything actually, and life gets much easier.
<removed>
Two of his commas should probably be em dashes, but that's not too egregious. Certainly no more so than your misspelling of "blatantly", or the lack of apostrophe in "you're".
I like to sometimes see cards with deathrattles as pseudo-battlecries.
So a Sylvanas that steals your opponent's Silver Hand Knight is a 6 mana 6/6 that deals 1 damage. One more stat than Fire Elemental and 2 less damage. That's pretty much the worst steal you can make with her. If she steals a 2/2 you're looking at a 7/7 for 6 that deals 2 damage and avoid BGH, which is amazing.
Of course if she gets silenced or your opponent doesn't have minions she gets worse. Still, there might be a 'hidden' benefit. If you drop a Loatheb on turn 5 and your opponent responds with a Sludge Belcher it doesn't mean that Loatheb was wasted, maybe your opponent wanted to play a spell and now couldn't. The same is true for Sylvanas, she can prevent your opponent from playing some cards because they are scared of her deathrattle.
Sylvanas is rad. I play her in most of my decks. Rarely steals anything huge, but causes a lot of misplays and empty turns for the opponent. Very good to play when you're behind. Also good when you're ahead. Someone drops Ragnaros. You drop Sylvanas.
I'm probably the only GOOD player in this thread that agrees with OP. I do think WR is a great value but I also think she's overrated. I say that because when the meta is very aggro, you end up holding WR in your hand and it often never does see play. Also if you're playing aggro or mid-range there's no reason to play WR because again she's too slow.
Now, when you are playing control and the meta isn't too much aggro then sure, WR is amazing and an auto-include. That's how I see the card.
Alright guys, confession time. I see Sylvanas Windrunner listed in so many top-tier decks. She is considered an excellent legendary almost by everyone. I just don't get her though. Maybe it's my play style (probably). I just feel like there are so many ways for your opponent to work around her. I can probably count on one hand how many times I have been pleased with my results for her and I have been running her in most decks (midrange Pally and Ramp Druid) for months. Am I missing something?
I think as well, that its usually not only her boardpresence but she forces you to clear her first before playing a minion. In most cases you want to establish a board. Sylvanas secures Tempo AND played on turn 6 usually lets you safely! play Dr.Boom on 7
ok then tell me which 6 drop works better than her? is it Cairne? not for sure.. is it sky golem? well sky golem is good but not as good as her.. so i don't even see point of this thread.. she is unique for her manacost and u want to have good curve and play the biggest/most impactful stuff on curve.. im not even talking about how amazing she can be sometimes and how ur opponent always has to keep a silence for her or trade 2/3 for 1 to play around her effect
Turn 6: Sylvannas. They don't know what to do. They have minions on the board, and either have to kill off Sylvanas with those minions or ignore her, or silence her. Either way, second turn in a row where they can't play their gameplan.
Turn 7: Dr Boom. Any tempo you lost just got regained.
Turn8: Uhh, pick your poison?
Honestly, even if you start that sequence at turn 8, even 10, still very valuable.
This is why Sylvanas really is better in control decks. With their larger threats, they can set up sequences to just dominate a game. If you are agro or faster midrange, then many times you are dropping her juse because she's on curve. This still is valuable in was stated above, but the real value, to me, is a 2-3 turn sequence.
Well, you know how (almost) anything that summons something when it dies is pretty good? Sure they can play around it, but then you're still controlling their actions at that point.
yes, everyone please listen to OP and take sylvanas out of all your decks, she isn't that great. it will help me out tremendously! but, i will continue to run her in all of my non-aggro decks. she is from value city.
sylvanas is crazy all on her own, but I got the greatest results in warlock honestly, mostly thanks to her even more obscene combos. shadowflame, PO, even stuff like hellfire helps getting some crazy results. She might not fit in the super fast or combo decks, but other than that, she can fit in anything from slower aggro to heavy control decks. even decks like mechmage just dont have a clue how to deal with her and either trade their entire board or ignore her, which just means you are free to get as much value as possible
It is amusing to watch some people get really upset when someone else says their beloved cards are not "as great as it seems".
But to the point, I see Sylvanas Windrunner as a great card, but not a card for each and every deck out there. If I am playing aggro deck, topping off the curve with a Sylvanas would be stupid. Piloted Sky Golem (a.k.a. PSG?!) better suits the purpose. Heck, even Mr. Leeroy is better than the hot girl.
But for any midrange-control deck, Sylvanas Windrunner is great. Let's say you are playing aggro, and get board-wiped, you still feel pretty good when you are holding Dr. Boom, but then your opponent drops a Sylvanas, do you still play boom? Do you blow your Fireball that's originally aiming at your opponent's face? Do you just drop everything you can hoping your opponent is stupid and can't make good use out of Sylvanas? A single card that can put someone in this awkward situation, yes please, sign me up.
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"Are you not entertained?! ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!"
"What we do in life, echoes in eternity." - Maximus Decimus Meridius
Alright guys, confession time. I see Sylvanas Windrunner listed in so many top-tier decks. She is considered an excellent legendary almost by everyone. I just don't get her though. Maybe it's my play style (probably). I just feel like there are so many ways for your opponent to work around her. I can probably count on one hand how many times I have been pleased with my results for her and I have been running her in most decks (midrange Pally and Ramp Druid) for months. Am I missing something?
She can be used to clear the board, to force out a silence, or to provide tension against big threats. You play her before they'd want to put down a big minion to make them silence it instead of playing it, or you play it on a decent board where she'll trade as if she were a 5-8.
Some classes have the versatility to actually kill her as well, but for the most part you play her to change the game or to set up for your later threats, and almost always to make your opponents tentative about putting something big down or to fuck with them after they have.
Sylvanas isn't a dream card. She is a solid card that can sometimes pull off a ridiculous effect, but is otherwise just really solid.
Avoid using emotional responses to outcomes to judge the worth of something in, well, anything actually, and life gets much easier.
The way she affects the board isn't always obvious. If a player runs their Tirion into her and you get a Tirion, her value is really obvious. The value from getting absolutely nothing, however, is sometimes just as good, but less apparent.
If your opponent runs 3 minions into your Sylvanas just to remove it without giving you anything, it just traded 3 for 1.
If your opponent doesn't play any minions, or floods to board with crap instead of dropping their Rag, you essentially just Sapped their big minion.
If your opponent just ignores Sylvanas for fear of her Deathrattle, you get to do work with her 5/5 body.
She facilitates a lot of bad plays on your opponents part, and sometimes you don't even realize they are being made. All the while, even the best play they could make is bad.
Good point that her effect is not always tangible. I don't mean to say she is a "bad" card, just feel like she can be over valued.
Exactly this, she isn't played as much because of what she can do, which can be a lot, or seem like nothing, but you play her because of what it forces your opponent to do.
It's probably is like the OP stated, it's your play-style that isn't using her right. You do not use her for her "face value", you use to force your opponent into a bad, or even worse position.
She fills so many key positions all in one card, she can make your opponent delay, or crowd the board, or use a large removal, or numerous other outcomes. It's up to use to know when the best time to play her is and how to get the most value, you or your opponents probably aren't playing her right. At her worst, shes almost always a 2 for 1, more often... much better.
All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible. - T. E. Lawrence
Two of his commas should probably be em dashes, but that's not too egregious. Certainly no more so than your misspelling of "blatantly", or the lack of apostrophe in "you're".
I like to sometimes see cards with deathrattles as pseudo-battlecries.
So a Sylvanas that steals your opponent's Silver Hand Knight is a 6 mana 6/6 that deals 1 damage. One more stat than Fire Elemental and 2 less damage. That's pretty much the worst steal you can make with her. If she steals a 2/2 you're looking at a 7/7 for 6 that deals 2 damage and avoid BGH, which is amazing.
Of course if she gets silenced or your opponent doesn't have minions she gets worse. Still, there might be a 'hidden' benefit. If you drop a Loatheb on turn 5 and your opponent responds with a Sludge Belcher it doesn't mean that Loatheb was wasted, maybe your opponent wanted to play a spell and now couldn't.
The same is true for Sylvanas, she can prevent your opponent from playing some cards because they are scared of her deathrattle.
professional pilferers prefer proper preparation
Sylvanas is rad. I play her in most of my decks. Rarely steals anything huge, but causes a lot of misplays and empty turns for the opponent. Very good to play when you're behind. Also good when you're ahead. Someone drops Ragnaros. You drop Sylvanas.
What is WR? Windrunner?
I think as well, that its usually not only her boardpresence but she forces you to clear her first before playing a minion. In most cases you want to establish a board. Sylvanas secures Tempo AND played on turn 6 usually lets you safely! play Dr.Boom on 7
ok then tell me which 6 drop works better than her? is it Cairne? not for sure.. is it sky golem? well sky golem is good but not as good as her.. so i don't even see point of this thread.. she is unique for her manacost and u want to have good curve and play the biggest/most impactful stuff on curve.. im not even talking about how amazing she can be sometimes and how ur opponent always has to keep a silence for her or trade 2/3 for 1 to play around her effect
Time is money, friend.
she should read "Card advantage, board presence, and life gain. Your opponent picks 2". its a pretty shitty deal for them. That is why Sylv is good.
Turn 5: Loetheb so they have to drop minions
Turn 6: Sylvannas. They don't know what to do. They have minions on the board, and either have to kill off Sylvanas with those minions or ignore her, or silence her. Either way, second turn in a row where they can't play their gameplan.
Turn 7: Dr Boom. Any tempo you lost just got regained.
Turn8: Uhh, pick your poison?
Honestly, even if you start that sequence at turn 8, even 10, still very valuable.
This is why Sylvanas really is better in control decks. With their larger threats, they can set up sequences to just dominate a game. If you are agro or faster midrange, then many times you are dropping her juse because she's on curve. This still is valuable in was stated above, but the real value, to me, is a 2-3 turn sequence.
Well, you know how (almost) anything that summons something when it dies is pretty good? Sure they can play around it, but then you're still controlling their actions at that point.
This pretty much says it all
Love to hear of a better 6 drop that suits the decks that typically run Sylvanas
December rank 74 legend :)
yes, everyone please listen to OP and take sylvanas out of all your decks, she isn't that great. it will help me out tremendously! but, i will continue to run her in all of my non-aggro decks. she is from value city.
let me change your mind...
sylvanas is crazy all on her own, but I got the greatest results in warlock honestly, mostly thanks to her even more obscene combos. shadowflame, PO, even stuff like hellfire helps getting some crazy results. She might not fit in the super fast or combo decks, but other than that, she can fit in anything from slower aggro to heavy control decks. even decks like mechmage just dont have a clue how to deal with her and either trade their entire board or ignore her, which just means you are free to get as much value as possible
It is amusing to watch some people get really upset when someone else says their beloved cards are not "as great as it seems".
But to the point, I see Sylvanas Windrunner as a great card, but not a card for each and every deck out there. If I am playing aggro deck, topping off the curve with a Sylvanas would be stupid. Piloted Sky Golem (a.k.a. PSG?!) better suits the purpose. Heck, even Mr. Leeroy is better than the hot girl.
But for any midrange-control deck, Sylvanas Windrunner is great. Let's say you are playing aggro, and get board-wiped, you still feel pretty good when you are holding Dr. Boom, but then your opponent drops a Sylvanas, do you still play boom? Do you blow your Fireball that's originally aiming at your opponent's face? Do you just drop everything you can hoping your opponent is stupid and can't make good use out of Sylvanas? A single card that can put someone in this awkward situation, yes please, sign me up.
"Are you not entertained?! ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!"
"What we do in life, echoes in eternity." - Maximus Decimus Meridius
ya but her face is kinda busted.