Hello there! I've finally got time and desire for another Legendary review, so now it's time for Sylvanas Windrunner observation.
Usual Backstory: When I started playing HS, and when i had enough dust to craft a legendary(honestly, it was pretty soon, as I got Golden Skycap'n Kragg), i was looking for what should i make. Whoever I asked told me that i should craft Dr. Boom with no doubt, but i felt that something was unclear. So i decided to craft Sylvanas Windrunner instead, because her effect was really unique and tide-turning. She seemed such a pain in butt for me. So this was my first crafted legendary. After WOG was announced and Dr. Boom left his Throne-Of-Being-The-Coolest-Top-Tier-Legendary, she took his place. Currently it's a top-1 legendary, and i guess, Sylvy is gonna hold this point for very long, if not eternal, time.
Her effect and role make Sylvanas Windrunner a very unpleasant minion to face. Because you either bump every minion into her in correct order to prevent stealing, or you should spend silence/enroot-typed effect(like Polymorph or Entomb). Otherwise she may steal something really big and it will be your headache. As somebody here's said, she's not a game winner, she's a game changer.
Let's take a look on her advantages:
First of all, It's a 5/5 for 6 mana. Pretty solid body, and her "lack of stats" usually comes really handy. If your opponent has very huge creature on his board and you drop Sylvanas Windrunner, the minion is gonna survive and be stolen. You may somehow reduce the damage done to the minion to prevent deep scratches.
Second, she has a lot of roles in matches. One of them is dropping her when your opponent has several minions. Even if he runs all his creatures into her, that's fine. Because, you basically cleared his current board for 6 mana. If she steals anything, that's good. Even a small minion becomes a thorn in your opponent's finger, not in yours.
If your opponent has several huge minions, Sylvanas Windrunner has a great chance of stealing something worthy.
Another role is being a combo-tech in control decks. You can use her in combo with stuff like Naturalize, Power Overwhelming, Fireball, Mulch, Shadowflame and so on to execute 7-10 mana random Mind Control. If your opponent played 1 giant or powerful minion, you gonna take him. Or clear what you can and just pray for RNGeezus. I personally had numerous times when i stole Ysera, Archmage Antonidas, Tirion Fordring and a bunch of other cool minions just with such comboes. What is more, you can taunt her with stuff like Defender of Argus and it's gonna save you from monstrosities like Deathwing, The Ancient One(if you meet one, heh), boarded C'Thun and so on.
If you drop Sylvanas Windrunner on the empty enemy board, you just lock your opponent down from playing powerful stuff, untill he finds a removal for her. I was in such situations, and belive me, its terrible. If you dont play your stuff - it's bad. if you do - it's even worse. Not always you have a removal for her, so you have to sacrifice something to get rid of that nightmare.
I have to add that she is a great Anti-C'Thun tech. If you expect your opponent to play THe Old god, drop her in advance. If C'Thun kills her with battlcery, you are fine. Unless he kills you as well. Or if you survive him ,you can above written combos to take him under your wing.
Keep in mind that she screws Yogg Saron, hope's end's entrance, because after he kills her somehow and gets stolen, you get all the upcoming effects, like, if Yogg plays Sprint after he comes into your board, you draw cards. SOmetimes it can even kill you with overdraw, but this is regular Saron's stuff.Just keep it in mind.
What is more, you must know that if a minion kills her with his battlecry, she will steal it. Order "Battlecry-comes-before-minion-enters-play" doesn't work in that case. Be very careful with stuff like Deathwing, Rend Blackhand and already announced old gods.
Sylvanas Windrunner counters Ragnaros the Firelord badly. Because if you see them on the opposite sides of board, you can be 85% sure that Rag will move on the opposite side. He loves Sylvy. His effect will most likely to hit her no matter what, and she will steal him no matter what. This is just one-sided RNG scenario. If he doest kill her with ability, she will just kiss him and steal.
Mainly Sylvanas Windrunner is used in a lot of decks, but nowadays mostly benefits from N'Zoth, the Corruptor or other deathrattle-oriented decks. So you have to deal with her twice. Very unpleasant, because if you start building board, and enemy resurrects her, you should either clear your own board and her, or add another minion to your opponent's already mighty board.
Another important thing is Sylvanas Windrunner versus enemy enemy's Windrunner. Keep in mind, that the second sylvanas played counters the first one. IF you have a minion of the board, then you play your Sylvanas first, and then your opponent does so, and you run your Banshee Queen into hostile's, your deathrattle triggers first, steals nothing, and then enemy's deathrattle steals your creature. Even if your enemy has that creature (i mean, before contacting 2 sylvanas) instead of you, it will work a bit different, but with the same outcome. Becuse if Sylvas hit each other, your one steals the creature, and then his Sylvanas steals the stolen minion back. Im reminding, SECOND Sylavans Windrunner counters the first one. Dont forget. Even tournament players sometimes do such mistake.
To tie things together, i would like to say that I give Sylvanas Windrunner the first place of Neutral Legendaries. She is very flexible and useful, and fits like 90% of decks, except zoo and aggro. And still can be used there for screwing your opponent up. If you want to craft a legendary, and you choose from several, take a look wether you have Her or not. If you dont - craft her with no doubt. Sylvanas Windrunner is from Expert Set, so she will never cycle out of Standart and will always be like in Top 1-5 list. Never dust her for any reason.
P.S. This is very unique card, so if i miss some stuf in my review, dont be scared of writting about that bellow, i will include this into my "essay". It's hard to keep in mind all the aspects of that card.
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The Expert Set:
Neutral legendaries: Onyxia | Baron Geddon | Malygos | Deathwing | Bloodmage Thalnos | Cairne Bloodhoof | Leeroy Jenkins| Harrison Jones |Sylvanas | Ysera | Ragnaros | Alexstrasza | The Black Knight
Class ones: Al'Akir the Windlord | King Krush | Cenarius | Edwin VanCleef | Archmage Antonidas | Tirion Fordring | Jaraxxus | Prophet Velen[Remastered in 26.10.2016] |Grommash Hellscream
The Whispers of the Old Gods Set:
Neutral legendaries: N'Zoth | Soggoth
Other Sets:
| Kel'Thuzad | Arch-Thief Rafaam |
10
"Did you bring some Totem Golems?"
4
Amazing synergy with Darkshire Councilman