Sylvan Library

Enchantment

At the beginning of your draw step, you may draw two additional cards. If you do, choose two cards in your hand drawn this turn. For each of those cards, pay 4 life or put the card on top of your library.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Oldschool 93/94	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (46)

KongMing on Cut Off One Head and Two More Shall Take Its Place

2 weeks ago

I also use Garruk's Uprising in my Zaxara deck for the great card replacement it gives. It sounds crazy, but I'd maybe cut Sylvan Library for it - you can potentially draw more cards off the Uprising (including on opponent's turns) and, rather than losing life, it gives you wide Trample, so it's not a dead card if you draw it while fishing for a wincon Turn 7-9.

Flarhoon13 on For all Intet's Purposes, Dreaming Dragons

4 weeks ago

Intet lost, should have mulliganed probably. Land screwed, cast Devastation Tide twice after Reclaiming it. Sylvan Library didn't find a land and so I missed a couple land drops. Taylor's Altair Ibn-La'Ahad deck did work with those exiled assassins but Thomas took it down with Frodo, Adventurous Hobbit and Sam, Loyal Attendant.

bankrupt_on_selling on Mayael's Opera House

1 month ago

I like playing mayael and I love looking at decklists for new ideas and to contrast and compare. How come you don't play Sylvan Library?

KongMing on Group hug but snake, so Boa Constrictor

2 months ago

Hey, another recommendation I just realized as I was reading the card: Sylvan Library. The effect is worded, "choose two cards in your hand drawn this turn." That means effects that draw you extra cards on draw step, like from Kami of the Crescent Moon, would feed into that pool, effectively expanding your selection of cards to put back on your topdeck. In the Kami example, instead of putting 2 of 3 cards on your topdeck, you're choosing 2 of 4. It's an interesting synergy that adds more asymmetry to the Group Hug effects, besides Sylvan Library being a fantastic way to generate card advantage.

From the Gatherer Rulings:

12/8/2022	If you control other triggered abilities that allow you to draw cards during your draw step, you can choose to order Sylvan Library's ability before or after those abilities. Triggered abilities controlled by other players will resolve before triggered abilities you control.

bankrupt_on_selling on Lathril's Dark Elfball

2 months ago

Skyshroud Poacher seems really good. Sylvan Library is really good. Nurturing Peatland seems worthy.

NV_1980 on Sigarda, Font of Blessings

3 months ago

Hi, I was curious about this deck so I played a few test-games with it. Mostly I was wondering whether it had enough momentum. After five test-games I found that it might be a bit lacking on this front. This is not surprising since it doesn't carry that many ramp/mana source cards. In terms of additional draw, it could also use some work.

For mana/ramp, I'd recommend Delighted Halfling, Birds of Paradise, Burgeoning, Exploration, Nature's Lore and/or Three Visits. For additional draw/filtering, perhaps cards like Mirri's Guile, Scroll Rack, Sensei's Divining Top or Sylvan Library.

It's also easier to share abilities between creatures when you include Odric, Lunarch Marshal. Good luck with this brew.

Mortlocke on Is my deck off putting …

3 months ago

Baron777,

I run a wide array of decks at varying levels of strength or competitiveness. Every game I start I ask these 3 questions:

1. What's your mana base? I only care if my opponent has Fetchlands or ABUR Duals or something like that. That will inform me of their budget at least

2. What're your strongest/most expensive cards? I'm looking for any of the usual suspects of expensive staples like Sylvan Library, Exquisite Blood, Smothering Tithe, Deflecting Swat or Rhystic Study. The inclusion of any tutors and of course land destruction will definitely inform me of the strength of the opponent's deck.

3. What are your deck's themes? I proudly run an Infect deck, as well as Slivers. There are many players I've encountered who absolutely do not want to see the wonders those decks have to offer. Simply knowing that a player's deck is Mono-blue control, or Stax is enough.

Magic and especially Commander is a social game. Interaction isn't just in the form of an Instant or Sorcery - agreeing on an expected experience together at the table is always the first step.

hyalopterouslemur on MASSIVE EDH RC ban list …

4 months ago

TBH, I usually don't support bans, but in Mana Crypt's case, yeah, it's arguably past time. And I've done basic land, Sol Ring, signet once, but at least I couldn't play anything else with my four mana that turn. Mana Crypt is arguably worse since you now have three mana available on turn 1.

Jeweled Lotus has the same problems as all lotoi: Three mana for nothing is just too much.

Mortlocke says... "This new found RC philosophy which desires to force players into slower games might continue with the sudden banning additional favorites like Mana Drain, Sylvan Library, or Smothering Tithe."

That's actually pretty funny, I actually think of Sylvan Library as somewhat overrated. It's great if you can either double your card draw or consistently scry/reshuffle the rejected cards away, but otherwise, you will have the same two remaining cards, just with a new one on the bottom. Unless you're paying 4 (or 8) life every turn.