She’s Back — Yet Another Gardevoir in Standard
Hello PokeBeach readers! Isaiah here, and I am happy to be bringing you all another article!
Recently, the final Regional Championship of the Silver Tempest format occurred in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I did not do as well as I’d hoped, finishing in the Top 256 with [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card], but I am now at 280 of the 350 Championship Points needed to be invited to the World Championship, so the event wasn’t a complete loss.
In almost anti-climactic fashion, with all eyes on [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] to close out the format with one last Regional Championship win, it was ultimately [card name=”Hisuian Goodra VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] with the [card name=”Comfey” set=”Lost Origin” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]-focused Lost Zone engine that came out on top. With that event marking the end of the Sword & Shield–block format, we can finally say goodbye to decks like Lugia VSTAR, Lost Zone Box, and [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] …
Just kidding!
Although rotation means the departure of some of Standard’s most powerful cards, such as [card name=”Aurora Energy” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Scoop Up Net” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card], many of the same faces will stick around as top decks. However, to say that the format is identical would also be wrong, with so many new variants and archetypes emerging with the release of Scarlet & Violet. Before we get too deep into this article’s main topic, how about we take a look at some of Standard’s new faces?
The Early Scarlet & Violet Metagame
[cardimg name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This format can be split into two categories: new and old.
The old is the stuff we already know. Lost Zone Box is expected to maintain its place at the top of the metagame, possibly even claiming the title of best deck in format. With so many powerful attackers available to it, such as [card name=”Raikou V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”48″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Dragonite V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card], thanks to [card name=”Mirage Gate” set=”Lost Origin” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card], the deck is able to answer almost everything that threatens the deck’s true main attacker, [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card]. With the departure of Scoop Up Net from Standard, nothing is safe from Sableye anymore, and the card can now completely upend board states in a way it could never do before.
Unlike most decks, Lost Zone Box lost basically nothing to rotation — the most significant loss was Scoop Up Net, which can just be replaced by extra switch effects. [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] also saw few changes with rotation, basically just losing [card name=”Quick Ball” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card]. However, [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] lost a lot. In the last format, it had a legitimate case for being one of the best decks in the game’s history, but it loses a lot of its power to rotation. Nowadays, the deck focuses on a Single Strike package centered around [card name=”Tyranitar V” set=”Battle Styles” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]. While this version is not nearly as potent as the old version, the inherent strength of [card name=”Archeops” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] is enough to keep the deck at the top.
Now, naturally, we must explore the new side of the format. One deck that seems to be on everyone’s mind, for better or for worse, is [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card]. With a remarkable Ability and with [card name=”Electric Generator” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card] to support it as Energy acceleration, it is hard to see a world where Lightning is bad for the foreseeable future, but some people disagree. The deck, ironically, does have some consistency issues, largely due to the lack of a good draw engine among Lightning-type Pokemon. Additionally, having no way to swing a favorable Prize exchange against decks like Lost Zone Box gives Miraidon ex a lot of issues in the current metagame. With that being said, it does have raw power in a way similar to [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] back in 2018, so it’s bound to see some success.
Speaking of popular decks in 2018, one deck in our post-rotation Standard format evokes a similar feeling to the classic [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]: a seemingly inconsistent mess of a Stage 2 deck that is absurdly good if it gets set up. Yes, I am talking about [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]!
Why Gardevoir ex?
It has been a long, long time since I have seen the Pokemon community so divided over the viability of an archetype in the same way that they are about Gardevoir ex. I am in the camp that thinks it’s one of the best decks in the format, so allow me to explain.
First, I want to take a look at the arguments against Gardevoir ex. Generally, the issues that people have are that the deck is inconsistent and that it’s slow. It is pretty hard to refute the former claim. However, I think that some of the consistency issues come with the way lists are being built. Many lists that I see online play [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”name”][/card], which I think is a terrible card in Gardevoir ex. The deck does not need to get four Basics in play on turn two like most decks that play Battle VIP Pass — it just needs two Ralts, and it’s already in a good spot. Battle VIP Pass literally makes zero sense in the deck, and should be replaced with draw Supporters and more viable search cards, such as [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]. If you do this, the consistency spikes dramatically.
As for the issue of being slow, I think this comes from people’s reluctance to abuse the insane power of [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]’s Mirage Step. More often than not, I see people skipping this attack in favor of playing one or maybe two Refinement [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] on as soon as possible. However, I cannot disagree with this line of play more. Establishing a board full of Kirlia with Mirage Step is far more efficient because it leaves you with the option to evolve any Ralts you leave in play on future turns, including with [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card]. In general, I have found the most effective strategy to be using turn two as an “explosion” turn: fill up the discard and draw tons of cards with Refinement and [card name=”Gardevoir” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card]’s Shining Arcana. It is not uncommon to draw around ten cards on turn three (and that’s without playing a Supporter!) and then close out that turn with a huge swing from Gardevoir CRE. The deck’s power once it gets rolling is honestly incredible, and it’s also a blast to play in the process.
Currently, Gardevoir ex would be my number one play for the Europe International Championship this week, so how about we take a look at the list I am currently working with?
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My Gardevoir ex Deck
My Gardevoir deck list is actually relatively standard, but there are some card counts that set it apart. The strategy remains the same: set up Kirlia, discard a bunch of Energy, draw a bunch of cards, and do a ton of damage. Its strength comes from its simplicity, focusing on setting up and using the built-in attackers rather than trying to force a tech attacker.
Deck List
[decklist name=”Gardevoir” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″][pokemon amt=”17″]2x [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Gardevoir” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Ralts” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Ralts” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”59″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Mew” set=”Celebrations” no=”11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Celebrations” no=”16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]2x [card name=”Judge” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”176″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Agatha” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Klara” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Miriam” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Worker” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”167″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Fog Crystal” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Battle Styles” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Carrier” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Emergency Jelly” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”155″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sky Seal Stone” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Champions Festival” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY176″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]11x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Card Inclusions
Three Gardevoir CRE
At this point, three copies of [card name=”Gardevoir” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] is becoming relatively standard, which is good because the card is incredibly important as both a draw engine and the main attacker. Shining Arcana is a great form of draw power, especially once you have gotten enough Energy in the discard and can afford to stop discarding them with Refinement. With Shining Arcana, you can also randomly attach extra Energy in a turn, which can be critical for reaching certain numbers (namely Pokemon VMAX, such as Mew VMAX). I think there is a world where one could reasonably go down to just two copies of Gardevoir and the deck would not cease to function, but I think that you would have to be putting in a really impactful card for it to be worth sacrificing such a critical part of the deck’s functionality.
Ralts Split
One unconventional aspect of my list is that I split my Ralts count, with three [card name=”Ralts” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] from Astral Radiance and one [card name=”Ralts” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card] from Chilling Reign. The reason that I do this is simply paranoia. With a wide-open format with early lists that are heavily focused on consistency, there is a natural tendency for counters to start emerging for specific lists. Current Gardevoir ex lists have no answer to [card name=”Alolan Vulpix VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card], as every attacker has an Ability. As such, I decided to include a single Confuse Ray Ralts in this list, with the hope of confusing an Alolan Vulpix so that I can Knock it Out in the event that they fail to use their attack on any turn. While it’s a long shot that this will ever matter, I also have yet to be negatively impacted by the decision, so at this point I am just waiting for Confuse Ray to bail me out when I need it to the most.
Two Mew
Though I am profoundly anti–Battle VIP Pass, I am still a big advocate for playing [card name=”Mew” set=”Celebrations” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] in Gardevoir, both because it is one of the only decent plays that the deck has on turn one and because it acts as a solid pivot in the middle of the game to dig for an extra utility piece, such as a [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card]. When I first tried Mew in Gardevoir ex, I was so impressed by its strength that I even decided to include a second copy. You almost never use both copies in a game, but the card is good enough that I do not think I would ever cut the second, as prizing it is quite difficult to deal with.
No Manaphy
This might be the biggest hot take in my Gardevoir ex deck list, but hear me out. It’s not super likely that Lost Zone Box decks get to the turn-two Moonlight Shuriken from [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card]. If they do, that can be an issue, but in that case, you are better off swarming the board with more Ralts and Kirlia and then just using Rare Candy and [card name=”Rescue Carrier” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] to recover your game plan. [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] is just so useless in the current meta outside of one specific scenario in one specific matchup, so I have a hard time justifying playing the card.
Agatha and Champion’s Festival
[cardimg name=”Champions Festival” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY176″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Somehow, a previously borderline-unplayable Supporter and Stadium ended up in this deck, so there has to be a pretty good reason, right? Right. These cards are incredible.
As of late, I have seen a lot of heated discussion online about whether or not [card name=”Champions Festival” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY176″ c=”name”][/card] is needed in Gardevoir ex decks, largely because Japanese deck lists were not playing it, so why would we not trust their testing when they have had so much more time than us? Well, the explanation is quite simple: Champions Festival is unaffordable in Japan, similarly to how [card name=”Cram-o-matic” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”229″ c=”name”][/card] was inaccessible in Japan to the point of affecting their early Mew VMAX deck lists.
It is really difficult to illustrate how important Champions Festival is in this deck, but I will do my best to explain it. First off, the card is simply a Stadium to bump [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card], which is a great start. However, not only that, but the card also completely changes the deck’s math. When using Psychic Embrace on Gardevoir, you can bring it to 120 damage, or 20 HP remaining, effectively wasting an attachment because it does not have 10 more HP. In a way, Champions Festival “adds” that HP by healing the Gardevoir down to 110 damage, giving you that one extra attachment. The next question, naturally, is if this extra Energy matters, and it does, a lot. With the attachment for turn, a Gardevoir without Champions Festival has a damage cap of 270 without the use of Shining Arcana. On the flip side, with Champions Festival, the damage is pushed to 300, which breaks the critical point needed to take a one-hit Knock Out on Pokemon VSTAR, which makes many matchups far simpler.
In a similar vein, [card name=”Agatha” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] is quite good in this deck because it moves damage from Gardevoir to the opponent. Because it heals specifically 30, the card allows you to attach two extra Energy to a Gardevoir, allowing it to reach 300 without having to attach from hand. With damage that you moved with Agatha, you can reach for a Mew VMAX without ever needing to attach from your hand, which is something that essentially ends the game if it ever works out. [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Celebrations” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] can clean up from there.
Klara and Miriam
Pokemon recovery in this deck is a bit confusing, but these two alongside [card name=”Rescue Carrier” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] have felt like a good package. [card name=”Klara” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] is definitely the better of the two cards, as it puts the Pokemon directly into your hand, giving you instant access to more Evolutions and Energy attachments immediately after a big Knock Out. I am far more confident in Klara than I am in [card name=”Miriam” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card], but Miriam has its applications too. In some games, you will discard a lot of Pokemon, and in those games, Miriam is able to bail you out more effectively, typically getting back around two Gardevoir Evolution lines. This means you get two more attackers for the rest of the game, which is almost certainly enough to close out the game without risking running out of attackers. I did not love playing Miriam at first, but over time, I have grown to appreciate it a lot, and plan on continuing to work with this current split for the foreseeable future.
Worker
At first I thought this card was abysmal, but it has grown on me. As a generic draw Supporter, albeit not a powerful one, this card is already decent in this deck, but with the effect of discarding a Stadium, the card is perfect for getting rid of problematic [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card], which is otherwise a huge problem for Gardevoir ex. However, unlike another Stadium or [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], Worker can be recovered with [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card], meaning that it is effectively two answers to Path to the Peak at the expense of just one deck slot, which makes the inclusion exceptionally worthwhile because it opens up more space in the deck list.
Four Rare Candy
Another bizarre inclusion in my deck list is the decision to play four [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card]. In online communities as of late, there has been a discussion as to whether or not it is even worth playing Rare Candy at all, with most players who do play it just playing one or two copies of the card. I have decided to step it up and play four copies, and it has been genuinely incredible. In this deck, the most important thing is to stream Gardevoir so that you can maintain a stable draw engine for the entire game, but as the game progresses, it becomes more difficult to keep the draw engine alive. It normally takes three turns to re-establish a Gardevoir after one goes down, which is usually way more work than it is worth. With a heavy count of Rare Candy, though, a new Gardevoir can hit the board every other turn with ease, making for an extremely stable loop of Gardevoir which helps the deck deal with a lot of the problems it can have with running out of steam.
Conclusion
In the new format, [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] remains one of my favorite decks. With its brute power, fun gameplay, and general strength in the metagame, Gardevoir ex is one of the best decks to start with if you are just getting into the new format. With the Europe International Championship on the horizon, I expect this deck to see a fair amount of success, perhaps even being good enough to take down the whole event.
With that, this article comes to a close. I hope you enjoyed giving this one a read, as I always love getting to write about my favorite archetypes. As always, if you have any questions, reach out in the Subscriber’s Hideout, on Twitter (@ICheville), or on Facebook (Zaya Lee).
Until next time!
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