Psychic Embracing Gardevoir ex for Milwaukee and Fresno

By: Charlie Lockyer · Posted May 29, 2023 at 6:01 PM · 0 Comments

Hey everyone! It’s Charlie and I’m happy to be back with another article for the first time in a while! I just finished a long semester of school and finally got the chance to play in another Regionals last weekend in Hartford. I, unfortunately, finished 5-2-2 after a 5-0-1 start playing [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. While I missed Day 2, Justin Lambert was able to carry the list to bubble Top 64 and I still think the deck is incredibly powerful. Gardevoir ex has been incredibly slept on after Tord Reklev took it to the finals of EUIC, mostly because of its perceived terrible matchup against Lost Box / [card name=”Kyogre” set=”Celebrations” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], but I promise you the deck didn’t get any weaker! Since then, I’ve taken the deck to a League Cup win and another Top 8 finish, beating plenty of Lost Box along the way. I think this deck is still amazing due to its incredible consistency, options to approach matchups in different ways, and raw power that’s unrivaled in the current format.

Hartford Rundown

[cardimg name=”Umbreon VMAX” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”TG23″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Here were the matchups I faced during my Hartford run:

Lost Box WW 1-0
Control WW 2-0
[card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] WW 3-0
[card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Duraludon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Umbreon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] WLT 3-0-1
[card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Duraludon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Umbreon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] WW 4-0-1
[card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] WW 5-0-1
[card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Umbreon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] WLL 5-1-1
[card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] WLT 5-1-2
Lost Box LL 5-2-2

As you can see, I faced a lot of different decks throughout the day, most notably 3 Arceus VSTAR lists featuring Umbreon VMAX. I wasn’t prepared to play against those variants of the deck, but I feel like the matchup is still workable for Gardevoir ex assuming you get off to a solid start. I also faced 2 Lugia VSTAR lists and 2 Lost Boxes, both of which featured [card name=”Dragonite V” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card] and Kyogre. I was able to beat the first Lost Box convincingly in two games, but I drew terrible hands and was donked by the second one in my win and in. Gardevoir ex decks don’t brick that often, but when they do, you have just about no chance of winning, so it was unfortunate that it happened in such an important match.

My Gardevoir ex List

While my list is relatively generic, I have a few major differences from the lists most people play that I’d love to talk about below. Here’s the list I played to Hartford and plan to play at my upcoming League Cup events:

[decklist name=”Gardevoir ex” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″][pokemon amt=”19″]3x [card name=”Ralts” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Ralts” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”67″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Gardevoir” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Gallade” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Celebrations” no=”16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Celebrations” no=”11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”30″]4x [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Fog Crystal” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sky Seal Stone” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Champion’s Path” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Judge” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”176″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Shining Fates” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Worker” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”167″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Miriam” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”179″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Penny” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]11x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card][/energy][/decklist]This list is only two cards different from Tord Reklev’s EUIC list; I cut a [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] and a Psychic Energy to play [card name=”Gallade” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] and a third [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card]. Here is my thought process behind each card, including why I made some of the changes I did and also chose not to make certain changes from Tord’s list:

[premium]

Two Ralts ASR, One Ralts SIT

[cardimg name=”Ralts” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”67″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Ralts” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] with Memory Skip is absolutely still an important inclusion; even if [card name=”Alolan Vulpix VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t running rampant, Memory Skip can provide so much utility in certain matchups. I used it a lot into [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] decks when I wasn’t able to do much meaningful damage on an early turn because there wasn’t enough Energy in my discard, which forced them to find [card name=”Switch” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”194″ c=”name”][/card] or retreat into a different attacker.

The ten damage also means you need one fewer Energy to KO Arceus VSTAR or [card name=”Umbreon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] with Storm Slash or Brainwave, which can be the difference between winning and losing in a matchup all about pace. There’s also no major downside to playing this Ralts, since Lost Box can’t take a double kill without [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card], at which point they can do it on two of the 70 HP [card name=”Ralts” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] as well.

Four Kirlia SIT

Trade is still as broken as ever on [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card]; this Ability is what makes the entire deck function. I chose not to play a [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] with Mirage Step because this list is built to get a [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] out on T2 and you don’t usually have time to fall that far behind. I think Mirage Step Kirlia could be much better in future iterations of the deck (Reversal Energy helps a lot), but for now, the four copies of Kirlia with Refinement provides max consistency.

Two Gardevoir ex

One of the most insane Energy acceleration Abilities ever is featured on [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], and this deck aims to take full advantage of it with two copies. You only actually attack with Gardevoir ex in the Lost Box matchup or to win a game with the 190 damage it provides, so usually Gardevoir ex is just sitting on your Bench and powering up other attackers. I haven’t felt a need for more than two of these, and if prizing it wasn’t an issue, I might even cut down to one. Two feels like the right number and the deck would need to change a lot (which it can next format?) if we were to cut down to one.

One Gardevoir ASR

I know that a lot of people love this card, but I don’t use it nearly enough to warrant playing two. [card name=”Gardevoir” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] can do a lot of damage and act as a single-Prize version of [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Celebrations” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card], but the lack of HP limits your damage output a lot and you can’t use [card name=”Sky Seal Stone” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] on it, which is important against Arceus VSTAR decks. Shining Arcana continues to be powerful, however, and evolving a Kirlia to gain HP is extremely powerful when we live in a world with [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] running around. I may also be underestimating its power, as I know a lot of my friends swear by playing two of these, and the few times I was able to use it in Hartford, I won the game because it was in my deck. You should absolutely be playing at least one of these, and two may be warranted as well, but for now, I’m gonna keep it at one because the next card I’m about to talk about is in its spot.

One Gallade ASR

[card name=”Gallade” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] is a card not found in many Gardevoir ex lists, but the support it provides can be invaluable in certain matchups, and having a card that searches for Supporters from the deck EVERY TURN is amazing! I originally added it for the Lost Box matchup; here was the original reasoning behind it:

[cardimg name=”Gallade” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”62″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Early game, you’ll want to use [card name=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]’s Moonglow Reverse to KO a [card name=”Comfey” set=”Lost Origin” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card], so attach a Psychic Energy to an extra [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] on your Bench, then move the 20 off of it with Moonglow Reverse.
The next turn (or later), you can evolve it into Gallade. With another use of Psychic Embrace and a manual attachment, you’ll now have a Gallade with 140 HP remaining, which is out of range of every single-Prize attacker in common Lost Box lists besides [card name=”Kyogre” set=”Celebrations” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card]. This can be a great attacker, and it also moves an Energy to your Gardevoir ex with Swirling Slice, giving you the chance to promote it later with less damage.
In combination with this, you can use Buddy Catch to search for [card name=”Judge” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card], making it harder for Lost Box to put together a KO the next turn. If you trade evenly with Lost Box for the whole game, you’ll usually win. You only get into trouble when they do 2-for-1s with Greninja and Sableye. Hand disruption helps this a lot.

While that’s mostly specific to the Lost Box matchup, Gallade can also do these things:

Against decks that try to disrupt your hand and combine it with [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card], you can search [card name=”Worker” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card] to remove the Stadium and get back to attacking!
In the early game, finding your one-of Supporters like Judge and [card name=”Miriam” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] is helpful, and simply putting Gallade down makes these easy to do. You don’t even have to worry about drawing a dead hand off your Judge since you can Buddy Catch again the next turn!
[card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card] can almost act like [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] when Gallade is in play; use it to recover any Supporter you played and then immediately search it with Buddy Catch. This allows for back-to-back [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Shining Fates” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] turns to be much simpler and you can even set up the Supporter you plan to play the following turn in the deck as well, which Gallade conveniently searches as well!

Overall, I found Gallade to be a strong inclusion, and while I recognize the arguments against it (needing to keep a Kirlia in play in many matchups to evolve into baby Gardevoir or [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], lack of Bench space, etc), I still think the card is worth playing, especially into a BO3 environment like a Regionals.

Two Zacian V

While I know Tord and the Limitless crew recently only played one [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Celebrations” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] in Malmö, I still think two copies is the best way to play this card. In almost every matchup, Zacian V is your main attacker — it’s a Basic with an insane attack that caps out at an insane 390 damage in this list! You can use it early game to get Energy in play with Roar of the Sword, and even take an extra Prize Card against VMAX and VSTAR decks using Sky Seal Stone. Even with something like [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] in Tord’s new list, I wouldn’t want to cut below two Zacian V due to cards like [card name=”Lost City” set=”Lost Origin” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] seeing much more play. Zacian V is good and you should attack with it a lot!

One Cresselia

[cardimg name=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Cresellia is a card that I thought was unnecessary when I first picked up the deck, but this card has continued to amaze me every time I play Gardevoir ex. While it was added as an amazing Lost Box attacker, Cresselia can do so much more than just Moonglow Reverse on Comfey and Sableye.

It’s amazing in the mirror match to Moonglow Reverse opposing Kirlia, and when on the Bench in the early game against Lost Box alongside Radiant Greninja, you can prevent [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Battle Styles” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] from letting your opponent cheese a Prize with [card name=”Cramorant” set=”Lost Origin” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] by simply promoting Cresselia or Radiant Greninja. This is super important when it comes to getting ahead in the Prize trade, and you can even do other cheeky tricks to get ahead in Prize trades like using it to KO [card name=”Skwovet” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card] in the [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] matchup! While I’m not so in love with the card that I want to play two, it’s an absolute staple in a good Gardevoir ex list for the foreseeable future.

One Lumineon V

While I’m personally not a fan of [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck, it’s a necessary evil and I’m gonna have to keep it in the list as a bailout card. Finding draw Supporters in the early game can be tough, and Lumineon V’s inclusion makes it plus the three [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] you play into live outs for Supporters. You can also remove it from play late in the game with [card name=”Penny” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], so it’s not completely deadweight once on the board. I’d keep this card in the list for insurance purposes; cut it at your own risk!

One Radiant Greninja

[card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] continues to be an absolutely insane Radiant Pokemon that provides you an extra Refinement-style Ability. Since Psychic Energy are often Refinement targets anyways, Radiant Greninja ends up a critical piece of your draw engine and provides a lot of extra consistency in the early game. The only thing you need to watch out for is not being able to retreat it; if you have no Psychic Energy left in your deck or hand, it will be impossible to move it without the aid of Penny. If your Penny is gone, make sure you watch out for this play, because savvy opponents can take advantage of this and get you when you least expect it. Regardless though, Radiant Greninja is amazing and absolutely the best Radiant that Gardevoir ex could play.

One Mew

[card name=”Mew” set=”Celebrations” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] was another card that I didn’t fully understand when I first picked up the deck, and I often found myself ignoring it in favor of more [card name=”Ralts” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] or my Radiant Greninja, however, Mew is an amazing pivot since it basically has a free retreat for a few turns with Psychic Embrace putting Energy on it, and the extra Item card with Mysterious Tail can be the difference a lot of times. It can help you find [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”name”][/card] on turn one, it can help you find a dead Item late in the game to discard with Refinement, and it can find critical pieces like [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card] that are hiding in your deck at the end of the game. You don’t like to bench Mew in the Lost Box matchup, but in pretty much every other matchup, Mew is amazing and should be on the board. It’s also the best starter in the deck, so I definitely think it’s worth the spot.

One Manaphy

[card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] is unfortunately a necessary evil in a format where Radiant Greninja and [card name=”Kyogre” set=”Celebrations” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] are both powerful forces, so it still finds its way into the list. You only really like to bench Manaphy on turns before you expect Radiant Greninja to become relevant, otherwise, it’s Refinement fodder. I always hate having to include this card in lists, but not playing Manaphy would be the same thing as asking to lose, so it’s still included.

Three Rare Candy

[cardimg name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”256″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This is the other difference from Tord’s EUIC list, and I think this one might be the most important. I can’t understand for the life of me how everyone is able to hit turn-two Gardevoir ex consistently with only two [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card], adding the third was the biggest single improvement to the deck’s consistency I found when making adjustments.

If you want Lost Box to be favorable, you need to be attacking turn two, which you can only do if you start [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Celebrations” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] and get three Energy through attachments and Roar of the Sword, or set up Gardevoir ex. You can absolutely do the first route, but I almost always prefer having Gardevoir ex in play, so play a third Rare Candy and thank me later. My list also has a fourth Stage 2 in [card name=”Gallade” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card], so sometimes you use two Rare Candy in a game, making the third even better.

Four Battle VIP Pass

While I tested a variant of this deck that didn’t include [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”name”][/card] at all, I was unfortunately underwhelmed by the lack of great turn ones without it. [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] is uniquely equipped to take advantage of Battle VIP Pass because it’s an easy card to discard with Refinement in the late game, so I don’t have nearly as much of a problem including it here than I do in some other decks. When you draw it in ~40% of opening hands, your start is significantly better and you can use Mew to dig for it if need be. I wouldn’t cut this count down unless you plan to build your deck around Mirage Step [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card].

Four Level Ball, Three Fog Crystal

I’m grouping these together because I’ve tested flipping these counts a few times, but I think I prefer the slight consistency boost of a fourth [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] over the extra [card name=”Fog Crystal” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card]. I may try flipping them back because of only eleven Energy, but Level Ball being able to get Kirlia makes all the difference. Unless you find space to max both these counts out, I wouldn’t make any major changes to this count.

Three Ultra Ball

While I’d like four of these as well, I can’t find the space to add an extra. You draw enough cards to get by without more of these since the only cards that it exclusively searches are your Stage 2 Pokemon, but a fourth would be nice. I do notice it’s sometimes hard to find enough cards to discard when you play [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”name”][/card], so oftentimes I use all my Refinement Abilities before I play it so I can find more cards to discard and possibly draw what I wanted to search instead.

One Pal Pad

[card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] is one of the cards that I wish I could have more of. Especially when combined with Gallade, Pal Pad is probably one of the single most powerful cards in the deck, and I find myself missing it whenever I have to discard it early or I prize it. Pal Pad should never be cut given how many tech Supporters we play, and if you find yourself playing a second, I wouldn’t fault you for doing so.

One Sky Seal Stone

While I see many lists now opting for [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] over [card name=”Sky Seal Stone” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card], I think they’re making a huge oversight. I tested Forest Seal Stone myself, and while it was a nice luxury, Sky Seal Stone is so critical in the [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] matchups that I could never imagine life without it. Don’t cut Sky Seal Stone if you want to beat VMAX and VSTAR decks consistently.

One Penny

[cardimg name=”Penny” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”252″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Penny” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] is a card that you don’t always see the value for instantly, but it’s a powerful inclusion for multiple reasons.

Healing a [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Celebrations” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] against Lost Box can get you ahead in the Prize trade by an extra turn, and [card name=”Penny” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] also gets you out of the doomsday Radiant Greninja situation I discussed earlier by providing an out to move it from the Active when you have no Energy left (or you’re locked by [card name=”Mawile” set=”Lost Origin” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card]).

I went back and forth on playing this card over Serena, and I eventually settled on Penny. Not sure if you should play it in a League Cup meta, but it’s definitely good in a Regionals meta since it can do a lot of niche things and give you an out against Control decks.

Three Professor’s Research

While I would like the four copies that Tord has, I think three is enough, and other cards are more important. With so many backup options like [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] and Gallade, I’m willing to take the risk that my start is dead because I’m lacking the fourth Professor’s Research. Before I play another Professor’s Research, I’d be adding a [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] since it offers a weaker, but similar insurance draw and gives you a second gust effect.

One Judge, One Roxanne

The two disruption Supporters of choice let you use a weaker effect early in the game and a stronger one at the end, so a one-one split is a great pairing. I wouldn’t want to change this at all; both these cards serve their own purpose and Pal Pad is able to recycle both, so disruption is available throughout the game.

One Boss’s Orders

I hate only playing one [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] in my deck, but here there isn’t much space for more. You can still use two in a game, and honestly, you don’t play Boss’s Orders that often when you usually KO the Active. If I added another, it would be the Serena I mentioned earlier instead.

One Worker

Please do not cut [card name=”Worker” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card] from your deck! Especially with Gallade, it becomes the best way to remove [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] if you don’t draw the counter Stadium raw. It also draws three, which can honestly be a great effect in the middle of the game. I know the card looks weak on paper, but it plays a critical role in this deck’s ability to resist Path to the Peak, so please keep it!

One Miriam

[card name=”Miriam” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] is a surprisingly strong recovery Supporter, mostly because of the amazing draw power that the draw-three effect gives. When your deck is small at the end of the game, you can set it up so you’re guaranteed to draw the Pokemon you need to win the game through Miriam’s draw effect and maybe a few uses of Refinement. Even when we get [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] back in the next set, Miriam still may have a place in this deck!

One Collapsed Stadium, One Temple of Sinnoh

[cardimg name=”Champions Festival” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM78″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This Stadium split has felt optimal to me for a while now.

Even with access to [card name=”Champions Festival” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM78″ c=”name”][/card], I think [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] each provide an invaluable utility that you can’t go without. Collapsed Stadium allows you to discard a damaged Pokemon like a [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] or Zacian V in the Lost Box matchup, and Temple of Sinnoh is powerful when combined with [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] against Lugia VSTAR, so I think both are important to play.

If I were to really want Champions Festival, I’d cut the Temple of Sinnoh, but I don’t think it’s important enough.

There are discussions about the availability of Champions festival, but we won’t address that here today.

Eleven Psychic Energy

The original list played twelve Energy, but I feel like eleven is fine, especially with [card name=”Hisuian Goodra VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] decks on the decline. You only actually need ten at a time to take every KO (ten is required for Hisuian Goodra VSTAR, nine for most VMAXes, etc), so eleven is cutting it close, but almost always close enough. If you prize a lot of Energy, you can get into trouble, but I think this is a worthwhile sacrifice to play other cards that make the deck better.

Conclusion

I definitely think Gardevoir ex is in a good position going into Milwaukee and Fresno. It doesn’t take any terrible matchups, and Fusion Strike [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] decks are no worse for it than regular Mew VMAX decks, so the only new force that affects it a lot would be the [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Umbreon VMAX” set=”Evolving Skies” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] decks. With [card name=”Sky Seal Stone” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] as an option, this matchup is no worse than 50-50, so there’s not much I’m truly terrified of going forward. Gardevoir ex does have a pretty high skill floor, so if you plan on playing the deck, make sure you get a lot of practice in with it before the event.

I hope you enjoyed reading this article on my favorite deck in the format right now! If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the Subscriber’s Hideout or message me on Twitter (@C4_TCG). Thank you so much for reading and I hope to be back soon!

– Charlie

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