It Gets Better and Better — Gardevoir ex after Paldea Evolved
Hello all PokeBeach readers! Here is Gabriel Semedo again with another Pokémon TCG article and this time I’m going to talk about the success of [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] and how this deck gets even better with the arrival of the new Paldea Evolved set.
Gardevoir ex in the Paldea Evolved Format
[cardimg name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”245″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Usually, at the end of the format, we are already tired of always playing with the same decks, encountering the same game situations, and losing or winning for the same reasons, however, in this specific format I didn’t even see time pass and I felt the game was interesting every time sat at the table to play. One of the big factors in this was Gardevoir ex — from the moment I played with the deck for the first time, I enjoyed its gameplay, and at the same time, I realized that I would have a lot to learn to master the deck.
Three months after its release, I still enjoy playing Gardevoir ex as if it was a brand new deck, and the best part is that in the Paldea Evolved format the deck will be even stronger and more consistent.
One of the things I like about Gardevoir ex in the format is that unlike [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] last season, the deck is not simply superior to the others, on the contrary, if you look at the results, Gardevoir ex is not even in the top 3 most successful decks of the format, however, it is a deck that manages to win tournaments in the hands of skilled players. Gardevoir ex is a deck that stands out much more for its complex and fun gameplay than for its strength and consistency.
I’m seriously enjoying playing Gardevoir ex, and because of that I end up talking to many players and friends about the subject, and one of these subjects gave me the idea to write today’s article. Some of the players I coach came to me asking the same thing; learning to play Gardevoir ex in the Paldea Evolved format. In all cases these players would have liked to have learned to play Gardevoir from the past format, but because of the complexity and calendar of tournaments preferred to focus on decks with established gameplay, such as Lugia VSTAR and [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]. Bearing that in mind, I believe that everyone could benefit from picking the deck up in this format, so if you want a good opportunity to start playing Gardevoir ex, this article can help you.
In addition, I will do a new analysis of the Gardevoir ex deck and review new and old concepts and ideas that can be incorporated into the deck. Remember that [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] with the Mirage Step attack that searches for other Kirlia? In Japan, it has been used again and with success. What about the impact of the new [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”188″ c=”name”][/card] cards to the deck? These and several other cards will be reviewed below, as well as revealing the list I’m currently using with Paldea Evolved.
Gardevoir is Winning in Japan
The starting point to understand how [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] is performing in the format with Paldea Evolved is, as always, looking at Japan. =Gardevoir won a tournament of 2750 people out there and also made the final at the Japan Nationals with 1960 people.
The success in these big and expressive tournaments is a big factor in showing that yes, Gardevoir ex remains one of the best decks in the format. You can see Yoshiyuki’s Championship-winning list below:
Yoshiyuki’s Gardevoir ex List
[decklist name=”Yoshiyuki Gardevoir” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″][pokemon amt=”17″]2x [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Gardevoir” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]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]1x [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Celebrations” no=”16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Celebrations” no=”11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”31″]4x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Worker” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”167″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]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=”Fog Crystal” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”256″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”188″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]11x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card]1x [card name=”Reversal Energy” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Yoshiyuki’s list has similarities with the list I used to make Top 64 at Santiago Regionals in Chile, obviously without [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”188″ c=”name”][/card], but I was already playing without [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] and with three [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card].
With no doubt, this Gardevoir ex list is good and will be a reference for the Gardevoir ex lists that will be used in the Worlds Championships.
Back to the Start
We already have a good reference for Paldea Evolved [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], and we also have a good track record of Gardevoir ex in western tournaments, so I realized that now was the time to gather and calmly organize all this information. To begin with, it’s important to define the skeleton list of Gardevoir ex you intend to use, to know what can change and what not at all. Next is to analyze all the options available and define the last spots of the list…
Gardevoir ex Skeleton List
[decklist name=”Skelly Garde” amt=”56″ caption=”” cname=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″][pokemon amt=”17″]2x [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Gardevoir” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]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]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Celebrations” no=”11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Celebrations” no=”16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”28″]3x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Worker” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”167″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Boss’s Orders (Ghetsis)” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Battle Styles” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Fog Crystal” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”188″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”182″ 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=”Crown Zenith” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Free Spots: 4
Analysis of Options
One 60 HP ‘Memory Skip’ Ralts
The benefit of this attack is that it can be useful in an unexpected situation, but I confess that these situations have never happened to me and I’ve been using the deck for months, however, it is a fact that this attack has real potential to be good against [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], which have few switching cards.
[cardimg name=”Ralts” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”67″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
The bad part of using this [card name=”Ralts” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] is its 10 fewer HP, something that makes a slight difference in the matchups against Lost Box. It is possible to avoid this drawback by benching this Ralts early to not take damage from [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card], and later the idea is to take this Ralts out of the discard with [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”188″ c=”name”][/card] so that the opponent cannot bring it back with an eventual [card name=”Echoing Horn” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card]. In the mirror match, there is also the disadvantage that the opponent’s [card name=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] needs one fewer Energy attachment from Gardevoir ex to KO it.
Generally speaking, it is difficult to say that I lost games because of Ralts’s 60 HP, maybe I never lost, but it is a fact that in one game or another, those 10 fewer HP facilitated the Knock Out of my opponent. I have seen some games where this Ralts won otherwise losing games, and because of that I prefer to keep it in my list, but I completely understand if you prefer to use only 70 HP Ralts — I believe that both cases are correct.
[premium]
Four ‘Refinement’ Kirlia
It would be perfectly plausible to use only three [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] in my skeleton list, but for that, the list needs to have at least three [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card], and even then I wouldn’t want to do that. The second turn is the most important and decisive turn for a [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] deck, as it is in this turn that it has the most difficulty doing what it must do and because of that, using four Kirlia that draw cards is a good way to improve consistency for turn-two, even though in most cases you’ll only use two Kirlia plus a Rare Candy for a Gardevoir.
Does Mirage Step Kirlia Deserve a Chance Now?
In every beginning of a new format, it is inevitable that our attention will not turn to the giant tournaments in Japan, and there it was possible to see Gardevoir ex players again using the [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] with the Mirage Step attack. This attack allows you to seek three other Kirlia from the deck and put them on the Bench. Now with much more experience with the deck, I could observe with a more critical eye if this Kirlia is actually worth the slot of a Kirlia that draws a card.
To my surprise, I saw this Kirlia make a huge difference in the Top 16.
In a Gardevoir ex mirror match, the player who used Mirage Step started second and despite the disadvantage, he was the winner of the match because the advantage of having more Ralts and Kirlia on the field surpassed the advantage of the opponent having started the match and attacked first.
In general, the setup of Gardevoir ex’s deck is already quite satisfactory and you will rarely need this attack to restore a bad setup. I liked seeing this attack being used as a form of aggressive setup, that is, designed to purposely establish a field with six Kirlia and Ralts to then cause as much pressure as possible to the opponent. This is a move that makes even more sense if your version of Gardevoir ex is Mewtwo V-Union, which only uses one copy of Rare Candy or no copies at all.
In my Top 64 in Santiago Regional, I used three copies of Rare Candy on my list simply to increase the chances of finding this card in the second turn and start attacking, as I saw that it was the best way to win Lost Box and the mirror match, so my strategy goes completely the opposite of the Mirage Step Kirlia.
Two ‘Shining Arcana’ Gardevoir
[cardimg name=”Gardevoir” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”61″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Tord Reklev reached the EUIC final with only one [card name=”Gardevoir” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card], showing that the deck doesn’t need the second copy, however, right after that tournament all other lists that had expressive results started to present two copies. Even though in practice you only need one on the field, it was seen that it was increasingly important that you have access to this Pokémon whenever needed. The indirect benefit of having two copies in the deck ends up being better access to cards or the fact that you have two on the field and thus have more draw power.
Even so, if I made a skeleton list in the previous format, I would only keep a single copy of Shining Arcana Garevoir, because in general [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Celebrations” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] ends up doing a more effective job — now with [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”188″ c=”name”][/card] back in the format I feel comfortable using only one Zacian V and two copies of Shining Arcana Gardevoir. Thanks to Super Rod, it is possible to evolve a greater number of Kirlia and Gardevoir throughout the game and with greater ease, as it is an Item. Before, with only one copy of [card name=”Miriam” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] you had to plan well before using this Supporter, because in most cases it was your only opportunity to recover Pokémon, and it would have to be on a turn when you didn’t need to use a more important Supporter like [card name=”Boss’s Orders (Ghetsis)” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card].
Another advantage of Super Rod is that you now have greater control over the Shining Arcana’s ability to hit Basic Psychic Energy. At the end of the game when you have few cards in the deck, you can use your two copies of Super Rod to return up to six Psychic Energy to the deck — your chances of accelerating Energy through the Ability increases a lot, and the advantage of this is to allow Shining Arcana Gardevoir to Knock Out anything your opponent has in the Active Spot.
Against Lost Box, you want to avoid powering up by taking damage, so you use both [card name=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and Shining Arcana Gardevoir to set up your board with Energy without leaving damage in play.
Gallade
For a few weeks, I considered using [card name=”Gallade” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] in my deck and used this Pokémon in every local tournament and playtest I played. The idea was to use this Pokémon in place of [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], because against Lost Box I would like to find all the important Supporters in the matchup on the right turns, such as [card name=”Judge” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Penny” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Miriam” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card]. Also, I wasn’t enjoying playing Lumineon V on the field because I was losing games for that, and Gallade would be another option to evolve my Kirlia, plus there’s also the fact that Gallade has 160 HP and has a good attack to Knock Out single-Prize Pokémon.
There were a few games against Lost Box that I won simply because of Gallade, and in most games, this Pokémon didn’t make a difference. There was a local tournament where I decided to play with just one copy of Shining Arcana Gardevoir and a Gallade, and I ended up not winning the tournament because my Gardevoir was stuck in the Prizes and Gallade couldn’t hit the numbers I need. If you choose to use Gallade, keep using two Gardevoir as these Pokémon do different jobs.
In general, it is an unnecessary Pokémon and the consistency is already offered by [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] and Gardevoir. The attack also doesn’t have much use, and you always have more interesting options. It was worth it against Lost Box alone, but in this matchup, you have much more important things to worry about before focusing on bringing Gallade into the field. It’s worth considering Gallade if your list is well diversified in terms of Supporter, with [card name=”Avery” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Agatha” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card], Penny, Judge, Arven, or any other option that might be interesting in a given situation.
At Least Three Iono
[cardimg name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”269″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Needless to say, [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] is the most impactful card in the set and one of the decks that benefits the most is [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. Now the deck has one of the best draw Supporter for the early game, and one of the best end-game disruption Supporters. Most lists use four copies simply because it’s a card that has almost no downside, because even if you can help your opponent a little in the beginning by giving them a new six-card hand, you know that the main focus is your setup and that later you will be able to punish the opponent effectively, using Iono to giving them only one or two cards at the end.
You don’t always want to use Iono at the beginning of the game, because there is an even stronger and more aggressive Supporter that can provide an even better setup; [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card]. On the first and second turns, Professor’s Research is more versatile as you can discard resources from your hand, thus setting up your Gardevoir ex to use Psychic Embrace.
Iono at first seems like the perfect Supporter, but I believe that with time it will be possible to realize how bad it is to give a new hand of six cards to the opponent in the first or second turn. This can save a lost game for the opponent and rarely a hand of six cards will be bad — it’s almost always a benefit for the opponent.
What About Judge and Roxanne?
Now with the arrival of Iono, all decks have exchanged copies of Judge and Roxanne for this new Supporter, but as far as I remember the text of these cards are very different and so is their effect. Is there still a reason to use Judge and Roxanne and when can these Supporters be better?
Regarding Judge, I believe this Supporter still has space in the competitive metagame because it has an effect that Iono does not, especially in the first three turns of the game. In [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] decks, Judge is still necessary, but that’s not the case for Gardevoir ex — it doesn’t pay to use Judge because, in the first two turns of the game, you want good draw Supporter to set up and then maybe on the third turn you are safe to use Judge. In other words, with a lot of luck, you can stick a good Judge on the opponent, but most of the time having an extra copy of Iono will help you much more. If your list has Lumineon V or Gallade then you will have more opportunity to use Judge.
When it comes to Roxanne, I believe this Supporter will disappear from the competitive metagame completely, because, unlike Judge, Roxanne will almost always do a job that Iono can do. Almost. When you use Roxanne, you are not caring too much about the cards you are drawing, your focus is on making your opponent not draw what they need. At that point only will Roxanne be superior to Iono, which is crucially only when the opponent goes to three Prizes remaining. In that single moment, Roxanne makes the opponent draw two cards and Iono three, at all other times Iono is better. In Gardevoir ex’s case, Roxanne’s draw power makes little difference, as Kirlia and Gardevoir already draw cards, and at the end of the game you already have a thin deck with only the cards needed to win.
Two Professor’s Research Plus a Draw Supporter
I considered playing with only two [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] on my skeleton list but only if you trade the third copy for another draw Supporter, be it Iono, Avery, [card name=”Serena” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card], or Arven. I believe that with three Iono and two Professor’s Research, you already have a good number of draw Supporters and can use that spot for a soft tech — something that brings you consistency but that provides you with some other benefit than simply drawing cards.
If you’re into the Iono hype, then you can run two Professor’s Research and add the fourth copy of Iono, but I still prefer to use three copies of each to increase my chances of having a better and more aggressive setup, as well as to avoid giving new cards to my opponent.
Worker is Still Excellent to Discard Stadiums
[cardimg name=”Worker” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”195″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Every [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] deck that wants to beat decks that have four copies of [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card], like [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] and Arceus VSTAR, needs to have at least three ways to take out the opponent’s Stadiums. Thinking this way, it is possible to replace [card name=”Worker” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card] with another way to bump a Stadium like [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] or some other Stadium, like the second copy of [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Champions Festival” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM78″ c=”name”][/card], however, Worker has two great advantages; the first is that you can recycle it with [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card], so you have up to four ways to bump Stadiums in the same game. The second advantage is that it is a good draw Supporter for when you don’t want to lose the cards in your hand. Alongside draw Supporters like [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] and Professor’s Research, it’s the only way to add cards to your hand without losing the others. By the way, if you are using [card name=”Gallade” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card], then there is one more advantage to using Worker — having easy access to the card when needed due to Buddy Catch.
Lost Vacuum
I consider playing without Worker if I’m going to use Lost Vacuum, and would make this change if the metagame had a powerful Pokémon Tool. I like the idea of being able to find Lost Vacuum with [card name=”Mew” set=”Celebrations” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability — that’s an advantage that no other option has.
One of the disadvantages of Worker is that it is a Supporter, something that does not allow you to discard a Stadium and use [card name=”Boss’s Orders (Ghetsis)” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”248″ c=”name”][/card] in the same turn, so using Lost Vacuum is another way to discard Stadiums without using Supporter. Now with Iono and Professor’s Research, Gardevoir ex can draw more cards and consequently have greater access to the deck.
Just One Boss’s Orders is Still Enough
Nowadays all Gardevoir ex lists use a copy of Boss’s Orders and a copy of Serena and now with the arrival of Paldea Evolved I believe everyone will switch to two copies of Boss’s Orders due to Japan lists and also because the format will have more Pokémon ex and fewer Pokémon V, something that will naturally happen with each new set to come out.
Even with the addition of Serena and potentially two copies of Boss’s Orders in the wider meta, I still believe the deck works perfectly with only one copy, especially now with Iono to preserve its resources. With Iono you have a better chance of preserving these cards, increasing your chances of using two Boss’s Orders in a match if needed.
It is worth remembering that one of [card name=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]’s functions is precisely to cause damage to the opponent’s Bench so that you do not have to use Boss’s Orders — sometimes it’s worth knocking out a lower-value Pokémon with Cresselia so you don’t have to use Boss’s Orders and save that Supporter to perform a higher value Knock Out later.
In contrast, the Gardevoir ex deck has less need to use Supporters other than for card draw; if before you had to lose turns with Miriam, Penny, or Judge, now your Supporters are always Iono or Professor’s Research, so now you end up having more time to use Boss’s Orders in a game.
Super Rod Was Broken and I Didn’t Know
[cardimg name=”Super Rod” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”188″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
It’s been a while since I’ve experienced a format without a good Item that returns Pokémon and Energy. Every format I played had a [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”188″ c=”name”][/card] or cards that did similar effects, but until the last format, there was only [card name=”Miriam” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”179″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Klara” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. They are two great Supporters and I don’t remember having Supporters like this in the past, but the truth is that if we can solve these common Pokémon and Energy problems with an Item, it’s obvious we’re going to opt for that. When there’s a card like Super Rod, which allows you to return a combination of three Pokémon and Basic Energy, which in the case of Gardevoir ex’s deck, is even a superior effect than Miriam or Klara.
Thanks to Super Rod, Gardevoir ex lists gain much more power and freedom because with an Item like this in the deck, you can use [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] without any problems, using your Shining Arcana [card name=”Gardevoir” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] to attack without being afraid of running out of them at the end of the game or even being able to make that giant Gardevoir to Knock Out even a VMAX Pokémon.
I never thought I would miss a Super Rod so much.
Two Stadium Cards to Counter Path to the Peak
[card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] are by far the top picks for Stadiums by Gardevoir ex players, but the primary function of these Stadiums is essentially to take Path to the Peak off the field, as their effect ends up having less impact than it seems, at least for me. If in the future other Stadiums may become interesting, or even [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card], it’s possible to make changes here without disrupting matchups too much.
Temple of Sinnoh is a good tech against [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] when paired with [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] for one or two cards, but in my view, this matchup is already slightly favorable for Gardevoir ex. Lugia VSTAR has difficulty dealing with multiple Shining Arcana Gardevoir, so all you need to do is get a good setup and, as much as possible, Knock Out the multiple-Prize Pokémon with your single-Prize Gardevoir. Temple of Sinnoh can get in the way against [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Arceus VSTAR” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], but in practice, it rarely sticks.
Collapsed Stadium I already see as a more useful Stadium, but depending on the list it ends up being more or less impactful. If your list has [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] and two [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Celebrations” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card], then Collapsed Stadium has an important role as it can remove these valuable Pokémon from the field, however in this skeleton list there is only one Pokémon V, the rest are single-Prize Pokémon, so Collapsed Stadium loses importance. I still see it useful against Lost Box to remove a damaged Pokémon or a low HP Pokémon such as [card name=”Mew” set=”Celebrations” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card].
Filling the Skeleton List
Here are my favorite four options to finish out the skeleton list:
Third Rare Candy
Since I put the third copy of [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card] over a month ago, I never took it out of the deck, and now with Paldea Evolved, I believe this is a definite way to go. Now with Super Rod and [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] decks manage to give Shining Arcana Gardevoir a bigger focus, both in damage and consistency. It’s easier to make use of two or three Gardevoir per game and it’s easier to hit around 330, all because of the Super Rod. One of the positive impacts of the Super Rod is precisely to gain more freedom in the list to be able to attack with the best attacker in the deck.
Forest Seal Stone
Many Gardevoir ex lists started to remove [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] from the current lists precisely because the deck now has only one Pokémon V, but in my view, this is not a reason not to use a card as strong as this. It is true that you only have one target for this card, but this Pokémon can be easily accessed by [card name=”Battle VIP Pass” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”225″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Fog Crystal” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”name”][/card], that is, there are at least nine more cards to help you find this one single Pokémon. In practice, you still have a good chance of using the Forest Seal Stone and it changes your probabilities very little.
Hisuian Heavy Ball
[cardimg name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This is a card that I really wanted to put on my lists but never found space for, but now at the start of this format, I want to give it a chance. I put [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] in place of the second copy of Zacian V, as I have a chance to get Zacian V when it is in the Prizes and I can use this Pokémon up to three times with Super Rod. One of the big reasons for having to use two Zacian V is that if one of them was in the discard and you didn’t have another one, you would never be able to make a play with Miriam and Boss’s Orders in the same turn and the opponent knowing this could play differently. Now you can get Zacian V back with Super Rod and use Boss’s Orders in the same turn.
There are multiple benefits of Hisuian Heavy Ball, any of your Pokémon that are in the Prizes can be fundamental; if [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] falls in the Prizes against Lost Box you practically lose. If [card name=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] is in the Prizes against Lost Box or the mirror, it will make the game much more difficult. If Mew or [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] is in the Prizes, your setup can take a huge hit. If two Ralts are in the Prizes, your setup will be crippled until the end.
Ideally, you find this Item in the first two game turns with maybe Mew to help you with that, but even if it takes time to find the Hisuian Heavy Ball, it can still be useful. [card name=”Arven” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”166″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Gallade” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] can greatly increase the odds of finding this Item sooner.
Reversal Energy
I decided to give this new Special Energy a chance, mainly because the focus of the list is now the Shining Arcana [card name=”Gardevoir” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card], and thanks to this Energy it is possible to do some things that were not possible.
Due to [card name=”Reversal Energy” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card], it is possible to attack with Gardevoir out of nowhere and without needing Gardevoir ex. Some Gardevoir ex lists even use more than one Reversal Energy and, when convenient, adopt the strategy of playing without Gardevoir ex on the field, with only single-Prize Pokeomon to avoid giving more Prizes to the opponent. Another possibility and the one that most catches my attention is doing a super attack with Gardevoir, as Reversal can be worth three Energy, that is, with that Special Energy plus six Energy from Gardevoir ex’s Psychic Embrace Ability, Shining Arcana Gardevoir causes 330 damage at once.
Eleven Psychic Energy?
After playing for months with only eleven Psychic Energy I can say that it is possible to play like this, but there are pros and cons.
Playing with eleven Psychic will get you in direct trouble against [card name=”Hisuian Goodra VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] and that’s why I did poorly at this year’s Sao Paulo Regional. It wasn’t a matchup I expected to face a lot and I faced it — I ended up winning one, losing two, and drawing with one. I believe that today I am much more prepared to play this matchup even with eleven Psychic Energy still, but it is a fact that with twelve Psychic this matchup is favorable.
My Gardevoir ex List
[decklist name=”Semedo’s Gardevoir” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″][pokemon amt=”17″]2x [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Gardevoir” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]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]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Celebrations” no=”11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Celebrations” no=”16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”31″]3x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Worker” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”167″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]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=”Fog Crystal” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”EX Sandstorm” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ 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=”12″]11x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card]1x [card name=”Reversal Energy” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Final Thoughts
It’s important to always keep in mind all the options that the [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] deck can offer, but at the same time, we know that the best formula is the one that is the most consistent. My skeleton list only has four free spaces, which means the list is pretty tight if you want to maintain good consistency.
There are several other card options that can be mentioned, but I believe none of them are realities at the moment and all the options that genuinely matter have been covered in the article. If you remember any good options that I forgot to mention, write them in the comments!
That’s all for today guys, I hope you enjoyed it, and see you next time!
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