Mastering Tord’s Gardevoir ex — The Most Optimized List in Standard

Hello everyone! [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] has been a mainstay powerhouse in the Standard Format since its release in the Scarlet and Violet base set, but the lists for it have evolved considerably. Although Obsidian Flames does nothing for Gardevoir ex, the normal Gardevoir list is significantly different than it was at NAIC and Worlds. Tord Reklev, widely regarded as the best player in the world, has innovated the perfect Gardevoir list. After missing day 2 at NAIC, Tord went on to cook up the sauce and place second at Worlds, Top 32 at Pittsburgh, and Top 8 at Barcelona with the deck I simply call “Tord Garde.” After testing with the deck myself and winning a League Cup with it, I have come to believe that this is the absolute peak of Gardevoir ex. I do not think the deck is game-breaking or anything, but I do think the list has been optimized for the current meta, and I do not think Gardevoir ex will get much better in the meta than it currently is. The list is no secret, and only one card has changed since its second-place finish at Worlds — Gardevoir ex has reached its final form.

Tord’s Gardevoir ex Deck List

[decklist name=”garde” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″][pokemon amt=”18″]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]3x [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/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=”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=”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=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”30″]3x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ 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=”Battle Styles” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/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=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Fog Crystal” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”140″ 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″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Artazon” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]10x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”10″][/card]2x [card name=”Reversal Energy” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Gardevoir” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”TG05″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Over time, this list has slowly grown on me more and more. I originally thought it was bad, and my opinion has gotten slowly more favorable to the point where I now fully embrace all 60 of these carefully chosen cards. [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card], in particular, was a card I did not think was good in Gardevoir for the longest time. There was a reason nobody played it. However, with the recent rise in [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] packing [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] and / or [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card], Lost Vacuum finds some more value. Furthermore, since Worlds, [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] lists have commonly included [card name=”Box of Disaster” set=”Lost Origin” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card], which counters Gardevoir quite hard if Gardevoir doesn’t have the Lost Vacuum to counter it. Lost Vacuum ends up being a nifty tech that is helpful in two contentious matchups, while maintaining its utility as a counter to Path to the Peak. Previously, I would instantly cut the Vacuum for another [card name=”Artazon” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card], but that is no longer the case with the way the meta has developed.

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The Mirage Step [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] was another card that was rarely seen before Worlds. Even at Worlds, Tord’s inclusion of it was seen as a strange choice. In my testing for NAIC, I never ran into situations where this Kirlia was helpful, and I always wished it was another copy of Refinement Kirlia. However, this Kirlia is actually broken, and most people have realized this by now. Mirage Step singlehandedly spikes the winrate of Gardevoir because it allows you to salvage bad starts where you only get one or two Ralts, and easily stabilize. Saying that it salvages these games is an understatement. If you are fortunate enough to have all three of your other Kirlia in the deck, as opposed to the Prizes or in your hand, Mirage Step easily sets up a disgustingly powerful board for you on turn 2.

What is your opponent going to do? KO one of your four Kirlia? Ok pal, I will now draw a million cards and drop an atomic bomb on your Active Pokemon.

Of course, it requires a bit of luck to have all three of your Refinement Kirlia in the deck at the right time, but the point is that it is an easy way to turn around a game with an otherwise terrible start. Even if you only get two Refinement Kirlia off Mirage Step, that is still an acceptable salvage.

Another card not often seen before Worlds is [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], though it was played in Cal’s NAIC Top 4 list. My poor NAIC run is attributed to a suboptimal and inconsistent list. It is easy to point to Lumineon V and say, “This card would have solved all of my problems.” However, having it as a two Prize liability on the board is horrendous. Gardevoir functions as a come-from-behind deck because it dictates when it will have its powerful two Prize Pokemon on the board, limiting the opponent to one Prize per turn. Even when it sets up, Gardevoir ex itself is extremely difficult to KO for two Prizes. Most decks are lucky to KO it even once, so they will most often be taking one Prize per turn still.

Lumineon V takes this ideology and spits in its face, seeming to be the antithesis of all that Gardevoir ex stands for. So why do we play it? Because it’s a lot easier to get rid of it with [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. Gardevoir draws tons of cards, so it will quickly find Collapsed Stadium or [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] to get that fish out of danger. Ideally, your opponents won’t have a chance to KO it. Even if they do, Gardevoir still has a decent chance of winning a Prize trade against most decks with a clean 2-2-2 line. The single Prize decks that take longer to beat are coincidentally the least effective at punishing a Lumineon V on the board right away.

Furthermore, this deck plays the absolute bare minimum amount of Supporters necessary. Although this does slightly increase your reliance on Lumineon, it also allows you to maximize the use of the 60 allotted cards in your list. The whole list works together nicely for a perfect blend of synergy and efficiency. If you’re able to set up normally, great! If not, [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”name”][/card] for Lumineon V for [card name=”Professor’s Research” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] bails you out by utilizing the only copy that you will need all game. I find myself using Lumineon V way, way, way more often than I expected, and only getting punished for including it when I am forced to open with it (which does feel terrible).

[cardimg name=”Worker” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”195″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

A no-brainer addition with the uptick in Path to the Peak usage is [card name=”Worker” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card]. Thanks to [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card] being in the deck, Worker acts as a 2-for-1 special on Path to the Peak counters, and boy does it help in those matchups. In some situations, against decks with Path to the Peak, you can even maneuver your board so that you can attack under Path on the next turn. This is the secret tech that I call planning ahead. For example, if you’re able to bump your opponent’s Path to the Peak, you can load up multiple attackers in case you are unable to bump Path on the following turn. This is very situational, but it is definitely something to look out for. Since Worker consumes your Supporter card for turn, it is a bit limiting in that regard. Worker also combos with Pal Pad and [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] to set up some nasty checkmates at the end of the game against Path to the Peak decks.

Worker’s vanilla effect of drawing three cards isn’t powerful on its own, but it has some degree of synergy with Refinement, Concealed Cards, and Shining Arcana Abilities when you are simply trying to draw tons of cards and amass a large hand. At the very least, it isn’t a terrible Supporter to be playing for the turn. With Gardevoir’s long, drawn-out games, we aren’t using Boss’s Orders every turn anyway.

Professor’s Research is extremely useful to supercharge your start on turn 1 or turn 2, but that is basically its only use. We still include it as a general consistency card, and we have several additional outs to it thanks to Ultra Ball, Lumineon V, and Forest Seal Stone. Ultimately, it isn’t worth including more than one copy. [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] or Boss’s Orders are the Supporters that we like to spam depending on the matchup. As I said before, we play the bare minimum amounts of every Supporter. It ends up working out perfectly so that we get maximum value from each deck spot. Aside from the initial turn or two, this deck runs itself on draw power thanks to the various draw Abilities that it utilizes.

Before Worlds, [card name=”Reversal Energy” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card] was seen as an optional tech that some players included and some didn’t. At Worlds, Tord chose to play not one but two copies of this Special Energy. One thing that I failed to consider with Reversal Energy is that it allows the deck to selectively operate without Gardevoir ex in play, and more easily hedge against it getting Knocked Out. Basically, it makes the deck a lot more flexible, and rewards the player for their skill and creativity. Of course, it is a bit luck-reliant to draw into, but this deck sees so many cards anyway. The second copy isn’t always used, but it makes it more likely to draw into. We often search it with Forest Seal Stone, yet we can also use it as lowly fuel for Concealed Cards.

Reversal Energy has synergy with Gardevoir as the deck is almost always behind on Prize cards, and it is a power spike card that allows you to recover from bad situations and turn things around on a dime. Furthermore, when it comes to mirror matches, [card name=”Mew VMAX” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], Reversal Energy is crucial for hitting above 300 damage. It feels incredible when you’re able to absolutely destroy something on turn 3 and gain an insurmountable lead in the Prize trade. Sure, Reversal Energy doesn’t work if you’re ahead on Prizes, but then you just win because you are Gardevoir and you’re supposed to be behind to begin with. If you are behind, you abuse this card for all that it’s worth and turn that single Prize [card name=”Gardevoir” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”TG05″ c=”name”][/card] into a whole wrecking crew that takes two or three Prizes per attack.

Matchups

Mew VMAX — Even

Anyone who has played this matchup a few times in the current Standard format will tell you that it’s about as close as it can get. Previously, I considered [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] a great matchup for Mew VMAX. After all, it had to tech [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] to stand a chance in that matchup. The new version is much stronger against Mew, and cards like Mirage Step [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and Reversal Energy are just way better overall than Temple of Sinnoh and Spiritomb. I talked about this matchup from the Mew VMAX side in my last article, but there’s still more to discuss.

Although Mew only plays one copy Path to the Peak, or sometimes two, you still want to preserve some of your Stadium counters so you don’t get punished by a late-game Path. [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] is reserved specially for that nasty [card name=”Box of Disaster” set=”Lost Origin” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card]. Collapsed Stadium can be used early if you want to get rid of Lumineon V (or [card name=”Zacian V” set=”Celebrations” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] if you started it), but don’t try to use it offensively. Just save it to counter Path to the Peak if you are able to. Bumping an early [card name=”Lost City” set=”Lost Origin” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] may be tempting, but try and make sure you won’t get punished by Path if you do it. Using [card name=”Worker” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card], for example, would be the best way to get rid of Lost City since you are going to use [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card] to put it back into your deck anyway. All of this stuff is very situational though.

If you’re unable to immediately deal with the Box of Disaster or get a big OHKO, hitting into the Mew with Box attached, using a [card name=”Gardevoir” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”TG05″ c=”name”][/card] with Reversal Energy for 150 damage is fine. This is somewhat situational and depends on the board state. If you don’t have damage on your Gardevoir, it will be hard for them to get value from Psychic Leap, and poking for some damage is fine against Box of Disaster specifically. This is sometimes your best early-game option anyway. As Mew VMAX, I think it’s best to save Box of Disaster for when it is more likely and critical for them to get a OHKO. This is something that I perhaps could have optimized a bit more at Pittsburgh.

If you are able to get full value from Mirage Step on turn 2, then it’s always the best option. A turn 2 Gardevoir ex KO for two is sometimes just bait. Those [card name=”Power Tablet” set=”Fusion Strike” no=”236″ c=”name”][/card] cards that are clogging their early-game hands turn into fuel and they will easily KO your Gardevoir ex back while getting value from Power Tablets that they shouldn’t be. You want to go for a 3-3 line in most games anyway. Of course, if the aggressive Gardevoir ex is your only real option, or if their start was weak, then it is fine.

The weird thing about this matchup is that it seems to go slightly differently every time, so a lot of things are just situational. Your general game plan is to Knock Out two Mew VMAX at any point before they take six Prizes. In games where you are pigeonholed into the 3-3 line, try to avoid giving them value from late-game Psychic Leaps.

Mirror — Even

This matchup is not very fun. Generally start with [card name=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] to keep them off [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card]. Using Boss’s Orders for that is fine as well. If you’re ever behind, try to use Reversal Energy to Knock Out their Gardevoir ex. Even if you’re ahead, your opponent can do that to you, and then you can just take a return Knock Out. End the game on two Prizes by Knocking Out their Gardevoir ex with Zacian V, or do that on three Prizes if you can checkmate them with it. Don’t put Zacian V down onto the Bench unless you are taking two Prizes with it immediately, and aren’t going to lose the Prize trade as a result. Make intelligent use of [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] when you think it will be most disruptive.

Lost Box — Even

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

This matchup is stressful. Spam Cresselia whenever you’re able to. After they have taken a Prize or two, start spamming Iono and use Pal Pad for one or two Iono whenever you can. Keep at least one [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] around in case they have a two Prize Pokemon. Other than that, Boss’s Orders is useless. Reversal Energy is useful to attack with Gardevoir without damage. Try to eventually create a board state where [card name=”Sableye” set=”Lost Origin” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] cannot take easy Prizes. Sometimes you can’t, and you just hope they whiff off Iono. Do NOT let them have [card name=”Artazon” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] in the mid- to late-game! [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] is not always needed if there is no huge punish from [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card].

Against [card name=”Kyogre” set=”Celebrations” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], you must be very mindful of the Kyogre play. If they are suspiciously not keeping up in the Prize trade, you immediately know that they are committing to getting a Kyogre setup in the late game. You must always have Manaphy available on any turn where the Kyogre play is possible. Since you will have to play Manaphy early as well, you will end up using [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”188″ c=”name”][/card] twice to keep getting it back from the discard pile. If you Prized Super Rod, you might be in trouble. Be very careful about playing Manaphy down in the mid-game, and always consider if they will just win with Sableye to KO Manaphy followed by Kyogre. Cresselia is useful for keeping precise damage amounts off Gardevoir ex. Do not damage your Gardevoir ex unnecessarily.

One card that is useful for a variety of plays is [card name=”Collapsed Stadium” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. I would not rely on it for any particular game plan, just make sure to get value out of it at some point. Sometimes you need it just to stay in the game.

Miraidon ex — Slightly Favorable

I think the version that plays many copies of [card name=”Path to the Peak” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] is closer to even, but that is only some of them. Against the version with Path to the Peak, be very careful and deliberate with your Path counters. In general, try to go with a 2-2-2 line against [card name=”Miraidon ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card], and don’t let them get easy KO’s with their single Prize attackers. Their single Prize attackers are very annoying and Miraidon ex players will use them to capitalize on their early lead. If you’re able to KO a single Prize Pokemon on turn 2, then going for a 1-1-2-2 line is still winning.

Lugia VSTAR — Even (?)

The [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] matchup is somewhat similar to Miraidon ex, but it is just worse. It might be slightly unfavorable, but I’m not sure. You would like to take the 2-2-2 line, but they won’t give it to you if they are smart. They can OHKO your Gardevoir ex with a single Prize attacker, and your 1-1-2-2 line is almost never winning. The biggest tip is to pay careful attention to their hand and try to figure out what they have, and more importantly, what they don’t have. This informs when you should use Iono or Boss’s Orders, but [card name=”Gift Energy” set=”Lost Origin” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] is still supremely annoying either way. Only evolve into Gardevoir ex when you are getting value from loading a ton of Energy in play, as it will likely get KO’d immediately. Make sure you can still keep up the attacking pressure without evolving into another Gardevoir ex, as them KO’ing your Gardevoir ex should leave a loaded baby Gardevoir that can still take Prize cards.

Giratina VSTAR — Slightly Favorable

Conserve your Path to the Peak counters like your life depends on it, because it does. Incorporate the relevant tips from the Lost Box matchup, and Knock Out [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Reversal Energy” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”192″ c=”name”][/card] whenever you can. From testing, I think this matchup is good for Gardevoir ex, but Giratina players will tell you otherwise.

Chien-Pao ex — Slightly Favorable

Use Cresselia and Boss’s Orders. Keep [card name=”Bibarel” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] off the board and then easily win with Iono. In some situations, trying to deny [card name=”Baxcalibur” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] is better. They might get the [card name=”Canceling Cologne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] play, but there is always potential to win with Iono. If you do not try to aggressively disrupt their board and instead enter a Prize trade, you will lose.

Conclusion

That’s all I have for today! I hope this article was helpful for understanding [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. Even if you don’t plan on playing the deck, understanding its plans and the way it operates should be helpful in combating it. If you do play Gardevoir ex, study up on those matchups! Gardevoir’s matchups are all rather close, so it seems there is a relevant skill difference in most of its matchups. Thanks for reading!

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