Embracing the Twilight — Gardevoir ex for NAIC & Beyond

Hey PokeBeach readers, Ciaran here for another article on one of my favourite decks! I’ve been hard at work testing the new Twilight Masquerade format, as I’m sure many of you are as well. It seems like we are in for another diverse format where no one deck truly reigns supreme. I am sure NAIC will help solidify the meta, but until then all of us are doing our best to figure out the best decks and lists for all our upcoming tournaments! I personally love the uncertainty of a new format, usually more decks are viable, and there is massive diversity across deck lists, even within the same archetypes!

[cardimg name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”233″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Unfortunately, my initial testing has shown me that my go to deck ([card name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card]) has fallen a bit in terms of strength so I have been re-visiting some old favourites to see if they can step up! One of those decks is the one I want to talk about today, [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”233″ c=”name”][/card]. I played a lot of Gardevoir ex before rotation, but if you have played the deck recently you will know it plays much differently! Instead of relying on Mirage Step [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and Shining Arcana [card name=”Gardevoir” set=”Chilling Reign” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card], the deck now plays as more of a toolbox utilizing Pokemon such as [card name=”Drifloon” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Flutter Mane” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Scream Tail” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] to attack!

Before the release of Twilight Masquerade, Gardevoir was proving itself to be a strong deck, but with our newest set, Gardevoir has gained some pretty significant tools. [card name=”Munkidori” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] gives the deck an incredible layer of depth and damage manipulation it previously lacked. This card alone unlocks so many new plays for the deck, and allows you to put Drifloon and Scream Tail on to odd damage counter intervals. The other big addition from the set is the option to play [card name=”Hyper Aroma” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Unfair Stamp” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] as the deck’s ACE SPEC of choice. The deck build is quite different depending on which you decide to build around.

Before Twilight Masquerade, Gardevoir was always running [card name=”Hero’s Cape ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card]as its ACE SPEC, mainly to let Scream Tail and Drifloon hit large damage numbers. But now with Munkidori, I don’t think it is as necessary. If you have a [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] attached to a Drifloon, you can use Munkidori to allow yourself to put 11 damage counters on the Drifloon, hitting for 330 damage! This is enough to Knock Out beefy Pokemon such as [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Dragapult ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card]! I still think Hero’s Cape has merit, one as another option to help Drifloon and Scream Tail, but mainly as a way to turn Gardevoir ex in to a 430 HP attacking threat. Very few decks will be able to deal that much damage in one go, and usually you can use a card such as [card name=”Professor Turo’s Scenario” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”240″ c=”name”][/card] to pick up the Gardevoir back to your hand after it takes a hit. The main problem with Hero’s Cape is that it is extremely susceptible to [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card], which will normally allow your opponent to take a Knock Out.

Hyper Aroma allows the deck to have a much more powerful turn 2, especially when playing first. Having the ability to set up three [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] on turn 2 unlocks a much stronger turn 3, since you can use multiple Refinement plays to see more cards and get Psychic Energy into your discard pile. Playing Hyper Aroma also lets you drop [card name=”Technical Machine: Evolution” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] from the deck, opening up slots for other cards in the deck!

While Unfair Stamp doesn’t provide the same level of early game consistency, the card is insanely powerful. If you have ever been on the opposite side of a [card name=”Roxanne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] you know how crippling it can be. Unfair Stamp can effectively do that to your opponent as early as your second turn! When you combine disruption with cards like [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and a Knock Out on key Pokemon, it can end games on the spot. I actually think Unfair Stamp is much stronger as a disruption card early in the game since your opponent normally has a larger deck. As a game gets to the later stages, normally your opponent will have had the opportunity to thin most of their dead cards or set up support Pokemon such as [card name=”Bibarel” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]. If you are able to use Unfair Stamp early on in the game, your opponent usually has a higher percentage of “bricks” in their deck, and thus you increase the odds of sticking them with an unplayable hand. If you are able to Knock Out your opponent’s main attacker when combining that with an Unfair Stamp play, you can sometimes just win the game on the spot. It is really hard for your opponent to rebuild a board or even just pull off another attack off a two card hand. Even if your opponent is able to stabilize, you can spam [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] once you are set up and hopefully one of them sticks!

I personally like Unfair Stamp the most, but I have also been playing a lot with the Hyper Aroma version. I’ll share my lists for both!

[premium]

Unfair Stamp Build

[decklist name=”Unfair Stamp Gardy” 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]4x [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ralts” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Drifloon” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Scream Tail” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Flutter Mane ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Munkidori” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”95″ 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=”33″]4x [card name=”Arven” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”166″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Turo’s Scenario” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Poffin” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”223″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Earthen Vessel” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Unfair Stamp” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Technical Machine: Evolution” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”178″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Artazon” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]8x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]1x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]This is my current preferred build of the deck. I’ve found this build to be fairly well rounded, but has a couple of techs for various matchups.

I’ll start off by focusing on the Pokemon, as I think this is an area for lots of exploration. It also seems a bit jarring seeing all the attackers as one-offs, but with [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] you can normally use an attacker multiple times. There are certain matchups where a Pokemon isn’t useful so I didn’t want to overcommit to any of them.

I think [card name=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Flutter Mane” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] , [card name=”Scream Tail” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Drifloon” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] should all be staples as your basic attackers. Each of them serve a specific purpose across multiple matchups, and would greatly hinder certain matchups without them. Cresselia is great against [card name=”Dragapult ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], and when combined with Munkidori can completely negate the six damage counters placed by Phantom Dive. It is also strong against Lost Zone decks, and other Gardevoir ex decks. Flutter Mane is a fantastic opener, especially to shut down [card name=”Comfey” set=”Lost Origin” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. Flutter Mane is your main win condition against Lost Zone decks, and when you combine it with an Unfair Stamp play, you limit their draws severely. Scream Tail is a super efficient attacker that lets you access your opponent’s Bench. I find the card is extremely powerful in the late game when you can use [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”name”][/card] or Unfair Stamp, [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] something that can’t retreat, and then snipe a threat. Scream Tail is also great at hunting down support Pokemon such as [card name=”Bibarel” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Drakloak” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card]. Finally, Drifloon is how you deal with large HP threats. As I mentioned earlier with a [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] and Munkidori you can get Drifloon up to 11 damage counters. This is enough to take out any meta relevant Pokemon that don’t have a Tool such as [card name=”Hero’s Cape ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card]on it.

[cardimg name=”Mimikyu” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”160″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

A Pokemon that I don’t think needs to be staple, but I decided to include is [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]. One problem for Gardevoir is a fast [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”223″ c=”name”][/card] as it puts on immense pressure to accelerate your set up. Throwing Mimikyu in the Active Spot can give some breathing room to set up and force your opponent to use a single-Prize Pokemon to take their first Knock Out. Mimikyu is also very strong against [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], allowing you to forego putting a Gardevoir ex in to play right away. You can use Mimikyu and Counter Catcher to pick off your opponent’s [card name=”Charmander” set=”151″ no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pidgey” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”196″ c=”name”][/card]. Mimikyu is only a soft counter to these strategies so I don’t think it is for sure needed, but I’ve enjoyed having it in the deck so far.

A stand out card so far in the deck is [card name=”Munkidori” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card]. It enables so many cool plays. For one, it helps [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] hit for 220 damage which is enough to take out a lot of Basic two-Prize Pokemon. It also acts as healing for your board, either healing opponent’s damage done to you or negating the damage from Psychic Embrace. It also can help you set up Knock Outs across multiple turns. If 220 wasn’t enough to take out an [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] for example, you can let Gardevoir take a hit and then finish it off with Adrena-Brain. As you play more games with the deck you will see a plethora of situations to use this card. I feel like I’m finding new ways to use it every day! You do need to attach a Darkness Energy to use Munkidori’s Ability, but that isn’t a problem for this deck. You don’t really need to attach Psychic Energy from your hand since you have Gardevoir ex to put them in to play for you. I only play one copy, but you never really need more than one. It is frustrating if it is Prized, but you can still win games without it. I also play two [card name=”Earthen Vessel” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] to help fish it out when you need it.

I still play [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck, but I’ve debated cutting it. We have seen [card name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] massively fall off in meta share and I personally think that matchup is unflavoured anyways. The main matchup it is super important against is Lost Box, since it protects you from [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] taking out multiple Kirlia. Another card that is seeing some hype in Lugia decks is [card name=”Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card]. I personally don’t think it needs to be in Lugia, but from my research of online results the card is seeing a decent amount of play. For those reasons I still have Manaphy in the deck, but if the meta and/or deck lists shift then there could be an argument for cutting it.

Another Water-type Pokemon I am on the fence about keeping is [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card]. My main gripe with the card is I only play two copies of [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] so it is a bit tricky to get going in the early game. However, the Ability is just too good to pass up in the deck. Using its Ability to get Psychic Energy in to the discard pile and draw more cards is a big buff to consistency.

Some other Pokemon I’ve considered adding are [card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Klefki” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Gallade” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card]. Spiritomb is super strong against decks that rely on [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] such as Control, Charizard, and Dragapult. Spiritomb also shuts off [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] against Lugia decks. One problem with Spiritomb is that Bench space is at a premium, and Spiritofffffffffffffffffffffffmb is a free Prize for Dragapult to pick off once they get up and running. Klefki is interesting since it can shut off a lot of key Pokemon such as [card name=”Teal Mask Ogerpon ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”169″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card]. By throwing it in the Active Spot on turn 1, you shut off a lot of engines. It also further solidifies your matchup in to Lost Zone decks since they can’t use [card name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] to free themselves of Ability lock if you also have Flutter Mane in play. The reason I don’t play Klefki is that you normally can’t afford to retreat to it on turn 1. If you are going to use [card name=”Technical Machine: Evolution” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card] then you need to attack with whatever you started with. Klefki also doesn’t have a strong offensive attack, so you eventually need to pivot away from it, thus freeing up your opponent to use Abilities. Gallade is a nice consistency booster, and helps you find your one copy of [card name=”Professor Turo’s Scenario” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] when needed. Its attack is also decent, and can trade quite well in to other single-Prize Pokemon or just be used to soften up a two-Prize Pokemon.

My Supporter lineup is fairly standard. I play a [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Sword and Shield” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card] to help recover Professor Turo’s Scenario and Boss’s Orders in matchups where you want to use them multiple times, or just to put more copies of Iono back in to the deck. I have found Turo to be a super strong card in the deck. It is very common to attack with Gardevoir ex in many matchups, especially later on in the game when combined with an Iono. Turo lets you pick up the Gardevoir and effectively nullify one of your opponent’s attacks. One cut I’ve considered making is the Pal Pad and Mimikyu for a second copy of Turo and a fourth copy of Iono. This just gives the deck a more consistent way to use the Supporters, especially Turo.

None of the Item cards should be that surprising, but I want to talk about why I run [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] instead of [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ve found against Lugia you need to immediately respoand to their [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] or it will run away with the game. If you just take it out with Drifloon then you take one less Prize due to the effect of [card name=”Legacy Energy” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card]. The ideal scenario is to use Enhanced Hammer to take out the Legacy Energy and then sniping an [card name=”Archeops” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] with Scream Tail. This way you stick them with a useless Iron Hands and severely limit their Energy acceleration. With Temple you can’t really afford to use Scream Tail since they can just replace the Stadium and use Amp You Very Much again. The main reason however that I preferaa Enhanced Hammer is that you can search it with [card name=”Arven” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”166″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ve found it way too difficult to draw the one copy of Temple exactly when it is needed. Temple of Sinnoh is better later in the game when combined with Iono since you shut off [card name=”Gift Energy” set=”Lost Origin” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card], but I’ve found that if you can pull off the swing turn on their Legacy Energy you should normally win anyways.

Hyper Aroma List

[decklist name=”Hyper Aroma Gardevoir” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″][pokemon amt=”18″]2x [card name=”Gardevoir ex” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ralts” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Drifloon” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Flutter Mane ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Scream Tail” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cresselia” set=”Lost Origin” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Munkidori” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Manaphy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”Irida” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”185″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor Turo’s Scenario” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Poffin ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Earthen Vessel” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”160″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”188″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hyper Aroma” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Artazon” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]8x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]1x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]This is my Hyper Aroma list, as you can see we have freed up some spots by cutting [card name=”Technical Machine: Evolution” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”178″ c=”name”][/card]. The main difference with this list is I have decided to use [card name=”Irida” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] over [card name=”Arven” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”166″ c=”name”][/card]. This probably seems like a strange choice since the only Water-type Pokemon in the deck are Manaphy and Radiant Greninja, and I still run Bravery Charm. However, I’ve found that this version of the deck wants to focus on a faster set up, and since we don’t need to use Technical Machine: Evolution turn 1, we don’t really need Bravery Charm until later on in the game. By the time we are fully set up it should be easy to draw one of the three copies of the card when we need it. Being able to grab Radiant Greninja turn 1 just accelerates this deck’s game plan a lot. I find this version of the deck normally is able to pull off a super powerful turn 3 in exchange for the extra disruption that the Unfair Stamp provides.

Overall this version of the deck is a bit more consistent, but you are trading in the power of Unfair Stamp ending games on the spot for you. I personally think the power of Unfair Stamp is too good to pass up, but if you’d prefer a more streamlined version of the deck I think this is a good way to go!

Matchups

I’ve found a lot of Gardevoir’s matchups are very close, and how you pilot the deck determines if you end up being the victor most of the time, which is honestly a super rewarding feeling. Matchups also swing a lot depending on what techs your opponents play, mainly cards like [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jamming Tower” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”153″ c=”name”][/card].

Dragapult ex 50-50

[cardimg name=”Dragapult ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”200″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Let’s start with the new kid on the block! This is a matchup where I find no one game looks alike normally. In the early game you will want to use Munkidori in combination with Cresselia to heal the spread damage from [card name=”Dragapult ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”200″ c=”name”][/card]. Using this combo you can normally pick off multiple copies of your opponent’s [card name=”Drakloak” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card], weakening their draw for when you hit them with Iono or Unfair Stamp. You can’t do this play forever since Cresselia gets taken out by Dragapult, but you can do this until your board is staple and set up. From there we want to transition to using Gardevoir ex as an attacker. Dragapult won’t be able to take it out in one turn so it gives you the opportunity to use [card name=”Professor Turo’s Scenario” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] to flip the Prize trade in your favour. This is a matchup where playing the second copy of Turo makes a big difference. Look for opportunities to take out [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] with Gardevoir if your opponent put one in to play. Once you get down to two Prize cards then you want to finish the game by taking out Dragapult with Drifloon. You need to be careful about using Drifloon or Scream Tail early since Dragapult decks play [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card]. You don’t want to leave yourself vulnerable to them taking multiple Prize cards on their turn.

One thing I have found about this matchup is that they fold super hard to an early Unfair Stamp if they haven’t properly set up their board. Sometimes they over extend to pull off a turn 2 attack without setting up their supporting Pokemon such as [card name=”Bibarel” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”225″ c=”name”][/card], and Drakloak. If you pull off the Unfair Stamp a lot of the time they will just be forced to draw pass.

This matchup is fairly close since they will normally take the lead on you, but with smart play you should have a chance every time you sit across from it!

Raging Bolt ex 65-35

This deck has been tearing up online tournaments, and even got second place at the most recent Japan Championships. Luckily for us it is a fairly good matchup, but there are a couple things to be aware of. Drifloon trades extremely well in to their [card name=”Raging Bolt ex” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”208″ c=”name”][/card] , so that will be your attacker of choice. Scream Tail can also take out their [card name=”Squawkabilly ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] even without a Bravery Charm.

Early in the game you want Mimikyu in the Active Spot if you get the chance, since your opponent will have to find a way around it. Not a lot of lists play [card name=”Sandy Shocks” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] , so Mimikyu should be able to buy some time. If they do play Sandy Shocks you want to ignore it and just go for a 2-2-2 Prize map. With Counter Catcher and Scream Tail that should be easy.

A line that comes up often is you will use Drifloon to get down to four Prize cards and then your opponent will gust Gardevoir ex to go down to two Prize cards. In this scenario don’t put another Gardevoir in to play, just use that same Drifloon to take another Knock Out. This leaves you with a single Prize board, and forces your opponent to go down to one Prize card. From there you can put Gardevoir in to play and find a way to take your final Knock Out to win the game. This line is susceptible to [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card], but hopefully you can out trade them before that becomes an issue, or they just don’t play the card.

Lugia VSTAR 55-45

This deck is getting a lot of hype in this format, and for good reason! [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”211″ c=”name”][/card] has gained [card name=”Legacy Energy” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] which has unlocked a ton of new plays. The main play you need to be aware of in this matchup is the one I described earlier in the article, and that is what to do if your opponent uses [card name=”Iron Hands ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] against you. As long as you can use [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] to discard your opponent’s Legacy Energy and use Scream Tail to attack an Archeops on the Bench, you take complete control of the matchup. Your opponent will be stuck with a useless Iron Hands and be severely limited in terms of Energy acceleration. From here you can take out their other Archeops and then just run them off the board.

One card to be aware of is [card name=”Jamming Tower” set=”Twilight Masquerade” no=”153″ c=”name”][/card]. I normally hold my [card name=”Artazon” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] in this matchup unless I absolutely need to put it in to play. If your opponent can get a Jamming Tower to stick, it severely limits you.

Lost Zone Decks 55-45

This is a matchup where [card name=”Flutter Mane ” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card]shines! If you go first you want to throw this in to the Active Spot right away since it forces your opponent to use [card name=”Iron Bundle” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] if they ever want to use Flower Select with [card name=”Comfey” set=”Lost Origin” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. It is also a great attacker in this matchup, taking Knock Outs on most of their smaller Pokemon. If your opponent takes a Knock Out, an Unfair Stamp combined with Flutter Mane is usually extremely difficult for them to draw out of.

If the game drags on you can use Cresselia to heal your board, and look for spots to use Gardevoir ex as an attacker. Be careful when attacking with Gardevoir since most Lost Zone decks play [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card]. Usually you want to use Iono first to make it difficult for your opponent to draw all the cards necessary to win.

Mirror Match 50-50

Mirror match with this deck can be quite fun, especially with Munkidori. In this matchup you want to always target your opponent’s [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] so you can cripple their draw engine. Normally Cresselia is the Pokemon of choice to do this with. You can use Scream Tail as well, but you need to be careful doing this from ahead. If you put 40 damage on it to snipe a Kirlia, then your opponent can use Counter Catcher targeting one of your Kirlia, move 30 damage to the Scream Tail, and take a double Knock Out with Flutter Mane. It is usually safest to use Scream Tail from behind, but if you don’t think your opponent can punish you then it is sometimes good from ahead. Another cool Flutter Mane play is to gust up a Gardevoir ex and trap it late game while you use Munkidori to pick off the Bench. If your opponent has zero Energy on their Gardevoir, the only way for them to switch is to use [card name=”Professor Turo’s Scenario” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card]. So monitor their usage of the card and look for this play as an option!

Sometimes you do need to be careful with leaving extra damage in play for your opponent since you strengthen their own Munkidori and Cresselia, so always ask yourself if you’re ok with them having access to the damage.

Conclusion

Hopefully you enjoyed reading my thoughts on Gardevoir! The deck is not only super powerful, but fun as well. Each game has so many lines for you to find, and different scenarios which I personally enjoy. Let me know which ACE SPEC you have been rocking and what your list looks like! If you have any questions about the deck or its matchups please don’t hesitate to ask them in the comments down below! Until next time, best of luck in all of your games!

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