A new format means new opportunities, updated lists, altered play styles, and a fresh start that many of us quite frankly needed. Scarlet and Violet is upon us, and the outlook of the Pokemon TCG has never been better!
What’s up, everyone! SmartTCG here. I am stoked to be writing another article for Cut Or Tap. Over the past few months, players have been frustrated with how stagnant the Pokemon TCG has felt. Games felt boring, predetermined, and had little to no depth at all. This has all changed! Scarlet and Violet has arrived, along with the long-awaited rotation which has changed how we play Pokemon. With many powerful cards like Crobat V, Marnie, Inteleon, Quick Ball, and more leaving Standard, there is going to need to be a strict alteration of how we approach this new format.
Today, I am going to take a dive into Scarlet and Violet’s best decks. This will be an article about two decks. One of them is (I think) over-hated and amazing, and the other one I think is slightly overrated, but still has some potential. This will be a slightly different article than normal, as I am going to go over some flaws of a deck rather than all the positives. This type of writing is not done frequently in this game, so I hope it provides a new perspective from a professional player’s eyes.
What’s good and what’s not?
Gardevoir ex
Gardevoir ex is one of the most powerful cards to ever be printed in the Pokemon TCG. It pairs up fantastically with cards like Zacian V, and Mewtwo V Union, and makes a great choice for anyone looking to dive into the new format. I personally think this deck has got to be one of the most over-hated decks in the format. A large portion of the community has begun to dogpile on this deck, saying that it will flop, and I don’t see that happening. Gardevoir ex has everything that it needs to be one of the most successful decks in the format.
There are a few keys when making a successful Pokemon deck that I always like to go by. The first is, “is the deck consistent?” Well, Gardevoir has a fantastic built-in engine with Kirlia having “Refinement,” which allows you to discard a card from your hand, and draw two cards. On top of this, having cards like Mew, and Shining Arcana Gardevoir, will aid in being able to set up every single game.
The second piece this deck has is energy acceleration. This deck will have absolutely no problem setting up tons of energy onto the field. Gardevoir ex’s Ability, “Psychic Embrace,” allows you to attach as much energy as you would like from the discard to your Psychic Pokemon, at only the cost of dealing 20 damage per energy attachment.
Lastly, it has versatility. Being able to rotate between one- and two-prize attackers is incredibly valuable right now, and makes this deck a top-tier contender in my eyes.
Let’s take a look at a list I have constructed.
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