Hey! What’s up everyone! SmartTCG here! I am ecstatic to be writing another article for you all. Over the past few months, the Pokemon TCG has become relatively stale, but this is set to change over the next month! As I write this, we are just about a month away from the next Pokemon TCG Rotation. Rotation is typically a yearly occurrence that causes multiple sets that have been released over the past couple years to rotate out of Standard-legal play. Currently, with the upcoming rotation, all D-Block cards will be rotating out of the Standard format. Some of the most game-defining cards over the past three years will finally be gone. Cards like Quick Ball, Evolution Incense, Scoop Up Net, Crobat V, Oranguru, Marnie, are just some of the top cards that we won’t have access to. This means that decks’ engines will need to be slightly rewired, and how we all build decks will change in some way. That’s enough about rotation, though. Its time to begin our journey into the new Pokemon TCG!
Scarlet and Violet
Over the past three years, Sword and Shield has dominated the Standard format. With Pokemon V, VMAX, and VSTAR cards ruling Standard, it was finally time for a change. The change that the competitive Pokemon TCG has long needed is here with Scarlet and Violet! With EX’s returning, it seems that Pokemon is returning to more one- and two-prize based Pokemon, which is great for the game! The longer the games, the more that player skill difference can really begin to shine. This past year, we have seen some of the best players in the world like Tord Reklev and Piper Lepine pilot one-prize based decks beautifully to Regional wins. Now, with more of this play style seemingly on the horizon, I am so stoked to see where the game goes! Scarlet and Violet prereleases begin later this month, and the set does not disappoint. With so many meta-changing cards, there is so much to write about. Today, I am going to go over my Gardevoir EX list that I have been working on. Let’s take a dive into one of the best decks in the new format!
Japan’s Dominance
First off, I think it’s important to recognize just how well this deck has been doing in Japan. Gardevoir EX most recently took 2nd place at the most recent Champions League with over 3,000 Players! That placement is not to be overlooked, and truly shows the incredible potential that this deck has. This list is inspired from Riku Sato’s lists, but I have made some changes to improve the deck. Let’s take a look at the list that I have crafted:
Gardevoir ex Decklist
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I sure hope nobody plays lost box 🤞
Very true! I do think that you could potentially add in 2-3 more Emergency Jelly to aid in the matchup! I have also considered using Klefki as well!