Take advantage of Psychic Embrace with this guide on how to play Gardevoir ex deck in Pokemon TCG!
Unlike those aggro decks that capitalize on scoring Prize cards as quickly as possible, the Gardevoir ex deck excels in sweeping the board in the late game, even if the opponent has the upper hand.
Today, we’re going to share the basics of using this deck in the expanded format, as well as some other tips for using each of its cards.
The particular Gardevoir ex deck that we’ll look into is the one used by Tord Reklev during the finals game of the 2023 Pokemon TCG World Championships held in Yokohama, Japan.
Gardevoir ex Deck List by Tord Reklev (2nd Placer, 2023 Pokemon TCG World Championship)
- Grab a World Championships deck and play like a champion!
- This powerful 60-card deck is a replica of the deck Tord Reklev used in the 2023 Pokémon Trading Card Game World Championships!
- This set also includes a 2023 World Championships deck box, 2023 World Championships coin, and a 2023 World Championships booklet.
- You will also get a special 2023 World Championships pin, playmat, and poster.
- Choose one of four powerful decks.
Pokemon – 18 cards
- x3 Ralts (Astral Radiance – 60/189)
- x1 Ralts (Silver Tempest – 67/195)
- x3 Kirlia (Silver Tempest – 68/195)
- x1 Kirlia (Chilling Reign – 60/198)
- x2 Gardevoir ex (Scarlet & Violet – 86/198)
- x2 Gardevoir (Chilling Reign – 61/198)
- x1 Zacian V (Celebrations – 16/25)
- x1 Cresselia (Lost Origin – 74/196)
- x1 Mew (Celebrations – 11/25)
- x1 Radiant Greninja (Astral Radiance – 46/189)
- x1 Manaphy (Brilliant Stars – 41/172)
- x1 Lumineon V (Brilliant Stars – 40/172)
Trainer – 30 cards
- x3 Iono
- x2 Professor’s Research
- x2 Boss’s Orders
- x4 Battle VIP Pass
- x4 Level Ball
- x3 Ultra Ball
- x3 Rare Candy
- x2 Fog Crystal
- x2 Super Rod
- x1 Lost Vacuum
- x1 Pal Pad
- x1 Forest Seal Stone
- x1 Artazon
- x1 Collapsed Stadium
Energy – 12 cards
- x10 Psychic Energy
- x2 Reversal Energy
How to Play Gardevoir ex Deck: Strategies and Game Plan
Here’s the overall strategy on how to play Gardevoir ex deck based on the most significant cards in Tord Reklev’s deck:
Core Cards: Gardevoir ex & Zacian V
What makes Gardevoir ex so powerful in the current meta is its ability Psychic Embrace, which allows you to take any amount of Psychic energy cards from your discard pile to one of your Psychic-type Pokemon.
Your goal when using Gardevoir ex deck is simple: to set up Gardevoir ex on your bench while it powers up Zacian V’s Storm Slash.
Zacian V will be your main attacker, as its Storm Slash deals 60 damage plus 30 more damage for each Psychic Energy card attached to it.
Gardevoir ex’s Psychic Embrace can feed Zacian V with all the Energy cards from your discard pile, so it can take out even the tankiest Active Pokemon on your opponent’s side through insane amounts of damage.
However, the tricky part for setting up Gardevoir ex is that it’s a Stage 2 Pokemon, and you’ll need to play Ralts and Kirlia first and minimize the damage done by your opponent during the first few turns.
This is why you’ll need another strategy to stall your opponent and prepare your board for Gardevoir ex and Zacian V.
Early Game
Remember that your ultimate goal is to use your Gardevoir ex. To make it possible and quicker, having one or more copies of Ralts on your hand is crucial.
You don’t need to have your Ralts take the Active Spot if you have other basic Pokemon available.
But in case you have no choice, your Ralts can always keep themselves safe for as long as possible with their Teleportation Burst or Memory Skip.
Battle VIP Pass and Artazon are also your best friends during your first turn. These cards will help you find a couple of more Ralts on your deck.
Mid-Game
While your Ralts are on Bench, you can have Mew or Cresselia take the frontline.
Mew is particularly useful in retrieving Item cards like Level Ball, Ultra Ball, Fog Crystal, Lost Vacuum, and Super Rod.
Cresselia can be an alternative Active Pokemon to Mew, but it’s better if you also have a Gardevoir ex on your bench, since it can transfer the damage counters of Psychic Embrace to your opponent’s team.
Lumineon V, Manaphy and Radiant Greninja are only useful as Active Pokemon if you can attach Reversal Energy to them.
Their purposes in this deck, however, lies in their abilities:
- Lumineon V’s Luminous Sign provides you the chance to disrupt your opponent by getting copies of Boss’s Orders, Iono, or discard some of your Energy cards with Professor’s Research.
- Manaphy’s Wave Veil protects your bench team (especially the Ralts) from any kind of spread damage.
- Radiant Greninja’s ability and move are both useful for stacking your discard pile with Energy cards, as a set up for Gardevoir ex’s Psychic Embrace.
Drawing your Gardevoir ex and Zacian V as early as possible is vital for starting your ultimate combo. To increase your odds of getting them, use your Kirlia’s Mirage Step or Refinement.
Your best-case scenario would be drawing a Rare Candy while a Ralts is on your bench and you got a Gardevoir ex in your hand. You can play Gardevoir ex right away without the need for a Kirlia.
If you don’t have Zacian yet, you might consider the regular Gardevoir as your main attacker for the mean time.
Gardevoir’s Brainwave after all, have the same effect as Zacian V’s Storm Slash.
Late Game
Once you got your Gardevoir ex and Zacian V in place, it’s time to execute your main strategy.
Your opponent might have already taken two or three Prize cards at this point of the game, so you should be more aggressive in the following turns to catch up and steal the win.
Other cards like Pal Pad and Super Rod allow you to return your discarded Supporter and Energy cards to your deck, preventing you from running out of cards.
Lastly, don’t forget to attach the Forest Seal Stone to Zacian V to take one card that you need from your deck, and play the Collapsed Stadium so you and your opponent’s field will be limited to only four bench Pokemon each.
Gardevoir ex Deck: Final Thoughts
As one of the most popular decks in the current meta, Gardevoir ex deck is a build that can be enjoyed by anyone, even those who are just beginning to get into Pokemon TCG.
In case you want to play Gardevoir ex via tabletop or Pokemon Live, keep in mind that you can always purchase the 2023 Pokemon World Championship Deck by Tord Reklev (Psychic Elegance) in your nearest stores, or online sites such as Amazon.
For any questions, comments, and suggestions, feel free to use our comment section below.
And if you need for tips, strategies, and updates about Pokemon TCG, check out our other articles here at PokeCardHQ:
