Hello all.
I just came back from my first League Cup ever having played the TCG for about a month or so.
I took Gardevoir GX and went 3/3/0, placing 24th out of 71 attendants. We played 6 rounds of single Swiss to determine top 8, so only best of 1 games, 30 minute rounds.
My match ups:
1. Mirror match going 2nd - Prized Brigette, but I still managed turn 1 Remoraid, Ralts, Ralts, Diancie. I ended up bricking on energy even though I only prized 1 fairy. Opponent proceeded to set up better than me. Close game but no cigar. Loss
2. Vikavolt/Bulu going 2nd - They didn't see Vikavolt until about turn 4 or 5. I actually ended up using Diancie's heal this game as they opened Tapu Koko and spammed flying flip on my Ralts. Had I not used the heal, I would have lost on turn 3. I stored up a 6 energy Gardevoir GX on the bench and Guzma'd two times for game. Win. *If I did not have the 2 Mallow I had in my deck to search for energy and field blower to knock away fighting fury belt, I would have lost this particular game.
3. Volcanion going 1st - This was my easiest match up. Pure Volcanion EX doesn't hit hard enough to stop Gardevoir GX, and she only needs 3 energy to OHKO. Bad match up for my opponent unfortunately. Win.
4. Greninja BREAK going 1st - I beat down 2 Frogadiers early, Guzma'd up their Starmie and KO'd it so they had no access to Giant Water Shuriken, and just continued to pick off optimal targets each turn. Win.
5. Golisopod GX/Garbodor going 2nd - I mulliganed 4 times in a row. 2 of those 4 mulligans had Brigette in my opening hand. They had a perfect set up. Turn 1 Trubbish with float stone, Garbotoxin active by turn 3 shutting off Abyssal Hand, 2 Golisopod GX on the field with energy and Choice Band, and I didn't draw into a supporter for 3 turns. I lost to them spamming flying flip and getting taken out by first impression in the mean time. Loss
6. Vikvaolt/Bulu going 2nd - They went first and got turn 2 Vikavolt. They flying flipped me twice and KO'd all my Gardevoir with fighting fury belt. When Bulu works, it completely craps on Gardevoir, but I was already aware of this. I bricked on supporters for 3 turns during this match up as well and had unplayable hands so I couldn't take advantage of Abyssal Hand. Loss.
My deck list:
Pokemon x21
Gardevoir GX x3
Gallade x1
Kirlia x3
Ralts x4
Tapu Lele GX x3
Diancie x3 **Even running 3, I only opened Diancie once out of 6 games. Considering dropping 1 Diancie for a Choice Band.
Octillery x2
Remoraid x2
Supporter x13
Sycamore x3
N x4
Guzma x3
Brigette x1
Mallow x2 **Mallow is HUGE in this deck. I won every game that I played her twice. I lost every game I didn't play her.
Item x13
Rare Candy x3
Ultra Ball x4
Float Stone x3
Field Blower x2
Professor's Letter x1
Energy x13
DCE x4
Fairy Energy x9
Overall Meta Analysis:
In my area, people were mostly playing Golisopod GX/Garbodor, Espeon GX/Garbodor, Gardevoir GX, Volcanion variants, Tapu Bulu/Vikavolt, Metagross GX, and one Alolan Ninetales GX.
Golisopod GX/Garbodor, Gardevoir GX, Metagross GX, Vikavolt/Bulu, and 1 Volcanion made it into top 8.
Both of the Bulus I met ran Fighting Fury Belt not Choice Band. Due to flying flip, this is perfectly OK and gives Bulu perfect offensive math and defensive math against Gardevoir GX. Just food for thought.
At the end of the day, I've come to believe that Gardevoir GX requires Choice Band. At least 1 copy that you can search out with Mallow/Skyla. You need it in the mirror match. You need it to prevent the energy counts from adding up against Tapu Lele GX. You need a method to increase your damage when you're under Garbotoxin. Just one to fix yourself for the game changing KO is all you need to turn the tides and win.
3 Diancie contributed to both of my game losing bricks in games 5 and 6, drawing into both of them after N's with no discard outlets like Ultra ball, and if I'm most of the time going to Lele/Brigette for it anyway, then running 3 doesn't change much. Likely going back down to 2. I'm still not 100% on board with 1 Diancie/1 Alolan Vulpix.
I still believe 3 Float Stone is incredibly valuable. One thing my Gardevoir GX deck had that others I felt lacked was a Guzma pivot, and no one runs Koko in this list since you shouldn't. 3 Float Stone may be unnecessary, but the point of having 3 is to Float Stone out undesirable actives instead of retreat for 1 out. Float Stones save you retreat energy early and give you Guzma pivots later. Maybe drop them to 2 for a 2nd Choice Band.
Anyway, I hope everyone can benefit from this information. I had a great time and love this TCG. The strategy and turn by turn execution is incredibly deep.
I just came back from my first League Cup ever having played the TCG for about a month or so.
I took Gardevoir GX and went 3/3/0, placing 24th out of 71 attendants. We played 6 rounds of single Swiss to determine top 8, so only best of 1 games, 30 minute rounds.
My match ups:
1. Mirror match going 2nd - Prized Brigette, but I still managed turn 1 Remoraid, Ralts, Ralts, Diancie. I ended up bricking on energy even though I only prized 1 fairy. Opponent proceeded to set up better than me. Close game but no cigar. Loss
2. Vikavolt/Bulu going 2nd - They didn't see Vikavolt until about turn 4 or 5. I actually ended up using Diancie's heal this game as they opened Tapu Koko and spammed flying flip on my Ralts. Had I not used the heal, I would have lost on turn 3. I stored up a 6 energy Gardevoir GX on the bench and Guzma'd two times for game. Win. *If I did not have the 2 Mallow I had in my deck to search for energy and field blower to knock away fighting fury belt, I would have lost this particular game.
3. Volcanion going 1st - This was my easiest match up. Pure Volcanion EX doesn't hit hard enough to stop Gardevoir GX, and she only needs 3 energy to OHKO. Bad match up for my opponent unfortunately. Win.
4. Greninja BREAK going 1st - I beat down 2 Frogadiers early, Guzma'd up their Starmie and KO'd it so they had no access to Giant Water Shuriken, and just continued to pick off optimal targets each turn. Win.
5. Golisopod GX/Garbodor going 2nd - I mulliganed 4 times in a row. 2 of those 4 mulligans had Brigette in my opening hand. They had a perfect set up. Turn 1 Trubbish with float stone, Garbotoxin active by turn 3 shutting off Abyssal Hand, 2 Golisopod GX on the field with energy and Choice Band, and I didn't draw into a supporter for 3 turns. I lost to them spamming flying flip and getting taken out by first impression in the mean time. Loss
6. Vikvaolt/Bulu going 2nd - They went first and got turn 2 Vikavolt. They flying flipped me twice and KO'd all my Gardevoir with fighting fury belt. When Bulu works, it completely craps on Gardevoir, but I was already aware of this. I bricked on supporters for 3 turns during this match up as well and had unplayable hands so I couldn't take advantage of Abyssal Hand. Loss.
My deck list:
Pokemon x21
Gardevoir GX x3
Gallade x1
Kirlia x3
Ralts x4
Tapu Lele GX x3
Diancie x3 **Even running 3, I only opened Diancie once out of 6 games. Considering dropping 1 Diancie for a Choice Band.
Octillery x2
Remoraid x2
Supporter x13
Sycamore x3
N x4
Guzma x3
Brigette x1
Mallow x2 **Mallow is HUGE in this deck. I won every game that I played her twice. I lost every game I didn't play her.
Item x13
Rare Candy x3
Ultra Ball x4
Float Stone x3
Field Blower x2
Professor's Letter x1
Energy x13
DCE x4
Fairy Energy x9
Overall Meta Analysis:
In my area, people were mostly playing Golisopod GX/Garbodor, Espeon GX/Garbodor, Gardevoir GX, Volcanion variants, Tapu Bulu/Vikavolt, Metagross GX, and one Alolan Ninetales GX.
Golisopod GX/Garbodor, Gardevoir GX, Metagross GX, Vikavolt/Bulu, and 1 Volcanion made it into top 8.
Both of the Bulus I met ran Fighting Fury Belt not Choice Band. Due to flying flip, this is perfectly OK and gives Bulu perfect offensive math and defensive math against Gardevoir GX. Just food for thought.
At the end of the day, I've come to believe that Gardevoir GX requires Choice Band. At least 1 copy that you can search out with Mallow/Skyla. You need it in the mirror match. You need it to prevent the energy counts from adding up against Tapu Lele GX. You need a method to increase your damage when you're under Garbotoxin. Just one to fix yourself for the game changing KO is all you need to turn the tides and win.
3 Diancie contributed to both of my game losing bricks in games 5 and 6, drawing into both of them after N's with no discard outlets like Ultra ball, and if I'm most of the time going to Lele/Brigette for it anyway, then running 3 doesn't change much. Likely going back down to 2. I'm still not 100% on board with 1 Diancie/1 Alolan Vulpix.
I still believe 3 Float Stone is incredibly valuable. One thing my Gardevoir GX deck had that others I felt lacked was a Guzma pivot, and no one runs Koko in this list since you shouldn't. 3 Float Stone may be unnecessary, but the point of having 3 is to Float Stone out undesirable actives instead of retreat for 1 out. Float Stones save you retreat energy early and give you Guzma pivots later. Maybe drop them to 2 for a 2nd Choice Band.
Anyway, I hope everyone can benefit from this information. I had a great time and love this TCG. The strategy and turn by turn execution is incredibly deep.