GARDEVOIR IS BACK BABY! WOOOHOOO!Well we have a new non GX Gardevoir to use
Wait a minute that’s acually not to bad of an idea!Wait a minute-
Mimikyu/Decidueye, anyone?
Ayyy (that was a pun, correct?)Never was a fan of gardevoir since im a metal fan especially metagross, but damn that second attack is awesome and helps boost current gardevoir decks against buzzwole gx and baby buzzwole. One hot kills on both with choice band.
And damn that alolan ninetales gx move... BEASTLY!!!
Well, thing there is that sylveon doesn’t have the OHKO on buzzwole like this gardevoir does. What I would do is play sylveon gardevoir, a similar list to the 2017 worlds finalist for the senior decision, takumi kaji.Not a fan of the Fairy Alolan Ninetales at all, really.
The item search on ability is the best part about it. The GX attack is fairly bad when most of the relevant Ultra Beasts are less than 200 HP, Nagandel GX being the tankiest one, and most decks post rotation can OHKO Ultra Beasts without using up the GX attack. If you use this to OHKO against Naganadel/Stakataka, you just give your opponent access to Beast Ring, and then Stakataka GX will proceed to take a free counter KO without using up the GX attack.
It's also coming out after Rayquaza/Zeraora becomes a thing, which makes the GX attack completely irrelivent assuming we have a saturation of those decks. Considering the Japan hype, I'd say it's very likely.
I would rather run Sylveon GX still because of Energy Evolution Eevee, the ability to search 3 of any card without it being a once per evolution thing, and if you're running Beacon Alolan Vulpix, you're probably going to spend an attack for turn on Beacon to find Alolan Ninetales in the first place, which is the same speed as just Magical Ribboning. Sylveon GX can also OHKO UNGX and Rayquaza GX without Choice Band.
I can see the Alolan Ninetales maybe being played as a 2/2 line in non-Fairy decks just for the ability and having access to Beacon for consistency, but I don't know what kind of deck would be interested in that strategy.
Maybe I'm underestimating Alolan Ninetales, but this is just my first impression of the card.
Non-GX Gardevoir is great, but only if Gardevoir GX is going to be great. It can hit 190 damage choice banded as a 1 prize attacker, and that's actually pretty big value. That being said, Sylveon GX outspeeds Gardevoir anyday, and I would rather play Sylveon GX as a Ray counter than Gardevoir.
Well, only thing I saw holding gardevoir from metagame was buzzwole. Now that the buzzwole decks are losing strength, and now this gardevoir, which is almost like a mix between sylveon gx and Gallade, Gardevoir has a shot at the metagame. Also, two of the top decks post rotation are going to be Rayquaza gx and ultra necrozma gx. These both get countered by gardevoir. And the thing about metal decks! I haven’t seen much of them, as they can be somewhat klunky. We saw that with dusk mane, as the time it took to set up its support was dangerously long in a meta where beginning game-advantaged decks lived. Stakataka might be something, but the gardevoir here counters it. The only one I’m worried about is Scizor, but we will see how it plays out.The ninetales is a beast. I think it's the lele of the next set and will get splashed in a ton of decks just for the ability and since alolan vulpix is good as well.
I'm not sure gardevoir makes a comeback with all this support. I could just play fairy alolan ninetales with any other stage 2 deck. Solgaleo for example, since it gets the new solgaleo. Or vikavolt, since lightning receives loads of support. Stronger stage 2s might exist by the time e get fairy rise.
Well, thing there is that sylveon doesn’t have the OHKO on buzzwole like this gardevoir does. What I would do is play sylveon gardevoir, a similar list to the 2017 worlds finalist for the senior decision, takumi kaji.
1. For your Ninetales thing? Super scoop up and acerola.lol more UB hate
On a bit more serious note, A. Ninetales has been overhyped for a while now, just because we knew that it had a good ability and well...that's really all it has going for it. If I'm not mistaken, devo spray didn't get a reprint, so reusing the ability is not an option either. Still, it might find its way into post-rotation fairy decks. I don't think it's worth using in anything else, and comparing it to Lele is a mistake imo. Lele is a basic and can even attack if needed in any deck that uses energy. A. Ninetales is a stage 1 and a fat bench sitter in any deck that doesn't play rainbow or fairy energy, and even in those it can't contribute that much.
Mimikyu is interesting. Koko+Punishment Shrine+Mimikyu maybe.
The Gardevoir was printed to replace Gallade, but its attack has a higher energy cost, (however, it also does more damage than Gallade so I guess it balances out) the typing is worse compared to Gallade and no Premonition. It is still a staple in in post-rotation Gardevoir though.