Discussion Thoughts on Zoroark GX in Gardevoir

Vulpixy

Vulpixy

Just your friendly neighborhood Vulpix
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I just recently got the pieces together to build my Gardevoir GX deck on the TCGO and I wanted to try something different. I took heavy influence from Pablo Meza's deck from Vancouver, however instead of the Octillary line and 2 trainers I'm trying out a 2-2 line of Zoroark GX.

Do you guys think that the pros for Zoroark GX outweigh the cons in this deck, or would the consistency in draw power from Octillery surpass having a backup attacker?
 
What trainers did you remove?
I feel like the cosistany isn't the issue with switching, it's the fact that you don't need a backup attacker
 
pikachuuuu101 said:
What trainers did you remove?
I feel like the cosistany isn't the issue with switching, it's the fact that you don't need a backup attacker
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Out of that deck list I took out the lone Parallel City and one Brigette. Might add the Brigette back in however.
 
Parallol city, whilst stupid, gives the deck a stupidly good out vs metagross and greninja. You parallol city them, then Plea GX, to force them to one benched mon. Its brutal.

Zoroark has ups and downs: its a GX and worse draw, but thins better, and can be used at bigger hand sizes, and is great to throw vs metagross.

Flipside Octillery has better draw, and non GX, but is a dead weight in theory.
 
Im not a fan of it, my friend has been testing it and I feel you need to sacrifice too many good cards for it to be usable, and you don't seem to get much out of it
 
P3DS said:
Parallol city, whilst stupid, gives the deck a stupidly good out vs metagross and greninja. You parallol city them, then Plea GX, to force them to one benched mon. Its brutal.

Zoroark has ups and downs: its a GX and worse draw, but thins better, and can be used at bigger hand sizes, and is great to throw vs metagross.

Flipside Octillery has better draw, and non GX, but is a dead weight in theory.
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TheCraftyScot said:
Im not a fan of it, my friend has been testing it and I feel you need to sacrifice too many good cards for it to be usable, and you don't seem to get much out of it
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Thx for the feedback. I've taken out my changes and will test the deck as Pablo Meza's built it and see how it feels.
 
I he's unnecessary. Some of the members have said it already and you just cut too much for too little. Why go for 120 with Zoroark and Trade when you can do bigger things with Gardy and have Octillery/Oranguru? Usually that amount of draw support is enough, and you already run so many Pokémon that opening Zorua would be generally unwanted. Actually, always unwanted haha. Stick with your standard 2-2 Sylveon and however you do your Gardy (with or without Gallade) and the extra stuff and you already have a very consistent deck.
 
You all forgot that you could use Mallow+Trade to get the cards you need BEFORE the opponent has a CHANCE to N/Ilima them back in deck...

^ Sylveon's Ribbon move is useless in a format w/ N, as Ribbon is an attack, and attacks end turn, while Trade does not end turn, as Trade is an ability...
 
Magical ribbon is great in that it forces your opponent to N. If he uses N then:
1. He gives you a new hand, which is probably better than what you had left before ribbon.
2. He didn’t play a more useful supporter such as Guzma or Sycamore or Brigette.
3. Every N he plays now is one less he can play late game to screw you over with.

If he doesn’t use N then:
Provided you picked your cards smartly you automatically have a big advantage in the set up.
 
I agree with the Mallow tech, although that can be done in most situations with Octillery as well, if you time your Mallow right (for example play an Ultra Ball, play that Pokemon and then Mallow).

I just think /agree that Octillery is better in Gardevoir. Your Lele's will be fine as backup attacker.
 
I like Zoro a lot better, I like the idea of being able to use it as long as you have a hand, while you can't with Octillery, it also helps in the mirror to save a gardy. And in the Metagross matchup
 
Zoroark GX is unfortunately a bad tech in Gardevoir GX.

In any mirror match that you play against, your opponent is going to make Gallade and OHKO Zoroark GX which nets them 2 prizes and only nets you 1 prize later. Not to mention your Zoroark GXs get resisted by the entire Gardevoir line and Sylveon GX in the mirror. Granted about 25 to 30% of the meta right now is Gardevoir, you should expect mirror matches all the time.

Zoroark/Mallow combo is good on paper but bad in application for this deck. It has too many play conditions.

1. You have to have Zoroark GX in play.
2. You have to have Mallow in hand or have a way to get Mallow in hand. If you have to ultra ball for Lele, you are going to be discarding 3 cards this turn.
3. You have to be in a game state where searching for 2 cards is going to be significant. If you already have the cards you need or plan on Sycamore/N/Guzma the same turn, Mallow is dead even if conditions 1 or 2 are met.
4. If garbotoxin is in play or shadow stitching occurs, Mallow becomes a dead card.

This deck doesn't have enough room to run cheeky things like Zoroark/Mallow. It's a great combo in other decks, but not here since we already have Sylveon GX and no room.

Gardevoir GX Pokemon line ups should be 4/2/3(1) Gardevoir line, 2/2 Sylveon, and 1/1 Octillery with 3 Lele. I don't see that changing any time before new Solgaleo GX comes out.
 
Yes, I played about 20 to 25 rounds with Gardevoir GX/Zoroark GX.

I lost every time Gallade showed up in the mirror match, hence why I brought it up. My opponent always got a free 2 prize advantage and I lose the draw consistency I was relying on.

Gardevoir/Zoroark has relatively similar performance in every other match up. It somewhat improves Metagross match ups and greatly reduces your mirror match up.

Since Gardy is the most common deck, reducing your odds of winning against another Gardy player is not the right meta call.

Gardevoir's strength lies in its endgame. It has ridiculously powerful recovery and revenge KO potential. None of my games with Gardevoir/Zoroark were won because I took my last few prizes with Zoroark. It was always Gardevoir, and for your early game you should almost exclusively be spamming Magical Ribbon to set yourself up for several turns to come.

Zoroark GX shines in the early and midgame but scales off hard in the endgame, but once again you don't need an early game attacker because you should be using Sylveon GX's Magical Ribbon early game. Every energy you attach to Zoroark GX reduces the damage ceiling of your Gardevoirs and you absolutely never want that when your Sylveon GXs are already taking a share of the pie.


If it works well for you then keep playing it. I just think it hurts more than it helps, mostly due to the shape of the meta right now.
 
Duo said:
Yes, I played about 20 to 25 rounds with Gardevoir GX/Zoroark GX.

I lost every time Gallade showed up in the mirror match, hence why I brought it up. My opponent always got a free 2 prize advantage and I lose the draw consistency I was relying on.

Gardevoir/Zoroark has relatively similar performance in every other match up. It somewhat improves Metagross match ups and greatly reduces your mirror match up.

Since Gardy is the most common deck, reducing your odds of winning against another Gardy player is not the right meta call.

Gardevoir's strength lies in its endgame. It has ridiculously powerful recovery and revenge KO potential. None of my games with Gardevoir/Zoroark were won because I took my last few prizes with Zoroark. It was always Gardevoir, and for your early game you should almost exclusively be spamming Magical Ribbon to set yourself up for several turns to come.

Zoroark GX shines in the early and midgame but scales off hard in the endgame, but once again you don't need an early game attacker because you should be using Sylveon GX's Magical Ribbon early game. Every energy you attach to Zoroark GX reduces the damage ceiling of your Gardevoirs and you absolutely never want that when your Sylveon GXs are already taking a share of the pie.


If it works well for you then keep playing it. I just think it hurts more than it helps, mostly due to the shape of the meta right now.
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Thank you for this detailed insight. When I tired it with the Zoroark GX I found that he either didn't do enough for the deck, forced tough decisions for the sake of drawing cards, or became an easy 2 prizes. The only game that he helped in was my first game, but I feel that's more due to it being my first ever match with Garde, so not much the tech he added.

I started this tread to see the opinions of others and that opinion seems to be pretty heavy towards no Zoroark GX. After taking him out I do see that Octillery works a bit better in this deck. Hopefully this thread will help anyone else thinking of tinkering with the garde decklist :)
 
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