Two Scarlet and Violet cards stormed into Pokémon TCG meta at latest major event

Every new set in the Pokémon TCG brings change for the competitive meta, but the last several events have been dominated by a handful of steady decks that seemed like they wouldn’t falter easily. But with the introduction of the first Scarlet and Violet set, two cards have already broken into the top tier at one of the game’s largest tournaments.

SV’s first set launched on March 31 and became tournament legal a short time before the Pokémon European International Championships—which featured the most players attending in years—began on April 14. By that time, players already had an idea of which new cards would be ready to go at the highest level.

Out of the entire set, Miraidon ex and Gardevoir ex showed the earliest potential to help enhance existing strategies or stand out on their own. Each of those cards made an appearance in the EUIC’s top eight.

For Miraidon ex, it appeared in the newly standardized engine that pairs it with Regieleki VMAX, Raikou V—as piloted by veteran TCG competitor Robert Kinbrum. This also makes great use of SV’s Electric Generator Tool too, since that allows players to facilitate the rapid-pace Lightning Energy pool.

Kinbrum’s Miraidon deck made it into the top 64, but the strategy as a whole has been on the rise as the 10th most successful deck over the last month.

As for Gardevoir ex, Tord Reklev abandoned over four months of usage with a Lugi VSTAR and Arcehops list that helped him win the Pokémon Latin America International Championships last November in order to try out something new. The strategy that pairs Zacian V with other cards to deal more damage per Psychic Energy worked, bringing him all the way to second-place and making a strong showing for the seventh-ranked deck.

This is a nice infusion that several players within the TCG community think the meta needed after a somewhat stagnant period to start 2023’s competitive season. However, that doesn’t mean the old decks aren’t still at the top of their game.

Two Lugia VSTAR decks still made it into the top eight even after the most recent set rotation—it also won in the Juniors division too, though Gardevoir ex paired with Mewtwo V-Union took the title in Seniors. 

Related: Top players name most underrated Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet

Over the last three months, that Lugia Archeops build has been the most popular deck and carries over 36 percent of all Pokémon Championship Series Points earned during that span, according to Limitless TCG. That number will likely start gradually falling, but the deck has not lost its viability at that top level just yet.

The same can be said about the three decks that round out the top four in the meta, Lost Zone Toolbox, Mew VMAX, and Arceus VSTAR which all appeared in the top eight. Alex Schemanske piloted the latter engine to its first major top at an event this year, and its first since the Salt Lake City Regional last October.

Over the next several events, Gardevoir and Miraidon decks should continue to rise in popularity—while the new Trainer and other niche cards from the SV set begin to make more of an impact in different areas.