Alakazam

What Alakazam looks like when you open the box

Across the 49 lists we counted, this deck runs 15 to 26 Pokémon, 19 to 39 Trainers and 4 to 23 Energy. Its attacks are paid for in Psychic.

On results pages and on stream you will see it written « alakazam-meg ». Every card named in that label turns up in the tables below, which is what makes it a fair name for the deck.

The bit they tack on the end, « MEG », is a set code: Mega Evolution. They spell it out because several cards share that name, and this deck plays that particular printing.

Look at the Energy: 4 to 23 out of 60, when half the 125 decks we track run 11 or fewer. This one carries more than most, and you feel it at the table — it wants to load up a big Pokémon and swing hard, even if that means drawing a spare Energy now and then.

It takes a while to set up. Alakazam is a Stage 2 Pokémon: you put down the baby, you evolve it, and then you evolve it again. Three cards stacked before anything attacks. That is what the hardest-hitting decks cost you, and it is also where they crack — a fast opponent can bury you before the line is standing.

Look at the Trainers: 19 to 39 cards out of 60, against a median of 31 across the 125 decks we track. Inside that, 8 to 13 Supporters, and the rule there is strict — one a turn, even if you are holding three. The 11 to 20 Items you can play all of in the same turn. It also brings up to 4 Stadiums, and 87 of the 125 decks we track bring that many or more. Only one Stadium sits on the table at a time: the one you play sends the one already there to the discard pile.

What Tools and Stadiums do — the two Trainer families we skipped here — and why the Energy count says so much: how to read a deck list.

What the card in this deck's name actually does

Alakazam gives this deck its name. Here is what is written on it.

Alakazam is in all 49 lists, 3 copies of it. Its Ability is called Psychic Draw, and here is what is printed on it, word for word: « Once during your turn, when you play this Pokémon from your hand to evolve 1 of your Pokémon, you may use this Ability. Draw 3 cards. » Its attack Powerful Hand costs 1 Energy (Psychic) and has no damage number printed next to it. That is why you will not find it in the attacker table lower down, which sorts by printed damage. Everything it does lives in its text: « Place 2 damage counters on your opponent's Active Pokémon for each card in your hand. » Do the arithmetic with us, it is worth it. A damage counter is 10 damage. 2 counters per card means 20 damage for every card you are holding when you swing. Five cards in hand, 100. Eight cards in hand, 160. In this deck your hand is your damage gauge.

How Alakazam actually wins

Alakazam attacks with Powerful Hand, and it needs 1 Psychic Energy attached. It has 140 HP. Its damage box is empty, so the table below, which sorts by printed damage, cannot rank it: its printed text above is where the counting happens.

One Energy to attack is enormous, and it means the attack cost will never be what slows you down. What slows you down here is getting Alakazam up. Once the line is standing you swing every turn with nothing to recharge, and you can start again immediately when your attacker falls.

Energy is not your only clock. Abra has to climb two steps before it becomes Alakazam, and an evolution asleep at the bottom of your deck does you no good at all. The list has that covered. Hilda, which the list runs 4 of, goes into your deck for an evolution. Careful, though: only 48 of the 49 lists bring it, so it is a choice, and players are still arguing about it.

Good news on mobility: pulling Alakazam back to the Bench costs you 1 Energy attached to it, and that is all. Retreating does not cost you your turn, so you step back and swing anyway. That matters enormously the day your opponent lands something nasty on it.

Not one ex Pokémon in the core, and only 26 of the 125 decks we track are in that position. It is a hidden advantage: every knockout your opponent takes is worth a single Prize, so they need 6, where 3 would do against a deck stuffed with ex cards.

The attackers in the deck's core, with their best attack, its cost and their Weakness

Pokémon	HP	Attack	Damage	Cost	Weakness	Retreat
Close AlakazamStage 2	140	Powerful HandPlace 2 damage counters on your opponent's Active Pokémon for each card in your hand.	—		Darkness ×2	1
Close KadabraStage 1	80	Super Psy Bolt	30		Darkness ×2	1

The core: the 3 cards every list runs

These 3 cards appear in all 49 lists, without a single exception. That is 9 of the 60 slots. The other 51 are decided player by player.

Look at how those 9 slots break down: 2 Trainers, 7 Pokémon, 0 Energy. Pokémon dominate, which is unusual: this deck needs bodies on the board, and it depends on any single attacker less than it looks.

3 of those 3 cards do not sit at the same count from list to list: Kadabra (3 to 4), Alakazam (3 to 4) and Boss's Orders (1 to 4). Add those spreads up and you get 5 copies the 49 lists do not agree on, inside the core itself.

What "3 to 4" means in the copies column, what the "TWM 130" code under each name is for, and why we count dozens of lists instead of one: how to read a deck list.

The cards present in every list counted, with the number of copies

Copies	Card	Printing	Kind
3–4	Close Kadabra	MEG 55	Pokémon
3–4	Close Alakazam	MEG 56	Pokémon
1–4	Close Boss's Orders	MEG 114	Trainer

The 122 cards that change from list to list

122 cards fight over the 51 slots that are left: 13 above three lists in four, 98 below one in four, and the percentage on each row says how many players took it.

The most agreed on first: Hilda at 98 %, Rare Candy at 98 % and Telepathic Psychic Energy at 98 %, plus 10 more above 75 %. Add those to the core and you have the common build.

The dividing line runs through Duskull, at 51 %: 25 of 49 players took it, 24 put something else there. The ones who run it bring 4 copies. Right at the bottom of the table, Pikipek (11 lists out of 49) and Toucannon (11 lists out of 49).

Why a card at 45 % is not a bad card, and what order to buy all this in: how to read a deck list.

The cards some lists run and others don't, most common first

Lists running it	Card	Copies	Printing	Kind
98 %48/49	Close Hilda	1–4	WHT 84	Trainer
98 %48/49	Close Rare Candy	2–4	MEG 125	Trainer
98 %48/49	Close Telepathic Psychic Energy	1–4	POR 88	Energy
96 %47/49	Psychic Energy	1–19	MEE 5	Energy
94 %46/49	Close Buddy-Buddy Poffin	2–4	TEF 144	Trainer
94 %46/49	Close Poké Pad	2–4	POR 81	Trainer
92 %45/49	Close Abra	2–4	MEG 54	Pokémon
90 %44/49	Close Dawn	1–4	PFL 87	Trainer
90 %44/49	Close Night Stretcher	1–3	ASC 196	Trainer
84 %41/49	Close Fezandipiti ex	1	ASC 142	Pokémon
80 %39/49	Close Sacred Ash	1–2	DRI 168	Trainer
78 %38/49	Close Shaymin	1	DRI 10	Pokémon
78 %38/49	Close Special Red Card	1–2	CRI 82	Trainer
63 %31/49	Close Abra	1–4	TWM 80	Pokémon
61 %30/49	Close Gwynn	1–4	PBL 78	Trainer
51 %25/49	Close Duskull	2–4	PRE 35	Pokémon
51 %25/49	Close Dusknoir	1–3	PRE 37	Pokémon
49 %24/49	Close Dusclops	1–3	PRE 36	Pokémon
49 %24/49	Close Strange Timepiece	1–3	MEG 128	Trainer
47 %23/49	Close Prime Catcher	1	TEF 157	Trainer
45 %22/49	Close Budew	1–2	ASC 16	Pokémon
41 %20/49	Close Patrat	1	CRI 70	Pokémon
37 %18/49	Close Battle Cage	1–3	PFL 85	Trainer
37 %18/49	Close Enhanced Hammer	1–2	TWM 148	Trainer
22 %11/49	Close Pikipek	1–3	PBL 66	Pokémon
22 %11/49	Close Toucannon	1–2	PBL 68	Pokémon
22 %11/49	Close Enriching Energy	1	SSP 191	Energy
20 %10/49	Close Wondrous Patch	1–3	PFL 94	Trainer
18 %9/49	Close Dudunsparce	1	TEF 129	Pokémon
18 %9/49	Close Genesect	1	SFA 40	Pokémon
18 %9/49	Close Trumbeak	1–2	PBL 67	Pokémon
18 %9/49	Close Lillie's Determination	1–4	MEG 119	Trainer
18 %9/49	Close Air Balloon	1–2	ASC 181	Trainer
18 %9/49	Close Lana's Aid	1	TWM 155	Trainer
16 %8/49	Close Psyduck	1	ASC 39	Pokémon
16 %8/49	Close Handheld Fan	1–2	TWM 150	Trainer
16 %8/49	Close Switch	1–2	MEG 130	Trainer
14 %7/49	Close Nighttime Mine	1–4	ASC 197	Trainer
14 %7/49	Close Ultra Ball	1–4	MEG 131	Trainer
12 %6/49	Close Drakloak	2–3	TWM 129	Pokémon
12 %6/49	Close Dreepy	2–3	TWM 128	Pokémon
12 %6/49	Close Dunsparce	1–2	JTG 120	Pokémon
12 %6/49	Close Dragapult ex	1	TWM 130	Pokémon
12 %6/49	Close Flutter Mane	1	TEF 78	Pokémon
12 %6/49	Close Neo Upper Energy	1	TEF 162	Energy
10 %5/49	Close Dunsparce	1–2	TEF 128	Pokémon
10 %5/49	Close Mew ex	1–4	30C 66	Pokémon
10 %5/49	Close Team Rocket's Watchtower	2–3	DRI 180	Trainer
10 %5/49	Close Eri	1	TEF 146	Trainer
10 %5/49	Close Legacy Energy	1	TWM 167	Energy
8 %4/49	Close Alakazam	1	TWM 82	Pokémon
8 %4/49	Close Lillie's Clefairy ex	1–2	JTG 56	Pokémon
8 %4/49	Close Crushing Hammer	1–2	POR 71	Trainer
8 %4/49	Fire Energy	1–3	MEE 10	Energy
6 %3/49	Close Swinub	4	JTG 77	Pokémon
6 %3/49	Close Mamoswine ex	3	JTG 79	Pokémon
6 %3/49	Close Crispin	1	SCR 133	Trainer
6 %3/49	Close Energy Retrieval	1–2	SVI 171	Trainer
6 %3/49	Close Lillie's Pearl	1	JTG 151	Trainer
6 %3/49	Fighting Energy	3–5	MEE 6	Energy
6 %3/49	Close Rocky Fighting Energy	1–2	POR 87	Energy
4 %2/49	Close Igglybuff	4	30C 120	Pokémon
4 %2/49	Close Team Rocket's Chingling	3–4	DRI 85	Pokémon
4 %2/49	Close Banette	3	PBL 34	Pokémon
4 %2/49	Close Shuppet	3	PBL 33	Pokémon
4 %2/49	Close Chimchar	2	TWM 31	Pokémon
4 %2/49	Close Dhelmise	2	PBL 39	Pokémon
4 %2/49	Close Infernape	2	TWM 33	Pokémon
4 %2/49	Close Piloswine	2	PFL 24	Pokémon
4 %2/49	Close Dedenne	1	SSP 87	Pokémon
4 %2/49	Close Elgyem	1	BLK 40	Pokémon
4 %2/49	Close Klinklang	1	SCR 101	Pokémon
4 %2/49	Close Monferno	1	TWM 32	Pokémon
4 %2/49	Close Brave Bangle	2	WHT 80	Trainer
4 %2/49	Close Lucky Helmet	2	TWM 158	Trainer
4 %2/49	Close Team Rocket's Petrel	1–2	DRI 176	Trainer
4 %2/49	Close Kieran	1	TWM 154	Trainer
4 %2/49	Close Rescue Board	1	TEF 159	Trainer
4 %2/49	Close Tool Scrapper	1	ASC 212	Trainer
4 %2/49	Close Ignition Energy	1–2	WHT 86	Energy
2 %1/49	Close Litwick	4	PBL 36	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Bastiodon	3	PBL 62	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Chandelure	3	TWM 38	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Blaziken ex	2	JTG 24	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Bronzong	2	TEF 69	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Bronzor	2	TEF 68	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Frillish	2	WHT 44	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Jellicent ex	2	WHT 45	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Lampent	2	PBL 37	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Piloswine	2	JTG 78	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Shieldon	2	PBL 61	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Togekiss	2	SSP 72	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Togepi	2	SSP 70	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Torchic	2	DRI 40	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex	1	TWM 141	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Bronzor	1	PRE 66	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Combusken	1	DRI 41	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Deoxys	1	CRI 33	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Eevee	1	SSP 143	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Latias ex	1	SSP 76	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Rabsca	1	TEF 24	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Rellor	1	TEF 23	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Sylveon ex	1	30C 71	Pokémon
2 %1/49	Close Energy Search	4	POR 72	Trainer
2 %1/49	Close Antique Armor Fossil	3	PBL 72	Trainer
2 %1/49	Close Fossil Quarry	3	PBL 76	Trainer
2 %1/49	Close Team Rocket's Giovanni	3	DRI 174	Trainer
2 %1/49	Close Team Rocket's Transceiver	3	DRI 178	Trainer
2 %1/49	Close Forest of Vitality	2	MEG 117	Trainer
2 %1/49	Close Jamming Tower	2	TWM 153	Trainer
2 %1/49	Close Area Zero Underdepths	1	SCR 131	Trainer
2 %1/49	Close Black Belt's Training	1	JTG 143	Trainer
2 %1/49	Close Counter Gain	1	SSP 169	Trainer
2 %1/49	Close Judge	1	POR 76	Trainer
2 %1/49	Close Mystery Garden	1	MEG 122	Trainer
2 %1/49	Close Pokégear 3.0	1	SVI 186	Trainer
2 %1/49	Close Rust Syndicate Grunt	1	PBL 81	Trainer
2 %1/49	Close Secret Box	1	TWM 163	Trainer
2 %1/49	Close Team Rocket's Proton	1	DRI 177	Trainer
2 %1/49	Close Unfair Stamp	1	TWM 165	Trainer
2 %1/49	Close Xerosic's Machinations	1	SFA 64	Trainer
2 %1/49	Close Magnetic Metal Energy	2	CRI 85	Energy

The most common Alakazam list, all 60 cards

Here they are in full, ready to build. 9 slots come from the core, the cards all 49 lists run. The remaining 51 come from the table just above, working down it: the cards the most players chose, each at its most common copy count, until the total lands on 60.

This list is nobody's list in particular. It takes, slot by slot, what the most people played, under the guardrails a judge would hold you to: never more than four copies of a card, and one ACE SPEC. Behind the core it took 20 more cards to reach 60. The whole thing comes to 23 Pokémon, 32 Trainers and 5 Energy.

One thing to know before you build it: the 49 lists we counted are all from players who came in the top twenty of their tournament. Nobody publishes the lists of the players who lost. So what you have in front of you is what the players finishing near the top bring most often.

The text under the table is the one the game expects: copy it, paste it into the deck manager, and the list builds itself.

Why we only read lists from players who came in the top twenty of their tournament, and what that changes about every percentage on this page: how to read a deck list.

Pokémon: 23
4 Kadabra MEG 55
3 Alakazam MEG 56
4 Abra MEG 54
1 Fezandipiti ex ASC 142
1 Shaymin DRI 10
2 Abra TWM 80
4 Duskull PRE 35
2 Dusknoir PRE 37
2 Dusclops PRE 36

Trainer: 32
2 Boss's Orders MEG 114
4 Hilda WHT 84
4 Rare Candy MEG 125
4 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144
4 Poké Pad POR 81
2 Dawn PFL 87
2 Night Stretcher ASC 196
1 Sacred Ash DRI 168
1 Special Red Card CRI 82
4 Gwynn PBL 78
3 Strange Timepiece MEG 128
1 Prime Catcher TEF 157

Energy: 5
4 Telepathic Psychic Energy POR 88
1 Psychic Energy MEE 5

Total Cards: 60

How many different cards Alakazam needs, and how long it will last

You need 125 different cards to cover every version of this deck, 3 of which nobody argues about. The rest is where lists differ from one another, and that is where you have room to choose.

46 of these 49 lists bring an ACE SPEC, and that is where they part ways: 23 took Prime Catcher, 11 took Enriching Energy and 6 took Neo Upper Energy. The flex table shows you all 6. You are allowed ONE ACE SPEC card in your whole deck, so a single copy covers it whatever it costs. New to this deck? Take Prime Catcher and watch what the others do with theirs before you switch.

Then there is time, and the answer is a good one: not one of the 3 core cards carries the letter H, the one that goes at the next rotation. This deck walks through the change whole.

What Alakazam struggles against

The attackers in this deck are Weak to Darkness, so they take DOUBLE damage from that type. 19 of the 125 decks we track attack in exactly that type.

Concretely, here is what is waiting for you: N's Zoroark ex, Mega Sharpedo ex / Toxtricity and Marnie's Grimmsnarl ex / Froslass, plus 16 more decks. The table below takes them one at a time, and those are the lists you practise against first before an event.

This table counts one thing, Weakness, and that comes to 19 decks out of the 125 we track. The other 106 do not attack into yours, and this table says nothing about them. You will still run into them.

Going the other way, your attackers are Psychic, and 6 of the decks we track have an attacker Weak to one of those: Mega Lucario ex / Hariyama, Mega Lucario ex and Greninja ex, among others. That is you doubling, for once. Second half of the table.

When an attack does nothing at all

There are two ways to hurt the Pokémon across the table, and the game does not treat them the same. An attack with a number printed next to it deals damage. An attack with no number, whose text just says "place 2 damage counters", does what the rules call an effect. That matters, because a handful of Pokémon have an Ability that prevents the effects of your opponent's attacks, and their card spells it out in brackets: damage is not an effect.

The other way round, this deck attacks with counters too: Alakazam with Powerful Hand. Those attacks have no damage number printed next to them at all. In front of a Pokémon that shuts off effects, they place nothing. Zero.

Of the decks we track, 7 play a Pokémon like that, and they are in the table below. The day you see one come across the table, stop counting on your counters. You need an attack with a real number written on it. You have one: Super Psy Bolt, on Kadabra, for 30.