Doublade

What Doublade looks like when you open the box

Across the 59 lists we counted, this deck runs 20 to 26 Pokémon, 20 to 31 Trainers and 7 to 17 Energy. Its attacks are paid for in Metal.

On results pages and on stream you will see it written « doublade-por ». 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, « POR », is a set code: Perfect Order. They spell it out because several cards share that name, and this deck plays that particular printing.

Look at the Energy: 7 to 17 out of 60, when half the 132 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. Aegislash 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: 20 to 31 cards out of 60, against a median of 31 across the 132 decks we track. Inside that, 8 to 16 Supporters, and the rule there is strict — one a turn, even if you are holding three. The 8 to 19 Items you can play all of in the same turn. It also brings up to 5 Stadiums, and 26 of the 132 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.

How Doublade actually wins

Aegislash attacks with Metal Slash for 230. It needs 4 Energy, 1 Metal and 3 Colorless attached, and it has 150 HP. And the number is not everything the card says. There is one more line printed under the attack, and it is the one everybody skips: "During your next turn, this Pokémon can't use attacks."

The cost of Metal Slash decides your first few turns. You only get to attach one Energy a turn, and that attack asks for 4. On your own attachments alone, your first real swing lands on turn 4. We have not found anything in this list that attaches Energy faster than that, so plan on holding out for 3 turns before you swing. Those turns still get played: you fill your Bench, you build your lines, and you keep something back to rebuild with when your attacker falls.

Energy is not your only clock. Honedge has to climb two steps before it becomes Aegislash, and an evolution asleep at the bottom of your deck does you no good at all. The list has that covered. Genesect ex, which the list runs 2 of, has an Ability called Metallic Signal: it goes into your deck for an evolution.

There is another trick in this list, and the whole of it happens in one turn. Team Rocket's Petrel goes into your deck for a Trainer card and puts it in your hand. Precious Trolley is one, and it puts as many Basic Pokémon as you like onto your Bench in one go. A full Bench on turn one is what decides the game in a deck with lines to build. One rule to know: Precious Trolley is an ACE SPEC card. You are allowed just ONE ACE SPEC in your whole deck, so a second copy is never coming, and taking this one means giving up every other. One detail that matters: Team Rocket's Petrel is a Supporter, so that turn you play no other Supporter. Items all still go through. And if Team Rocket's Petrel will not show up, Team Rocket's Transceiver goes and gets it: 30 of the 59 lists bring it for exactly that.

Here is the detail that quietly loses games. To pull Aegislash back to the Bench you have to discard 3 Energy attached to it. Retreating does not cost you your turn, you can step back and still swing right after. What it costs you is the 3 Energy you spent 3 turns attaching, and you start that climb again from nothing. Pack a card that moves it for free, or send it up knowing it stays up.

Genesect ex carries the "ex" suffix, and your opponent takes 2 Prize cards instead of one when Genesect ex falls. They need 6 to win: 3 well-placed knockouts on that card beat you, where it would take 6 anywhere else on your Bench.

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

Pokémon	HP	Attack	Damage	Cost	Weakness	Retreat
Close AegislashStage 2	150	Metal Slash	230		Fire ×2	3
Close Genesect exBasic	220	Protect Charge	150		Fire ×2	2
Close DoubladeStage 1	100	Weaponized Swords	60×		Fire ×2	2
Close HonedgeBasic	70	Cut	10		Fire ×2	2

The core: the 5 cards every list runs

These 5 cards appear in all 59 lists, without a single exception. That is 16 of the 60 slots. The other 44 are decided player by player.

Look at how those 16 slots break down: 2 Trainers, 14 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.

4 of those 5 cards do not sit at the same count from list to list: Aegislash (3 to 4), Honedge (3 to 4) and Genesect ex (2 to 3), plus 1 more. Add those spreads up and you get 6 copies the 59 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 Aegislash	POR 58	Pokémon
4	Close Doublade	POR 57	Pokémon
3–4	Close Honedge	POR 56	Pokémon
2–3	Close Genesect ex	BLK 67	Pokémon
1–4	Close Boss's Orders	MEG 114	Trainer

The 109 cards that change from list to list

109 cards fight over the 44 slots that are left: 4 above three lists in four, 80 below one in four, and the percentage on each row says how many players took it.

The most agreed on first: Metal Energy at 92 %, Buddy-Buddy Poffin at 86 % and Night Stretcher at 85 %, plus 1 more above 75 %. Add those to the core and you have the common build.

The dividing line runs through Team Rocket's Transceiver, at 51 %: 30 of 59 players took it, 29 put something else there. The ones who run it bring 4 copies. Right at the bottom of the table, Meowth ex (15 lists out of 59) and Latias ex (14 lists out of 59).

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
92 %54/59	Metal Energy	1–17	MEE 8	Energy
86 %51/59	Close Buddy-Buddy Poffin	1–4	TEF 144	Trainer
85 %50/59	Close Night Stretcher	1–4	ASC 196	Trainer
75 %44/59	Close Fezandipiti ex	1	ASC 142	Pokémon
73 %43/59	Close Dawn	1–4	PFL 87	Trainer
73 %43/59	Close Sacred Ash	1–3	DRI 168	Trainer
71 %42/59	Close Battle Cage	1–3	PFL 85	Trainer
69 %41/59	Close Shaymin	1	DRI 10	Pokémon
68 %40/59	Close Poké Pad	1–4	POR 81	Trainer
66 %39/59	Close Team Rocket's Petrel	1–4	DRI 176	Trainer
59 %35/59	Close Precious Trolley	1	SSP 185	Trainer
58 %34/59	Close Lana's Aid	1–3	TWM 155	Trainer
53 %31/59	Close Switch	1–2	MEG 130	Trainer
51 %30/59	Close Team Rocket's Transceiver	1–4	DRI 178	Trainer
49 %29/59	Close Energy Recycler	1–2	DRI 164	Trainer
49 %29/59	Psychic Energy	1–8	MEE 5	Energy
46 %27/59	Close Lillie's Determination	1–4	MEG 119	Trainer
44 %26/59	Close Ultra Ball	1–4	MEG 131	Trainer
44 %26/59	Close Ignition Energy	2–4	WHT 86	Energy
42 %25/59	Close Rare Candy	1–3	MEG 125	Trainer
42 %25/59	Close Air Balloon	1–2	ASC 181	Trainer
41 %24/59	Close Steven's Beldum	1–3	DRI 143	Pokémon
41 %24/59	Close Steven's Metagross ex	1–3	DRI 145	Pokémon
41 %24/59	Close Steven's Metang	1–2	DRI 144	Pokémon
41 %24/59	Close Hilda	1–4	WHT 84	Trainer
39 %23/59	Close Special Red Card	1–2	CRI 82	Trainer
29 %17/59	Close Dudunsparce	2–3	TEF 129	Pokémon
27 %16/59	Close Brock's Scouting	1–3	JTG 146	Trainer
27 %16/59	Close Philippe	1–4	CRI 79	Trainer
25 %15/59	Close Meowth ex	1	POR 62	Pokémon
24 %14/59	Close Latias ex	1–2	SSP 76	Pokémon
24 %14/59	Close Magnetic Metal Energy	1–3	CRI 85	Energy
22 %13/59	Close Dunsparce	1–3	JTG 120	Pokémon
22 %13/59	Close Pokégear 3.0	2–4	SVI 186	Trainer
20 %12/59	Close Metang	2–3	TEF 114	Pokémon
19 %11/59	Close Xerosic's Machinations	1	SFA 64	Trainer
17 %10/59	Close Psyduck	1	ASC 39	Pokémon
15 %9/59	Close Lillie's Clefairy ex	1	JTG 56	Pokémon
15 %9/59	Close Max Rod	1	PRE 116	Trainer
14 %8/59	Close Dunsparce	1–3	TEF 128	Pokémon
14 %8/59	Close Metagross	1–2	CRI 61	Pokémon
14 %8/59	Close Gwynn	1–4	PBL 78	Trainer
14 %8/59	Close Jamming Tower	1	TWM 153	Trainer
14 %8/59	Close Enriching Energy	1	SSP 191	Energy
12 %7/59	Close Brave Bangle	1	WHT 80	Trainer
10 %6/59	Close Beldum	2–3	CRI 59	Pokémon
10 %6/59	Close Beldum	2–3	TEF 113	Pokémon
10 %6/59	Close Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex	1	TWM 141	Pokémon
10 %6/59	Close Fan Rotom	1	SCR 118	Pokémon
10 %6/59	Close Counter Gain	1–2	SSP 169	Trainer
8 %5/59	Close Crispin	1–2	SCR 133	Trainer
8 %5/59	Close Team Rocket's Factory	1–2	DRI 173	Trainer
8 %5/59	Close Team Rocket's Watchtower	1–2	DRI 180	Trainer
8 %5/59	Lightning Energy	1–4	MEE 4	Energy
7 %4/59	Close Full Metal Lab	1–3	TEF 148	Trainer
7 %4/59	Grass Energy	1–4	MEE 1	Energy
5 %3/59	Close Joltik	2	SCR 50	Pokémon
5 %3/59	Close Budew	1	ASC 16	Pokémon
5 %3/59	Close Dudunsparce ex	1	JTG 121	Pokémon
5 %3/59	Close Genesect	1	SFA 40	Pokémon
5 %3/59	Close Hop's Cramorant	1	JTG 138	Pokémon
5 %3/59	Close Energy Search	1	POR 72	Trainer
5 %3/59	Close Neutralization Zone	1	SFA 60	Trainer
5 %3/59	Close Redeemable Ticket	1	JTG 156	Trainer
3 %2/59	Close Abra	2	MEG 54	Pokémon
3 %2/59	Close Alakazam	2	MEG 56	Pokémon
3 %2/59	Close Kadabra	2	MEG 55	Pokémon
3 %2/59	Close Mega Kangaskhan ex	2	MEG 104	Pokémon
3 %2/59	Close Alomomola	1	BLK 24	Pokémon
3 %2/59	Close Flutter Mane	1	TEF 78	Pokémon
3 %2/59	Close Mega Skarmory ex	1	POR 55	Pokémon
3 %2/59	Close Rabsca	1	TEF 24	Pokémon
3 %2/59	Close Rellor	1	TEF 23	Pokémon
3 %2/59	Close Lucky Helmet	2	TWM 158	Trainer
3 %2/59	Close Boxed Order	1	TEF 143	Trainer
3 %2/59	Close Enhanced Hammer	1	TWM 148	Trainer
3 %2/59	Close Handheld Fan	1	TWM 150	Trainer
3 %2/59	Close Kieran	1	TWM 154	Trainer
3 %2/59	Close Prime Catcher	1	TEF 157	Trainer
3 %2/59	Close Wally's Compassion	1	MEG 132	Trainer
2 %1/59	Close Drakloak	3	TWM 129	Pokémon
2 %1/59	Close Dreepy	3	TWM 128	Pokémon
2 %1/59	Close Mew ex	3	30C 66	Pokémon
2 %1/59	Close Archaludon	1	SCR 107	Pokémon
2 %1/59	Close Chatot	1	TEF 132	Pokémon
2 %1/59	Close Dialga	1	MEG 95	Pokémon
2 %1/59	Close Dragapult ex	1	TWM 130	Pokémon
2 %1/59	Close Duraludon	1	SCR 106	Pokémon
2 %1/59	Close Patrat	1	CRI 70	Pokémon
2 %1/59	Close Zamazenta	1	DRI 146	Pokémon
2 %1/59	Close Ciphermaniac's Codebreaking	4	TEF 145	Trainer
2 %1/59	Close Prism Tower	3	CRI 80	Trainer
2 %1/59	Close Colress's Tenacity	2	SFA 57	Trainer
2 %1/59	Close Kofu	2	SCR 138	Trainer
2 %1/59	Close Morty's Conviction	2	TEF 155	Trainer
2 %1/59	Close Wondrous Patch	2	PFL 94	Trainer
2 %1/59	Close Crushing Hammer	1	POR 71	Trainer
2 %1/59	Close Cyrano	1	SSP 170	Trainer
2 %1/59	Close Energy Retrieval	1	SVI 171	Trainer
2 %1/59	Close Eri	1	TEF 146	Trainer
2 %1/59	Close Grand Tree	1	SCR 136	Trainer
2 %1/59	Close Nighttime Mine	1	ASC 197	Trainer
2 %1/59	Close Salvatore	1	TEF 160	Trainer
2 %1/59	Close Tool Scrapper	1	ASC 212	Trainer
2 %1/59	Close Mist Energy	4	TEF 161	Energy
2 %1/59	Fire Energy	2	MEE 2	Energy
2 %1/59	Close Legacy Energy	1	TWM 167	Energy
2 %1/59	Close Telepathic Psychic Energy	1	POR 88	Energy
2 %1/59	Water Energy	1	MEE 11	Energy

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

You need 114 different cards to cover every version of this deck, 5 of which nobody argues about. The rest is where lists differ from one another, and that is where you have room to choose.

All 59 lists bring an ACE SPEC, and that is where they part ways: 35 took Precious Trolley, 9 took Max Rod and 8 took Enriching Energy. The flex table shows you all 7. 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 Precious Trolley 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 5 core cards carries the letter H, the one that goes at the next rotation. This deck walks through the change whole.

What Doublade struggles against

The attackers in this deck are Weak to Fire, so they take DOUBLE damage from that type. 13 of the 132 decks we track attack in exactly that type.

Concretely, here is what is waiting for you: Dragapult ex / Blaziken ex, Ethan's Typhlosion and Ceruledge ex, plus 10 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 13 decks out of the 132 we track. The other 119 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 Metal, and 17 of the decks we track have an attacker Weak to one of those: Dhelmise, Marnie's Grimmsnarl ex / Froslass and Mew ex, among others. That is you doubling, for once. Second half of the table.