1st Place Alakazam Dusknoir, Regional Frankfurt: Decklist Profile

Alakazam Dusknoir is a Psychic Stage 2 deck that pairs Alakazam's hand-size damage with the "Cursed Blast" damage counters from Dusclops and Dusknoir.

Tomasz Chałupka took it through a 2793-player Regional in Frankfurt on 2026-09-26 and finished first at 16-1-1. That's a big result for an archetype with only 1.6% usage in our Standard data (130 decks, 52.4% average win rate). And the list is close to stock. Most of its edge comes from a handful of small count changes, not from any surprise tech.

The list

Pokémon (23)

Trainer (32)

Energy (5)

What it's built to do

Here's the full 60:

Pokémon (23): 4 Duskull, 2 Dusclops, 2 Dusknoir, 3 Abra, 1 Abra (second printing), 4 Kadabra, 3 Alakazam, 2 Budew, 1 Shaymin, 1 Fezandipiti ex

Trainers (32): 4 Hilda, 4 Dawn, 3 Gwynn, 1 Boss's Orders, 4 Poké Pad, 4 Rare Candy, 3 Strange Timepiece, 3 Buddy-Buddy Poffin, 2 Special Red Card, 2 Night Stretcher, 1 Sacred Ash, 1 Prime Catcher

Energy (5): 4 Telepathic Psychic Energy, 1 Psychic Energy

Alakazam does the hitting

"Powerful Hand" places 2 damage counters on your opponent's Active Pokémon for each card in your hand, and it costs one Psychic Energy. So every card you hold is damage. "Psychic Draw" draws 3 when you evolve into Alakazam from your hand, which means the evolution itself refuels the attack. The whole Trainer suite is built around keeping your hand big: Gwynn draws 3 for each non-Rule Box Pokémon you discard (up to 6 cards), and Strange Timepiece puts evolution cards back into your hand.

Dusknoir and Dusclops close the gaps

Dusknoir's "Cursed Blast" puts 13 damage counters on any of your opponent's Pokémon, and Dusclops's version puts 5. Both Knock Out your own Pokémon when you use them, so you're paying a Prize for the reach. The trick is pairing them with "Powerful Hand": counters on the Bench set up the next KO, and counters on the Active cover whatever your hand size couldn't. People burn Dusknoir too early. Save it for the turn it actually takes a Prize or sets up two.

Where it sits

The more popular Alakazam build in this window is Alakazam Dudunsparce (4.1% usage, 50.7% average win rate), well ahead of this version's 1.6%. At Frankfurt specifically, Alakazam Dudunsparce made up 5.8% of the field but posted a 43% win rate. I wouldn't read too much into one event, but it's a fair reason to look at the Dusknoir version if you like Alakazam. You can check the archetype's full card spread on the CardForge Alakazam Dusknoir page.

Choices that stand out

Almost every count here sits within a fraction of the archetype average. The deviations are small, but they all push the same way: more ways to find the Stage 2 lines, a little less of everything else.

Four Dawn

Dawn grabs a Basic, a Stage 1 and a Stage 2 in one go. The list maxes it at 4 against a 3.3 average. In a deck with two Stage 2 lines, a single Supporter that finds Abra, Kadabra and Alakazam (or the full Duskull line) is about as good as it gets. Hilda sits at 4 too (3.9 average) and finds an Evolution Pokémon plus an Energy.

Three Gwynn, three Strange Timepiece

Gwynn is trimmed slightly, 3 against a 3.3 average. Strange Timepiece goes slightly up, 3 against 2.8. That trade makes sense: Timepiece devolves one of your evolved Psychic Pokémon and puts the Evolution cards into your hand. On an evolved Alakazam that's 2 extra cards in hand straight away, which is 4 extra damage counters on "Powerful Hand" that turn. The devolved Pokémon can't evolve again that turn, but next turn you evolve into Alakazam from hand again and get another "Psychic Draw."

Gusting: 1 Boss's Orders, 1 Prime Catcher

One Boss's Orders sits just under the 1.2 average. Prime Catcher is the ACE SPEC (95.5% of archetype lists play it) and switches your opponent's Benched Pokémon in, then lets you switch your own Active. Two gust effects isn't many, but Dusknoir's "Cursed Blast" can hit the Bench directly, so you don't always need to drag things up.

The rest is stock

• 4 Duskull (3.9 average). Duskull's "Come and Get You" brings up to 3 Duskull back from the discard to the Bench, so the extra copy also helps you rebuild later.
• 2 Budew (1.9 average). "Itchy Pollen" stops your opponent playing Items on their next turn.
• 2 Special Red Card (1.9 average). Usable once your opponent is at 3 or fewer Prizes: they put their hand on the bottom and draw 3.
• 1 Fezandipiti ex (98.2% inclusion). "Flip the Script" draws 3 if one of your Pokémon was Knocked Out during your opponent's last turn. Remember it gives up 2 Prizes.
• 1 Shaymin, 1 Sacred Ash, 2 Night Stretcher all match the average exactly.

Five Energy

Four Telepathic Psychic Energy and a single Psychic Energy (1.1 average). Telepathic Psychic Energy, attached from hand to a Psychic Pokémon, puts up to 2 Basic Psychic Pokémon from your deck onto your Bench. That's Abra and Duskull for free, so your Energy drop doubles as setup. "Powerful Hand" only needs one Psychic Energy, which is why the count can stay this low.

How it played

Regional Frankfurt, 2026-09-26, 2793 players. Tomasz Chałupka finished 1st at 16-1-1.

A few things jump out. The only loss came against Ogerpon Hydrapple in round 8, and the pilot then beat the same archetype in rounds 9 and 12. One loss out of three tells you very little about the matchup, so don't treat it as a bad one or a good one on this evidence.

Dragapult was the biggest slice of the Frankfurt field at 15.3% (50.4% win rate). The pilot saw it under the Dragapult label in rounds 14 (draw) and 16 (win), plus Dragapult Blaziken in round 7 (win). Slowking (5.9% of the field) came up in rounds 2, 4 and 13, all wins, and Dipplin Thwackey in rounds 3, 5 and 17, also all wins. The run opened and closed with the mirror.

This was one player's run through one bracket. It's strong evidence the list works, not proof of how every matchup goes.

Adapting it

The list is tight, so any change is a trade. These are judgment calls, using only cards already in the deck.

If you need more gusting

If your local field punishes you for not being able to pick targets, go up to 2 Boss's Orders (the archetype average is 1.2, so plenty of lists play a second). I'd cut the fourth Dawn, which takes you back toward the 3.3 average. Hilda and Poké Pad still find evolution pieces, so you're not giving up much setup.

If your hand keeps running dry

A fourth Gwynn (archetype average 3.3) is the natural add. I'd take out the third Strange Timepiece for it, which puts Timepiece back near its 2.8 average. Remember Gwynn only discards Pokémon without a Rule Box, so it won't let you pitch Fezandipiti ex.

If Item-heavy decks are everywhere

Budew's "Itchy Pollen" stops your opponent from playing Items for a turn. A third Budew is reasonable if you expect lots of decks that lean on Items to set up. Take out a Buddy-Buddy Poffin to make room, since Telepathic Psychic Energy already puts Basics on your Bench.

Don't touch

The 4 Rare Candy, 4 Kadabra, 3 Alakazam and the 4 Telepathic Psychic Energy all match the archetype average at 100% inclusion. They're the deck's skeleton. Cut those and the hand-size plan stops working.

FAQ

How does Alakazam's "Powerful Hand" work in this deck?

"Powerful Hand" places 2 damage counters on your opponent's Active Pokémon for each card in your hand, for one Psychic Energy. The list keeps the hand big with "Psychic Draw" (draw 3 when you evolve into Alakazam from hand), Gwynn, and Strange Timepiece, which puts evolution cards back into your hand.

Which ACE SPEC does the Frankfurt Alakazam Dusknoir list play?

It plays Prime Catcher, which switches one of your opponent's Benched Pokémon into the Active Spot and then lets you switch your own Active. 95.5% of Alakazam Dusknoir lists in our data include it, so it's the standard pick.

How is this list different from a typical Alakazam Dusknoir deck?

Barely. The main differences are a 3-copy Abra printing (archetype average 1.4), 4 Dawn against a 3.3 average, 3 Strange Timepiece against 2.8, and slightly fewer Gwynn (3 against 3.3) and Boss's Orders (1 against 1.2). Everything else sits at or very near the average.

How popular is Alakazam Dusknoir in Standard right now?

In the current window it has 1.6% usage across 130 decks with a 52.4% average win rate. The other Alakazam build, Alakazam Dudunsparce, is more common at 4.1% usage with a 50.7% average win rate.