Number of energy cards in a deck

[dkosturk]

With a question like this it will be obvious to y'all that I am a novice.
When I am looking at some sample decks here I notice that folks are using 10 or so energy cards and may more trainers/supporters/stadiums. Is the idea here to use the pokemon attacks and trainer/supporter cards to get your energies out? Is it also the stategy to recycle them out of the discard pile?
I am using around 20 energies and sometimes wind up with not enough and sometimes too many. In either of those cases the outcome is generally not good.

Thanks, for your help.

 

[Mach]

You've got it right for the most part. There are so many different cards that can search out basic Energy, and you only need 1 per turn. This makes it so that 11-13 is average for Energy count in most decks.

 

[Professor Elm]

Ever since the beginning of the game, the "average energy count" has been decreasing.
When base set was released 18-20 was pretty average because of ER and SER abuse, then during the neo sets the average was about the same as it was for a while, 12-16, sometimes more or less depending on the deck. In the ex era, 16 was pretty much always standard, and last format in HP-on 14-16 was still the popular number.

NOW, we have SP decks that abuse energy gain and most decks can attack with a single energy SO most people play with 7-13 energy depending on the deck. Speedrill and Gengar tend to lean towards the 7 side, while most SP decks and Kingdra/Machamp varients use 11-13

One thing to remember in this metagame is that it is all about fast attacking, and every Pokemon essentially has a powerful attack for only 1 energy that makes the deck function, or for SP decks Energy Gain makes up for the expensive attacks. SO, less energy is naturally needed, and there is no energy disruption in the format. Most other formats we had at least ER2 to provide some type of scare but we don't really have anything this format. And Night Maintenance always can help to get that extra energy back in the deck when needed.

 

[toxicroak 96]

Most play 8-13 energies in today's format, since its easy to draw and search. I thought Gengar uses 10.

 

[MidnyteXTC]

Personally my Gengar list uses 10 0r 11, but that's because I play Cress AND Nidoqueen so I need to power up Queen/Lucians to Cress.

But Speedgar variants only run somewhere around 8

 

[smacktack15]

Some kingdra decks play 5-6 energy so it is basically what works and fits in your deck.

 

[Deoxys Cool Form]

Depends on the deck but the average lines tend to be 15 energy 20 pokemon and 25 trainers.