How to Build a Ceruledge Deck in Scarlet & Violet

Ceruledge card art from Paldea Evolved (SV02-098), 140 HP, Psychic type, illustration by Ryota Murayama

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Building around Ceruledge: strategy, synergy, and style

In the Paldea Evolved chapter of the Scarlet & Violet era, Ceruledge arrives with a design that rewards thoughtful deck construction. This Psychic-stage 1 Pokémon sits at a solid 140 HP and brings a pair of attacks that thrive under the right conditions. With Life Sucker offering steady self-healing and Fighting Sword delivering a potential 100+ damage bonus when facing ex or V cards, Ceruledge is best imagined as a mid‑game closer who can swing momentum on a single well-timed swing ⚡🔥. For fans of dramatic comeback plays and blade-slice lore, Ceruledge’s art by Ryota Murayama also helps the deck feel thematically cohesive as you ride the flame-lit edge of Paldea’s stories 🎴🎨.

Role on your bench and in the duel

Ceruledge acts as a midrange anchor in many Psychic-focused lists. Its 140 HP gives it enough staying power to weather early exchanges, while its two attacks provide a blend of sustain and punch. Life Sucker, costing Colorless and Colorless, gives you a reliable way to heal 30 from Ceruledge while dishing 50 damage. That healing steadies your board as you accumulate Energy while pressuring your opponent to answer this persistent threat 💎. The bigger payoff is Fighting Sword, which costs Psychic + Colorless + Colorless and can deal 100+ damage if your opponent’s Active is a Pokémon ex or Pokémon V. This creates a natural tempo swing—you soften a threat with Life Sucker, then finish with Fighting Sword when you have the right energy mix and the board position to support it 🎮.

Dissecting the attacks: how to leverage them in play

Life Sucker — Cost: Colorless, Colorless. Effect: Heal 30 damage from Ceruledge and deal 50 damage. This is your sustainability engine. In many games, healing on a stage-1 Pokémon keeps you in the fight through attrition, letting you sit on a few extra turns and generate value with repeated Life Sucker uses.
Fighting Sword — Cost: Psychic, Colorless, Colorless. Effect: If your opponent’s Active is ex or V, this attack does 100+ damage. This is the escalation move. You don’t need a perfect setup to threaten a KO, but you’ll want to ensure you’ve got the Psychic energy online and at least one Energy acceleration method ready to unleash a heavy hit when the window appears.

From a gameplay standpoint, you’ll be looking to pace your energy attachment so Ceruledge can fire Life Sucker early for sustain, then pivot into Fighting Sword as your opponent exposes their larger threats. The key is to avoid overcommitting to the big hit without the safety of Life Sucker’s healing; otherwise, you risk a swing-and-resolve scenario where you can’t stay in the game long enough to capitalize on the 100+ damage window ⚡. A patient, well-timed sequence often wins more games than pure aggression.

Core deck-building principles for Ceruledge

Energy balance matters. With Life Sucker requiring only Colorless energies and Fighting Sword demanding a Psychic plus two Colorless, you’ll want a dynamic energy base—enough to reliably attach a Psychic by the time you need Fighting Sword, plus a healthy stream of Colorless energy for both attacks. A typical approach is a split of Psychic and Colorless energy that aligns to your card-draw and search engines.
Support and search—Your deck should include card draw and search tools that fetch Ceruledge when you’re ready to deploy it, plus ways to grab Energy and necessary support Pokémon. Since Ceruledge is a Stage 1, you’ll want efficient setup to avoid stalling on your first active turn. Think along the lines of draw power and early-energy accelerants that fit within your deck’s budget and card pool.
Tech targets—Matchups benefit from a few flexible choices that can cover common counters. Tools or supporters that help you refresh your hand or reconfigure your bench can keep Ceruledge safe while you set up the crucial Fighting Sword moment against V or ex-level threats.
Consistency over gimmicks—Ceruledge rewards reliable paths to energy and healing. A lean, consistent engine beats a flashy but inconsistent combo strategy, especially against diverse metagames where your opponent can punish high-variance lines.

Tech options and matchup notes

Against big EX or V powerhouses, Fighting Sword is your primary finisher. You’ll want to lead with Life Sucker to chip away and position Ceruledge for a lethal blow as your opponent tires. Since the move’s damage scales with the state of your energy and board, you can turn a modest sequence into a knockout when the opponent’s disruption slows you down. In practice, you’ll build toward a flow that alternates attacks, maximizing healing windows and ensuring Ceruledge remains a threat each turn 🔥.

As for build variety, consider a few flexible choices that stay within Paldea Evolved’s ecosystem. A handful of draw-support tools and energy-searching options can help you reach that coveted Fighting Sword moment without stalling. Keep an eye on the meta for Psychic‑type support that amplifies draw or accelerates energy attachment, while retaining enough flexibility to adapt to decks that lean on ex and V-level threats 🎴.

Collector’s corner: art, set, and value

Ceruledge is a Rare Psychic-stage Pokémon from the Paldea Evolved set. The card features Ryota Murayama’s distinctive illustration, adding a memorable visual to your binder alongside the mechanical depth of its two attacks. In terms of collectability and price, non-holo copies tend to sit at modest levels, with holo versions typically a touch higher. As of late 2025, Cardmarket shows an average around €0.08 for non-holo and around €0.18 for holo, with holo variants showing a gentle upward trend (roughly +€0.26 over a longer horizon). These numbers reflect a healthy niche interest in Paldea Evolved staples that combine both gameplay value and tasteful artwork 💎🎨.

Beyond the card’s raw mechanics, Ceruledge’s design invites a narrative: a blade-wielder who channels Paldea’s lore into tactical play. The synergy between Life Sucker’s healing and Fighting Sword’s potential KO narrative can be satisfying to watch unfold, especially when you land the knockout against a top-tier threat. For collectors, the holo version and the reverse variant offer different aesthetic appeal, both of which complement Ryota Murayama’s evocative art style.

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