Originally Posted by
mattscq
Why do you want 2x?
To get tighter spacing over a given gearing range, and/or to facilitate a wider range.
with a 2x11, you effectively only get about 2 more speeds and maybe 1 more than that with a 2x12?
Depends on the particular drivetrain configuration and the rider's shifting patterns. A 2x11 being worth only 13 unique useful gear ratios is on the extreme low end.
For example, here's a bog-standard Shimano 50-34 11-28:
Even if you're just treating that drivetrain as a 1x-plus-bailout, there are four ratios in the small ring that are a solid step below anything in the big ring. So it makes no sense to describe this as providing any less than 15 ratios. (And depending on your shifting tendencies, 16 could be reasonably argued, and maybe even 17 if you're picky and get creative.)
Claims that 2x drivetrains only provide such-and-such many gears over 1x are generally made by people trying to sell 1x drivetrains, and any claim that it's a single number is inherently reductive.