Superior Energy Retrieval – Paldea Evolved
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2023
Ratings Summary:
Standard: 3.00
Expanded: 3.00
Limited: 3.00
Legacy: 4.00
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is horrible. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
Vince
Superior Energy Retrieval (BW Plasma Freeze 103/116, SV Paldea Evolved 189/193) is actually a reprinted card, with its debut being in the Black & White Plasma Freeze expansion, even though there is a much older card called Super Energy Retrieval from the Neo Genesis expansion from 20+ years ago. Now, a little over a decade later, we got it in Paldea Evolved, and I’m just going to say that this card will get played under the right deck.
This card has been reviewed once, being the sixth best card of Plasma Freeze! When it debuted, Superior Energy Retrieval was pretty niche. But it came at a time where certain decks needed it the most. The abilities of both Deluge Blastoise and Inferno Fandango Emboar – to name a few – lets you attach any number of energies of a specific type (Water and Fire respectively). Blastoise can easily help Keldeo-EX and Black Kyurem-EX (the Plasma Storm version, not Boundaries Crossed) meet their attack costs. Especially Black Kyurem-EX since its Black Ballista can OHKO anything in the game at the time, even against opposing Pokemon-EX with Eviolite attached to it. Emboar does have partners as well, as it can help Rayquaza-EX load up with four Fire Energies to be discarded for 240 damage via Dragon Burst! Discarding 2 cards from your hand might sting, but it recovers 4 basic energies from your discard pile. If you were to discard 2 basic energies, then you won’t be better or worse off than if you were to use Energy Retrieval.
That’s how Superior Energy Retrieval’s been used over the years, and Limitless does have decks that contain that card, even if it goes far back almost a decade ago! The majority of the decks were Deluge Blastiose backed with Archie’s Ace in the Hole (that deck didn’t contain the lower stages). There were other decks too; one deck with Emboar/Rayquaza, four decks of Blastoise/Keldeo (with lower stages, that was before Archie), surprisingly two Volcanion-EX decks and three Gardevoir-GX decks. Also wanted to note that when searching for cards at Limitless, it only goes back up to the HeartGold and SoulSilver series; expansions before that such as Diamond & Pearl, Platinum, EX-Series, Neo-series, and Base Set won’t be shown.
In the present time, I can imagine that Superior Energy Retrieval would be useful for certain Pokemon like Baxcalibur and Cherrim from Battle Styles, but it seems like the number of Pokemon that can take advantage of energy recovery has become scarce in Standard. However, the list will keep on growing in Expanded (Magnezone BKT and Hydreigon DAA), and Legacy (defunct format due to PTCGO already discontinued) has already established that there are existing partners such as Blastoise and Emboar that will continue to use Superior Energy Retrieval. In Limited, no matter which expansion, while recovering energies are nice, getting energies in your hand is the least of your worries in that format. I think that Superior Energy Retrieval’s potency has slightly been weakened due to alternative methods of recovering energies that lessens the need for using today’s card. Flaaffy/Eelektrik’s Dynamotor, Malamar’s Psychic Recharge, and Bronzong’s Metal Links can be repeatedly used as long as it stays in play, and that might be more preferable than the one-and-done item card.
Ratings:
Standard: 3/5
Expanded: 3/5
Limited: 3/5
Legacy: 4/5
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