If you think this review is too long to
read, just skip straight to the Ratings and Summary
sections!
Boost
is back, baby!
Name:
Boost Energy
Set:
EX Deoxys (latest printing of card)
Card#:
93/107 (latest printing of card)
Type:
Energy
Subtype:
Special Energy
Symbol:
(C)(C)(C) [Three Colorless Energy symbols]
Text:
Boost Energy can be attached only to an Evolved
Pokémon. Discard Boost Energy at the end of the turn it
was attached. Boost Energy provides (C)(C)(C) Energy.
The Pokémon Boost Energy is attached to can’t retreat.
If the Pokémon Boost Energy is attached to isn’t an
Evolved Pokémon, discard Boost Energy.
Attributes:
Boost Energy is a Special Energy card. This means
you can only have four copies in your deck and that it is
very hard to retrieve from the discard. It also means all
the cards that specifically cite Basic Energy or
Basic Energy cards won’t work with Boost Energy,
like Energy Search. Looking at the corner we see
*gasp* more than one Energy symbol! Yes, this card,
based on the symbol alone, can provide not one but three
Colorless Energy! Okay, what’s the catch?
Abilities:
Well, for those who are either new to the game or are
blocking out much of the history of Pokémon, we’ve had
multiple Energy (in terms of quantity, not type) since the
original Base Set. The card that started it, Double
Colorless Energy, seemed balanced at the time. After
all, every other Energy card (all six original Basic Energy
types) provided only one Energy, and could meet two
requirements: their specific type and Colorless Energy
requirements. A “colorless” Energy could only meet
Colorless Energy requirements, so it needed an extra effect,
right? So the card, Double Colorless Energy, was
created. Well, it turns out that multiple Energy
attachments, even when they could only fill the most general
of requirements was too much. Why do I tell you this? It
will explain the restrictions on Boost Energy.
First, understand that the potency of Double Colorless
Energy mattered most for speed and recovering from
Energy Removal and similar cards/abilities. However, it
also made you more vulnerable to them, since those two
Energy came from a single card. Still, it was all but a
Staple in most decks. Well, one attempt to curb this was
making most Pokémon a hair weaker. That didn’t do anything
for older cards, and honestly made all but certain combos
too weak. When good combo was found, it just seemed all
that more potent. Another idea was making most Pokémon
require energy intensive attacks with specific type
requirements. Same results as the attempt and toning down
the Energy/damage ratio. After all this, we were to the
“e-card” (also known as the card-e) sets: Expedition,
Aquapolis, and Skyridge. And thus we come to Boost
Energy.
Pokémon in almost all sets after the “Neo” series have gone
back to a healthy mix of Colorless and specific type Energy
requirements. Boost Energy was designed in a
manner so as to enhance these new cards without “breaking”,
that is over enhancing, them. Double Colorless Energy
was a problem because otherwise balanced attacks on Basic
Pokémon could be executed too quickly for too little
effort. This was handled simply: Boost Energy cannot
be attached to them under normal circumstances, and if
something does somehow attach a Boost Energy
to a non-Evolved Pokémon, Boost discards itself.
Most Basic Pokémon need mostly Colorless Energy requirements
or very lost Energy ones. Another problem was that a few of
these could give a ridiculous advantage if they were either
able to be played more than one at a time, or if they simply
showed up and were able to be attached in succeeding turns.
Since this would prohibit some card concepts that had been
and are still being used, they choose another simple
solution: this card is discarded at the end of the turn it
was attached. So for one turn, you get to be Energy ahead,
but at the price of ending up one Energy behind. Multiple
copies used turn after turn would yield a sort of cumulative
penalty and diminishing return. The last problem was that
Double Colorless Energy had made retreating
way too easy, since retreating always used Colorless
Energy. It basically turned any retreat cost of two into a
retreat of one when used. When you attach Boost Energy
to a Pokémon, that Pokémon can’t retreat.
Now,
this may sound like too much, but remember you’re getting
two whole extra Energy to play around with for a turn. As
you’ll see in the next section, there’s a lot you can do
with that.
Uses/Combinations:
An “old school” combo with this card was Light Dragonite,
who shut off the effects of Special Energy cards in play and
rendered them all Colorless Energy. So ignore all the text
on Boost Energy so long as it was attached to
something in play while Light Dragonite was also on
the field. A “true Triple Colorless Energy’ is a
scary thing.
For
most of you, though, it’s pretty simple. This offers
temporary speed and surprise. You can now drop something
like Jigglypuff, Evolve to Wigglytuff ex, and
finally drop a Boost Energy on it so that it can
attack right away. Evolved Pokémon with at least a (C)(C)
in their Energy costs can surprise an opponent by attacking
early… though this is less surprising than before since we
have some other options now. Still, there is only one other
card that can provide three total Energy at once, and it has
a limitation that even Boost Energy lacks, so if you
have a cost with at least (C)(C)(C) in it, you would need to
come up with a reason to not run this.
Pokémon with generic discard costs like this since it almost
eliminates the main draw back of this card: just discard the
Boost Energy that you would have to discard anyway.
Last
combo I will mention is cards that count the number of
Energy, but not Energy cards. Take Gardevoir ex.
Its second attack needs (P)(C)(C)(C). The attack counts all
Energy in play, then does 10 damage times that number. So
not only does this mean you can use the attack when you’d
only otherwise have one Psychic [providing] Energy attached,
but it gives an extra 20 damage over most other Energy you
could use.
Ratings
Unlimited:
3.25/5-Not a card in every deck, but very vital to certain
key decks, like those based on Jungle Wigglytuff and
Wigglytuff ex, who can go from zero Energy to fully
powered.
Modified:
3.75/5-It’s not for every deck, but it makes a lot of decks
work well. The loss of this really hurt Gardevoir ex
decks, but its return might mark a return, for example.
Limited:
4/5-As long as you have a compatible Evolution (one that
needs at least two Colorless Energy and can use Special
Energy cards), run this.
Summary
Boost Energy
has a lot of built in restrictions, and despite that, it is
still a very potent card. This is an excellent example of
card balance for which the designers should be commended.
Now, it may look bad at first or second glance, but don’t be
deceived, even if someone you think is a pro tells you its
no good. I mean, check out the original CotD review for
this card (back when it was new from Aquapolis) to see how
it can be underestimated.
