Wash [W] Energy – Vivid Voltage Pokemon Review

Wash [W] Energy – Vivid Voltage

Date Reviewed:  February 7, 2021

Ratings Summary:
Standard: 2.25
Expanded: 2.00

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is horrible. 3 is average. 5 is great.

Reviews Below:

Vince

Wash Energy from Vivid Voltage is another Special Energy card that benefits water types, but despite that, it operates far differently than Splash Energy from XY Breakpoint. Instead, it retains the identical effect of Wonder Energy from XY Primal Clash (albeit Water Pokemon instead of Fairies). Not only it provides Water energy, but it also prevents any effects affecting the Pokémon that the energy is attached to.

Wonder Energy has been reviewed by the crew once, and although those reviewers didn’t think highly of it, this Special Energy card does have some potential in few circumstances. The Pokémon avoids taking damage counters, special condition, and even some obscure effects that keep your Pokémon from doing something for one turn. It does not, however, removing existing effects, and it doesn’t even protect the player from effects that affect the player!

Like Wonder Energy, Wash Energy might weave in and out of competitive play, but it might be a nice addition for water decks that has room for this card. Expanded might be tricker; I still like Splash Energy and it’s gonna clash with Wash Energy as far as deck space is concerned.

Ratings:

Standard: 2.5/5

Expanded: 2/5

Otaku

Wash [W] Energy (SW – Vivid Voltage 165/185) is a Special Energy that provides [W] while attached.  If Wash [W] Energy is attached to an actual Water type Pokémon that Pokémon is protected from the effects of your attacks made by your opponent’s Pokémon.  This does not protect against damage, even damage written in the “effect text” of an attack.  What it does protect against is everything else, which includes Special Conditions, placement of damage counters, forcing you to change out your Active, etc. so long as they happen due to the effect of an attack.

Do you remember yesterday’s review of Aromatic [G] Energy?  If not, just know that I thought its effect, which removed and protected against future Special Conditions, really needed to also protect against all effects of your opponent’s attacks to really be worth it.  The bad news for Wash [W] Energy is that it applies here, but in reverse; just protecting against attack effects is better than protecting against just Special Conditions (even Special Conditions from any source), but it still doesn’t quite seem good enough.  Think of the bonuses some of the other type-specific Special Energy cards from the SW-era add

• Aromatic [G] Energy – Special Condition removal and protection.
• Coating [M] Energy – Removes your Weakness.
• Heat [R] Energy – +20 HP.
• Hiding [D] Energy – Zeroes out Retreat Cost.
• Horror [P] Energy – Places two damage counters when damage by an opponent’s attacks.
• Powerful [C] Energy – +20 damage for your attacks.
• Speed [L] Energy – Draw two cards.
• Stone [F] Energy – Take 20 less damage from attacks.

So far, none of these Energy have propelled a particular type to the top in the TCG.  If a type is already struggling, they aren’t going to put it over the top.  Instead, the “good” ones enhance an already worthwhile type, especially when they fit a deck’s strategy.  Right now, opposing (non-damage) attack effects done to your Pokémon aren’t really important, and the Water type have only a small bit of representation in semi-recent, Standard Format events.  Wash [W] Energy is not compatible with Capacious Bucket, Frosmoth, etc. which also hurts.  It is still a useful option to have, but not one I expect will see a lot of competitive success.

Ratings

• Standard: 2/5
• Expanded: 2/5

At this point in either Format, I’m probably being generous, but Wonder Energy was nice for an already strong Fairy deck, back when it was Standard-legal.  Wash [W] Energy seems like it should be better than Aromatic [W] Energy, at least, but one or the other of these cards needed both cards effects.

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