Structure of a Pokémon Card - Energy Card

Energy Cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game

Uses of Energy Cards

The Energy card is what makes an attack possible in the Pokémon TCG. As mentioned in Pokémon Cards for Beginners 1 - Anatomy of a Card, attacks usually require one or more specific or generic Energy cards. In each turn, one Energy card can typically be attached to a Pokémon. If an attack is performed, the attached Energy cards usually remain.

Basic Energy Cards

The nine Basic Energy cards each count as 1x of the depicted type or as Colorless Energy. There are fewer types than in the video game. Each Energy card type can appear any number of times in a deck, unlike Pokémon cards, Trainer cards, and Special Energy cards, which are limited to four.

Special Energy Cards

The Special Energy card provides more than one energy and/or has another effect. For example, it adds damage, heals the Pokémon, or swaps an active Pokémon for one on the Bench. Pictured is a Metal Special Energy card, which, in addition to the energy provided, also cancels any weakness of the Pokémon.

Collecting Energy Cards

Basic Energy cards are consistently included in booster packs for the Pokémon TCG. There is usually one Energy card per booster. These are common, all the same, and not numbered. For collectors, they have no special value. Therefore, Basic Energy cards are often sold cheaply in sets to players who need them for their decks.

Special Energy cards, on the other hand, are rarer and numbered, thus belonging to a collected set. There are even rare Secret Rare Special Energy cards.

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