How many Energy cards in a Pokemon deck? This question is one of the most common queries among new players, especially those who just recently learned the rules of Pokemon TCG.
Getting the right card ratio is vital to ensure that you are drawing the right cards you need at the right time during matches.
Since Pokemon cards require Energy to perform their moves, you also need to learn the ideal amount of Energy cards that you need to have in your deck.
So, to help you, here is a complete guide that will explain everything about Energy cards and how many you should add when building a deck.
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Energy Cards in Pokemon TCG
Energy cards are the main way for Pokemon to use their moves in the game. Each Pokemon move requires a specific amount of Energy, which can be any of the following types:
- Fire
- Water
- Grass
- Psychic
- Metal
- Lightning
- Darkness
- Dragon
- Fighting
- Fairy
- Colorless
Each Energy type represents a particular Pokemon type or a set of Pokemon types. For instance, Fire-type Pokemon cards primarily use Fire-type Energy to power up their moves. Grass-type Energy, on the other hand, powers up the moves of Grass-type, Bug-type, or Poison-type Pokemon.
Colorless-type Energy represents Normal-type Pokemon, and it has the unique feature of being a Universal Energy type. Meaning, if a Pokemon move requires a Colorless Energy, you can replace it with any type of Energy card instead.
If you haven’t noticed yet, The Pokemon Company doesn’t print Fairy-type Pokemon anymore, since the Sword and Shield era. For the sake of balancing the game, Fairy types are reintegrated into the Psychic-type category, so most of them are now using Psychic-type Energy cards.
Basic Energy Cards vs. Special Energy Cards
Apart from the 11 types mentioned above, Energy cards are also categorized in two main types: Basic Energy and Special Energy.
Basic Energy cards are the most common kind of Energy that you’ll regularly use in matches. These cards can provide any of the 11 Energy types and are the only cards you’re allowed to include more than four copies of in a single deck.
Special Energy cards are treated as other types of Pokemon cards, as they are bound to the four-card limit. However, these cards can have additional effects apart from just providing Energy to the Pokemon they’re attached to.
How Many Cards to Have in a Pokemon TCG Deck?
What makes this question hard to answer is that Pokemon rules never imposed any limits on how many Energy cards you can have in a deck.
All we need to remember is that you can only add four copies of a Special Energy card to your deck, which means you can have as many as four copies of Spiky Energy cards and any other Special Energy cards as long as they’re limited to four copies as well.
But as a rule of thumb, the best amount of Energy cards in a Pokemon deck ranges around 9-15 Energy cards. The exact number may vary, depending on how much Energy the Pokemon in a deck require, as well as the type of strategy that the deck offers.
Having less than 9 Energy cards in a deck is acceptable, but you’ll also need a bunch of search cards (cards that allow you to fetch specific cards in your deck) to ensure that you can retrieve them at the right moment.
Adding more than 10 Energy cards is mostly applied for deck builds that rely on Energy-hungry Pokemon, especially those that deal heavy damage in exchange for high Energy cost.
Special Energy cards tend to be used less often than Basic Energy cards, and their amount also varies in a deck’s overall strategy.
If Energy Cards May Vary Per Deck, How Can I Start Building Deck as a Beginner?
If you aren’t sure about the correct amount of Energy cards in your deck, we highly recommend that you check out the latest deck builds in official Pokemon TCG tournaments, like in regionals or worlds.
Another way of gauging the number of Energy cards in your deck is to practice with them via tabletop or Pokemon TCG Live. Using your deck reveals specific weaknesses that you can address, especially if they involve having inadequate or too many Energy cards.
Final Thoughts
Knowing the right number of Energy cards in a Pokemon deck saves you from the trouble of wishing you had enough Energy during matches when your Active Pokemon can’t do anything due to Energy issues.
Every Pokemon deck build is unique, and its Energy needs are highly reliant on many factors like your strategy, roster of Pokemon cards, and how the other cards in your deck synergize with each other. This mechanic adds a layer of complexity to the game, making deck building a more competitive and mentally engaging activity.
We hope this article gives you a complete understanding of how Energy cards work in Pokemon TCG, especially the quantity that you need for a deck. For more expert answers and tips about Pokemon cards, check out more of what we offer here at PokeCardHQ.
