Do you know how to play Pokemon without energy cards? When a player uses a zero energy deck, the trainer cards are locked such that the player can’t use Pokémon to rescue.
Therefore, playing the Pokémon game with a no energy deck, players limit themselves to play a poor deck for no real advantage at all.
When a player plays without energy cards in the deck, a player should have some special energy or have some basic energy cards to use in that urgent moment when required. However, that doesn’t mean a player can’t play with zero energy cards.
How to play Pokemon without energy cards? In order to play Pokemon without energy cards, the player needs to use the Gyarados deck. This pack lets the game play without requiring any energy cards.
But it allows the trainer cards to use any items for the battle and retreat Pokemon as well. Instead of energy cards, the fisherman, energy retrieval, and special charge cards recover energy back from the discard pile.
Typically, a Pokémon needs an energy card to power the attacks and their abilities. The player needs to match the symbol of the attack cost in order to play Pokemon with energy cards.
However, a Pokémon deck known as the Gyarados is the strongest deck that doesn’t require energy. Although its main attacks cost zero energy, most players still use warp energy, cyclone energy, and darkness energy in conjunction.
Mightyena and Skuntank cards still use zero energy to attack, but are weaker than Gyarados. When using a deck that does not attack with energy, using the energy cards as spell-cards is allowed.
If you don’t have energy cards to play with, this article shares our tips and strategies to play Pokemon without energy. answered below are frequently asked questions about ways to retreat a Pokemon with no energy cards.
Do you need energy cards to play Pokémon?
Yes, you need energy cards to play Pokemon unless the deck doesn’t require energy. Energy is generally required to power Pokémon attacks and abilities.
Normally, for the Pokémon to attack, the energy cost symbol must be attached to an energy card that matches the symbol.
In addition, retreating an active Pokémon that has been played also requires energy. However, an attack may not require energy, and there’s no need to unlock an energy card in such a case.
Besides powering the attacks, energy cards are very useful when it comes to paralyzing, confusing, poisoning, and making the opponent Pokemon attacks less effective.
A specific number of color combination energy cards is required for a Pokémon to perform certain moves. The player needs basic energy cards and special cards.
The number of energy cards used in a game by a player advance with a player’s level. A deck should have between 10 to 25 energy cards with different powers when attacking.
What do energy cards do in Pokémon?
The energy cards attach under an active Pokémon to fuel the Pokémon for attacks and perform special abilities.
In normal circumstances, only one energy card is allowed to be used per turn. Typically, no Pokémon can attack without the required energy for the attack.
Therefore, before attaching the energy card to a Pokémon, it must have enough energy matching with the energy cost required for the attack or retreat of an active played Pokémon. In addition, the energy card must match with the energy cost symbol before attaching it.
The Pokémon deck provides the player with two types of energy cards, basic cards and special cards:
- Basic energy cards provides the player with one energy of its type and a colorless energy card that can be used at any energy cost.
- Special energy cards give the Pokémon special effects such as rainbow energy and double energy.
Can you retreat a Pokémon with no energy?
No, you cannot retreat a Pokemon with no energy. Once the Pokémon has retreated on the bench, the damages and attached cards remain with the active Pokémon.
In some cases, retreating a Pokémon does require energy. The energy cost must match with the retreat cost required for it to happen.
To calculate the retreat cost, look at the bottom of the card, and the retreat cost is written there. The retreat cost shows the amount of energy a player needs to discard from an active Pokémon before retreating it on the bench.
If a player doesn’t have sufficient energy, they cannot retreat a Pokémon to the bench unless it’s a free retreat.
When a Pokémon has retreated to the bench, all its special powers fade away despite the fact damage and energy cards remain attached. In addition, if the Pokémon is paralyzed or asleep, with or without energy, a player can never recreate it.
Once a player retreats a Pokémon, the player has to send another Pokémon from the bench to an active position because a retreated Pokémon cannot move back.
Can you attach energy to benched Pokémon?
Yes, you can attach energy to benched Pokemon. In fact, there is tons of benefit to attaching an energy card to a benched Pokémon because the are powered up and ready to battle.
After all, players can take an energy card from the hand and attach it under a benched Pokémon to indicate the energy card that it will use the moment it becomes active. However, it can only be attached once in each turn.
Even though a player had used the benched Pokémon earlier for the ability, the benched Pokémon still can be attached with an energy card since abilities are not attacks.
In addition, if the Pokémon is at the bench after it has retreated, then no energy should be attached. Instead, a player should place the energy used while retreating the card into the discarding pile.
How to play Pokémon without energy cards
Playing Pokemon without energy cards can be limiting, but it is not impossible because energy cards allow Pokemon to attack the opponent’s Pokemon.
In order to play Pokemon with no energy cards or run out of energy cards, the player must use the Gyarados deck, which allows the cards to run without any energy required.
Most Pokémon cannot attack without energy cards that match the attack cost symbol. Still, the deck allows the trainer cards to represent stadiums, supporters, and items used in the battle, and can also help with retreating Pokémon.
Energy cards, in this case, can be used as spell cards. Even though no energy is used, a player may use darkness energy and cyclone energy.
If a player runs out of energy in a normal deck, they can use a fisherman card, energy retrieval card, and special charge card to get the discarded energy back from the discard pile into the deck or hand, which ultimately depends on the cards.
Playing Pokemon Without Energy Cards: Conclusion
When playing Pokemon without energy cards, the player is limited to a poor game deck with no real advantages. Zero energy cards equals no way to attack or win the game.
The energy card helps to retreat a Pokemon, and it is hard or even not possible to retreat them without the energy.
For an energy card to power a Pokémon, it must match with the symbol of the attack cost. Additionally, it should have the amount of energy required for the attack.
The only way to play Pokemon with no energy cards is by using the Gyarados deck. This deck helps continue the game without energy due to pre-existing power and abilities to attack other player’s Pokemon.
When there is no longer energy card is left, you may use a fisherman, energy retrieval, or special charge card to retrieve the already used energy back from the returned card pile.
Be aware when using these retrieved energy cards as they can only be used with benched Pokemon in your turn. Once the Pokemon has already been paired with an energy card, the player cannot add or use another energy card with it.