Electabuzz Across Games and Cards: TCG Portrayal Compared

In TCG ·

Electabuzz card art from Evolutions set illustrated by Ken Sugimori

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Electabuzz in the TCG: A Closer Look Across Generations

Electabuzz has always crackled with personality, both in the video games and on the trading card table. In the XY Evolutions era, this nimble Electric-type Basic shows up with a retro flair that resonates with old-school players and new collectors alike ⚡🔥. As a pokémon with a simple but surprisingly sharp toolkit, Electabuzz embodies the “fast, poke-and-second-guess” playstyle that many Lightning decks chase. Its portrayal across games and cards invites a conversation about how art, mechanics, and collectability converge to shape a Pokémon’s identity.

Card details that shape how you play

  • Name: Electabuzz
  • HP: 70
  • Type: Lightning
  • Stage: Basic
  • Rarity: Common
  • Set: Evolutions
  • Illustrator: Ken Sugimori
  • Weakness: Fighting ×2
  • Resistances: Metal −20
  • Retreat Cost: 2
  • Attacks:
    • Thunder Shock – Cost: Lightning; Effect: Flip a coin. If heads, your opponent's Active Pokémon is now Paralyzed. Damage: 10
    • Thunder Punch – Cost: Lightning, Colorless; Effect: Flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 10 more damage. If tails, this Pokémon does 10 damage to itself. Damage: 30+
  • Legal in formats: Expanded (Standard is not legal for this card from Evolutions)

In practice, Electabuzz holds a straightforward tempo: a reliable 10-damage hit that may paralyze the opponent’s Active with Thunder Shock, followed by a stronger strike that scales with the ever-fun coin flip mechanic in Thunder Punch. The 70 HP is modest by today’s standards, but paired with a quick energy setup in early turns, Electabuzz can pressure the bench and force opponents to commit resources early. The Fighting-type weakness is a handicap to watch when matched against popular Fighting-type pivots, while the Metal resistance gives a narrow shield against some metal-typed attackers in the era’s metagame.

“That electric spark in Electabuzz’s eyes feels like a throwback to the original Base Set vibes, reimagined for modern play.”

Across games and cards: how the portrayal shifts

The Evolution of the card art captures a moment in time. Ken Sugimori’s illustration for Electabuzz in Evolutions channels the classic look—sleek lines, bright yellows, and a face that looks ready to strike. The card’s holo/normal/reverse variants—each with its own shine—underscore the collectible aspect of this print run. In the broader game universe, Electabuzz’s role shifts from a quick-on-set contributor in early matches to a stepping stone toward more powerful Electric-types in later sets. In video games, Electabuzz often plays as a nimble special-attacker that can pressure opponents with status or raw damage, while in the TCG, its numerical footprint remains modest—teaching players that sometimes speed and coin-flipped damage are just as vital as raw HP totals.

The Evolutions set itself is a love-letter to the original designs from the late 1990s, a deliberate retro revival that keeps the charm of the early TCG era while streamlining rules for modern play. The Electabuzz card here is a quintessential example: a Basic that can set a beat early, then transform the battlefield with a strong second attack if the coin cooperates. Its single-pronged power comes from the mix of a reliable 10 damage with a potential 10 more on Thunder Punch, balanced by the risk of self-inflicted recoil on tails. Collectors will savor the holo treatment and the classic Ken Sugimori artwork, a nostalgia trip that still functions in a real deck.

Collecting insight: rarity, variants, and value

As a Common card in Evolutions, Electabuzz is widely accessible, which makes it a staple for quick-start decks and for players who enjoy building a cohesive Lightning line: Elekid, Electabuzz, and, in some builds, the Electivire that completes the family in later sets. The card’s variants—normal, holo, and reverse holo—offer different appeal for budgets and display alike. While standard modern play doesn’t recognize Evolutions as a Standard-legal powerhouse, Expanded play keeps this print relevant for players who enjoy retro reprints and the coin-flip thrill of Thunder Punch.

Pricing data paints an informative picture of its collector appeal. CardMarket shows an average around €1.09 for non-holo examples, with holo variants often trading in a similar range but with occasional upside when demand spikes. The holo market can swing higher, reflecting the foil shine that many collectors love. TCGPlayer’s data paints a parallel story in USD: normal copies frequently land in the low-cent to mid-dollar territory, with high-end examples peaking around $5 for top-condition copies. Reverse-holo versions sit in a similar band, yet with a broader swing to nearly $10 in some cases. For a common card with a humble HP, Electabuzz proves that rarity doesn’t always predict value—the artwork, nostalgia, and variant appeal can push it into memorable niche status for fans and collectors alike 🔥💎.

The market context matters, too. In an era where collectors chase chase cards and iconic illustrators, Electabuzz’s juxtaposition of classic art and modern printing keeps it relevant. The Evolutions reprint preserves the spirit of the original while inviting modern players to test a compact, coin-driven toolkit. For new collectors, this card is an accessible entry point into a larger Electric-themed strategy, and for veterans, it’s a tactile reminder of the franchise’s early charm and enduring design language 🎴🎨.

Art, lore, and the feel of this Electabuzz

The artwork by Ken Sugimori captures Electabuzz in a moment of electric focus, its body language conveying speed and momentary danger. In lore terms, Electabuzz is a familiar face among Electric-types, a fast hitter with a distinctive aura—one that resonates with fans who grew up on Kanto’s electrifying encounters. The TCG’s presentation of this creature—especially in Evolutions—lets players savor that nostalgia while still engaging with the coin-flip luck that defines many classic attacks. It isn’t just a card; it’s a doorway to the memories of early battles and the thrill of drafting a reliable Electric-type into a deck that thrives on tempo and precision ⚡🎮.

Even as the card market evolves, Electabuzz remains a touchstone for players who appreciate a clean, efficient Basic that can help you shape a winning early-game plan. Its strengths are less about over-the-top power and more about consistency, coin-flip drama, and a strong thematic link to the Electric-type lineage that electrified fans from the very first sets to today’s expansions.

For fans building a nostalgic collection or players curating a lean Lightning deck, Electabuzz offers a compact, values-driven package: a common card steeped in the era’s aesthetic, beautifully printed, and primed to spark conversation at every table ⚡💎.

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