Boss’s Orders · Rebel Clash (RCL) #154

Switch 1 of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon with their Active Pokémon.

· Supporter rule: You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn.

Sword & Shield › Rebel Clash (RCL, SWSH2) › #154/192 : Rare Holo · ↘ May 1, 2020

Mark: D · Formats: Standard: 2020, 2021, D–on · Expanded: 2020, 2021, Current

Charmaster

(Gust: to choose one of your opponent’s benched Pokémon and switch it with their Active Pokémon; named after https://pkmncards.com/card/gust-of-wind-base-set-bs-93/ .)
Since https://pkmncards.com/card/pokemon-catcher-emerging-powers-epo-95/ was released in [month 2011, we have consistently had some Trainer with an unconditional Gust effect for all but five brief formats; Next Destinies through Kalos Starter Set (When the nerfed https://pkmncards.com/card/pokemon-catcher-kalos-starter-set-kss-36/ was printed), Next Destinies through XY (The format right before https://pkmncards.com/card/lysandre-flashfire-flf-90/ was printed), and Ultra Prism through Unified Minds, Cosmic Eclipse, and Sword and Shield respectively (The formats between https://pkmncards.com/card/guzma-burning-shadows-bus-115/ rotating and this card being printed, when https://pkmncards.com/card/custom-catcher-lost-thunder-lot-171/ was the best option). Okay, Guzma kind of counts as a conditional Gusting effect, but 99% of the time switching your own Active Pokémon won’t cause problems because you just need one free retreater or Pokémon with a https://pkmncards.com/card/float-stone-breakthrough-bkt-137/ (Assuming your active Pokémon wasn’t knocked out the previous turn, giving yourself a chance to promote a random benched Pokémon before playing Guzma).

While formats where Base Set is legal have Gust of Wind, the game’s first format with a rotation, Rocket-Legendary Collection, only has https://pkmncards.com/card/double-gust-neo-genesis-n1-100/ , which is still popular, but requires careful planning to use unless everything in your deck can retreat for free. Between 2003 and mid 2011, players used cards like https://pkmncards.com/card/pokemon-reversal-expedition-ex-146/ that required a coin flip, or https://pkmncards.com/card/pow-hand-extension-team-rocket-returns-tr-85/ , or even Pokémon like https://pkmncards.com/card/umbreon-ex-unseen-forces-uf-112/ and https://pkmncards.com/card/luxray-gl-lv-x-rising-rivals-rr-109/ . Not every deck could justify these cards, but a lot of people who still play these formats consider that healthy… it contributed to the diversity of deck design in many of these formats. Meanwhile, cards like pre-nerf Pokémon Catcher, Lysander, Guzma and Boss’s Orders were essential in basically every deck during their reign (Though releasing alternatives like https://pkmncards.com/card/lycanroc-gx-guardians-rising-gri-74/ , https://pkmncards.com/card/counter-catcher-crimson-invasion-cin-91/ , Custom Catcher and https://pkmncards.com/card/cross-switcher-fusion-strike-fst-230/ have kept things interesting), and I think many players were looking forward to a format without the card.

It’s worth noting that there are ways to make a Boss’s Orders-style card more distinct and fun to play. https://www.serebii.net/tcgpocket/space-timesmackdown/150.shtml Cyrus from Pokémon TCG Pocket is a fine example (Though it would need to coexist alongside something like https://pkmncards.com/card/galarian-zigzagoon-sword-shield-ssh-117/ or https://pkmncards.com/card/hawlucha-scarlet-violet-svi-118/ in standard if the goal wasn’t to make the game more focused on https://pkmncards.com/card/munkidori-twilight-masquerade-twm-095/ ). Having a format where Counter Catcher is the best Gust effect could also be interesting.

Unfortunately, it sounds like Boss is getting reprinted with the latest regulation mark soon, though I can’t find confirmation.

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