Hello! This is Mr.Dinosaur with another article!
I'm here today to talk about calculating damage. To start, one colored
energy(X) is 15 damage. One colorless energy(O) is 10 damage. To roughly
figure out if a card's attack is good, we need to calculate an average
damage. We need to see the damage that is done on the spot, usually. For a
first example, here's the average of Base Electrode's Electric Shock
attack.(Note: I'm not going to do actual color for the energies. I'm just
going to state if the energies required are colored or colorless)

XXX Electric Shock (50) Flip a coin. If tails, Electrode does 10 damage to
itself.

50-10>>>>Coinflip: =10/2=5>>>>>>50-5=45 XXX=45 = (Cost)45=(Damage)45

In a nutshell, you first take the damage and subtract it with the damage to
self. Since the damage to self is on a coin flip, and only one coin flip,
you divide the 10 damage to self by 2, getting 5. So it's 50-5=45. And since
each colored energy is 15, that would equal 45 damage. So Electrode's attack
is average for its cost.
Let me do more examples:

Charizard's Fire Spin

XXXX Fire Spin (100) Discard 2 energy cards attached to Charizared in order
to use this attack.

XXXX=60+20>>>for each energy discarded>>>>60+20>>>>20x2>>>>>60+40=100
Damage by attack: (Damage)100=(Energy cost)100

So Charizard's Fire Spin is average.
Using this method, I've created some..some....stuff.....

1.) If a pokemon does damage to itself, subtract that damage to self from
the damage of the attack to the defender. If it requires one or more coin
flips, use this system and then divide the damage to the defender with the
number on the chart.

1 coin flip=divide by 2
2 coin flip=divide by 3
3 coin flip=divide by 4
4 coin flip=divide by 5
etc.

2.) If the attack requires discarding, each discarded energy is equal to an
EXTRA 20 damage to the damage for the cost. EXAMPLE: Charmander's Ember is:
XC Ember (30) Discard 1 X energy card attached to this card in order to use
this attack
XC is 25 damage and add 20 for the 1 X energy discarded, so the damage
should be 45(literally). So Charmander's Ember is bad for the cost.

3.) If the attack requires coinflips for damage, figure out the average.
EXAMPLE: Kangaskhan's Comet Punch is:
CCCC Comet Punch (20x) Flip 4 coins. Attack does 20x the number of heads.
First, the average damage is figured out by adding all the damage possible.
0+20+40+80=140 divided by 5(0 counts)=40 damage.
CCCC equals 40 damage. So Kanghaskan has an average attack.

4.) Poisoning can be done. Other status effects can't, really. First, figure
out the damage of poison when you attack. Use the same coinflip-divide chart
in #1. Then add that to the damage done to defender. EXAMPLE: Beedrill's
poison sting:
XXX Poison Sting (40) Flip a coin. If heads, the defending pokémon is now
poisoned.
XXX=45 damage
Poison is: 10/2=5
Damage to defender: 40
40+5=45
So Poison Sting ain't bad.

Just for extra, here's a little system:

C=10
X=15
CC=20
XX=30
CCC=30
XXX=45
CCCC=40
XXXX=60
XC=25
XCC=35
XXC=40
XCCC=45
XXCC=50
XXXC=55

That should help out a bit.

Remember, this philosphy I discovered cannot be used in all curcumstances
and judge a card. It just is to help out if you are debating over attacks.
Not all attacks can use this system, and I only stated 4 philosphies. Just
remember one thing: PROFIT DAMAGE

This is me,
um...leaving....again....
mrdinosaur2000@hotmail.com