Core Surge

Core Surge is a rare Defect attack costing 1 Energy that deals 11 damage and grants 1 Artifact, which negates the next debuff applied to you. The combination of efficient damage and debuff prevention in a single card makes Core Surge one of the most versatile rare attacks available. The Artifact is consumed automatically when any debuff would be applied.

Core Surge pairs well with Biased Cognition, as the Artifact can prevent the first Focus loss tick. Hyperbeam's Focus loss can also be partially negated. Echo Form doubles the play for 2 Artifacts and 22 damage, and Amplify can double any Power played after the Artifact is in place to protect against debuffs.

For the Defect, Core Surge is valuable against bosses that apply debuffs, such as Knowledge Demon and Kin Priest. The Artifact preemptively protects against Weak, Frail, or other harmful effects. At only 1 Energy for 11 damage plus utility, it is efficient enough to pick in any Defect deck. Prioritize it when you plan to run Biased Cognition and want to delay the Focus loss by one turn.