Elemental Envoy is fantastic!

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Psionic Handbook's rules for replacing Psicrystals is the default. If you read the description of Elemental Envoy it says "When you are able to acquire a new psicrystal" and "until dismissed or destroyed." which is identical to familiars, which is what the rules in Psionic Handbooks says (except wait time is 6 months not a year and a day).

My claim is that the Burrow Speed stays relevant past level 3. Don't know until when but it's gonna definitely be until mid levels. And you can always retrain or psychic reformation it out once you do hit mid levels.

According to WotC, if your psicrystal dies, "You get another one," which is less than helpful. And since 3.5 psicrystals are gotten from a feat and not a class feature, you should be able to get another one right away, instead of waiting until after most campaigns end in order to replace it.

If nothing else, using psychic reformation to replace the feat should allow you to get another one right away.

Still, elemental envoys don't actually gain any hp or save bonuses as they gain in levels. Sure, they gain some other abilities that encourage them to get into melee faster, but that just means they're more likely to die nigh immediately as collateral damage.

And psicrystals are still far tougher and vastly more versatile than they are. Now, if the feat allowed a psicrystal to turn into elemental steward forms...