Raikou – Vivid Voltage
Date Reviewed: January 26, 2021
Ratings Summary:
Standard: 1.00
Expanded: 1.00
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is horrible. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
Otaku
Raikou (SW – Vivid Voltage 50/185) is another “Amazing Rare” card. This new rarity is a bit odd because it doesn’t come with any special rules or anything; as far as game mechanics are concerned, this is a baseline Pokémon. It is only worth a single Prize, and no game rules, effects, or anything else sees it as anything different from “regular” Pokémon. It is a [L] type, and that is good; Weakness is reasonably common in the cardpool, though not so much the metagame (due to Pikarom). Anti-Lightning effects and Resistance are rare, while the type has some good support (great, in Expanded). Raikou is a Basic, so it is easy to run, even enjoys a few perks. 110 HP is low, though not super low; weaker attacks will sometimes whiff on the OHKO, but most serious ones are going to do the deed. Fighting types have an even easier time with it, thanks to Raikou’s [F] Weakness; base damage of 60 doubles to 120 for 10 points of overkill. Resistance wouldn’t help much, so I won’t hold a total lack of it against the card. A Retreat Cost of [CC] isn’t really good or bad; you can probably pay it if you really need to, and Air Balloon can zero it out completely.
Raikou knows only one attack, “Amazing Shot”. For [GLM], this attack does 120 damage, plus 120 to one of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon (you choose which one). 240 total damage, even split between two targets. Two Amazing Shots could 2HKO two different Basic Pokémon V, other than Wailord V and Steelix V. The Energy cost is steep, however, being not just three Energy but three different types of non-Colorless Energy. To the point I don’t think Raikou is going to be worth it. Maybe in something unusual, such as a Porygon-Z (SM – Unbroken Bonds 157/214) where you could drop three multi-type Special Energy cards to cover the cost. Even then, though, there is a good chance you’re better off spending those Energy on something else.
Ratings
- Standard: 1/5
- Expanded: 1/5
Harsh rating, because I do like Amazing Shot’s damage, but the Energy cost, especially on something so likely to be OHKO’d, is a big “No!”.
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