Rillaboom VMAX –
Sword & Shield Fusion Strike 23/264
Date Reviewed:
January 2, 2022
Ratings Summary:
Standard: 2.50
Expanded: 2.00
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is horrible. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
Vince
For this week, we’re going to continue looking at cards from the Sword & Shield Fusion Strike expansion, as well as a Throwback Thursday of a card that is from the Celebrations Classic Collection. Today, we’re looking at another Rillaboom VMAX card. Wait, another? Yes, this is actually the second Rillaboom VMAX card being released, the first one being released in Sword & Shield Rebel Clash whose card has different attacks. Same stats as the other Rillaboom, being a Grass type with 330 HP, Fire weakness, and a retreat cost of three, except that it is also a Rapid Strike card, which might get some support from that particular battle style. The difference is that today’s card only has one attack. G-Max Drum Solo costs GCCC for 180 damage and also deals 40 damage to 2 of your opponent’s Benched Pokemon. In isolation, this is a good attack, solidifying 2HKOs in most cases and also setting up future KOs. Without a Pokemon like Mew’s Bench Barrier that can block damage on the Bench, you don’t have to worry about not being able to deal some damage to them.
But is this worth using over the other Rillaboom VMAX from Rebel Clash? The other version may not be a Rapid Strike card, as this card was too early for that mechanic, but it does have two attacks. Scratch costs a single energy for 50 damage, which is good for the cost even though this isn’t the reason to use Rillaboom. Max Beating costs GGGC for 130 damage, and you can discard up to three grass energies from that Pokemon. You then deal 50 extra damage for each Grass energy discarded. If you were to discard the maximum amount, then you’re dealing 280 damage while leaving Rillaboom with one energy attached. Max Beating indeed hits much harder than G-Max Drum Solo, but it does require you to use some resources. Having to use Rillaboom’s Voltage Beat means taking extra deck space, bench space, and being targeted by Boss’s Orders. Today’s Rillaboom won’t ask you for this much. With Rapid Strike Energy you can meet part of the attack cost, and Tower of Waters makes Rillaboom’s retreat cost become C. Plus, you’ve got three other attack options from various Pokemon Tool cards for Rapid Strike Pokemon: Gravdrop, Meteor, and Matchless Mealstrom. I don’t think any of those extra attacks might help Rillaboom as much than its own attack, but the option is there regardless.
Looking at Limitless, there has yet to be a deck that uses this card, so the potential has yet to be realized. I can assume that it might be in a deck with the other Rillaboom with its Voltage Beat ability to accelerate grass energies or it could be part of a Rapid Strike deck with Blaziken VMAX trying to help accelerate energies or fueling up damage output of Sylveon VMAX’s Max Harmony attack. That’s what I can think of in Standard. In Expanded, same as Standard plus other tricks like Life Forest (*) prolonging Rillaboom VMAX’s longevity and Shaymin (*) being a TecH attacker that’s worth a single prize and can hit hard. But then it has trouble dealing with decks with Welder and other fire based support which can set up much faster than Rillaboom.
Ratings:
Standard: 2.5
Expanded: 2
Rillaboom VMAX is another decent card that one could build a deck based on G-Max Drum Solo. Hopefully someone can make this work.
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