Review too long? Skip straight to the Ratings
and Summary!
Name:
δ Rainbow Energy
Set:
EX Holon Phantoms
Rarity:
Uncommon
Card#:
98/110
Type:
Energy
Subtype:
Special Energy
Text:
δ Rainbow Energy provides (C) Energy. While
attached to a Pokémon that has δ on its card, δ
Rainbow Energy provides every type of Energy but
provides only 1 Energy at a time. (Has no
effect other than providing Energy.)
Attributes:
For the extremely new players, a Special Energy card
is limited to four copies in a deck like (nearly
all) Pokémon or Trainers. Something even some
experienced players may miss is the Colorless Energy
Symbol in the corner. It matters because on all
recent cards this denotes the card’s default Energy
type and amount of Energy provided. So unless the
effect says otherwise, δ Rainbow Energy is a
Colorless Energy card that provides a single
Energy. So far, no effect has clashed with this
while the Special Energy card is in the deck, so its
only in play where it may count as something else,
and then only if the text explicitly states
otherwise.
Abilities:
δ Rainbow Energy is the latest in the
“provides all Energy types” cards. Previous
examples would be Rainbow Energy, Miracle
Energy, Multi Energy, Double Rainbow
Energy, and Scramble Energy. δ
Rainbow Energy is most like Rainbow Energy
(not a surprise, given the name), though it’s also a
lot like Multi Energy as well. You see, δ
Rainbow Energy will provide every type of Energy
(but only can fulfill a single Energy requirement at
a time) but only when attached to a Pokémon δ!
So to a Pokémon δ it’s like a Rainbow Energy
with no damage counter placement. Its actual effect
seems more similar to Multi Energy, though:
Multi Energy works in the same manner except
the “provides every Type of Energy” effect works if
there are no other Special Energy attached to the
Pokémon Multi Energy is attached to.
The card can be attached to any Pokémon that doesn’t
itself prevent the Energy attachment, but it it’s
not a Pokémon δ, it will just provide (C). This is
much better than being totally exclusive (like R
Energy) since this means you can use it on a
less than desirable target if you must.
As a whole, the effect seems great.
Uses and
Combinations:
Needless to say, this is for Pokémon δ heavy decks.
The deck can have some non-Pokémon δ, or even many
so long as the main Energy using line is a Pokémon
δ. A second, more important guideline is that the
deck requires more than one Energy type. Note that
just being a Dual Type Pokémon δ, which is “part
Metal”, is not enough: δ Rainbow Energy won’t
provide the damage reducing effects of the actual
card, Metal Energy. So if there are just
Colorless or Metal requirements, you’d be better off
using Metal Energy. If there is just a
single other Energy requirement, you still probably
are better off using that Energy type and then real
Metal Energy cards. Once you hit two
different types of Energy requirement, excluding
Metal Energy (or at least three including it),
then you need this card for your Pokémon δ deck. If
you do need just another way of meeting a Metal
Energy requirement for a Pokémon δ and you already
have four Metal Energy cards, then it is
still handy to add.
Just a reminder, the whole “all Energy types but
only provides one Energy at a time” means that the
card can fill any one Energy requirement. You do
not designate a specific Energy requirement when
you play it, either. If one attack (on a Pokémon δ)
needs a Fighting Energy and the second needs a
Fighting and a Metal Energy, I can attach δ
Rainbow Energy, use the first attack, then next
turn attach a Metal Energy card and use the
second attack. If a Pokémon δ has an attack or
effect that says “discard all attached (L) Energy”
then this card gets discarded whether it was used to
pay for the attack: as long as the effect is active,
it counts as a Colorless, Darkness, Fighting, Fire,
Grass, Lightning, Metal, Psychic, and Water Energy.
It won’t ever provide any effects of a Special
Energy card which also provides one of those Types
no will it every count as a Basic Energy of those
types.
Ratings
Unlimited:
1/5 – Note, I don’t know that there’s a Pokémon δ
that is good here. If there is (or if one is
released) and it needs multiple Energy types as
described in Uses and Combinations, adjust this
score accordingly as this card would then be a
staple for such a deck.
Modified:
4.5/5 – A deck specific rating, or rather deck class
specific rating. As mentioned above, if you use a
Pokémon δ significantly and it’s not the main Energy
type of the deck, you should be using this card.
Limited:
3.5/5 – If that seems low, it’s because I am
assuming you pull a single copy and have reason to
use it: one lone δ Rainbow Energy would be a
clutch card if you need to provide Metal or Darkness
or some off-deck type of Energy for one or two
Pokémon in your deck. Each copy you pull boosts the
rating by half a point, unless you have a
mono-Energy deck type.
Summary
A great card that’s sure to strengthen Pokémon δ
decks and give you a reason to pick through you EX
Delta Species cards.
