Zoodiac Rabbina [Zoodiac Ram] ββββββββββββββββ If this card is destroyed by battle or card effect: You can target 1 "Zoodiac" card in your Graveyard, except "Zoodiac Rabbina" ["Zoodiac Ram"]; add it to your hand. An Xyz Monster whose original Type is Beast-Warrior with this card as Xyz Material gains this effect. β During either player's turn, when your opponent activates a Spell Card [Trap Card] or effect that targets this card: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; negate the activation. ββββββββββββββββ Can Be Found In: Raging Tempest (RATE-JP015, RATE-JP018)
One of the main premises the Zoodiac archetype offers is to make their Xyz Monster stronger by the materials they have attached. With the ability to use a single material for their arrival, the build encourages to stack as many Zoodiacs as possible in a Xyz Monster. As a result, not only they'll increase their stats but also pile a variety of effects to cover all situations. So even if they end with a single Xyz Monster on the field, that alone can suffice to dominate the game.
"Zoodiac Rabbina" and "Zoodiac Ram" share the same purpose with their two effects. As monsters, if they are destroyed in return they'll Β let us retrieve another Zoodiac from the Graveyard back to our hand, pretty helpful if we spend them in our Xyz effects or something goes wrong. As materials of a Beast-Warrior Xyz they take a defensive approach, as "Rabbina" allows us to detach a material to negate a targetting Spell while "Ram" does the same for Traps. The only true difference between the two is that "Ram" has a high DEF, but due the full focus on Xyz Summons in the end they'll work in nearly the same roles as materials and protective sources for our Xyz Monsters.
"Rabbina" and "Ram" share almost the same tools to become available when needed the most, becoming quite useful when we need a particular protection. "Fire Formation -Tenki" as well the Xyz "Zoodiac Broadbull" will look for one of them to be added in our hand. To make things even more direct, "Elemental Triangle of the Zoodiac" can destroy a card (Which can be itself) to directly summon one of them to the field, sparing our Normal Summon for other Zoodiacs. If we already have a strong Xyz Zoodiac on the field, instead we can activate "Seasonal Direction of the Zoodiac" to directly attach them "Rabbina" or "Ram" from the Deck. Alternatively, you can dump them to the Graveyard by an effect like "Zoodiac Marmorat" so later on be retrieved by an effect such as "Zoodiac Tigress".
Unfortunately, due the nature of the archetype will be very rare to activate "Rabbina" and "Ram" effects if are destroyed. That's not a bad thing however, because due their Xyz Summons only requiring a single material to arrive soon enough we'll start piling Zoodiacs in a single Xyz Monster to power them up. "Rabbina" and "Ram" abilities will become quite helpful in the setup, as will assure nothing goes wrong in case the opponent has a countermeasure prepared against our Xyz. "Ram" in particular is much more defensive, not because negates Traps but his high DEF offer us the chance to defend with our Xyz Zoodiac if truly needed. Keep on mind that our Xyz Monster will still be vulnerable against monster effects, so try to work along effects like "Zoodiac Hammerkong" and "Vanity's Emptiness" to reduce any risks. Keep on mind that "Rabbina" and "Ram" effects will also work with any Beast-Warrior outside the archetype, and since both are Level 4 they can easily summon together creatures such as "Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Tiger King".
Both "Zoodiac Ram" and "Zoodiac Rabbina" are very helpful materials for an archetype so dependant on powering up their Xyz Monsters. Although them being destroyed to trigger their retrieval effects will rarely happen, a single one of them will suffice to start the Xyz Summons as they keep an eye on either Spells or Traps that might target our evergrowing monster. While they are indeed useful to protect our best monsters, Zoodiac is so fast on bringing strong Extra Deck monsters that their purpose in the build becomes overshadowed by the rest of members. Combined with their recovery effect almost never happening they become very optional monsters to work with, but even so their effect as materials can become of great use against very protective opponents. "Ram" and "Rabbina" might not be indispensable, but their purpose as materials can save our field from danger.
Personal Rating: B+
+ Recovers a Zoodiac from the Graveyard if destroyed + As Xyz materials protects the Xyz Monster from targetting Spells or Traps respectively
- Their effects when are destroyed will rarely happen due the archetype's mechanics - Very optional compared to the rest of Zoodiacs
