Discussion Why Parallel City Won't Be a Staple

[NintendoAlian]

The new card Parallel City is receiving a lot of hype from the community, and it seems like everybody is playing it. Though limiting your opponent to three benched Pokemon is powerful, if your opponent plays a Parallel City first, you have three benched Pokemon for the rest of the game since you can't put out a stadium with the same name(unless you play Paint Roller.) Now, you could play a different stadium in addition to Parallel City, but that takes up a lot of space. So the problem is that if every deck starts playing Parallel City and no other stadium is comes down to who puts down the stadium first. It would be great if I got some people's thoughts and opinions on this issue.

 

[Mao999]

For me there's no issue, i won't play it for now, i prefer older stadiums (Scorched earth or rough seas at the moment), and remember that some cards like lugia will destroy it with a hit!
And in moment like this the paint roller becomes finally useful!

 

[Ms Hugo]

I don't think people will play 3 Parallel City in decks, but I can see it as a decent 1-of. I'll probably be playing it in my Giratina decks because once Chaos Wheel's set up, your opponent is just locked into very few Pokemon for the rest of the game. Or until they hit a Xerosic, whatever. I can also see it being good against Bat decks.

The issue is, with so many people playing Shaymin, they could just use it to discard their Shaymins and deny you an easy target. So I guess it's a stadium you're going to need to think about before you play.

 

[Otaku]

The new card Parallel City is receiving a lot of hype from the community, and it seems like everybody is playing it.

For better or worse, this is typical of the general playing populace and new expansions, especially when a card has something novel about it: in this case, a Stadium that affects each player entirely differently depending upon which direction it is played. So for as long as it remains a new "toy", even if it ends up being an overall poor card, it will still see play (just not as much as if it ends up being awesome).

Though limiting your opponent to three benched Pokemon is powerful, if your opponent plays a Parallel City first, you have three benched Pokemon for the rest of the game since you can't put out a stadium with the same name(unless you play Paint Roller.)

Well, sometimes limiting your opponent to three Benched Pokémon is powerful. Other times it is negligible and still others it backfires; obviously players making a mistake are not the same as a card being bad, but there is a "learning curve" with this thing to know when you ought to apply which effect. If competitive lists are currently not doing so, a deck that runs a single Stadium that can backfire (such as Fighting Stadium in Landobats) should already at least have tested Paint Roller. Fighting-Type decks find it a bit easier as Korrina can snag it, but I've been trying it and overall I believe it is helping me. Definitely plenty of times when I wish it was another Stadium (even another Fighting Stadium), but there are also plenty of times when I wish my copies of Fighting Stadium were another Stadium or Paint Roller; the best solution is seldom if ever a perfect one.

Now, you could play a different stadium in addition to Parallel City, but that takes up a lot of space.

No, no it doesn't. It does take up additional space, but running multiple Stadiums (but still four or less) is a pretty common and proven tactic. Not just recently either; this has been something that sometimes works, sometimes doesn't throughout the history of the game. If things have gotten "bad" again then perhaps players again can't afford more than a single Stadium, but if you're currently running four of a particular Stadium, you should be experimenting with a single "oddball" Stadium for those matches where your primary Stadium backfires. The lists that run two or less Stadiums don't have room, but Stadium counts seem to vary quite a bit now.

So the problem is that if every deck starts playing Parallel City and no other stadium is comes down to who puts down the stadium first. It would be great if I got some people's thoughts and opinions on this issue.

Parallel City is a disruption Stadium, in the tradition of Silent Lab. Silent Lab might be integral to a few "fun decks" like certain builds featuring Team Aqua's Kyogre-EX or Team Magma's Groudon-EX), but usually it is there to counter something specific of your opponent's, or possibly be the generic Stadium to "trigger" another effect. It is something a deck runs one or two of, but usually not three or four. Your concern isn't entirely invalid, but overall I'd say if Parallel City proves worth it, it is likely as a TecH counter (so one copy) to specific for decks that need a massive Bench, with the added benefit of a player possibly making use of the other effect against certain decks.

 

[Chewy]

The real problem is that the card doesnt do anything for you when you play it and relies on the fact that your opponent doesnt have his own stadium to get any value. Good stadiums do something the moment you play them, when you play Parallel City, your opponent discards some Shaymins (which by the way hurts you more than your opponent), on his turn digs for his own stadium, knocks Parallel City and there it is. You just played a worse Paint Roller.

The way I see Parallel City is "the stadium you play when you cant benefit from good stadiums". Kinda like Faded Town.

 

[crystal_pidgeot]

The card has a high skill cap, unlike most of the cards printed. I can see those with technical decks playing the card so this card is right up my alley. People seem to think you'll only play the bench effect on your opponent but you can bench yourself and deny prizes to your opponent, they you paint roller it away, if needed. Most decks can;t use most of the stadiums anyway and would only be playing them for counter. I'll be testing it, as well as Paint Roller, since I like to win stadium wars.

I don't think people will play 3 Parallel City in decks, but I can see it as a decent 1-of. I'll probably be playing it in my Giratina decks because once Chaos Wheel's set up, your opponent is just locked into very few Pokemon for the rest of the game. Or until they hit a Xerosic, whatever. I can also see it being good against Bat decks.

The issue is, with so many people playing Shaymin, they could just use it to discard their Shaymins and deny you an easy target. So I guess it's a stadium you're going to need to think about before you play.

I was thinking at least 2. In my decks, I tend to stay away from stadiums that can benefit another player but serve no real purpose in my deck. What I was thinking was 2 Parallel City, another oddball stadium, and 2 or 3 Paint Rollers. This way I can remove or play stadiums and win any stadium war. Pretty much 5 or 6 card combination.

Parallel City is an interesting card. I look forward to wreaking people with it.

 

[crann777]

With the return of Skyla I can see it being a 1-off in some decks. I just think that if your deck doesn't depend on a type-specific Stadium, you're better off running Skyfield.

Big question is whether the threat of Parallel City is enough to keep M Ray and Raichu out of the competitive scene. Maybe M Ray, but people will still keep playing Raichu regardless.

 

[ImmortalDarkrai]

The card has a high skill cap, unlike most of the cards printed. I can see those with technical decks playing the card so this card is right up my alley. People seem to think you'll only play the bench effect on your opponent but you can bench yourself and deny prizes to your opponent, they you paint roller it away, if needed. Most decks can;t use most of the stadiums anyway and would only be playing them for counter. I'll be testing it, as well as Paint Roller, since I like to win stadium wars.



I was thinking at least 2. In my decks, I tend to stay away from stadiums that can benefit another player but serve no real purpose in my deck. What I was thinking was 2 Parallel City, another oddball stadium, and 2 or 3 Paint Rollers. This way I can remove or play stadiums and win any stadium war. Pretty much 5 or 6 card combination.

Parallel City is an interesting card. I look forward to wreaking people with it.

This is actually the reason I was thinking Parallel City would be good. Shaymin are awesome, but they're Lysandre fodder and an easy way for your opponent to get a free two prizes. Once you're finished with them, or any Pokemon that's a few HP from being KO'd, restrict yourself to three to send them to the discard pile and deny the prizes. Then use a Paint Roller or next turn a new Stadium.

 

[Hornleach1]

I think it will end up being used in Vespiquen decks as an alternative way of discarding you pokemon.

 

[poke4trade]

I've been working with parallel City a bit. The way I think it works best is with Brigitte and unown. I think that the shaymin draw is really nice. However, quite a few competitive decks just require few pokemon on the bench. I've noticed in play testing that PC works well with decks like MewTwo, Manetric, Vespqeen and Yveltal decks. I also run it in a steel deck and I'm starting to prefer it over the shelter. Decks that require short attacks and few pokemon, or easy ways to charge, don't matter which way parallel city falls, and make for great options in the game. Based on what the opponent is doing at that time, the card throws a monkey wrench at their deck.

My hypothesis is that Pokemon is trying to force the players to run different strategies in their deck. Which means, a single strategy deck will start seeing a lot of monkey wrenches thrown at it in the future. I base this assumption on the current supporter selection the new decks are currently playing. Where once it was a very single minded supporter selection, the new deck builds are starting to cary quite a lot of selections of supporters. I could see this kind of strategy carrying over to pokemon and item cards to allow for versatility in matches. Competitively, I think that makes sense because matches are a bit random.

 

[Otaku]

My hypothesis is that Pokemon is trying to force the players to run different strategies in their deck.

The main winning strategies have been "Steam roll opponent with raw power." or "Reduce opponent's options while slowly taking Prizes." for a while now. Just because specific cards change out, the core strategies really haven't.

 

[poke4trade]

The main winning strategies have been "Steam roll opponent with raw power." or "Reduce opponent's options while slowly taking Prizes." for a while now. Just because specific cards change out, the core strategies really haven't.

I agree. But I think what I'm talking about is more along how to implement those strategies versus what the core strategies are. In the past there was a few ways to implement them, but now there appears to be several ways of implementing them.

 

[MarshalBry]

As someone has already touched upon, I can see this being a very solid card in decks running Shaymin, but more specifically Mega-oriented decks; search for Hoopa-EX, use Scoundrel Ring to grab Shaymin-EX, Whatever-EX and M Whatever-EX, then drop Parallel City to deny them either sniping Shaymin-EX or Lysandre'ing Hoopa-EX and leaving you struggling to retreat.

 

[crystal_pidgeot]

I agree. But I think what I'm talking about is more along how to implement those strategies versus what the core strategies are. In the past there was a few ways to implement them, but now there appears to be several ways of implementing them.

The thing is these strategies are hard to implement because of how strong aggro is. I like playing defensive type decks and spread decks, which should be viable strategies but aren't because they have to worry about a Pokemon dropping 300 damage. The only defensive play is trainer lock and all that dies is slow the big hitting decks. Decks that try to bring in new strategies often splice them into aggro decks. I would love to see a solid defensive play style come out.

 

[poke4trade]

The thing is these strategies are hard to implement because of how strong aggro is. I like playing defensive type decks and spread decks, which should be viable strategies but aren't because they have to worry about a Pokemon dropping 300 damage. The only defensive play is trainer lock and all that dies is slow the big hitting decks. Decks that try to bring in new strategies often splice them into aggro decks. I would love to see a solid defensive play style come out.

Ya, I see what your saying. My analysis is that Parallel City is a start to defensive decks where the style of healing, reduction, and draw holds come into to play versus the Trainer lock. I do believe item lock will be there, along with different ways to implement them, but it won't be the only defensive mechanism in the game. Just based on some cards right now where you healing double damage, or reducing damage, I think there will be other strategies and different ways to implement them that will be great for defensive minded players. I think PC is sort of the start of it. I also think Jamming net and PC together could create some havoc on decks in the future. Plus decks could add in the new vest. I think that combo is -80. If you had that combo pulled off on Regigias to the defending pokemon, I think that is -120. I might be wrong. I'm sort doing it off the top of the dome. But I sort of see these type of combos in the future for defensive decks.

Just thoughts.

 

[Mora]

What's really hilarious is when you knock your opponent's Sky Field out with Parallel City and make your opponent discard five of his Benched Pokémon.

 

[crowfeather4]

Two things:
1. I think this will be very good in non- Fire/Water/Grass decks, as the non-bench effect won't effect you.
2. Might be off topic, but look at all the Toad hate lately. The new Marowak stops Quaking Punch's effect. Assault Vest makes Toad do -40 if it has a DCE on it, and with this stadium + assault vest, Toad will do zero to you even if it has a muscle band.

 

[Yo-yos]

before I deconstructe this card 2 things 1. I am your opponent, I play 4 stadiums, and none of them are terrible and decrease consistency, 2, I've been looking for a 2nd slot for mega ray, you just forced me to do so, I would like to say, please play the stadium so it force's consistency out of my hand, sky field, sacred ash, ultra ball 4 cards (hoopa, for shaymin, shaymin, shaymin), gg (raichu on the other hand loses stage pokemon and can only get 2-3 max from search, how is that better then mega rays 4 from an ultra ball? it isn't, get yo fact's straight).

Thanks to Otaku mentioning this in an alternative threat but thanks to zoroark minimalizing bench space is now a known strategy how is this stadium good? Otherwise standard is to stadium heavy for this to be good at doing anything.

I would also like to remind people of hawlucha/meinshao

 

[Otaku]

It reduces damage from Quacking Punch to 0 damage...

Parallel City reduces the damage done by [G], [R] and [W] Types by 20, not by 30; a baseline Quaking Punch would still hit for 10 damage, though that is a significant reduction!