Collapsed Stadium: Inclusion Rate Across Deck Archetypes

In TCG ·

Collapsed Stadium card art from Brilliant Stars

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Understanding Inclusion Rate Across Deck Archetypes in Expanded Play

For Pokémon TCG players, inclusion rate isn’t just about rares or shinies—it’s about how a card reshapes deck-building decisions across archetypes. Collapsed Stadium, a Stadium trainer from the Brilliant Stars expansion, is a perfect case study in how a single card’s rule text can ripple through the entire meta. This uncommon Stadium card, appearing in swsh9, limits both players to four Benched Pokémon. If either player exceeds that number, the excess Pokémon are discarded until the count returns to four, and the discarding happens in the order the Stadium was played. In practice, this means the tempo of a match can hinge on who controls the bench. ⚡🎴

Each player can't have more than 4 Benched Pokémon. If a player has 5 or more Benched Pokémon, they discard Benched Pokémon until they have 4 Pokémon on the Bench. The player who played this card discards first. If more than one effect changes the number of Benched Pokémon allowed, use the smaller number.

Collapsed Stadium is not standard-legal in the current environment, but it remains a fascinating lens into how bench management shapes deck archetypes in Expanded formats. This distinction alone influences its inclusion rate: Expanded decks can leverage the card’s discipline on the bench to enforce tighter control over the late game, while Standard decks may simply skip it. The card’s regulation mark is F, which further cements its role as a staple of Expanded play rather than a mainstream staple in today’s standard-curated lists.

From a collector’s and market perspective, the card’s rarity and print history also color its inclusion rate. Collapsed Stadium is Uncommon, and within Brilliant Stars (swsh9) there are 172 official cards and 216 total. The set’s breadth means general playgroups have a broad pool of Stadium options, making Collapsed Stadium a strategic pick for players who want to impose bench discipline as a tempo tool. In the price data sphere, you can observe how accessibility influences adoption. CardMarket shows low prices around 0.02–0.05 EUR on average with occasional upticks, while TCGPlayer lists normal copies dipping as low as 0.01 USD and climbing to mid-range values around 0.15 USD, with high prices in the single-digit range for scarce copies and certain holo variants. For reverse-holo foil prints, low prices begin around 0.04 USD with midpoints near 0.25 USD and rare copies touching 4.99 USD. These price signals correlate with how often players consider including the Stadium in a deck and how easy it is to slot into a list that already balances energy, benched options, and prize distribution. 💎

Archetypes and the Inclusion Equation

  • Tempo and Control Decks—Collapsed Stadium can reinforce a controlled tempo by preventing opponents from flooding the board with too many benched threats late in the game. In Expanded, where lists often feature more bench-heavy strategies or mass-search tactics, this Stadium becomes a clutch lever to compress the opponent’s options and force decisions. The inclusion rate in these archetypes tends to be moderate to supportive, depending on whether the deck leans into bench-centric strategies or aims to curtail them.
  • Big-Bench and Bench-Stacked Archetypes—Decks that rely on filling the bench to execute powerful plays—be it resource-heavy draw chains or bench-based evolutions—may hesitate to include Collapsed Stadium. The risk of discarding Benched Pokémon can undercut a core engine, so players often reserve this Stadium for specific matchups or meta windows where bench pressure is a strategic advantage rather than a liability.
  • Bench-Management Oriented Lines—Some archetypes explicitly harness bench pressure to fuel effects, such as search engines that fetch from the deck or abilities that trigger on bench state. For these lists, Collapsed Stadium’s four-bench cap signals a careful evaluation: does the advantage of limiting both players’ benches outweigh the potential cost of discarding a few benched setups?
  • —In Expanded, hybrids that mix Stadiums and control tools may slot Collapsed Stadium as a niche option to tilt the late game toward their preferred winner—provided they can survive the early bench-building phase while keeping their own board tight.

For players focused on market values and accessibility, the inclusion rate is also shaped by how easily a list can justify replacing other Stadiums or bench-disruption tools. The fact that Collapsed Stadium sits in the Uncommon tier means it’s not a lock-in for every deck, but its strategic payoff in certain matchups can be decisive. The expansion’s design philosophy—giving players tools to sculpt the board state—lends itself to thoughtful bench manipulation, and Collapsed Stadium embodies that approach with a crisp, rule-heavy edge. 🔥🎮

Collector’s Insight: Rarity, Print, and Value

Collectors often weigh inclusion rate alongside rarity and print history. Collapsed Stadium’s Uncommon status, paired with its role as a Stadium card, makes it a neat target for players who want to diversify their Expanded playset without breaking the bank. The Brilliant Stars era provided a mix of staples and quirky tech—this Stadium sits in the tech category, offering a distinct utility that can swing bench-related tempo in mid-to-late games. The card’s usage in decks, coupled with its Expanded-only legality, keeps its demand stable among experienced players who actively build for non-Standard formats. The price data reflects a niche but steady interest: low-end prices suggest easy access, while occasional spikes hint at meta-driven spikes when players anticipate bench-controlling matchups. 🧭

Design-wise, the set’s artwork and print quality align with the era’s thematic focus on dynamic battlefield control. While the card’s illustrator details aren’t listed in the provided data, the visual language of Brilliant Stars complements the strategic nature of Stadium play—clean icons, legible text, and a stark reminder that board state matters as much as draws. The practical takeaway for players and collectors is clear: Collapsed Stadium is a thoughtful inclusion for Expanded decks that aim to twist tempo and bench economics, not a universal upgrade for every list.

Non-slip Gaming Mouse Pad Neon High-Res Polyester Surface

More from our network