 | |
 PnlRetrn | |
|---|---|
| Description | Fix your area's panels |
| Full name | Panel Return |
| Class | Standard |
| Library # | 168 |
| Element |  None |
| Attack power | — |
| Codes | * |
| MB | 14 (max 5 copies) |
Panel Return is a Screen Dimming chip that changes all non-Hole Panels on its user's side into Normal Panels.
Notes
- None
Competitive Overview
Panel Return fills a useful niche in builds that lack access to AirShoes and want countermeasures to better handle chips that produce Broken or Cracked Panels such as 
Geddon and 
Magnum. Without Air Shoes, Broken Panels can trap a player on a single panel, leaving them vulnerable to charge shots or other high damage attacks from their opponent and limiting the player's ability to counterattack. Panel Return fixes these panels and frees a trapped player, potentially interrupting their opponent's plan to take advantage of the player's trapped state.
Panel Return also reduces the impact of other chips that produce hazardous panel types, such as 
PoisSeed, 
IceSeed, and 
AquaDrgn. 
ElmntMan's 
Wood attack also fulfills this role, but ElementMan is an incredibly valuable chip with great utility and decross potential, and committing it purely to removing hazardous panels limits its overall value. Panel Return frees ElementMan from this responsibility and allows a player to use it more flexibly.
Panel Return can also be used in conjunction with Geddon to cover the opponent's field in Broken Panels while fixing the player's field. This is a fairly niche use case, however, as builds that use Geddon tend to already run AirShoes.
ColForce also appreciates Panel Return restoring the player's field. Colonel Force does not produce soldiers on Broken Panels or Hole Panels, and Panel Return can ensure that chips that produce Broken Panels do not interfere with Colonel Force.
In matchups where Panel Return's use is limited, a player can use a Beast Out Chip Charge to extract value from it.
Counterplay
Panel Return specifically counters strategies focused on changing its user's Panel type, and against opponents that do not bring panel changing chips, it is only useful as a sacrifice for a Beast Out Chip Charge.
Panel Return is used more frequently as a response the turn after Panel changing chips are used, rather than as a pre-emptive counter to an expected Panel changing attack. A player using Panel changing chips such as Geddon or IceSeed can still extract value from these chips if they are used early in a turn. This ensures that the Panel changing chips affect the opponent for at least a full turn even if the opponent uses Panel Return to remove them at the start of the next turn.