Friendship is Card Games: Swarm of the Century · 1:57pm Jul 6th, 2014
Also known as "The Problem with Parasprites." Of course, this is TV-Y, so poisoned grain is right out. Science Officer Spark's approach was logical, but flawed, and Nurse Shypel's misplaced affection did not help matters. Thus, it fell to Scottie Pie's somewhat eccentric and whisky sugar-fueled know-how to save the day.
On a less Trek-y note, I hadn't noticed that parasprite eye highlights are hexagonal until now. It's a nice touch. It's also amusing to note that the same is true of crystal ponies, though for different reasons. Hopefully. 
Everyone's confusion as to where parasprites keep coming from reminds me of getting eggs in Pokémon games. "We don't know how it got there!" Seriously, how did neither Fluttershy nor Twilight not notice something vomiting in their manes? Twice each, no less!
Communication problems abound in this episode, but I can understand most of them. Pinkie makes perfect sense to me: "I know it, so of course my friend who knows everything about animals and my friend who knows everything about everything know it too. They just didn't know I meant a trombone trombone." After that, every second counted; as far as Pinkie was concerned, there was literally no time to explain.
As for Twilight, she was just trying to preserve what little of her sanity was left after stressing over the preparations for Celestia's visit. That meant not delving too deeply (or too greedily) into the mind of Pie.
Check around 7:01. There is an evil, evil grin on one of the parasprites. That isn't just a bunch of insects cooped up in tight quarters. That is active malice.
I can't help but draw a parallel between Dash's interaction with the parasprites and with the loyalty elemental. Adoration on one end, revulsion on the other. I may have planned that on a subconscious level, but if so, it was entirely unintentional
It's nice to see Applejack do something awesome. Even though it was ruined by Fluttershy cuddling the Idiot Ball…
I've seen at least one interpretation that Celestia's claims about the Fillydelphia infestation were just intended as a way to give Twilight a chance to save face. Personally, I like to think the parasprite Katamari rolled there.
Now, as part of my five-year mission, some new cards:
Pyrrhic Victory 3W
Enchantment
Sacrifice two lands: Destroy target attacking creature.
Twilight Sparkle: Well, we won.
Rainbow Dash: How can you tell?
Group Effort 4WW
Enchantment
Spells you cast have convoke. (Each creature you tap while casting a spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature's color.)
Many hands, hooves, talons, and miscellaneous appendages make for light work.
Parasprite UU
Creature — Pest
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a token that's a copy of Parasprite onto the battlefield.
1, Tap two untapped Pests you control: Tap target land.
Adorable. Affectionate. Apocalyptic.
0/1
Lexivory 1U
Instant
If combat damage would be dealt to a player this turn, that player puts that many cards from the top of his or her library into his or her graveyard instead.
To parasprites, pages are trenchers loaded with ink.
Range Exceeded 1U
Instant
Counter target spell with two or more sentences in its rules text. (Reminder text and flavor text aren't rules text. Activation costs and lists of keywords aren't sentences.)
"We couldn't fit it all in."
Royal Visit 1UU
Sorcery
You may put a legendary creature card from your hand or command zone onto the battlefield. Return that creature to your hand at the beginning of the next end step.
"My subjects exalt me for all I've done for them, and sometimes I just wish they'd stop."
—Princess Celestia
Flight Ceiling 2U
Enchantment
Creatures you control with flying have "T: Target creature loses flying until end of turn."
Some pegasi are proud creatures, guarding the open sky with all the greed and ferocity of a hoarding dragon.
Parasprites on Parade 3U
Instant
Put X 0/1 blue Pest creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield blocking target creature that's attacking you or a planeswalker you control, where X is that creature's power. Exile these tokens at the beginning of the next end step.
A multicolored procession of insects led by a one-pony band is enough to make anything stop and watch.
Suction Vortex 4U
Instant
Put target creature and all other creatures with the same name as that creature on top of their owners' libraries.
"It's all speed and control. I could do it in my sleep."
—Rainbow Dash, Bearer of Loyalty
Parasprite Swarmsphere 5UU
Creature — Pest Construct
When Parasprite Swarmsphere enters the battlefield, put four 0/1 blue Pest creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield.
Whenever Parasprite Swarmsphere attacks, you may tap X untapped Pests you control. If you do, put the top X cards of defending player's library into his or her graveyard and Parasprite Swarmsphere gets +X/+0 until end of turn.
4/6
Carry Off XU
Instant
Convoke
Return target nonland permanent with converted mana cost X to its owner's hand.
Pronounce Doom 2BB
Instant
Target creature gets -5/-5 until end of turn. Scry 1.
"It's weird how something so bad can be so fun to say. Doom. Doomy doom doom. Dooooom."
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Inorganic Appetite R
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Whenever enchanted creature attacks and isn't blocked, you may destroy target artifact defending player controls. If you do, enchanted creature assigns no combat damage this combat.
"Well, at least they're not eating the food anymore."
—Twilight Sparkle, Bearer of Magic
Cymbal Crash 1RR
Instant
Cymbal Crash deals damage to target creature equal to the number of artifacts you control.
"I think it may represent something. Possibly pain."
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Crown the Ruiness 2R
Instant
Destroy target artifact. Crown the Ruiness deals damage to that artifact's controller equal to that artifact's converted mana cost.
"Breaking your toys is never fun, but some breaking is less fun than others."
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Roundup 2G
Sorcery
Creatures of the creature type of your choice block this turn if able.
"Lump enough of them together and you can make a herd of anything."
—Applejack, Bearer of Honesty
Terrain Builders 4G
Creature — Pony
T: Put a token that's a copy of target land you control onto the battlefield. If that token enters the battlefield tapped, untap it. Exile that token at the beginning of the next end step.
Ponyville is rebuilt almost as fast as it's torn down.
2/2
Gather Blossoms XG
Sorcery
Convoke
Reveal twice X cards from the top of your library. Put all land cards revealed this way into your hand and the rest into your graveyard.
One-Pony Band 2
Artifact — Equipment
Whenever equipped creature attacks, untap each creature defending player controls with power 1 or less. Those creatures block equipped creature this turn if able.
Equip 2
"So. Random."
—Rainbow Dash, Bearer of Loyalty
Taste Testing 1(wb)
Enchantment
Whenever another player gains life, you may gain 1 life.
"How am I supposed to know how much fun ponies are having if I don't join in?"
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Scramble the Shelves UR
Sorcery
Target player shuffles his or her library. Fateseal 1. (Look at the top card of an opponent's library. You may put that card on the bottom of that library.)
Little balls of chaos that they are, parasprites can't abide anything neat or organized.
Nature's Beloved 2GW
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and has "At the beginning of your upkeep, put a 1/1 green Squirrel creature token and a 1/1 white Bird creature token with flying onto the battlefield."
The magic of friendship cares little about such trivialities as species.
I love the parasprite version of Myr Battlesphere, or as I prefer to call it, Katamyri.
I would have said this is a terrible broken idea that they would never print until I saw the spoilers for m15. Notably this media-dominaria.cursecdn.com/avatars/60/45/635395144755777634.jpeg and this media-dominaria.cursecdn.com/avatars/60/79/635396804427631300.jpeg . And yes I know chord of calling is a reprint but that doesn't make it any less dumb
Combine that Parasprite with Doubling Season and Parallel Lives, and you have a recipe for infinite lockdown.
"Pronounce Doom"'s flavour text makes me picture Pinkie going "I'mma sing the Doom Song now!" Only saw four episodes of ZIM, but GIR will be with me for quite some time.
I think my only issue here is the use "Construct" on a non-artifact creature. Is there a precedent for such, or is it just to make it more Myr Battlesphere-y?
2261989 How so? Your ability to tap lands is still limited by your available mana. … And I just realized that you can fix that with Ashnod's Altar.
Isn't this already a card? A really old one, too. Crumbling Library or something like that?
Parasprite Swarmsphere 5UU
Creature — Pest Construct (myr battlesphere), I think this is my favorite set you have made so far. I like the undertones of convoke and that synergy with parasprites. There is just so much flavor in this set and if I may say it tastes delicious.
On a note other then evaluating the separate sets you have made. Do you design these sets as standalone sets or do you think they can be played with other sets, and could you, at the end of your paragraph say which card would be your favorite or which you had the most fun thinking of.
2262399
Plus I'm sure there's cards out there that make it so your dudes can tap for mana.
2261976
Katamyri, do your best. Hey!
Nanana nanana nana nanana nanana nana...
2261978
I considered making it a 2WW enchantment that read "Tap an untapped creature you control: The next spell you cast this turn has convoke," but free taps seemed even worse when combined with inspired creatures or creatures with untap abilities. Especially Order of Whiteclay. At least as it is, you actually need to cast something to turn them sideways.
2261989
All a parasprite really needs is time and food, and it'll grow exponentially. Just like in the show.
Though if you really want to break Parasprite, I have three words for you: Coat of Arms. Or, if you want to go the more conventional route, Citanul Hierophants.
2262130
Aside from Lorwyn changelings, the only precendent is admittedly a shaky one. Though it does remind me of something I have planned for My Little Praetor...
2262404
Close. You're thinking of Crumbling Sanctuary, and the effect has a much different dynamic on an instant than on an artifact.
2262868
They're really just the product of someone with too much time on his hands taking ponies and making cards. I try to make the cards balanced and even branch out with the occasional original mechanic, but these are not intended for commercial use. Parasprite is probably horribly broken as it is, for one.
My favorite card? Well, in terms of all the ones I've posted on this site, you're asking me to choose from over nine hundred possibilities, which is going to be tricky. My favorite card among these? Probably Group Effort. I'm a big fan of giving weird keyword abilities. Giving everything those abilities is just icing on the cake.
2263198 oh, I didn't even notice it was an instant! I thought it was an enchantment for some reason
2263198 Yeah it would be quite difficult to choose from every card you have made, I was just wondering if you could list what your favorite card is out of every blog post.
2264969
I don't think so. Half of the fun is seeing everyone else's reactions, and explicitly stating my own favorite will skew their perceptions. It's much more fun to see what catches everyone's interest, and for that matter, what doesn't. I thought land tokens would get a lot more attention.
2265183 I like the land tokens. There should be more non-creature tokens in general, which is why Gild delighted me so. And because I love fragile infinite combos, Terrain Builders equipped with Umbral Mantle + Training Ground + any Ravnica bounce land = infinite mana and an infinite power/toughness creature.
2263198
In terms of precedents you seem to have forgotten Mistform Ultimus.
Though he's not really a good or even really valid precedent for makeing a non-artifact construct.
2295034
I tend to fold Ultimus in with the other changelings.
2295050
Certainly a fair thing to do.
Okay, Range Exceeded is DEFINITELY something out of Unhinged!