Friendship is Card Games: A Dog and Pony Show · 2:55pm Sep 7th, 2014
Diamond Dogs are very interesting. There's just enough there to allow for almost endless interpretations. Why do they hunt for gems? What do they do with them? What of their culture, their society, their interactions with other species? So much potential from a single David Bowie reference…
Sigfilly Follies? Streisand isn't the first singer that comes to mind with Sapphire Shores...
Diamond Dogs are apparently related to Digletts.
Where Dragonshy was an analysis of red vs. white, this episode looked at red vs. blue, though without the machinima. Red beats blue by physically overwhelming it, while blue beats red by mentally overwhelming it. Blitzkrieg versus psychological warfare. Speed versus cunning. (And now I want to see a Diamond Dog named Zurgo Helmsmasher…)
And now for cards. Don't hold back on the complaints:
Pony of Pop 2W
Creature — Pony
Vigilance
Pony of Pop's power and toughness are each equal to the number of Songs you control plus the number of Song cards in your graveyard.
Some sensational singers shine for centuries.
*/*
Gem Dowsing U
Sorcery
Look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal an artifact card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
The very soil of Equestria glitters with bits of crystal.
Fantasize 1UU
Sorcery
Exile all cards from your hand, then draw that many cards. At the beginning of the next end step, return to your hand each card exiled this way, then exile all other cards from your hand.
"Dreams can be pleasant diversions, but are ultimately fleeting. Likewise the power they offer."
—Princess Luna
Shared Secrets 2U
Enchantment
Instant and sorcery spells have imitate. (As a player casts an instant or sorcery spell from his or her hand, each of that player's opponents may tap two untapped creatures that opponent controls. Each player who does copies this spell.)
Tortured Scream 2BB
Instant
Destroy target creature.
Morbid — Exile that creature instead if a creature died this turn.
In a land as wondrous as Equestria, disappointment stings all the worse.
Incessant Whining 3BB
Enchantment
Whenever an opponent casts a spell, that player loses 2 life.
In a way, it was almost karmic; Rarity could be the finicky customer for once.
Wild Ride RR
Enchantment
Whenever another player gains control of a permanent you own, Wild Ride deals 3 damage to that player.
The difference between horse and pony is much more than semantics. Ponies will gladly demonstrate this to anyone who fails to grasp the nuances.
Dust Up 1R
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can't block as long as it's white or blue. Otherwise, it gets +3/+0.
Diamond dog shamans know the mystical properties of over a hundred different soils, silts, and dusts. All of them seem to induce terror in unicorns.
Hatchling Cavalier 1RR
Creature — Dragon Knight
Hoofcraft — Hatchling Cavalier has first strike and trample as long as you control three or more Ponies, Pegasi, and/or Unicorns.
Ponies rarely take well to riders, but there are certain prestigious exceptions.
3/2
Diamond Dog Prospector 2R
Creature — Hound Warrior
Mountainwalk
As they search for precious gems, they effortlessly dig the twisting, seemingly endless tunnels that they call home.
2/2
Burrowing Whelp 2RR
Creature — Dragon
Burrowing Whelp can't be blocked by creatures with flying.
R: Burrowing Whelp gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
Dragon hunters who only look up don't last very long.
2/3
Into the Earth 2RR
Sorcery
Into the Earth deals 2 damage to each nonred creature without flying. Those creatures can't block this turn.
"Welcome, pony. We are very good hosts, yes?"
—Spot, Diamond Dog alpha
Diamond Dog Alpha 3R
Creature — Hound Warrior
Other Hound creatures you control get +1/+1.
R, T: Hound creatures you control gain trample until end of turn.
He is the stone who starts an avalanche of rabble.
2/2
From Beneath 3R
Enchantment
R, Sacrifice a Mountain: The next red creature spell you cast this turn can be cast as though it had flash.
Diamond Dogs move through earth and stone like dolphins through water, with all of their grace and mischief.
Diamond Dog Excavators 3RR
Creature — Hound Scout
Whenever Diamond Dog Excavators attacks, attacking creatures gain mountainwalk until end of turn.
Diamond Dog tunnels can take you almost anywhere in Equestria, if you can convince a Diamond Dog to guide you through them.
3/2
Hound Guard 3RR
Creature — Hound Warrior
Intimidate
Battle cry (Whenever this creature attacks, each other attacking creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.)
Diamond Dog howls reverberate strangely in their tunnels, surrounding invaders even when the dogs can't
3/3
Noble Lance 2
Artifact — Equipment
Equipped creature has first strike and vigilance and can block any number of creatures.
Equip 4
Carved from a dragon's tooth. Wielded with a dragon's courage.
Spoil Wagon 2
Artifact — Equipment
Equipped creature gets -2/-0.
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, you may draw up to two cards.
Equip 2
"Loot first. Always loot first. The dead have nothing to give."
—Spot, Diamond Dog alpha
Bejeweled Jumpsuit 3
Artifact — Equipment
As Bejeweled Jumpsuit enters the battlefield, choose a color.
Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from the chosen color.
Equip 3
"Proper color coordination is always a must."
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity
Panicked Rambling WBR
Instant
Until the beginning of target player's next end step, spells that player casts cost X more to cast, where X is the damage already dealt to him or her this turn.
"There are lots of ways to disrupt spellcasting: countermagic, psychic trauma, hieromantic meddling. Few seem to think of grievous bodily harm."
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Enticing Lure 2G(ub)
Instant
Cast Enticing Lure only during combat on your turn.
Look at defending player's hand. You may choose a creature card from it. That player puts that card onto the battlefield under his or her control blocking target attacking creature.
Scaled Paladin 3RW
Creature — Dragon Knight
1R: Scaled Paladin gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
1W: Scaled Paladin gains protection from the color of your choice until end of turn.
A dragon's growth depends on his mental state. Those who adhere to a noble code are greatly rewarded.
3/3
I think there are a few words missing from that second sentence.
I've always said that Sapphire Shores sounds more like Ethel Merman than any pop singer.
Dropped an s
I think Enticing Lure should have a target, in case of multiplayer shenanigans.
Spoil Wagon's flavor text reminds me of maxim 1: Pillage, then burn.
2434803
The sentence is correct, in a more archaic parlance, which fits Luna.
Though I think it was meant to be "too" instead of "to".
Now, I only have a couple of issues with one card this time around.
"Panicked Rambling" doesn't feel White to me. Yes White is one of the "stalling" colors, along with Blue, and has dabbed with the "more to cast" trick but having that "more to cast" relate to damage just seems mean and not in line with either "fair play" or "protect your own". It doesn't even really fit a vengeance theme.
I think this spell should just be straight up UR, or perhaps U(B/R).
I'm not sure how I feel about this being an Instant either. This kinda feels more like a post-combat Main Phase sorcery trick to me. I couldn't find any instance of an Instant that had "opponent's next turn" on it, only Sorceries or Sorcery speed items (not counting Mindslaver).
The way I read this is if I can cast a couple of cheap damaging spells and a "Panicked Rambling" all during their Upkeep their spells will cost X more, where X is the damage I dealt of course, for a full three turns. Since their next turn is not their current turn they have to finish that turn, sit through my turn and then have finally have their "next" turn before the extra cost goes away. (Only for me to do it again during that Upkeep to make their spells that turn cost super extra because I am a mean sadistic man. > : ] )
And that's not even taking into account multi-player!
I'm basing this on all the various other "next turn" effects, such as Detain (which don't have "end of" just "next turn" so the start of it) and "skip your next turn", which doesn't count the turn you are on.
If that is what you intended then a CMC of 2 is very very under-costed, even for a Mythic Rare. (And i know you don't think of rarity while making cards but it is a factor to consider.)
2435379
Panicked Rambling is white in one of its least savory aspects: tyranny.
Still, you did raise some good points about the potential issues. The cost has been raised to WBR and the end trigger has been changed to "Until the beginning of target player's next end step." Thus, even if you decide to unload burn spells into someone's face for a less efficient Silence during their main phase, it won't last for two of their turns.
I'm keeping it an instant specifically because of multiplayer, as a way of jumping in on others' fun. This is not a nice wedge.
2435272
Fixed the Whelp. As for Lure, I checked, and since the spell targets an attacking creature, CR 802.2a says I'm fine:
2435475 Ah, ok then. See, this is why I never use absolutes.
Wait...
Pony of Pop, now with added alliterative appeal.
Didn't think of the tyranny. But my main problem was it was a core white card with a hybrid second. It being a wedge card with white in it I have no problems with at all.
And the changing of the wording allows for some fun in multi-player while not being over powering if played on the target's turn so that's good as well.
Enticing Lure is hilarious.
Panicked rambling is very reminiscent spell casting in D&D. And is generally awesome.
In envisioning the design of a Magic expansion set in Equestria, one thing to consider is what cards could be reprinted. One such card is Burrowing, all the way from Alpha, flavored as Diamond Dog digging.