Friendship is Card Games: The Cutie Mark Chronicles · 2:24pm Oct 12th, 2014
Ah, backstory. Precious, precious backstory. What would we do without you? Make it up, of course. 
Still, this was an important episode for the show, and gave us one of the biggest "for want of a nail" moments in pony fiction.
It also gives six case studies in cutiesynthesis, allowing some study of the phenomenon. There seems to be some critical threshold of practicing the talent, recognizing it, and being appreciated for it. I'm thinking the root of the sum of the squares. Once that's passed, bam, cutie mark.
Note that Scootaloo can get just enough lift to get her hooves off the ground. Technically flying.
I have to wonder why "the most cosmopolitan city in Equestria" is full of random horse noises. Maybe the sheer density of background conversation overloaded the translator? Or maybe it's just this episode; there seems to be a disproportionate number of them.
I'd forgotten how young Rainbow Dash outsqueaked Sweetie Belle. That's an impressive achievement. Also, it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that "I owe it all to the pegasus race" was referring to the competition between Dash and the bullies, not pegasi as a subspecies.
Rarity getting dragged to her destiny was the major component in my headcanon about unicorn horns containing secondary, occasionally autonomous nervous structures. (As such, whenever I see talk of cracking or breaking horns, I always shudder. There's brain in there!)
Oh, Twilight. One has to wonder what would have happened without Celestia's intervention. Probably nothing good...
Pinkie… well, Pinkie. Need I say more?
"BFFs forever"? Really? I'm not even going to consider blaming Rarity for that one, that's all on Larson.
Now, to make a little of Equestria:
Gleeful Acceptance 1W
Enchantment
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, you may pay 1. If you do, you gain 2 life.
"You might say I was happy when Celestia chose me as her personal student."
—Twilight Sparkle, Bearer of Magic
Canterlot Trumpeter 2WW
Creature — Unicorn Soldier
Each legendary creature you control enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it.
Fanfare is usually the most demanding task that will be asked of the Canterlot Guard. As such, the position of trumpeter carries honor and glory most militaries give to the front lines.
2/4
Flight Camp 3W
Enchantment
2W: Put a 1/1 white Pegasus creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
One of the cultural relics from the days of Pegasopolis, flight camp is mandatory for all young pegasi.
Phytomorph 1U
Instant
Until end of turn, target creature loses all abilities and becomes a green Plant with base power and toughness 0/3.
Wild magic tends towards transmutation on Ungula, often with surreal results.
Demand Perfection 1UU
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast Demand Perfection, sacrifice an artifact.
Search your library for an artifact card and exile it, then shuffle your library. At the beginning of your next upkeep, put the exiled card onto the battlefield under your control.
Cram Session 2U
Sorcery
Replicate 2U (When you cast this spell, copy it for each time you paid its replicate cost.)
Draw two cards, then discard a card.
"Ponies aren't meant to learn this way, but sometimes it's your only option."
—Twilight Sparkle, Bearer of Magic
Destiny Drag 2UU
Sorcery
Choose a card type, then reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a card of the chosen type. Put that card into your hand and the rest into your graveyard.
Very rarely, unicorn horns act on their own initiative. It is always to the unicorn's benefit, though how isn't always apparent.
Flight Response XUU
Instant
Return all creatures with power X or less to their owners' hands.
Deep in every mind, there is a little voice that says nothing but "Run." Sometimes, it shouts.
Surge of Insight 1R
Sorcery
Exile the top two cards of your library. You may play cards exiled this way this turn.
The external effects of Twilight's magic surge were nothing compared to what it was doing to her mind.
Long Drop 3R
Sorcery
Target creature you control gets +X/+0 and gains flying and trample until end of turn, where X is that creature's power. When it deals combat damage this turn, sacrifice it.
Pegasi are physically and magically adapted to survive falls, but even they have their limits.
Apple Snatchers 1G
Creature — Rabbit Rogue
Whenever Apple Snatchers deals combat damage to a player, add G to your mana pool at the beginning of your next main phase.
"Disrespectful little varmints. Next time they show up here, Winona's getting a special treat."
—Applejack, Bearer of Honesty
2/1
Macroscope 2G
Instant
Target creature gets +5/+5 until end of turn.
Spike's earliest memory is a panorama of Canterlot, seen from a great height.
Zip Line 2G
Sorcery
Creatures you control can't be blocked this turn except by creatures with flying or reach.
"Don't worry, I'm sure the carabiner can take that much weight."
—Scootaloo
"So Many Wonders" 2GG
Enchantment — Song
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a verse counter on "So Many Wonders".
G, Sacrifice "So Many Wonders": Each player may put up to X permanent cards from his or her hand onto the battlefield, where X is the number of verse counters on "So Many Wonders".
Enormous Geode 2
Artifact
Enormous Geode enters the battlefield tapped.
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a charge counter on Enormous Geode.
T, Sacrifice Enormous Geode: Add X mana in any combination of colors to your mana pool, where X is the number of charge counters on Enormous Geode.
Cloud of Butterflies (gu)W
Creature — Insect
Flash
Flying
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to and dealt by Cloud of Butterflies.
The magic of Kindness is expressed in more than just a necklace.
0/2
Urbane Sophistication 2WB
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Extort (Whenever you cast a spell, you may pay (wb). If you do, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain that much life.)
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has extort.
Covered in Tree Sap 2GU
Instant
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn. Creatures attacking player controls don't untap during that player's next untap step.
"Not again."
—Scootaloo
Academy Proctors 3WU
Creature — Unicorn Wizard
Instant and sorcery spells you cast cost 1 less to cast.
Instant and sorcery spells your opponents cast cost 1 more to cast.
Celestia's academy is very selective. Only the best of the best make it in, and even they have to work for it.
2/2
Downtown Manehattan
Land
Downtown Manehattan enters the battlefield tapped.
When Downtown Manehattan enters the battlefield, you gain 1 life.
T: Add W or B to your mana pool.
Rock Farm
Land
Rock Farm enters the battlefield tapped with three rock counters on it.
T, Remove a rock counter from Rock Farm: Add 2 to your mana pool. If there are no rock counters on Rock Farm, sacrifice it.
"There was no smiling, no laughter. Only rocks."
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
I feel Rock Farm should have a way to add rock counters on it. It's a farm, right? Don't they grow things on farms?
But that's just a bit of thematic nitpicking.
Why does "Enormous Geode" enter tapped? Its tap ability would do nothing for you right away other than trigger any abilities that care about artifacts leaving the battlefield. Now if you had to tap to add the counters instead of just getting them automagically then, yeah, I could see it.
It just feels like extraneous rules text, and that's never a good thing.
2527694 Play it in your proliferate deck.
There's a fic for that.
But one thing I love about this is that each of their cutie mark stories are related to their element
AJ-honest to her family
Fluttershy- kind to the animals
Rarity-Generious to her class
Twilight- made a new bond with both Spike and Tia
Pinkie- made her family smile
Dash-DUH!
Although, I wonder how many people remember the other two possible stories that were presented for Dash's cutie mark? Anypony? Anypony at all? It was a thing on the HUB, there was a poll, we voted...anypony?
Huh. Only one black card this episode, and it's gold.
2527694 2527771 And put Enormous Geode in there too, while you're at it
2527694
The flavor is similar to Hickory Woodlot. It does grow back, but not on a practical time scale. At least, not unless Phyrexia gets involved.
2527754
Two words: charge counters. Coretapper, Surge Node, Dismantle... Rarity's destiny is dangerous when combined with magic from Mirrodin.
2527813
I'm afraid that's a bit before my time; I joined the fandom between Seasons 1 and 2. What were the other choices?
2527828
It's a bunch of stories about self-fulfillment, joy, and bonds between friends. Not much to work with for death mages.
2527856
From here
Option 1: Is the cannon story. Still heartwarming, still awesome and has the bond motif.
Option 2:
This had the benefit of giving us Dash's mom and Dad (before season 3) gives her struggles, and gives her a further love of what she does best. The downside is...we lose the bond that made the ep special to me
and I can't live with an eppie that doesn't have the group hug.
Option 3:
This one has the benefit of foreshadowing for future events (epic adventure to come?), a hint of parents, and the possibilty of the bond that made this episode special. This was what I voted for.
Now, one thing I wished they addressed on the commentary and wish someone would ask Larson is this...did they really write, animate, and do three different stories, but all ending with Dash in the group hug? Or was this for funsies? and is there still scripts out there?
There's a TCG for MLP now...are you happy?
I may be demonstrating just how outdated my knowledge of MtG is, but: what would Flight Response do to token creatures?
2529011
Once a token enters any zone other than the battlefield, it completely ceases to exist. Tokens bounced by Flight Response (or any similar effect) vanish and can't be replayed.
2528233
I have to admit, the pony CCG is a much better fit for the show than Magic is. It's all about a group of friends working together to solve problems. The show's ideals can even be seen in the victory conditions. The usual goal of Magic is subtractive, tearing down another through aggression. The MLP game's goal is additive, building up yourself and your allies through shared triumph.
That's not to say I'm going to stop making Magic cards out of ponies, but I do admire the game's design.
Manehatten is white and black....
Good to know.
2529092 Huh...maybe I should get a pack or two and try the game out... Not that there's many willing to where I'm at. Yu-gi-oh only just became a thing people accepted a couple years ago.
> So Many Wonders
I'm picturing this in a deck with Darksteel Colossus, Worldspine Wurm, big Eldrazi stompers, etc., and maybe something that gives all creatures haste. "Sure, go ahead and play your entire hand, I'll just be littering the field with enough damage to instantly kill you."
2530617
And just think, this is the toned-down version!
Phytomorph only removes abilities, wouldn't some Equipment or something else that gives it power, allow it to attack, even though it's supposed to be an immobile plant?
3879421
Why yes, yes it would. Plants have a history of getting up and hitting people in Magic under the right circumstances, as anyone who's been on the wrong end of an Avenger of Zendikar can attest.
Phytomorph on a creature with any boosts from equipment or something, makes what's supposed to be an inanimate plant, a animate one?
3880491
Again, yes. Sometimes crunch and fluff don't quite mesh, as with the "wurm in boots" scenario.
Whoops. My cache didn't update... Sorry!
Wait, that's a contradiction in terms. More accurately, I didn't know I was loading the page from cache... Or whatever...
Is Urbane Sophistication supposed to give you two extort triggers, or just one?
Also, nice reference to Hans on Covered in Tree Sap.
4251927
Urbane Sophistication is indeed intended to put two instances of extort on the board. You're just that sophisticated.