Friendship is Card Games: Vinson Visions, Pt. 1 · 11:45am May 11th
With all official G5 content exhausted, it only feels right to take a look at some of its fan animations… and it might be easier if I knew of more longform ones. Still, I have at least one available. Let’s take a look, along with another by the same animator, Vinson Visions.
Truth be told, this one’s been on the docket since I saw it over two years ago, but it got put on the bottom of said docket. This should give you some idea of my rate of turnover, to say nothing of spontaneous reschedulings.
Ponies Unraveled: Izzy’s Rocket
I do appreciate a good Twilight Zone homage.
I wasn’t quite sure what Dr. River was meant to be, but thankfully there are a few animations of her on Derpibooru, so I can confirm that she’s a kirin despite mostly using the standard unicorn Source Filmmaker model.
Ah yes, probability space theory. Anything that can happen does. Just not necessarily to you.
Meanwhile, in a world where Equestria gave way to the town of Teufort…
G5 ponies as G4 SFM models… works. It honestly works better than some episodes of Make Your Mark. But it still takes a little getting used to.
Izzy and a hobby shop already sound like a dangerous combination without rockets getting involved. There may be a story idea there, actually…
There’s something equal parts amusing and appropriate in Izzy having a brickphone. The Bridlewood isn’t known for having the latest tech.
I see Hobbytime City subscribes to the Doo School of product delivery. As soon as possible, by any means necessary, no matter the collateral damage.
Well, Sunny, as you said, such a scarring secret would go beyond the premise of this show. I’m going to say it’s not that.
I do appreciate Zipp being split between appreciating hobbyist aeronautics and worrying about the inevitable disaster.
I’m not sure whether the wreckage behind Izzy is from the rocket delivery or just something that happened on the way to the launch site.
Ooh, Izzy/Zipp episode. These are always fun.
Okay, that is a fun play on the Spongebob gag.
Oh good, Izzy found a replacement victim another friend for rocket fun.
A sky rift? Oh no, Izzy built an early 2010s superhero film!
I’m a bit surprised Sunny would want to cut off contact with one of the icons of the Twilit Era… but they do say to never meet your heroes, and she’s finding out why in real time. Meanwhile, Pinkie’s rattling off the framing device for a Tumblr ask blog.
Heh. One does not simply turn off the Ponk.
Heh. That third attempt involved a different kind of rocket fuel.
If you look closely, you can see where the TF2 teleporter is on that shot of the rocket starting to work.
I do love the casualness with which Twilight asks what century this is. Far from her first time getting temporally displaced.
I’ve certainly seen worse and less entertaining excuses for intergenerational crossovers. No new Ponies Unraveled videos have come out since this one, but Vinson’s still putting out pony videos and I’m hopeful for more at some point... even though the actress who voiced Sunny in this one has sadly passed. For now, I’ll also look at his next most recent longer animation.
Given that that album is published by DJ-PON Records, I can’t help but suspect some bias.
What a difference five years makes, both for this animation and the sophistication of the models in general. Feels like we stepped back a console generation. Not an inherently bad thing, but it is an abrupt shift.
Good thing those mobsters are performing this hoof-off in direct view of mares having an unrelated conversation, or we might not have a story.
Very different tone in this one. You can tell because there was no gag about Octavia walking into the camera.
… Who exactly is buying used fireworks? I suppose that’s the joke. 
I do appreciate this intro. Very mid-century crime drama. A song from The Man From U.N.C.L.E. certainly helps that feeling.
Schnee Ore Refinement & Mining? I didn’t realize this was a RWBY crossover.
The motor vehicle is a bit of an immersion break, but I can accept it on the basis of limited available models.
… Of course, I said that before seeing Octavia driving. Again, I can roll with this, but it’s a bit of a shock.
Despite my earlier comment about the graphical downshift, there’s some great expression work on Octavia as she goes deeper into the warehouse. This is the look of a mare who deeply wishes she’d called the police a few hours ago.
The cars may be weird, but wearing nothing but a bow tie and calling it a suit? That feels very Equestrian.
“Capiche?”/“I don’t understand what you just said” is a gag that never fails to make me smile.
So… when the boss threatened to sell her underlings on the black market, did she mean whole or in parts? Inquiring minds both do and don’t want to know.
There we go. I suppose Octavia was waiting to confirm her suspicions before getting the authorities involved.
The cell phone is another acceptable shift from standard Equestria. Octavia needs to be interrupted by the mobsters as she contacts the authorities… though she still could have tried to make her way out of earshot first.
The drone, on the other hand, feels more than a little silly. They could’ve just used a pegasus lookout.
The galloping animation needs a bit more leg movement to really sell the sense of frantic movement, but this is a ten-minute-long passion project. I’m not going to harangue it for every detail. (I’ll comment on every detail, but I won’t harangue. 
)
Okay, the minigun is overkill made manifest. Though now we get to see Octavia outsmart bullet.
That’s an SMG, sir. Several generations past the classic Chicago typewriter.
“You’re the reason I’m single and have a black belt.”
I have several questions.
The visible Volkswagen logo on the van’s a bit silly, but again, conservation of models.
They could have shot her multiple times by now. Alas, the villainous hunger for drama.
… Oh. That’s a higher authority than I expected.
A flag with Celestia’s cutie mark on the license plate is rather ironic given the circumstances.
You’d think sleep spells would come more naturally to Luna, but Celestia has had a millennium to pick up new skills.
I was not expecting Celestia to be putting together a team.
… I certainly wasn’t expecting the Federation to get involved!
Sadly, the promised episode 2 never came to be, but this was still an engaging project. And I suppose the anachronistic tech was foreshadowing the ending, even if it isn’t clear what the smugglers were smuggling. Dilithium, maybe? Though rock farmers would pay them to take the stuff away…
In any case, another fun look into fan animation… even if I lament the timing. Edge of Eternities, Magic’s space opera set, is still several months away. (As for Final Fantasy, the previews were literally going on as I was designing these, and I’m still not sure whether every keyword’s been revealed.) Still, let’s see what I can make of it:
Pinkie’s Contact 1W
Creature — Human Citizen
When this creature enters, if you control a Pony or a Pinkie planeswalker, draw a card.
“You should always make friends wherever you go. You never know when you might be back.”
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
2/2
Celestia’s Intervention 2W
Instant
Choose one —
• Creatures you control gain indestructible until end of turn.
• Exile target tapped creature.
“I have experience with saving many by damning one.”
—Princess Celestia
Follow the Suspect 2W
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature is goaded. (It attacks each combat if able and attacks a player other than you if able.)
Whenever enchanted creature attacks, create a 2/2 white and blue Detective creature token.
Monastic Maestro 3W
Creature — Pony Bard Monk
Finale — Whenever you sacrifice a Song, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
Flurry — Whenever you cast your second spell each turn, return target enchantment card from your graveyard to your hand.
Musical or martial, an artist always benefits from focus and discipline.
2/3
Variance Analyst 1U
Creature — Kirin Wizard
When this creature enters, you may draw a card. If you do, discard a card.
3U: Exile target creature you control, then return it to the battlefield under your control.
“The more worldlines we explore, the more we can understand each of them.”
2/1
Technological Leap 1UU
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice an artifact
Search your library for an artifact card with mana value X or less, where X is 2 plus the sacrificed artifact’s mana value. Put that card onto the battlefield, then shuffle. Exile Technological Leap.
Wrench Perspective 3UU
Instant
Devoid (This card has no color.)
Tap each permanent that’s one or more colors. Create a 0/1 colorless Eldrazi Spawn creature token with “Sacrifice this creature: Add C.”
It’s hard to say what bends: Light, space, or your own mind.
Twilight, the Timeless 4UU
Legendary Creature — Wizard Noble
Alicorn (This card is also a Pony Pegasus Unicorn.)
When you cast this spell, draw a card.
Flying
When Twilight dies, exile it with three time counters on it.
Suspend 3—1UU
4/3
Devious Defense 1B
Instant
Target creature you control gains indestructible until end of turn. That creature connives. (Draw a card, then discard a card. If you discarded a nonland card, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature.)
“You don’t outsmart the gun. You outsmart the gunner.”
Black Market Knacker 2B
Creature — Dog Rogue
T, Exile a creature card from your graveyard: Create a Food token and a Treasure token. (A Food is an artifact with “2, T, Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life.” A Treasure is an artifact with “T, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color.”)
“Pony good supplier. And supply.”
2/3
Disastrous Dropoff 2BB
Sorcery
Target player loses 3 life unless they sacrifice a nonland permanent or discard a card. Then that player draws three cards.
Same-minute delivery has some unavoidable consequences.
Smuggled Goods 3B
Sorcery
Casualty 2 (As you cast this spell, you may sacrifice a creature with power 2 or greater. When you do, copy this spell and you may choose an ew target for the copy.)
Exile the top two cards of target opponent’s library face down. For as long as those cards remain exiled, you may look at them, you may play them, and mana of any type can be spent to cast them.
The Gravel War 2R
Battle — Claim
(You protect a Claim. Your opponents can attack it. When another player defeats it, they exile it, then return it to the battlefield under their control.)
At the beginning of combat on your turn, create a 2/2 red Mercenary creature token with haste and “This creature attacks each combat if able and attacks a battle if able.”
Mercenaries your opponents control are blue.
4
Interplanar Rift 2R
Instant
Each player may put a permanent card from their hand onto the battlefield. At the beginning of the next end step, those permanents’ controllers sacrifice them.
“Don’t open the door if you don’t want something poking its muzzle in.”
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Trail of Destruction 3R
Sorcery
Destroy target nonbasic land. Create a Junk token. (It's an artifact with "T, Sacrifice this artifact: Exile the top card of your library. You may play that card this turn. Activate only as a sorcery.”)
“To find a unicycler, follow the wreckage.”
—Bridlewood teaching
Unscheduled Launch XR
Instant
Goad X target creatures and/or Vehicles. Vehicles goaded this way become artifact creatures until your next turn. (Until your next turn, those creatures attack each combat if able and attack a player other than you if able.)
Big red buttons are made to be pushed.
Peaceful Purpose G
Instant
Destroy target artifact, enchantment, or battle. Its controller creates two Food tokens.
“Anything can be an oven if you put your mind to it.”
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Prepare for Launch 1G
Sorcery
Choose one —
• Draw a card. You may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield.
• Put a trample counter on target Vehicle you control. It becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.
“Site cleared. Initiate countdown.”
Embrace All Possibilities 2GG
Sorcery
Sacrifice any number of lands. Create that many tapped colorless land tokens named Everywhere that are every basic land type.
“Everything that can happen will. Time just has to make space for it all.”
—Red River, variance analyst
Full Assault XG
Sorcery
X target creatures you control each deal damage equal to their power to target creature, planeswalker, or battle.
Looking at a problem from multiple angles helps solve it. Shooting it from multiple angles even more so.
Prism of Possibility 3
Artifact
T: Add one mana of any color.
1, T: Scry 1. You may shuffle your library.
Each facet reflects a different future.
Warehouse Drone 4
Artifact Creature — Drone
Flying
When this creature enters or dies, draw a card.
Some ponies looked at human technology and saw vast potential and infinite horizons. Some just saw patrols that couldn’t be bribed or distracted.
2/1
Brew Trouble RW
Sorcery
Target creature gains haste and first strike until end of turn. If that creature already had either of those abilities, exile it.
Conspire (As you cast this spell, you may tap two untapped creatures you control that share a color with it. When you do, copy it and you may choose a new target for the copy.)
Pinkie, Reveler Returned RWB
Legendary Planeswalker — Pinkie
+1: Discard a card. Then if you have fewer cards in hand than an opponent, draw two cards. Otherwise, draw a card.
-X: Create a token that’s a copy of target creature card in your graveyard with mana value X, except it has haste. Sacrifice that token at the beginning of the next end step.
-6: For each player, put up to one target creature card from that player’s graveyard onto the battlefield under your control with a lifelink counter and a menace counter on it. Those creatures gain haste until end of turn.
3
Manehattan Skyline
Land
When this land enters, sacrifice it. When you do, search your library for a basic Mountain, Plains, or Swamp card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle and you gain 1 life.
Splendor and squalor comingle in an iconic vista.
Possibly it's already on your schedule (you did mention Izzy's Rocket only being reached now as proof of how long these things take to work up your backlog), but for G5 longform fan "animations", I'd have to recommend Robin Jacks' 6-part animatic (which I don't believe has an overarching name). Technically not animated, but they're ridiculously detailed animatics as far as draftsmanship goes (like, more than industry-standard storyboards). The first part came out in November 2022, starting out as an actual confrontation with Opaline when MYM was shying away from doing so yet (or even having the Mane 5 be aware of Opaline's existence), and quickly evolved into its own dramatic AU, with the latest (final?) part coming out last September on the 3-year anniversary of ANG.
They do have a bit of the "style and spectacle of fulfilling things the show skimped on, not that much substance beyond that", but it is satisfying on several levels. Part 4 is as a fan comic instead (still in video form as a dub too, mind). All six parts add up to 57 minutes, with individual lengths ranging from 4 minutes all the way up to 15 (though the longest ones can have a bit of that "assembly cut animatic by one working on their own that could do with some hefty snugging up in the pacing, largely because the artist worked so hard on it they want the drawings to be appreciated and thus they linger" thing going on). Still, easily some of the more notable G5 fan works I've seen.
He also did a dub of another short Izzy comic he wrote, and a brief Square Enix-type battle fan animation (30 second long, you know), plus a fun outtake video from the VA recordings for all these. And though not coverable by FiCG, in recent months he does fan covers of each G5 IDW issue better reflecting the content and artstyle there on his artstation. Definitely some solid stuff worthy of note from this guy, all told!
I'm a little annoyed at Cid, Timeless Artificer citing a specific game. The mechanics and name are based on very pointedly not being a specific incarnation of Cid, after all.'
EDIT: It turns out they are printing every Cid individually as the same mechanical card. The spoiler site I use didn't make this clear, and it honestly sounds like a nightmare to collate so excuse me for not expecting it.