Friendship is Card Games: The Lens Through Which We See The World (Aragón Comics, Pt. 10) · 11:52am June 8th
We return to Aragón’s comics, and a disaster already in progress.
That is a gorgeous rendition of Canterlot, black hole notwithstanding. And I do love how the power of music is a tried and tested possibility for resolving the problem.
I also love the design for Twilight’s portable supercomputer with holographic UI. Entirely reasonable for her.
Ah yes, the RWBY school of cool. When in doubt, make it also a gun.
Sunset having similar understanding to Rainbow “cool vs. awesome vs. radical” Dash on the finer points of the vibes is delightful.
I don’t care for the paint huffing, but I understand how this is a stereotype for teenagers. I wasn’t like this, but we played Magic: the Gathering at my lunch table most days; my experiences are far from universal.
“Gunning down the singularity is an option?”
“I know, right? We just need a really big gun. The laws of physics in Equestria are more of a suggestion.”
Now this I can get behind. Especially when there’s the risk of either shooting gravity to death or having it bleed out if they opt for stabbing the black hole.
“Yeah, it’s a shame we can’t just befriend the universe itself.”
Wrong Twilight for that, yeah. 
Love the little twinkles around Sunset as she waits for her kiss. Adorable touch.
By definition, a guitar solo isn’t symphonic and lacks oboes, so Princess Twilight’s counterargument isn’t holding much water.
I do love the slow reveal of why these two are in Equestria, wearing dresses. It’s a very organic approach, and mentioning the wedding doesn’t feel at all forced.
Human Twilight eagerly delving into that which man was not meant to know is such a perfect character note. I could certainly do with less detail about how Fluttershy and Discord are handling the crisis, but I find her morbid curiosity is delightful.
I feel like trying to measure natural things and filtering out magic in Equestria is working at cross-purposes.
I already added “Existential Stab Wound” to my list of promising band names, but I can throw on “Onotological Headshot” as well.
“You’re just young enough to still pretend we have dignity!”
Again, not my own experience in high school. Again, nerd table. 
Sunset’s absolutely ecstatic expression gives me life. Along with Twilight on the verge of tears as her delusions of not being a total loser crumble.
I am deeply grateful that Aragón chose to pixelate the concerningly happy couple. I’m also deeply grateful that Celestia arrived before Pinkie and Twilight got too lost in the weeds. (Also, that is a fantastic outfit on Celestia. I especially love the hat.)
… And Panel 59 immediately makes me regret some of that. Still a great hat, though.
Again, “supernatural” in the context of Equestria feels like a false dichotomy, but the black hole being formed purely by physical forces still works. Discord violates natural law all the time; he just went too far with this one.
Also, I do appreciate earth ponies carrying baseball bats at all times in the event of bigotry. Remember, “miscegenation” is Unicorn for “I would like my skull caved in now, please.”
Dash and Rarity having hard tea parties is amazing. And clearly something Dash needs right now.
“Look at Princess Celestia! A lady’s only vice is to be weird about others’ love life.”
… This explains a concerning amount about Cadence.
I appreciate both Applejack’s objections to the concept of natural law and the truth being both stranger and vastly more stupid—and I mean that affectionately—than she could have ever imagined. A brief sample of how it feels to be human Twilight.
I also appreciate Twilight’s whole friend group taking the time to become more politically conversant. Rather important for a royal council.
And once more, we get into the muddy question of what’s natural, what’s supernatural, and what’s supernaturally imposed on nature. Which is especially nebulous in a world with manually controlled weather, seasons, and celestial motion.
Alas, poor Dash. Her loyalty to her nation was built on the false ideal of Celestia being cool.
“You believe it more likely that reality has been rewritten rather than us making a mistake.”
I can’t help but think of darksteel, one of Magic’s signature magical materials. The stuff is so immutable, it’s literally easier to warp reality to bring it into existence rather than reshape an already extant piece of it.
Time and place, Rarity.
Heck of a way to introduce Moondancer.
“We committed what I now see is the greatest of sins: We made a RULES-HEAVY, OVERCOMPLICATED, HARD MAGICAL SYSTEM!”
… I feel a little called out.
“I alone bear the ambition of the world-builder.”
I’m feeling a bit more called out. I haven’t been quite as obsessive as some in terms of bringing hard and fast logic to Equestria’s slippery presentation of magic, but still. (And yes, I know it was all meant in good fun.)
I adore how Aragón presents parallels between the royal sisters and Twilight and Moondancer. I can certainly see how. Moondancer banished herself after neglect and accidental betrayal. Twilight seeing her as a little sister has a similar feeling to Pinkie seeing Marble as her little sister. It’s less a matter of age and more one of the nature of the relationship.
Speaking as the younger sibling… Honestly, if/when I find a significant other, I expect this kind of reaction from my older sister, yeah.
Oh no, it’s not just world-building. It’s power scaling. No wonder the world is doomed; that kind of thing never ends well.
(Yes, I watch Death Battle on a regular basis. That only supports my point.)
Yup, raw strength is not a relevant measurement in this setting. Heck, Twilight’s fight with Tirek demonstrated that point. Yes, sometimes it’s necessary to unleash the rainbow firehose, but usually as a capstone to a triumph of social bonds. (It is sweet that the younger sisters tried to rig the system in their elders’ favor. Misguided, but sweet.)
Look, sometimes a working solution has to be messy, especially when thrown together under a tight timeline. Still, not many people who can say they’ve officiated their own wedding, for a given value of the term.
A very entertaining comic, and a good message regarding fiction in general and Equestria in particular. I like hard systems, but equating authority with the capacity for violence rarely ends well… even if some D&D campaigns need to give royalty several levels in combat classes to make sure a random team of murderhoboes can’t kill the king by accident.
In any case, let's see what gifts I brought to this wedding:
Shoot the Singularity 1W
Instant
Choose one —
• Shoot the Singularity deals 4 damage to target attacking or blocking creature.
• Destroy target enchantment.
“The theory is simple physics. The application is admittedly more complex.”
—Twilight Sparkle
Universal Amendment 2W
Enchantment
As this enchantment enters, choose a number greater than 0.
Permanents with the chosen mana value are detained. (They can’t attack or block and their activated abilities can’t be activated.)
Even natural law has some corner cases that need covering.
Covert Collaborator 2WW
Creature — Human Spellshaper
1WW, T, Discard a card: You and target opponent each draw three cards.
“Meet me in the food court in half an hour. And remember, we’ve never met before.”
2/2
Fastidious Arcanist 3W
Creature — Unicorn Wizard
Play with the top card of your library revealed.
Your opponents can’t cast spells with the same mana value as the top card of your library.
As long as the top card of your library is a land card, spells your opponents cast cost 1 more to cast.
2/4
Thorough Obfuscation U
Instant
Target permanent gains shroud until end of turn. (A permanent with shroud can’t be the target of spells or abilities.)
Overload 3U (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change “target” in its text to “each.”)
Some sights are best left unseen.
Stitcher’s Curiosity 1U
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can’t be blocked.
Whenever enchanted creature deals combat damage to a player, draw a card. Then discard a card unless you exile a creature card from your graveyard.
“Fools! Nothing can stop me now!”
Opposition Policy 2UU
Enchantment
When this enchantment enters, you become the monarch.
At the beginning of combat on the monarch’s turn, you may tap or untap target permanent that player controls.
Trixie’s politics are whatever most bother Twilight Sparkle.
Bane of Gravity 3U
Creature — Eldrazi Processor
Devoid (This card has no color.)
When this creature enters, you may put a card an opponent owns from exile into that player’s graveyard. If you do, put a flying counter on target creature.
No part of reality is spared from Ulamog’s hunger.
3/4
Existential Stab Wound 2B
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature or enchantment
When this Aura enters, up to one target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.
At the beginning of your upkeep, enchanted permanent’s controller loses 2 life.
Pierce a hole in reality and all kinds of things will leak out.
World-Builder’s Ambition 2BB
Sorcery
Search your library for a card and put it into your hand. If G was spent to cast this spell, search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle.
Dreaming of what the world can be may lead to demanding what it must be.
Unspeakable Disciple 3B
Creature — Unicorn Wizard
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature deals 1 damage to each player and you draw a card.
Celestia’s reign casts long shadows just under her hooves.
1/2
Ontological Headshot 4B
Sorcery
This spell costs 2 less to cast if it targets a permanent with indestructible.
Exile target creature or enchantment.
“We can have a grand struggle for existence against impossible odds, or I can take the direct approach.”
—Sunset Shimmer
Swordbiter Frenzy 1R
Instant
Target creature gets +2/+2 and gains trample until end of turn. Destroy up to one target Equipment attached to a creature blocking or blocked by that creature.
When all you have is a mouth, everything looks like a snack.
Bloodfeather Savage 2R
Creature — Pegasus Berserker
Flying
This creature can’t block.
Ferocious — Whenever this creature attacks, if you control a creature with power 4 or greater, this creature gains double strike until end of turn.
It’s not blind rage. She sees you just fine.
2/2
Rocker’s Guntaur 2R
Artifact — Equipment
Job select (When this Equipment enters, create a 1/1 colorless Hero creature token, then attach this to it.)
Equipped creature gets +2/+1, has menace, and is a Rebel in addition to its other types.
Equip 4
Defender of the Herd 3R
Creature — Pony Warrior
This creature and other Ponies you control have “Ward — Pay 3 life.”
Throughout history, earth ponies have been mocked, dismissed, and subjugated by the other tribes. They have never been in a better position than they are now, and they have no intention of losing ground.
4/3
Befriend the Multiverse 1G
Sorcery
Look at the top X cards of your library, where X is the number of creatures you control. Put one of them into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
“It is impossible. The very idea is absurd. Twilight should be done in under ten years.”
—Celestia, princess emerita
Nature’s Rejection 1G
Sorcery
Destroy target artifact or enchantment.
Harmonize 5G (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its harmonize cost. You may tap a creature you control to reduce that cost by X, where X is its power. Then exile this spell.)
Brutal Dominance 2G
Enchantment
At the beginning of combat on your turn, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control. Then put a +1/+1 counter on each other creature you control if you control the creature with the greatest power or tied for the greatest power.
”Power levels are horseapples.”
—Princess Twilight Sparkle
Sweet Apple Anarchist 4GG
Creature — Pony Rebel
Riot (This creature enters with your choice of a +1/+1 counter or haste.)
When this creature enters, organize Ponies X, where X is this creature’s power. (Put X +1/+1 counters on a Worker you control. It’s also a Pony. If you don’t control a Worker, create a 0/0 white Pony Worker creature token with ward 2 first.)
3/3
Data Projector 3
Artifact
When this artifact or another nontoken artifact you control enters, investigate. (Create a Clue token. It’s an artifact with “2, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.”)
“If I’m going to have hooves this often, I need a screen they won’t scratch.”
—Twilight Sparkle
Lens of Violence 3
Artifact
T: Add one mana of any color.
T: Draw a card. Activate only if a creature dealt combat damage to a player this turn.
“Twilight says it’s just a metaphor. I say any monocle you knock off of some snooty Canterlotter counts.”
—Rainbow Dash, Bearer of Loyalty
Expanding Singularity 2BG
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a void counter on this enchantment.
At the beginning of your end step, destroy all nonland permanents with mana value equal to the number of void counters on this enchantment.
The world itself objected to the wedding.
Reconcilist 3WB
Creature — Human Cleric
This spell costs 3 less to cast if you control an Angel and a Demon.
When this creature enters, destroy target nonland permanent.
“I’ve seen both sides of the argument. I propose a bold compromise.”
3/3
Crushing Realization 3UB
Sorcery
Each player discards their hand. You draw cards equal to the greatest number of cards a player discarded this way. Each other players draws cards equal to the least such number.
Rainbow Dash’s entire worldview shattered. Rarity poured herself another cup of tea.
Overall, I think horizon really summed up Aragon's style with his "relentlessly funny" comment.
Thinking about it, one of the defining qualities of nerds is that their passions steamroller right over any sense of dignity. "Cool" always implies an uncaring attitude to just about everything. Which, in my opinion as a huge nerd, is actually uncool.
Another detail that I absolutely loved: every single one of Princess Twilight's friends has Fluttershy's cutie mark somewhere on their person. Clearly visible on Panel 54. That's honestly such a sweet and personal detail and I love that.
Stupid Complicated Game Alert: Probably the most useful thing Expanding Singularity is going to do is destroy most 0 mana value cards at the end of the turn it comes down. Killing things your opponent has been able to play since four turns ago isn't great otherwise, but a one-sided boardwipe against the token player might matter.
Now I'm the one who feels called out...but you know what? I don't really mind all that much. We learn through trial and error, after all