Friendship is Card Games: Friendship is Magic · 2:50pm Apr 13th, 2014
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That's right. With no new pony this week, I thought I'd tackle the old. Which entailed rewatching the premiere, which was surprisingly difficult. I guess Hasbro decided the free publicity on YouTube wasn't worth it anymore.
In any case, the contrast is striking. The animation's not quite as smooth, the voice actors haven't found the characters' tonal sweet spots, and there's a lot more equine behavior. Call it "anthro creep." Also, it's fascinating to see how up until the quest through the Everfree, Twilight just shuts down whenever she hears the word "friend."
Also, seeing the first derp of the show was delightful. 
In any case, let's get those cards up:
"Giggle at the Ghosty" W
Enchantment — Song
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a verse counter on "Giggle at the Ghosty".
W, Sacrifice "Giggle at the Ghosty": Choose a color. Up to X target creatures gain protection from that color until end of turn, where X is the number of verse counters on "Giggle at the Ghosty".
Summer Sun Celebration W
Instant
Gain life equal to your devotion to white. If you gain life this way, draw a card.
Celestia's role in Equestria is a strange blend of caring mother, patron goddess, and beloved monarch. Each summer solstice marks a festival commemorating and reaffirming this unique relationship.
Lunar Banishment 2WW
Enchantment
When Lunar Banishment enters the battlefield, exile another target permanent.
When Lunar Banishment leaves the battlefield, return the exiled card to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.
Royal Charioteers 4W
Creature — Pegasus Soldier
Flying
Whenever Royal Charioteers attacks, another target creature you control gains flying until end of turn.
The Guard prides itself on its rapid, efficient deployment capabilities.
3/3
Celestia's Personal Guard 5W
Creature — Pegasus Soldier
Flying
If a source would deal damage to a legendary creature you control, it deals that damage to Celestia's Personal Guard instead.
"I don't really need them, but it makes them feel important."
—Celestia, sun princess
2/6
Celestia, Sun Princess 4WWW
Legendary Creature — Avatar
Alicorn (This card is a Pony Pegasus Unicorn at all times.)
Flying, indestructible
Whenever a Plains is tapped for mana, its controller adds W to his or her mana pool.
5W: Exile target attacking creature. Return it to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of that player's next upkeep.
5/5
Spontaneous Musical Number XW
Instant
Look at the top X cards of your library. You may put an enchantment card with converted mana cost X or less from among them onto the battlefield. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order. If a Song enters the battlefield this way, put Y verse counters on it, where Y is X minus that Song's converted mana cost.
Rainblow Dry U
Instant
Replicate 1U
Tap target creature. If that creature is multicolored, return it to its owner's hand instead.
Awkward Pause 1U
Enchantment
When a player casts a spell, sacrifice Awkward Pause. If you do, that player skips his or her next untap step.
"I'm not used to being the more socially adept pony in a conversation."
—Twilight Sparkle, Bearer of Magic
Deluge by Design 1U
Instant
Replicate U
Target creature gets -2/-0 until end of turn.
Target creature gets -2/-0 until end of turn.
Discerning Taste 1U
Sorcery
Discard any number of cards, then draw that many cards. You may pay 1U. If you do, repeat this process.
"No. No. Ugh, definitely no. Hmm... adequate, but I can do better. No..."
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity
Greeting Gasp 2U
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield, untap enchanted creature.
There is no hiding a new arrival from Pinkie Pie. Once you enter Ponyville, she knows.
Scour the Shelves 3U
Sorcery
Multikicker — Discard a card.
Draw two cards, then draw a card for each time Scour the Shelves was kicked.
"Haven't these ponies ever heard of the Dewdrop Decimal System?"
—Twilight Sparkle, Bearer of Magic
Twilight Sparkle 3UU
Legendary Creature — Unicorn Wizard
Spells you cast cost 1 less to cast for each card you've drawn this turn.
2UU: Draw a card.
"I just want to know everything. That doesn't seem like much to ask."
1/3
Fabulous Serpent 5U
Creature — Serpent
Fabulous Serpent can't attack unless it's enchanted.
"You want me to fight!? Well, you'd better have a manicurist, a stylist, a scale polisher, a mustache technician…"
5/5
Shadowbolt Skirmisher 2BB
Creature — Nightmare Pegasus Warrior
Flying, haste
Whenever Shadowbolt Skirmisher deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card.
"Best fliers in the Everfree" may be a narrow definition, but the Shadowbolts are still frighteningly good.
3/1
Tightened Corsets 3B
Sorcery
Each creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn for each permanent attached to it.
"It's better to look good than to feel good, dear. Now suck in that barrel."
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity
Twisted by Jealousy 3B
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
At the beginning of the upkeep of enchanted creature's controller, that player loses X life, where X is the greatest power among other creatures that player controls.
Luna's descent into madness seemed sudden to her sister, but was in reality a slow, bitter simmer.
Luna Liberated 3BB
Legendary Creature — Avatar
Alicorn (This card is a Pony Pegasus Unicorn at all times.)
Flying, indestructible
Play with the top card of your library revealed.
As long as the top card of your library is black, Pony, Pegasus, and Unicorn creatures you control get +2/+1 and have intimidate.
2/2
Eternal Night 3BBB
Enchantment
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player sacrifices a nonblack, non-Swamp permanent.
Without a sun, everything that depended on its heat and light is doomed to wither and die.
Ghastly Grove 4BB
Creature — Nightmare Treefolk
Whenever Ghastly Grove attacks, creatures you control gain intimidate until end of turn.
Ponies fear the Everfree, and for good reason.
3/4
Nightmare Moon, Void Tyrant 4BBB
Legendary Creature — Nightmare Horror
Flying, indestructible, protection from Ponies, from Pegasi, and from Unicorns
Each land is a Swamp in addition to its other types.
B: Nightmare Moon, Void Tyrant gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
4/4
Lucky Find R
Sorcery
Name a card, then reveal the top card your library. Draw three cards. If you didn't reveal the named card, discard three cards.
"It was under 'E'!"
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Hit the Sauce RR
Instant
Add RRRRR to your mana pool. Hit the Sauce deals 4 damage to you.
"I grew up treating rocks as snacks. A little spice is nothing."
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter.
Excruciating Thorn 1R
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
At the beginning of each upkeep, Excruciating Thorn deals 1 damage to enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature attacks each combat if able.
Ten Seconds Flat 2R
Instant
Target creature gains haste and double strike until end of turn.
"Told you."
—Rainbow Dash, Bearer of Loyalty
Pinkie Pie, Party Pony 2RR
Legendary Creature — Pony
Creatures you control get +1/+0 and have haste.
"Pinkie's baseline self. Zany, but not reality-breaking. Not usually, anyway."
—Lyra Heartstrings, spacial operative
2/3
Frenzied Manticore 3RR
Creature — Manticore
Flying
Whenever Frenzied Manticore blocks or becomes blocked by a creature, you may have that creature gain first strike until end of turn.
Whenever Frenzied Manticore is dealt damage, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn for each 1 damage dealt to it.
1/5
Cliff Collapse 4R
Sorcery
Kicker — Sacrifice a land.
Destroy target land. Creatures without flying can't block this turn. If Cliff Collapse was kicked, creatures with flying can't block this turn.
Nightmare Moon had all the dark creativity of a bad dream, and made frequent use of it.
Apple Banquet 3G
Enchantment
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay any amount of green mana. If you do, put that many +1/+1 counters on that creature.
Nopony who goes to an Apple family reunion goes home hungry.
Apple Family Posse 3G
Creature — Pony
Trample
Apple Family Posse's power and toughness are each equal to the number of green permanents you control.
There are Apples all across Equestria. Their reunions are massive affairs, and intruding on them can be perilous. Especially if the intruder is on a diet.
*/*
Applejack 3GG
Legendary Creature — Pony
Applejack can't be countered.
Trample, vigilance
Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, put a +1/+1 counter on Applejack.
3/3
Surprise Party 5GG
Instant
Each player may put any number of permanent cards from his or her hand onto the battlefield.
"It's like a potluck, only instead of pots, it's magic! And sometimes magic pots!"
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Fog Cloud X1G
Instant
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt by creatures other than X target creatures this turn.
Nightmare Moon had much skill with the magic of all the tribes, pegasi included.
Diarchs' Tome 3
Artifact
T, Tap two untapped creatures you control: Draw a card.
A tale of hope, of loss, and now, of reconciliation.
Torc of Generosity 3
Legendary Artifact — Equipment
Other creatures you control have equipped creature's activated abilities.
3: Other creatures you control gain equipped creature's static and triggered abilities until end of turn.
Equip 2
Torc of Honesty 3
Legendary Artifact — Equipment
Equipped creature gets +2/+2, has shroud, can't be enchanted, and can't be equipped by other Equipment.
Equip 2
Torc of Kindness 3
Legendary Artifact — Equipment
Prevent all damage that would be dealt to and dealt by equipped creature. Whenever damage is prevented this way, you gain 1 life.
Equip 2
Torc of Laughter 3
Legendary Artifact — Equipment
Equipped creature has "3: Exile this creature and Torc of Laughter. Return this card to the battlefield under your control, then return Torc of Laughter to the battlefield under your control and attached to that creature."
Equip 2
Torc of Loyalty 3
Legendary Artifact — Equipment
When Torc of Loyalty becomes attached to a creature, that creature's owner gains control of it.
Players other than equipped creature's owner can't control equipped creature.
2: Attach Torc of Loyalty to target creature you own. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Tiara of Magic 6
Legendary Artifact — Equipment
Affinity for legendary Equipment (This costs 1 less to cast for each legendary Equipment you control.)
Whenever equipped creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, you may counter that spell or ability. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on equipped creature.
1WUBRG, Tap six untapped attached legendary Equipment you control: You win the game.
Equip 3
Cosmetic Damage WB
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets -1/-1 and can't attack or block.
"Don't look at me! I'm hideous!"
—Steven Magnet, fabulous serpent
Spike, Canterlot Courier UR
Legendary Creature — Dragon Advisor
T: Draw a card. If you don't control a Pony, a Pegasus, or a Unicorn, Spike, Canterlot Courier deals 2 damage to you.
Thumbs are a valuable asset in a scribe. Fire breath less so.
1/1
Pinkie Pie WBR
Planeswalker — Pinkie
+1: Exile up to one target card from a graveyard. You gain 1 life.
-2: Exile target creature. Return it to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.
-7: Gain control of all creatures until end of turn. Untap them. They gain haste, trample, and lifelink until end of turn.
3
Rainbow Dash 2RWU
Legendary Creature — Pegasus
Players other than Rainbow Dash's owner can't control it.
Flying, haste, double strike
Awesome, cool, and radical enough to distinguish the three.
2/3
Rarity 3WU
Legendary Creature — Unicorn Artificer
XWU, T: Look at the top X cards of your library. You may reveal an artifact or enchantment card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
"Fabulosity lies within every soul. It's just very, very well hidden sometimes."
2/3
Fluttershy 3GW
Legendary Creature — Pegasus
Flying, defender, protection from creatures
Whenever another creature enters the battlefield, you gain 1 life.
Whenever a creature would deal combat damage to you or a planeswalker you control, prevent that damage unless attacking player pays 2.
0/5
Diarchs' Citadel
Land
Diarchs' Citadel enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add W, B, or R to your mana pool.
It stands as a monument to the sun and moon triumphing over merciless chaos.
Eclectic Village
Land
Eclectic Village enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add U, R, or G to your mana pool.
Not everypony in town is crazy. Many are just differently sane.
Everfree Forest
Legendary Land — Forest
(T: Add G to your mana pool.)
Other nonbasic lands you control are Forests.
4GG, T: Permanents you control gain hexproof until end of turn.
Golden Oaks Library
Land
Golden Oaks Library enters the battlefield tapped.
When Golden Oaks Library enters the battlefield, you gain 1 life.
T: Add G or U to your mana pool.
Wedge-lands need to be an actual thing. I mean, I guess there's Murmuring Bosk, but that's it
Some of these are "reprints", but that's fine. Also, "Enchantment 101"? What is the meaning behind the 101 type? Anyway, I love the Element of Harmony Equipment. Torc of Generosity is my personal favourite.
The 101 thing, typo maybe?
Your Replicate costs are flipped, all Replicate costs are the same as their casting cost.
Flavor wise it feels odd for me that "Eternal Night" removes Mountains and not Swamps. Swamps need living matter in them to decay, so, one all things have died the Swamps would go away. Mountains don't care about the sun and will stand long before anything else. Even Islands wold probably last longer than Swamps, both would freeze over without the sun anyways.
This is just a case where card flavor and rules clash in my mind. Maybe if it was "non-Land" instead of "non-Swamp".
"Torc of Loyalty" should probably still have an Equip ability. Just odd for an Equipment not to have the Equip ability even if it does have an "attach" ability.
2006223
I know, right? I have a full cycle set up, along with enemy colored Refuges, but these were the only ones that fit this specific episode.
2006328
Replicate was intentionally designed such that if Wizards were to revisit the mechanic, they could make the costs different from the casting costs. They didn't on the first run because... well, it was the first run. Saying replicate can't work the way I did it would be like saying cycling costs always have to be two colorless mana before Onslaught Block. Just because it hasn't been done doesn't mean it can't be done. If it couldn't be done, replicate would be templated like echo. You know, before they changed echo so it could work with different costs.
As for Torc of Loyalty, since equip only works on creatures you control and the Torc doesn't do much with such creatures, I changed it up.
Eternal Night is a bit of a flavor-mechanic disconnect, yes. If anyone asks, the mountains are crumbling due to feedback from mana imbalance. Much like any sacrificed artifacts.
And the 101s? (And while I'm at it, let's get 2006278 in on this.) These cards were copy-pasted from a master document of cards for all the episodes, with season-episode numbers where expansions usually go. I missed two of them when formatting the blog.
2006398
Why I though the 101 was a typo.
And yes, Replicate cost can be different than casting cost. Don't know, I like them being the same, makes it easier to remember and makes it feel more "real", coping the card over and over for the same cost.
You can always equip the Torc beforehand to prevent it from being ganked, such as with Pinkie's Planswalker ultimate. Even if it is only a cost of "0" all Equipment need an Equip cost. I think Mister Rosewater talked about this once but I'm not sure.
I'll take "mana imbalance". The Swamps are pulling the mana away from everything else to keep themselves going. Fits well with the color philosophy.
Everfree forest seems like a very hard land to use, considering that it turns nonbasic lands into forests, not adding forest to them. Maybe it could he used to screw with a metalcraft deck running artifact lands by passing control? Also, stoneforge mystic plus elements of harmony = win.
Pinkie got me wondering. Are there any magical pots in MtG?
2019691
Depends on what you mean by "magical pot." There's certainly at least one potent piece of pottery in the Pyxis of Pandemonium. Why do you ask?
2019955 Cause of the flavor text. Also, have you been reading my AU? I'm kind of curious how you'd designate it in your dimensional labeling system.
2020018
Sorry, I usually write the flavor text just before publishing these things. It doesn't exactly stick in my brain.
Oh, those magic pots.
As for the AU, it's on my Read Later list, and its OPL designation is Two-Five-Sigma.
2021192 Wow that's...a bit closer to canon than I expected. I better finish it quick then to throw it further off.
2021196
Don't worry, the numbers have about as much significance as Whose Line Is It Anyway? points.
2021200 Or the Zimbabwe dollar, money so worthless its use became outlawed in Zimbabwe as its use hurt the economy.
I get the feeling that this ought to be formatted like Banishing Light, but that might just be some personal O-Ring hate on my part.
2113606
Nope. Read carefully. Even when the banishment ends, it takes so long to get back from the moon that the exiled permanent doesn't get back until the end of the turn. Thus, the classic O-Ring shenanigans don't work.
2113817 but what if you play three of them (Lunar Banishment) on each other?
3398153
Then you're going to deliberately have the three of them cycle in and out of existence, taking a turn to move through each step in the process. It would go like this:
1. Play first Lunar Banishment, exiling something.
2. Play second Lunar Banishment, exiling the first one.
3. Play third Lunar Banishment, exiling the second.
4. At the beginning of the next end step, the first Lunar Banishment returns. You have it exile the third one.
5. The end step after that, the second one returns, and you have it exile the first.
6. The end step after that, the third one returns, and you have it exile the second.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 for as long as you want.
This will be useful for constellation effects, but not much else.
3398583 So it's not the same as the famous infinite loop of three Oblivion Rings, then.
3398942
Nope. It takes a while to get back from the moon.
So... this isn't a fanfic series.
4574120
It has some references to one, which is why there's a Pinkie Pie planeswalker card, but it isn't one in and of itself.