Friendship is Card Games: Sonic Rainboom · 2:17pm Aug 17th, 2014
Fun fact: The first bit of Friendship is Magic I ever saw was from this episode. Specifically, Rarity's Icarus impression. Without further context, I thought that she was a one-of antagonist, one of the last butterfly-winged unicorns in existence, if not the last. A vain, proud creature who used her… well, rarity as a social lever whenever she could.
It's amazing how right and wrong one can be at the same time.
Pinkie's description of a sonic rainboom still frustrates me with its ambiguity. "When a pegasus like Rainbow Dash…" Does that mean just a pegasus, e.g. Rainbow Dash, or a pegasus with an affinity for rainbows? I want to lean towards the latter. Or, at the very least, the spectrum associated with the boom correlates to the supersonic pegasus's personal magic.
The jerk trio is a lot more entertaining if you interpret their taunts as a desperate defense mechanism born of denial. "What? No! I didn't lose to her. I couldn't have lost to her. Hoops, tell them how I didn't lose to her."
You know, for all people complained about Pinkie's insensitivity in "Filli Vanilli," it seems almost karmic given Fluttershy's failed reassurance here. Especially since Fluttershy probably knows just as much about Dash's insecurities as Pinkie does about hers.
Glitter Wings was very interesting from a design perspective. It highlights one of the big differences between the two magic systems. In Magic, giving flight is one of the easiest, most basic effects in the game. In Equestria, it requires incredible focus and power, and the end result is very fragile.
Also, Sonic Rainboom's phrasing is very intentional. It only works for the person who cast it. Trying to Commandeer the Bearer of Loyalty's signature move isn't going to get you anything. On that note, let's get to the cards:
Feeble Performance 1W
Instant
Whenever a source would deal damage this turn, prevent all but 1 of that damage.
"Yay."
—Fluttershy, Bearer of Kindness
Dazzling Display 2W
Instant
As an additional cost to cast Dazzling Display, tap an untapped, nonblocking creature you control.
Up to X target attacking creatures become blocked, where X is the tapped creature's power.
"There is beauty in every soul, and enough beauty without can resonate with that beauty within."
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity
Solar Exposure 2W
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may destroy target enchantment with converted mana cost equal to or less than your devotion to white.
"It amazes me how often my ponies underestimate a giant ball of seething, superheated plasma."
—Princess Celestia
Shelf Loathing U
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Whenever enchanted creature deals combat damage to a player, put a crash counter on Shelf Loathing. Then that player puts the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard for each crash counter on Shelf Loathing.
"Once is an accident. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is malice."
—Twilight Sparkle, Bearer of Magic
Glitter Wings 1U
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has flying.
Whenever enchanted creature becomes the target of a spell or ability you don't control, counter that spell or ability unless its controller pays 2. If that player does, sacrifice Glitter Wings.
Cloudsdale Flakeshaper 1U
Creature — Pegasus Wizard
Flying
U, T: Put an ice counter on target permanent. That permanent is snow as long as it has an ice counter on it.
"We don't hoof-carve all of the snowflakes, but it's traditional to include at least one in every storm."
1/1
Sound Barrier 1UU
Creature — Elemental Wall
Defender, flying
At end of combat, return each creature blocked by Sound Barrier this combat to its owner's hand. (Return it only if it and Sound Barrier survive combat.)
"Twilight says it's just bunched-up air. I say you don't want to get on its bad side."
—Rainbow Dash, Bearer of Loyalty
0/4
Cloud Constructors 2U
Creature — Pegasus Rigger
Assemble UU (UU: Put a colorless Contraption artifact token onto the battlefield. Assemble only any time you could cast a sorcery.)
Contraptions you control have "T: Target creature gains flying until end of turn."
1/2
Test Subject 2U
Creature — Unicorn
U: Change a target of target spell or ability to Test Subject.
Volunteers for magical experiments are admired for their courage. Preferably from very far away.
1/3
Cloudspin 3U
Instant
Tap or untap target permanent, then tap or untap another target permanent, then tap or untap a third target permanent.
To stand in the wake of a pegasus is to get a faceful of potent weather magic. What that magic does depends on how much the pegasus likes you.
Ego Erosion 1BB
Sorcery
All creatures get -1/-1 until end of turn. Legendary creatures get an additional -2/-2 until end of turn.
The higher the pedestal, the further the fall.
Opportune Tutor 1RR
Sorcery
Reveal the top card of your library. Search your library for a card that shares a card type with that card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
"If a book lands on your face, read the book."
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Screaming and Hollering 2R
Instant
Choose one — Target creature gains double strike until end of turn; or target creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is that creature's power.
Entwine 1R (Choose both if you pay the entwine cost.)
Senseless Charger 2R
Creature — Pegasus Berserker
Flying, haste
Senseless Charger attacks each turn if able.
"Let's do this!"
2/1
Taste the Rainbow 2R
Instant
Add WUBRG to your mana pool. Taste the Rainbow deals 2 damage to you.
Most ponies have enough sense not to eat industrial meteorology. Pinkie Pie is not most ponies.
Loudmouthed Thunderer 2RR
Creature — Pegasus
Flying
T: Loudmouthed Thunderer deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
"They'll let anypony make the weather these days."
—Rainbow Dash, Bearer of Loyalty
2/2
Cloudburster 2
Artifact
(2u): Target creature gets -1/-0 until end of turn.
A few dozen gallons of white fluff will put anything off its game.
Desperate Flailing RW
Instant
Desperate Flailing deals 1 damage to each creature blocking or blocked by target creature. Prevent all combat damage those creatures would deal this turn.
Rarity found herself regretting those self-defense classes.
Crisis of Confidence 1WU
Instant
Creatures target player controls get -2/-0 until end of turn. Those creatures' activated abilities can't be activated this turn.
Strip away the mask of bravado, and what remains is left cowering in the light.
Wonderbolt Stunt Squad 3UR
Creature — Pegasus Soldier
Flying
UR: Change the targets of target spell or ability that targets Wonderbolt Stunt Squad.
"Compared to our choreography, dodging nasty spells is a breeze."
—Spitfire, Wonderbolt captain
3/2
Sonic Rainboom 5
(WUBRG) Instant
If you spent W to cast Sonic Rainboom, you gain 10 life. If you spent U to cast Sonic Rainboom, put target permanent on top of its owner's library. If you spent B to cast Sonic Rainboom, destroy target creature. If you spent R to cast Sonic Rainboom, it deals 5 damage to target player. If you spent G to cast Sonic Rainboom, destroy target noncreature permanent. (Targets are selected before costs are paid.)
The Cloudosseum
Legendary Land
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
3, T: Target creature you control with flying fights target creature you don't control.
The events are much friendlier these days, but the clouds do not forget.
Weather Factory
Land
Weather Factory enters the battlefield tapped.
When Weather Factory enters the battlefield, you gain 1 life.
T: Add U or R to your mana pool.
So, as expected, Sonic Rainboom is 5 flavors of awesome.
Was this video your first experience with ponies? It was mine, along with countless other bronies. It's kinda funny. Back then, my little bro was going through a bit of a Street Fighter obsession, around when Ultra Super Street Fighter IV or whatever edition it was called came out and was absolutely spamming every single YouTube video with Guile's theme in it. Like, I would come home from work and sure enough, his computer speakers would be blasting some iteration of Guile's theme while he played online games.
He really believed Guile's theme went with everything, eh?
After about a year (or half a year? I don't remember. It's all a blur of Guile's theme), he came across the Sonic Rainboom/Guile's theme and hey, bronydom. Actually, I was thinking the same thing as you, FoME, that Rarity was a villain because she was being so damn egotistical in those few moments.
So... with your Sonic Rainboom card, is that Hybridized mana, CMC being 5? 0_o kinda confused on that. And judging be the wording, if an opponent Spelljacks it, they get a spell that does nothing. Doesn't have the usual shenanigans associated with playing it as a free spell (Epic Experiment comes to mind. Twincast for extra BS and multiplayer rage quit).
I thought tasting the rainbow is something you did only with Skitheryx/Skittles/Skrillex as his majestic black form swooped down and infected your opponent with AIDs counters.
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I would have tried for ten, but I only have so much space to work with.
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Actually, my first exposure was a clip-as-advertisement from Comcast's On-Demand service. My first reaction was something like "Oh, it's the blue horse from those image macros on the MSPA forums."
As for the Rainboom card, it functions similarly to Transguild Courier; the cost can be paid with any color of mana, but the card is considered all colors. And yes, spelljacking will indeed get nothing out of it, because no mana is spent to cast it from exile. It's basically the closest an instant can come to having sunburst. Besides, if you don't put any effort into a rainboom, you're not doing it right.
Also, rainbows are not the exclusive domain of Skittles the Hug Dragon.
Lastly, on the topic of songs that go with everything:
Is Feeble Performance supposed to prevent damage from all sources, or just one? If the latter, you may want to add an "of your choice"
Assemble seems like a pretty fun mechanic.
Test Subject says "the target", whereas Spellskite says "a target"; this suggests to me that Test Subject can only target spells or abilities with a single target.
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Feeble Performance has been modified to use a "Whenever." Test Subject used to only work on single-target spells. I made the change at the last minute and didn't think about all of the articles. The adjustment has been made. Thanks for both.
And yeah, I'm rather proud of coming up with a legitimate version of the mechanic Wizards made as a joke.
I found two typos: Entwine's reminder text is supposed to be "pay," rather than "paid," and you have "mich" instead of "much" in The Cloudosseum.
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Fixed. I only thought of the card form of the Cloudosseum after I went for a walk, so I added that one from my phone. Frankly, I'm surprised there weren't more typos. Darn touch keyboard.
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My first encounter with that song was this video from Mic the Microphone on April Fool's Day:
Apparently, do not mess with yaoi fangirls XD
Hmm... on the topic of songs that go with everything:
Despite the fact that it's longer, I would pro8a8ly put
instead of
After all, there is already a card that is written that way, and pro8a8ly others as well.
EDIT:
I forgot to s8y that this is a8out Shelf Loathing.
~Vriska Serket
As far as Sound 88rrier goes, all I can think of is Æther Membrane.
~Vriska Serket
What does the reminder text (Targets are selected before costs are paid.) (On Sonic R8n8oom) mean?
Yes, I do know that's three comments in a row from me, and I pro8a8ly could have com8ined them, 8ut I've 8een typing all of these cards in, and I don't want to have to remem8er to post the comment if I put them all together.
~Vriska Serket
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Shelf Loathing's text felt like it was getting rather long, so I trimmed it where I could.
Note that if the creature can break the Sound Barrier, then it doesn't get bounced!
As for Sonic Rainboom's reminder text, that's there to inform the hypothetical player that no matter what combination of colors is spent to cast it, all four targets need to be valid. I had to look that one up myself; it seemed prudent.
2384539 All four targets, or, you know, all five if you have t8sted the R8n8oom.
The text still fits:
i.imgur.com/1RQNK9y.png
~Vriska Serket
Alright AJ, you've been replaced for best flavor text qoute.
Something about Glitterwings seems very elegant to me. Appropriate I suppose.
Your design for a Sonic Rainboom is much cleaner than mine.
I think Pinkie's behavior in Filli Vanilli was retribution for Fluttershy's behavior here and in Puttinf Your Hoof Down.
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Possibly. Plausible deniability through obfuscating obliviousness does seem like something Pinkie could do. Whether she would is another matter.
3270887 I think she would. She has shades of Loyalty, and two of her closest friends were hurt.
Shouldn't the flavor text from Feeble Performance be just “yay.”?
Also, why isn't Cloudspin ‘Tap or untap each of three target permanents.’?
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With Feeble Performance, I wanted to attribute the quotation. With Cloudspin, I'm basing the wording off of Toils of Night and Day. Searching for the full string "tap or untap each" in Gatherer produces no results.
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To clarify, I'm asking only about capitalization. In other words, why not:
“yay.”
—Fluttershy, Bearer of Kindness
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My inner Grammar Nazi won't allow me to do so.