Friendship is Card Games: Return of Harmony · 2:32pm Nov 9th, 2014
Ah, yes, the two-parter that brought a cruel, chimeric Q to Equestria. Really, what is there to say about this that hasn't been said before? Of course, the same could be said about any of the older episodes I've been reviewing. Really, what's the point of this? Maybe I should stop making fake cardboard out of fake ponies and go do something constructive with my life...
In any case, this episode marks a pair of milestones for me. It's the first I saw when it was new, and the first for which I made cards. It also marks one of my rare forays into original mechanics. It's also fantastic.
I have several things both pony and not with a time constraint I need to deal with right now, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut the episode reactions for this one. (Besides, I'm probably the only one who cares about those. And if not, future FoME wrote here. Well, past FoME, but less past than this one. Time is fun.) So, straight to the point:
Abandon the Cause WW
Sorcery
Exile target creature. That creature's controller gains life equal to its power plus its toughness.
Discord had been watching the Bearers for a long time. He saw the flaws they tried to hide, and knew just how to exploit them.
Elongulate 3WW
Instant
Creatures target player controls get +2/+2 until end of turn.
Chaotic 1W (You may cast this spell for its chaotic cost. If you do, its targets are chosen at random.)
Discord enjoys giving others new perspectives.
Lovely Load U
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step and has "4: Untap this creature."
Laboring under a misapprehension has never been more literal.
Sudden Suppression 1U
Instant
Split second (As long as this spell is on the stack, players can't cast spells or activate abilities that aren't mana abilities.)
Creatures target player controls lose all abilities until end of turn.
Torrential Transmutation 2U
Instant
Choose a color. If a land is tapped for mana this turn, it produces one mana of the chosen color instead of any other type and amount.
Discord's magic manifests however he wants it to.
Rising Crusts 3U
Instant
Creatures target player controls gain flying until end of turn.
Chaotic U
"You can make it rain dessert only so many times before you need to do variations on the theme."
—Discord
Candy Cloud 3U
Creature —Elemental
Flying
Candy Cloud can block only creatures with flying.
U: Tap target creature blocking or blocked by Candy Cloud. That creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
2/4
Betrayal of Self 3UU
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
You control enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature's power and toughness are switched.
Discord drove each Element's Bearer to embrace the antithesis, sending them to the brink of madness.
Soap Roads 3UU
Instant
Choose target creature without flying. Tap the rest.
Chaotic 1U
"I keep the streets cleaner than any police force."
—Discord
Malicious Glee B
Instant
Gain life equal to the life lost by target player this turn.
Draw a card.
"What's the matter, Pinkie Pie? I thought you appreciated a good laugh."
—Discord
Proudly Present 3B
Instant
Target player draws two cards and loses 2 life.
Chaotic B
"I do love a captive audience."
—Discord
Heartbreak 3BB
Sorcery
Target creature's controller sacrifices it.
Chaotic 1B
Discord enjoys any extreme reaction. Laughter and tears are equally rewarding to him.
Blatant Manipulation RR
Instant
Target creature gets +X/-X until end of turn, where X is that creature's toughness minus 1.
Not even Discord could talk Fluttershy into turning from the path of kindness. Unfortunately, he had other means.
Discord's Influence 1RR
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, if an opponent controls more creatures than you, you may exchange control of Discord's Influence and target creature that player controls.
The draconequus symbolizes disharmony and disagreement between ponies, and for good reason.
Desaturate 2R
Sorcery
Untap target creature. You gain control of that creature until end of turn. That creature gains haste and becomes colorless until end of turn.
A pony's mind is as malleable as clay to the spirit of disharmony.
Cloud Collapse 3R
Sorcery
Destroy target land. If that land could produce white or blue mana, Cloud Collapse deals 3 damage to that land's controller.
Rainbow Dash was presented with an impossible choice: Betray her friends or lose her home.
Pepperpester 3R
Instant
Pepperpester deals 4 damage to target creature or player.
Chaotic R
Anxiety is the spice of strife.
Pinkie the Grump 3RR
Legendary Creature — Pony Warrior
Dethrone (Whenever this creature attacks the player with the most life or tied for the most life, put a +1/+1 counter on it.)
Pinkie the Grump attacks an opponent with the highest life total among your opponents each turn if able. (If two or more opponents are tied for highest, choose one.)
3/3
Eternal Chaos 3RRR
Enchantment
When Eternal Chaos enters the battlefield, each player shuffles his or her library.
Players choose targets at random.
Players can't search libraries or look at cards in libraries.
"Making sense? Oh, what's the fun in making sense?"
—Discord
Residential Collapse 5RR
Sorcery
Destroy two target lands.
Chaotic 2R
"I would've made a housing bubble, but I already did a soap gag today."
—Discord
Branch-Bending Bounty 2G
Enchantment
Whenever you tap a land for mana, add one mana to your mana pool of any color that land produced. That land doesn't untap during your next untap step.
"Okay, even I think that's too much apple."
—Applejack, Bearer of Honesty
Strange New Worlds 2GG
Sorcery
Target player searches his or her library for a basic land card and puts it onto the battlefield tapped. Then each player does so. Then each player shuffles his or her library. (The targeted player searches twice.)
Chaotic 1G
Drink the Glass 3G
Sorcery
Destroy target artifact or enchantment. You gain life equal to that permanent's converted mana cost.
Chaotic 1G
"Sometimes my magic surprises even me."
—Discord
Sudden Daybreak 3G
Sorcery
Untap target land and each land that shares a land type with it.
Chaotic G
Discord toyed with the sun and moon like celestial yo-yos.
Buffalerinas 5G
Creature — Ox Warrior
Vigilance
1G: Buffalerinas gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.
"Such grace. Such artistry. Who could look at these fine fellows and say nothing good comes of my reign?"
—Discord
4/4
Commemorative Window 3
Artifact
3, T: Choose target instant or sorcery spell you cast from your hand. Exile that spell as it resolves. As long as that card is exiled, Commemorative Window loses this ability and has "X, T: You may cast the exiled card without paying its mana cost. X is that card's converted mana cost."
Discord's Throne 3
Legendary Artifact
If you would choose a target at random, instead choose twice and ignore one. (Both choices must be legal and are still chosen at random.)
"I know, I know, it seems like a rather typical symbol of authority. Really, I just made it for the lumbar support."
—Discord
Monument to Victory 7
Artifact
If you would lose the game, instead you gain 10 life, shuffle your graveyard into your library, and transform Monument to Victory.
There is a story and a soul behind every statue in the castle garden. Given the right stimulus, each can be spurred into action.
Avatar of Determination
(W) Creature — Pony Avatar
Vigilance, reach, hexproof
Avatar of Determination can block any number of creatures.
You can't lose the game and your opponents can't win the game.
When Avatar of Determination leaves the battlefield, its owner loses the game.
7/7
Bubble of Sanity WU
Instant
You and permanents you control gain protection from red until end of turn.
Draw a card.
Sanity stifles shenanigans.
Welcome Chaos UR
Instant
Draw two cards, then discard a card at random.
"Eternal chaos comes with chocolate rain, you guys. Chocolate. Rain."
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Beautiful Barricade RWU
Creature — Wall
Defender
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to Beautiful Barricade.
Whenever Beautiful Barricade blocks a creature, tap that creature. It doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
RWU: Beautiful Barricade can block an additional creature this turn. Target creature attacks this turn if able.
0/4
Chocolate Rain 1BG
Sorcery
Choose a color. Each player gains 1 life for each creature of the chosen color he or she controls, then loses 1 life for each other creature he or she controls.
Some stay dry while others feel the pain.
Rainbow the Traitor 1RW
Legendary Creature — Pegasus Rogue
Flying, defender
At the beginning of your upkeep, target opponent untaps and gains control of Rainbow the Traitor.
Whenever a player gains control of Rainbow, it deals 1 damage to that player and its owner gains 1 life.
3/4
Discord, Actually Serious UBRG
Planeswalker — Discord
+2: Target player discards all the cards in his or her hand, then draws that many cards.
-2: Destroy target permanent. That permanent's controller draws a card.
-10: Each opponent discards all cards in his or her hand. For each card discarded this way, you may draw a card. You get an emblem with "You have no maximum hand size" and "If you would draw a card, you may skip that draw instead."
4
Twilight, Disenchanted WWBB
Legendary Creature — Unicorn
When Twilight, Disenchanted enters the battlefield, sacrifice all other creatures you control.
Protection from creatures
You have protection from creatures and can't cast creature spells.
1/3
Fluttershy the Brute 2BR
Legendary Creature — Pegasus Berserker
Flying, trample
Fluttershy the Brute attacks each turn if able.
Whenever Fluttershy attacks, sacrifice another permanent.
Whenever Fluttershy deals combat damage to a player, that player sacrifices a permanent.
4/3
Keepers of the Grove 2BG
Creature — Elemental
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player reveals the top card of his or her library and puts it into his or her hand. That player loses life equal to the converted mana cost of that card.
When Keepers of the Grove dies, you gain 2 life for each card in your hand.
3/3
Rarity the Hoarder 2RG
Legendary Creature — Unicorn Rogue
At the beginning of each upkeep, gain control of all permanents you own.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay 3R. If you do, untap target nonland permanent you don't control and gain control of it until end of turn. That permanent gains haste until end of turn.
3/3
Applejack the Liar 3UR
Legendary Creature — Pony Rogue
2(ur), Return an instant or sorcery spell you control to its owner's hand: You may cast an instant or sorcery card from your hand without paying its mana cost.
"I never said that."
3/3
Ponyville, Capital of Chaos
Legendary Land
Whenever Ponyville, Capital of Chaos becomes the target of a spell or ability for the first time in a turn, change the targets of that spell or ability at random.
T: Add one mana of a random color to your mana pool.
"Isn't it beautiful?"
—Discord
Let Chaos Reign
Ongoing Scheme
Whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls goes on the stack, reselect that spell or ability's targets at random. When you or a permanent you control becomes the target of a spell or ability this way, abandon Let Chaos Reign.
"Logic and reason have no place in my utopia."
None May Outshine Me
Scheme
When you set this scheme in motion, choose one—
• Each opponent who controls more permanents than you sacrifices permanents equal to the difference.
• Each opponent who has more cards in hand than you discards cards equal to the difference.
• Each opponent who has more life than you loses life equal to the difference.
"Spite has gotten me this far. I see no reason to stop now."
That Nuisance Never Was
Scheme
When you set this scheme in motion, exile target nonbasic permanent you don't control. Search your opponents' graveyards, hands, and libraries for all cards with the same name as that permanent and exile them. Then those players shuffle their libraries.
"I do hope you weren't using that."
Your Beliefs Are Empty
Scheme
When you set this scheme in motion, each player discards all the cards from his or her hand. Then you draw cards equal to the greatest number of cards a player discarded this way and each other player draws cards equal to the lowest such number.
"Isn't it refreshing to have all of those meaningless lies stripped away?"
I like the episode reactions.
2584142 Me too!
Wow, Discord is scary when he's Actually Serious.
The obvious circumvention of Twilight's downside is to cast noncreature spells that make creature tokens (and she's in pretty much the best colors for that)
Oh, hey, Flutterrage is like a mini Rakdos the Defiler
2584316
My idea was to play an enchantment-heavy deck then cast Opalescence (the enchantment, not the cat). This strategy is particularly fine if you're using her as your Commander and have a way to return Opalescence to your hand if she gets killed somehow.
And I am another who liked the episode reactions.
I have never understood how you do the whole 'at random' thing in Magic, and this update actually really frustrates me because of it.
2585490
Rolling a die of various sizes is generally the best choice. Most people have a twenty-sider or two to keep track of life totals.
2584316
2585231
There are certainly workarounds for heartbroken Twilight. They were put in there intentionally. After all, she's also in reanimator colors, and anyone who plays her did just sacrifice a bunch of creatures...
And yes, Flutterbrute is an homage to the Defiler. I think he'd find her adorable.
Your Liarjack reminds me of a batch of card ideas I had for stack-manipulation instants. In particular, her activated ability can be used as a nonpermanent-spell-only version of Rotate (which would include {X} in its cost): "Move the Xth spell or ability on the stack to the top of the stack."
The neat thing about stack-manipulation instants is that they don't target. Unfortunately, I don't think they'll ever get printed. Especially Repeat ("Copy the spell or ability on the top of the stack"): in the absence of counterspells or more esoteric shenanigans, a Repeat on top of another Repeat will prevent the game from progressing.
2586563 Ah yes, good ol' SII(SII)/(λx.xx)(λx.xx).
Also, what's Elongulate a reference to?
For Avatar of Determination, I used a Heir of Rick piece of Pinkie Pie as Frisk. Who else?
I might instead write it "If target player lost life this turn, gain that much life and draw a card."
4653797
The card draw is independent from the life gain, if any.
4653833
That's why I would rewrite it not to, to avoid "Draw a card for B" with bennies. I'm old-fashioned, I guess.
Unrelatedly, I can't remember the black member ofoh right it was Dark Ritual.