Friendship is Card Games: Keep Calm and Flutter On · 12:08pm Jun 7th, 2015
While the “Slice of Life” previews are only building in their ridiculous glory, the episode itself still won’t air for another week. As such, and as per your requests, I’m looking at one of the more ridiculous moments of the past, Operation: Chaos Butterfly. (Or, as it’s known outside of Equestrian black ops, Fluttershy starting Discord on the path of redemption.)
I have to wonder how long hoof shining lasts, especially for a pony like Pinkie Pie. Probably can’t knead too much dough before the polish wears off. Well, Rarity’s going to enjoy it while it lasts.
Huh. I wouldn’t describe Discord’s tail as snake-like. Not with those spines. Curious choice, especially since it seems like Spike of all characters would recognize something draconic.
“With all due respect.” Such a wonderful phrase, especially when you’re worried that the god-queen of the nation has gone completely off her rocker.
I have to wonder if Celestia knew about Tirek escaping from Tartarus at this point. The prophetic dream came as a shock, yes, but was that because she didn’t think he was loose, or because she didn’t think he had recovered enough to start draining unicorns? And if the former, what use could she have for Discord? She never explains it, and I can’t conceive of any reward that’s worth the risk.
Celestia can cast a spell to keep Discord from hiding the Elements? Either she should’ve done that last time he got loose or she greatly overestimates her own abilities compared to his. (Yes, the vault was supposed to be incredibly secure, but you’d think that would include magical security beyond the lock.)
In hindsight, it does make sense that Fluttershy would be the best pony for the job. After all, she was the one who best resisted Discord; who better to turn him to the light side? At the time, Pinkie Pie seemed more suitable, but now, I think she’d actually be the worst choice. After all, all it might take would be a dollop of whipped cream with her chocolate rain, and Discord could reign with impunity.
“Doubletime it on over to Ponyville, would ya?”
Odd that Sweet Apple Acres isn’t considered part of Ponyville and a field outside of town is.
“You may release Discord when ready.”
Hmm. Well, there’s an easy out. After all, who could possibly be ready for the third coming of the draconequus? Still, good on the Mane Six for not taking the easy way.
Very interesting that the Elements can release Discord. And, as seen in "Princess Twilight Sparkle," summon him. There seems to be a deep connection between the two. Not surprising, but worth noting.
Discord could still hear while petrified. I’m honestly not sure whether that’s better or worse than total sensory deprivation.
I do like how Discord tried to play Twilight’s need for Celestia’s approval against her. However, her dislike of him and appreciation for sanity outweigh that need.
Huh. It’s almost like Fluttershy can perceive the fourth wall while in Discord’s arms. There’s an idea…
The existence of reforming spells raises a lot of uncomfortable questions, depending on how they work and what they’re used for. Still, at least Twilight didn’t already know any. That might imply she’s already used some…
Given that Fluttershy can understand animals and is explicitly shown as speaking Beaver in this episode, Discord telling Angel that he’s playing her for a fool… actually doesn’t tell her anything she doesn’t already know. This is Discord. Fluttershy’s dealt with him before and knows what to expect.
Fluttershy’s house has a root structure? Huh. I’d forgotten that, and I don’t think anyone’s made use of it. The cottage shrub, a relative of the library tree. (The roots seem far too large and centrally located to be her garden.)
I do like how Fluttershy looks a little frantic while explaining about the benefit of the doubt. Great expression work by the animators.
I quite like the redecorated cottage. It’s a nice blending of Fluttershy and Discord’s styles, in the color scheme of her Gala dress.
Major points to Fluttershy being a surprisingly adept manipulator. Charisma, Kindness as a means. Using the tools Discord understands in a way he doesn’t to coax him into a more benign state. Unfortunately, giving him an inch means he takes an astronomical unit. But he's still vulnerable to emotional warfare.
I really dislike how even Discord characterizes his earlier actions as evil. The only people who think they’re being evil are… well, cartoon villains. 
Still, it’s always more interesting when a character believes his actions are justified, or don’t need justification. Still, he may just be telling Celestia what she wants to hear with a minimum of fuss.
Tell Twilight you don’t trust Discord… right in front of him. Gold star, Tia. Excellent maneuvering.
And, of course, everyone, Celestia included, is very uncomfortable with the idea of Discord being a sweetheart. Heh.
And now for the main event:
Polished Hooves W
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1.
Hoofcraft — Whenever enchanted creature attacks, if you control three or more Ponies, Pegasi, and/or Unicorns, tap target creature defending player controls.
Some warriors pray to their gods before battle. Others visit the spa.
Moral Support 1W
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can’t attack or block as long as it’s black or red. Otherwise, it gets +2/+2.
Reform spells encourage good behavior, for a given definition of “good.”
Show of Compassion 1W
Instant
Prevent all damage that would be dealt this turn.
”I can see this is very important to all of you, but if we all just take a step back, I think we can come to a solution that will make all of us much happier.”
—Fluttershy, Bearer of Kindness
Repentant Reversion 2W
Instant
Choose target enchantment. Destroy the rest.
Chaotic — Tap an untapped white creature you control. (You may cast this spell for its chaotic cost. If you do, choose its target at random.)
“Sometimes, it just isn’t fun anymore.”
—Discord
Solar Ward 2WW
Enchantment
Other noncreature permanents you control have hexproof.
As protective and indomitable as Celestia herself.
Vow of Friendship 3W
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and can’t attack you or a planeswalker you control.
Whenever enchanted creature deals damage, you gain that much life.
Insincere Halo 1U
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant permanent
1U: Insincere Halo becomes a copy of target Aura that can enchant enchanted permanent until end of turn.
The last thing anyone wants to hear among the heavenly host is “What they said.”
Roll Eyes 1U
Instant
Morbid — Look at the top X cards of your library, where X is two times the number of creatures that died this turn. Put one of them into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
”You can’t expect me to use mine all the time.”
—Discord
Quickfreeze 2U
Sorcery
All permanents become snow until end of turn.
”The seasons have become so industrial anymore. It’s time for some free enterprise.”
—Discord
Stagnant Waters 2U
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant land
Enchanted land doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.
Bobbing for apples works better after they’ve been picked.
Give a Dam 4U
Sorcery
Target player skips his or her next untap step.
Chaotic — Return an untapped Island you control to its owner's hand.
”Take that, Standards & Practices!”
—Discord
Drive a Wedge 1B
Instant
Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn for each other creature its controller controls.
”Building up more friendships just means you have farther to fall when I knock them down.”
—Discord
Twisted Reconstruction 3BB
Sorcery
Return target artifact or creature card in a graveyard to the battlefield under your control.
Chaotic — Exile two black cards from your hand.
Discord adds a personal touch to everything he does.
Gravy Stream R
Instant
Gravy Stream deals damage to target creature or player equal to your devotion to red. (Each R in mana costs of permanents you control counts towards your devotion to red.)
“Of course it’s hot. Who wants cold gravy?”
—Discord
Codex Consumption 1R
Sorcery
Target player may have Codex Consumption deal 5 damage to him or her. If that player doesn't, search his or her library for three cards and exile them, then that player shuffles his or her library.
Discord is even more omnivorous than dragons.
Grip of Madness 2RR
Instant
Creatures target player controls get +2/-2 until end of turn.
Chaotic — Sacrifice a Mountain.
”All anyone needs is a nudge in the right direction.”
—Discord
Candelabrawl 3R
Sorcery
Candelabrawl deals damage to target creature equal to the number of artifacts that creature's controller controls.
Chaotic R
Belligerodent 2G
Creature — Squirrel Mutant
G, Sacrifice a Forest: Put a +1/+1 counter on Belligerodent.
"It's a surprisingly simple adjustment, really; just have them go from using trees as homes to using them as tools."
—Discord
2/2
Lop-Eared Brute 2G
Creature — Rabbit Mutant
Whenever Lop-Eared Brute becomes blocked, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each creature blocking it.
Sometimes, chaos twists a creature in countless subtle and nearly undetectable ways. This is not one of those times.
2/2
Domispiral 3G
Sorcery
If target player controls a Forest, untap all lands that player controls.
Chaotic — Each opponent gains 4 life.
Never tell Discord to make himself at home.
Lodge of Beavers 3G
Creature — Beast
Islandwalk
2U: Target land becomes an Island until end of turn.
They reshape the world as they see fit with nothing but logs and mud.
3/3
Torrential Tureen 4
Artifact Creature — Fish
Whenever Torrential Tureen blocks or becomes blocked by a creature, it deals 1 damage to that creature.
"Who doesn't like soup? Answer: anyone who's met this delightful device."
—Discord
2/2
Extra Dollop WU
Enchantment
Whenever you draw a card, you gain 1 life.
”Is it really so much to ask for?”
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Depetrify BR
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast Depetrify, sacrifice a noncreature artifact.
Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
The Elements of Harmony are a force of restoration, and there are many ways to restore.
Favorite part of this episode is the the gravy boat is voiced by Tabitha St. Germain, one of her more illustrious voice acting jobs I'd say.
Why does a Chaos Butterfly now somehow seem like a very pretty thing in my head now?
Couldn't you just say 'enchanted creature has lifelink' instead of 'when enchanted creature deals damage, you gain that much life'? Unless there's some sort of mechanic to this that I'm missing.
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Luna? Small time. All glory to the gravy boat!
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Because it is.
marcosaville.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/butterfly-effect-qpps_791929745355488-lg.jpg
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Lifelink gives the life to the creature's controller. This ability gives the life to the Vow's controller. Not only can the creature not hurt you, you profit from what it does elsewhere.
Personally I like the theory that Celestia had no actual plans to use Discord for anything, she just really wanted to get him out of that statue if there was any way to do it without causing the apocalypse. We've seen from her choice in pets and her actions at both Galas that Celestia loves a bit of chaos and mayhem, even if she's squarely aligned with order (chaos is no good for running a country). What's to say that Celestia and Discord weren't friends, once upon a time? Besides, ponies are all bleeding hearts, she's recently had an experience with the Elements successfully reforming an old friend turned rival, and it's possible she realized during his last escape that he was still conscious as a statue. Centuries of sensory deprivation is pretty nasty even for the best of folks.
Reform spells. Hooray for cultural differences between ponies and humans that aren't just "humans are all jerks compared to ponies".
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Repentant Reversion: Now that's an interesting spell, especiall if you cast the chaotic version.
Solar Ward: Amusingly, if you play this and they play Repentant Reversion, they're guaranteed to target one of their own enchantments.
Vow of Friendship: Vows are cool. This vow is extra cool because the secondary benefit goes to you rather than its owner. But on the other hand, that makes them more likely to just not attack anyone with it and keep it as a blocker.
Roll Eyes: Yup, that certainly is morbid alright. Speaking of which, I'm suddenly no longer hungry for lunch.
Give a Dam: Yikes! If you can somehow give yourself shroud, this is almost a Time Walk. Of course that is a significant condition to fulfill.
Drive a Wedge: You'd think this would flounder against actual token decks, but they tend to rely on lords so it really doesn't. And it's ok on balanced opponents too. Goblins, on the other hand...
Twisted Reconstruction: Beacon of Unrest, only with a niche alternate casting cost of 0 mana. I guess Buried Alive gets you one of three insane fatties on turn 3, provided the graveyards are otherwise empty, but you just paid four cards for that guy so he had better win you the game.
Codex Consumption: Neat! The "or take a lava axe to the face" clause is a great way of sneaking in red cards with decidedly nonred abilities.
Grip of Madness: "Do I want to cast this on my creatures or yours? Ehh who cares, they all have first strike or trample. I'm just happy to play it this turn."
Candelabrawl: Mycosynth Lattice! *Is shot*
Belligerodent: Wood Squirrel Elemental! Only you can sacrifice those forests as a pump and it starts at 2/2, so it actually doesn't suck. Much.
Lop-Eared Brute: Yawn. Cast Lure on it, blah blah, kill half the board, blah blah. Everyone knows this stuff.
Domispiral: Pretty much useless unless you cast it chaotic. In which case it MIGHT be amazing, or terrible.
Lodge of Beavers: This can perform admirably with either half of the landwalk combo already on the board, or even tread water by itself.
Torrential Tureen: See Lop-Eared Brute, only with another comment about super-first-strike. And death touch. Ok, actually super-first-strike is pretty awesome.
Extra Dollop: Lifegain decks are scary.
Depetrify: Soooo, this actually retcons that your boots were really a giant monster in disguise. Even if the boots and the monster existed at the same time. Sure, why not?
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I suppose it may have been a matter of Celestia knowing her audience. The Bearers would probably be a lot more sympathetic to "I think he can be useful" than "I'm worried about him" or "I think he'll be fun." (Well, Fluttershy would appreciate the former and Pinkie the latter, but the others wouldn't be nearly as sympathetic. Not after what Discord did last time.)
Solar Ward: Well, there is a chance of a chaotic Reversion targetting the Ward itself. Like Privileged Position, it doesn't give itself hexproof. Of course, this is one of the times when you'd want your opponent's chaotic spell to hit one of your permanents.
Vow of Friendship: True, but you can always put the Vow on your own creature. Or on one that attacks each turn if able.
Twisted Reconstruction: At first, the chaotic cost was just one card, but the idea of a turn-one Entomb (or even turn one go second, do nothing, discard a fattie) was bad enough that I felt the investment needed to be upped.
Candelabrawl: That's why it can't target players.
Depetrify: Hey, Withengar got sealed in a butter knife. Who's to say what might lurk in those boots?
Wow. Extra Dollop can get pretty insane with Oloro
3129969 More of an actual creature in my head and less physical phenomenon of great awe.
3130030 Today, everyone is Withengar! Except, of course, actual Withengar, who can't exist as a creature in your graveyard. And, uhh, Progenitus and Colossus and friends.
I didn't read Candelabrawl carefully enough. That definitely stops it from being broken, though it makes me wonder if the normal casting cost should be lower. Oh well.
I do not like that Roll Eyes does nothing if a creature has not died that turn. All of the Morbid Instants and Sorcerys do something even if a creature has not died that turn. It is also a very, very powerful search spell combined with token production and a repeatable sacrifice outlet and vastly out shines all other Morbid cards, which are all fixed value based on just one creature having died. While having "X is the number of creatures that died this turn" would be the next logical step for Morbid I don't think it should be done.
I purpose that the card should be the following instead.
Yes it's double Anticipate on Morbid and just base Anticipate without.
On Codex Consumption, ah, yes, the Browbeat way of having Red do things Red has no real business doing. Fair enough, but I still don't like it being used. But, well, it's Discord, he doesn't play by our rules.
I find it funny that Depetrify could return an Artifact Creature. You shape your Darksteel Relic into a Darksteel Juggernaut of the like.
Not really much to comment on this time... .
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Roll Eyes: Shamanic Revelation and Shaman of the Great Hunt demonstrate that threshold mechanics like ferocious and morbid can operate on a scale in addition to being binary true/false functions. Shifting Sandstorm sets the all-or-nothing precedent.
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I have no real problem with it scaling based on the number of dead creatures, my issue is with it doing nothing without at least one having died that turn. In Blue. Blue is not a color known for creature kill. Blue creature 'removal' trends towards "bounce".
Shifting Sandstorm might set something of a precedent but Judgment was thirteen years ago so we have a lot more game design history and learning now than we did then. Now-a-days I'm sure they wouldn't print a "blank" card.
I went though and looked at all of the ability words to see if there were any other cards that were basically "blank" without meeting said ability word, so I'm not counting creatures or spells that do something at a base and either do it better or do more with the ability word. These are what I found.
Only one card with Chroma is basically blank rules text wise if you don't meet its requirement, which you would almost have to purposefully do. There are two other cards that, while they are heavily dependent on their Chroma, do something that might be useful at some point (never know when they'll use the "When [card name] is revealed from your hand/deck" lines of text).
Anything with Domain and you or the target player having no basic land types. But most decks will have at least one basic land type in them.
Some cards with Imprint would wind up with the equivalent of blank test if you didn't actually exile anything with them, but most of the time you'll be controlling when they enter the battlefield (the most common time Imprint triggers) so that's not much of an issue.
The five cards that have Join forces if no one pays any mana for then, but, really, why would you play a card when you yourself can't pay mana for the "extra cost" on it?
Cards with Land fall are a bit catty-corner but, really, most deck will be playing lands of some type at least some of the time over the course of the game.
Only one card with Metalcraft is blank without it, and for good reason. And you could very well play three artifacts first turn and "turn it on" right away.
Even the cards with Parley "cantrip" at the very worst. And again they reveal cards, which might be important in and of itself.
The cards with Sweep if you don't "bounce" any lands, but even the folks in R&D agree that Sweep was a silly idea. Maybe if it and Land fall were in the same set, hum... .
Finally on Threshold which actually has two cards that are "blank" without it being "on", so a bit more than just the one but two for precedent is dangerous territory, especially if the precedent being set is not a good one. There's also another that does indeed do something but that something is actively hindering reaching Threshold, which I find interesting. The Threshold ability on it is fun though.
And that's all of the ability words. An informative look at stuff really, lot of fun cards.
How about Roll Eyes being the following?
CMC of 2 is rather fair (if slightly on the expensive side) for an instant speed single card draw (after all it's just exchanging one card for another) and it just becomes better search the higher the Morbid count gets.
For those curious but don't want to look it up themselves the full list of ability words is as follows; Battalion, Bloodrush, Channel, Chroma, Constellation, Domain, Fateful hour, Ferocious, Formidable, Grandeur, Hellbent, Heroic, Imprint, Inspired, Join forces, Kinship, Landfall, Lieutenant, Metalcraft, Morbid, Parley, Radiance, Raid, Strive, Sweep, Tempting offer, Threshold, and
Will of the council.