Friendship is Card Games: The Gift of the Maud Pie · 12:31pm Apr 3rd, 2016
If you’re surprised to see this, you clearly didn’t read all of Friday’s blog post, nor did you check the calendar at the time. For shame. No, I’m not quitting Magic or ponies any time soon, though the former did mean that I missed the TV broadcast of the latter, which means I can do a quasi-live reaction as I watch.
Before we dig into this episode, there are a few things I noted about the premiere the second time around:
• Starlight couldn’t find her way around the castle because all of the doors were the same. How’s that for irony?
• Sunburst immediately recognized Twilight’s royal status, which is more than can be said for most ponies. I guess she’s better known in academic circles. Maybe she started publishing papers using her full title.
• Starlight was going to fall into the same trap as before, letting one disappointment with Sunburst end their relationship. Fortunately, this time she had other friends to keep her from folding.
• “At least I have two friends.” I’ve seen some people posit that the end montage of “The Cutie Re-Mark” hasn’t actually happened yet, and that line seems to support it. That, or bad writing.
• Cadence was worried about the tracks freezing over, but how do they avoid that with the tracks outside of the Heart’s range of influence but still in the Arctic? Heat magic on the rails?
Huh. The Planes, Trains, and Automobiles stallions are still on the train.
Ooh. Further expansion. Rarity’s on pace to take Equestria by storm.
You know, I don’t think we’ve ever had an episode with an exclusive Rarity/Pinkie focus.
Greatest city in all of Equestria, eh, Rarity? Well, I suppose after Blueblood and a boutique, she knows Canterlot too well for it to hold the same allure.
Again, huh. I wonder what kind of trips Pinkie has with Marble and Limestone. And what trips the other three have with each other. No reason why they wouldn’t. Lots of story opportunities here.
So Maud’s been studying geology at a Manehattan (or at least New Yoke) college of some sort? I thought it would be the University of Arepona.
What, is begging for assistance especially frowned upon in Manehattan? It’s not like Pinkie wasn’t making a scene earlier. Seriously, why wasn’t the city glaring at her after the first party cannon blast?
I would dispute the idea of a store that sells only rock pouches if I didn’t visit my sister in Bushwick as often as I do. Frankly, I’m surprised there isn’t one within walking distance of her apartment.
Um, why is the skating rink there at Hockefeller Center? It doesn’t look anywhere near winter. I suppose with pegasus weather control, it doesn’t matter. Plus, we got to see that Pinkie isn’t the only talented skater in her family.
Yeah, there’s no way Maud didn’t hear Pinkie’s recap from the other side of the sundae.
I can understand Boulder’s attitude towards the jewels. If he’s friends with Maud, he’s not going to be impressed by showy crystalline formations. The high price tag probably gives them swelled heads, or it would if they had heads.
Do I even want to know how that flea market had some of those reused Flash resources? Especially the tome of Inspiration Manifestation. That’s more than a little worrisome.
And so the Bearer of Generosity is met with her greatest enemy: A pony who doesn’t really want anything.
I do love how Rarity can discern the seams of a pouch from that far away.
So… can that guy operate the cannon? Load it? Store it? I have so many questions. Not among them is Pinkie’s reaction as opposed to the apparent replaceability of the cannon. After all, this is Pinkie Pie. It doesn’t matter if she can easily build or buy another one. She can’t enjoy her sister’s awesome gift now, when Maud could see her properly enjoy it. That’s what matters. A similar principle applies to her apparent inability to barter when compared to “Putting Your Hoof Down.” If it’s for Maud, she’s willing to pay any price.
The line about the chalcedony is funny on several levels. Chalcedony is made of microscopic quartz crystals, so it makes sense that Rarity can sort of see it.
Have I mentioned that I really enjoy Maud?
That was an uncanny Pinkie impression. I’m more than a little concerned about Rarity’s mental stability.
Pinkie’s sentiment here is touching, but I really hope there’s some kind of twist to the formula implied by the episode title.
Imagine another pair of sisters singing the swap day song. It is magnificent, no matter which you choose.
Stop stealing our old memes, Pinkie.
Rarity, what are you doing? You’re one of the most socially aware members of the Mane Six. This is what comes of imitating Pinkie Pie. You have only yourself to blame.
Oh God, it’s hereditary. Given Maud’s monomania, this may still fit within my headcanon for party pony powers. Alternately, she may be so straight-laced that, in a Prachettian twist, she approaches zaniness from the other direction.
Maud is on a mission. There may be blood.
Maud Sense appears to detect ways to make her sisters happy, which would help explain how she can pick such fantastic gifts. (You know, other than Pinkie loving her so much that any gift she gave would be the best thing ever.) It raises the question of the other sisters’ ESP. Limestone Sense is probably tied to Holder’s Boulder and the touching thereof. Marble Sense may make her acutely aware of when anypony is looking at her. No wonder she’s so skittish.
That’s more like it. Make the sleazebag dance like a puppet, Fashion Horse.
Huh. Are they just going for a different end theme this season? Odd.
A good lesson, and one that I can actually believe that Pinkie didn’t yet grasp. It does feel like Rarity should’ve understood how it’s the thought that counts, but this was still an enjoyable episode. Some of the jokes were overplayed, but still a good bit of fun.
On to my gifts to you, including one that simply had to be done, given the “Gift of the Magi” plot:
Manehattan’s Finest 2W
Creature — Pony Soldier
When Manehattan’s Finest enters the battlefield, detain target creature an opponent controls. (Until your next turn, that creature can’t attack or block and its activated abilities can’t be activated.)
“Please step away from the party cannon, ma’am.”
2/2
Stoic Skater UU
Creature — Pony Citizen
Snow landwalk
Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
She expresses herself through motion, keeping her demeanor as cold as the ice.
2/1
Magus of the Gifts 3U
Creature — Moonfolk Wizard
Flying
T, Return two lands you control to their owner’s hand, Sacrifice Magus of the Gifts: Search your library for up to four cards with different names and reveal them. Target opponent chooses two of those cards. Put the chosen cards into your graveyard and the rest into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
2/2
Implacable Stare 3UU
Sorcery
Choose a color. Target opponent reveals his or her hand. You draw a card for each card of that color and each land card that could produce mana of that color in it.
Maud’s patience erodes lesser wills.
Plentiful Options 5UU
Sorcery
If you have fewer than seven cards in your hand, draw cards equal to the difference.
”If it can’t be found in a Manehattan flea market, it can’t be found.”
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity
Sleazy Provisioner 4B
Creature — Pony Rogue
Extort (Whenever you cast a spell, you may pay (wb). If you do, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain that much life.)
Whenever you gain life, you may draw a card and lose 1 life.
”I know a guy who knows a guy.”
2/3
Get Swept Up 2R
Sorcery
Gain control of target creature until end of turn. Untap that creature. Until end of turn, it gets +1/-1 and gains haste.
Pinkie’s glee is contagious to the point of virulence.
Mobile Partillery 2RR
Creature — Pony Artificer
Metalcraft — 1R: Mobile Partillery deals 1 damage to target creature. Activate this ability only if you control three or more artifacts.
Eternal foe of the solemn, the sourpuss, and the street sweeper.
2/2
Urban Bruiser 3R
Creature — Pony Warrior
Urban Bruiser has menace as long as an opponent controls a nonbasic land.
”Manehattan isn’t a city. It’s a world. Some neighborhoods are enemy states.”
—Coco Pommel
3/3
Imposing Figure 4R
Creature — Pony Warrior
Intimidate
3: Imposing Figure becomes colorless until end of turn.
The slightest twitch of her eye or jaw is enough to send her foes scattering.
3/3
Sightsee G
Sorcery
Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a land card. Put that card into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
Manehattanites view tourists as a necessary evil.
Building Anticipation 2G
Enchantment
When Building Anticipation enters the battlefield, you may exile a creature card from your hand.
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a time counter on Building Anticipation.
Pay the exiled card’s mana cost, Sacrifice Building Anticipation: Put the exiled card onto the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it for each time counter on Building Anticipation. Activate this ability only any time you could cast the exiled card.
Origin Story 2G
Enchantment
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay 2. If you do, draw a card.
”It was a dark and stormy night. Little did I realize that my life was about to change forever.”
—Maud Pie
Maud Sense 2GG
Enchantment
Play with the top card of your library revealed.
Permanents you control that share a type with the top card of your library have hexproof.
Spells you cast that share a type with the top card of your library can’t be countered by spells or abilities.
Rock Pouch 2
Artifact — Augmentation
Augmented artifact has hexproof.
Augmented artifact gets +1/+1 as long as it’s a creature.
Augment 2 (2: Attach to another target artifact you control. Augment only as a sorcery. This card enters the battlefield unattached and stays on the battlefield if the artifact leaves.)
Deluxe Ammunition 3
Artifact
If an ability you control would deal damage to a permanent or player, it instead deals that much damage plus 1 to that permanent or player instead.
Not all confetti is created equal.
Scepter of Friendship 3
Artifact
3, T, Sacrifice Scepter of Friendship: Put a 1/1 blue Unicorn creature token, a 1/1 white Pegasus creature token with flying, and a 2/2 green Pony creature token onto the battlefield.
Though Twilight did not create them, they still draw on her power.
Swan Boat 3
Artifact — Equipment
Equipped creature has islandwalk and “2: This creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.”
Equip 2
”Pedal faster! The ducks are gaining on us!”
Huggable Hordes 4
Artifact Creature — Beast
Menace
Rampage 2 (Whenever this creature becomes blocked, it gets +2/+2 until end of turn for each creature blocking it beyond the first.)
F. A. O. Horse prides itself on its lifelike stuffed animals.
2/2
Confined Space 5
World Artifact
When Confined Space enters the battlefield, each player chooses up to two creatures he or she controls, then sacrifices the rest.
Each player who controls two or more creatures can’t cast creature spells.
Creature tokens can’t enter the battlefield.
The Statue of Harmony 8
Legendary Artifact Creature — Pony Golem
Defender, indestructible
Tap five untapped creatures you control: The Statue of Harmony gains trample and loses defender until end of turn.
An everlasting symbol of the uplifting power of love and friendship.
10/10
Planned Expansion GW
Enchantment
You may play any number of land cards on each of your turns as long as an opponent controls more lands than you.
”Ponyville, Canterlot, Manehattan… Eventually the world, yes, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity
Party Power 2(br)
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +3/+3 and has menace.
At the beginning of your upkeep, discard a card.
”My head feels like it’s full of streamers and noisemakers.”
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity
Disapproving Crowd 3WB
Creature — Pony Citizen
When Disapproving Crowd enters the battlefield, you may have target creature get -1/-1 until end of turn for each creature you control.
In Manehattan, you’re always in the public eye.
2/3
Surprise Return 5WB
Instant
Return target permanent card from a graveyard to the battlefield under your control.
Nothing is lost that can be resold.
Hockefeller Center
Snow Land
T: Add C to your mana pool. (C represents colorless mana.)
2S, T: Target creature gains snow landwalk until end of turn. (S can be paid with one mana from a snow permanent.)
My favorite part of card games is the flavor text.
"Statue of Harmony" was obviously inspired by Ghostbusters II.
"Planned Expansion" is pretty much what I have as Rarity's ultimate destiny.
Or maybe he reads Cosmare magazine.
Again, this is why I love my Rarity so much. While other girls in her vien would love clothing and shopping to the point it would be annoying, she is an artist and actually creates her material. This also means that she is, a business mare, and a good one too. She knows that now is the time to strike while the iron is hot. I love it when we see her business saviness take hold, and while it might be boring to the kids, I would love seeing her pull it off more often.
Maud may be number two child, but she acts the most stable and mature of the three. I also love it because it shows how close those two are.
I wonder, when Pinkie is the victim of the look from Maud, I wonder if Pinkie uses Marble as a distraction, "I didn't do it Maud, it was Marble! Look at how cute she is, can you really be mad?"
"Yes,"
Lastly, with Rarity's new store, I wonder if she'll hire Coco or if there will be an eppie dedicated to her finding an employee for the store and then getting Coco after Coco refuses so often.
Except that her mane style hasn't changed to the new one in the montage.
Wow, fans still haven't let Blueblood off the hook.
Heh, it's spreading.
I kinda want to know this story
I like Maud, so by default I liked this episode. Some people don't care for her personality but I love it.
Well, ponies haven't invented planes or automobiles yet, so...
Given who she's spent the last few years with, it's not all, that surprising.
Now that I know sixth senses are hereditary in the Pie family, I'm already planning a fic that explains how that came to be. It's gonna be interesting.
Well, the actual rink at Rockefeller Center is a hugely popular tourist attraction, and the ponies can handle made-to-order microclimates, so, yeah.
3845457
Wait, Maud's the second child? Where's that stated, again? I've always assumed she's the oldest, with Pinkie next, and then Marble and Limestone.
3845480
I think Marble and Pinkie are the youngest, with Pinkie slightly older since they are twins. Marble was asked to do the ceramony since she was the youngest in the Christmas episode last season.
I don't know where Limestone and Maud fall in, however.
3845480 it's in Hearthbreakers (or whatever that episode is called). Limestone is the eldest, then Maud, and Pinkie and Marble are twins.
3845441
I couldn't resist the reference opportunity, especially given how villains are usually defeated by positive emotional energy in Equestria.
3845445
Also a possibility. Good thing Starlight never found his back issues.
3845457
I do love the idea of Pinkie wilting under Maud's stare, though trying to throw Marble under the bus is rather low.
I'm honestly not sure if I want Coco to work for Rarity. She seems to have a good thing going on Bridleway.
3845462
Personally, I take little issue with Blueblood, especially after that comic that demonstrated that he does have some redeeming features. However, consider it from Rarity's perspective. During the series premiere, she saw Canterlot as a fairy tale city where all of her dreams would come true, including finding her Prince Charming. Interacting with Blueblood was the first time the reality of the capital smacked Rarity in the muzzle. Thus, come Season 6, it's Manehattan that she sees as "the height of sophistication, elegance, (and) culture."
3845464
Do pedal-powered helicopters and the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 count?
3845471
True. Many of Rarity's close friends have a tendency to erode the sanity of those around them.
3845479
Ooh. Looking forward to it.
Nice one with the Statue of Harmony.
Now Jackie Wilson is stuck in my head. But I suppose I must ask if you've any idea who Manehatten's 5 geistbusters might be, they've already thwarted a giant marshmellow pony.
3845480
It was stated by the writer of hearthbreakers a few months ago when it came ot. I personally asked the writer and he said the line was :Limestone-Maude-Pinkie-Marble.
3845554
Ah, but the sacred rule of big sibs when they are in trouble is "When in doubt, throw the little sibling out!" no adult can resist.
3845457
Are you kidding? I've seen my sister's kids faces get the same evil smirk every time it happens. Granted it doesn't engender excitement, but it is a character selling point.
3845471
3845556
Fortunately, Rarity is an artist; embracing the madness is her 'normal'. The only thing new here is the madness embracing her back!
I predict an intervention episode where Rarara begins to fully snap and go Lady Gaga with her designs... And they sell like hotcakes doped with cocaine!
I loved the stallion with the mom tattoo.
I came up with a mechanic similar to Augment. Where'd I put it... ah!
Big Freaking Gun 4
Artifact - Upgrade
Upgraded artifact has “XR, T: This permanent deals X damage to target creature.” If it’s an Equipment, it instead has “Equipped creature has ‘XR, T: This creature deals X damage to target creature.’”
Upgrade 4 (4: Attach to target noncreature artifact you control. Upgrade only as a sorcery)
I forget why I included the noncreature specification, but I'm sure there was a reason
Can't it be both?
"+1/-1"
Do you mean +1/+1? As Getting Swept Up would seem to be a boost. Unless that "virulence" flavor text explains the -1...
3845647
As the youngest of my family (or at least, I was until my cousin had her kid several years ago), I can say that that has never happened to me. But, then again, I also never experienced "sibling rivalry," so I guess our family was just odd enough that we break all those standards.
3845593
None whatsoever, which is kind of ideal. It's not like anyone knew who the Ghostbusters were before they strapped on the proton packs and made that first commercial.
3845647 3845989
I actually had a tendency to pin blame on my older sister. Given that my parents are both oldest siblings, they were probably far less likely to believe her attempts to do the same based on their own experiences.
3845794
Yeah, it's not the most world-shaking concept, especially not with Fortifications providing precedent. Though figuring out a way to flavor Equipment for enchantments is more than a little tricky...
Also, I quite like the BFG.
3845796
Both would certainly be an option, yes.
3845883
No, that's intentional, a mechanical representation of the reckless abandon with which the creature acts.
3845556
Imma go with 'no'.
Think that's an extra "is" there in the flavor text for Stoic Skater.
On Augment on Rock Pouch; so you can Augment at instant speed? It's a bit more restricted than Equip, what with having to go on an artifact instead of a creature, but that's easy to work around, <obligatory Lattice comment goes here>.
Both Equip AND Fortify are restricted to sorcery speed, so I don't see why Augment wouldn't be.
Though I do like the flavor of the ability.
Would that be normal ducks or duck boats? Or, gasp, ducks in duck boats?!
On Confined Space; World supertype! World supertype!
And the effect is decent.
Not really much to comment on this go round, and I can never really be sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
That feeling is even worse for the ones I make no comments on.
3847756
Can't believe I forgot the sorcery-speed rider. Fix made, likewise for Stoic Skater's flavor text. Thanks.
3847771
Eigh, these things happen. Lot of little interworking parts. It's what Development is for.
I can never be sure if I'd fit better in Design or Development.
Probably Creative.
I kinda wanted to blog about each episode as they came out, but I find I have absolutely nothing to say about this one
it just... is.
In the end I was considering writing something about how both the first two episodes themes' are ultimately rooted in Christian theology, but that only proves that it, um, is a product of western civilization. I think everyone knows that already.
If you had known about the Vehicles of Kaladesh, how would you designed Swan Boat?
4275032
Hard to say. Probably rather similar, just giving the boat itself those abilities.