Friendship is Card Games: Gauntlet of Fire · 12:18pm Apr 17th, 2016
Dragons! Adventure! Dragons having adventures! And a Spike episode that almost everyone enjoyed. Truly, this a time of wonders.
Before we continue, two quite interesting things to note about last week’s episode:
• That was the first episode totally devoid of the Mane Six, aside from the theme song. Aside from Sweetie Belle mentioning Rarity a few times, there wasn’t even any acknowledgment of their existence.
• In a way, the episode realized all of Apple Bloom's fears from "Bloom and Gloom": She was dissatisfied with her special talent, her friends abandoned her (or so she thought,) and her family was nowhere to be seen during her personal crisis.
Now back to the dragons.
If Rarity managed to get out of a swarm of bats with a mane full of only bats and no bat… byproducts, she should count herself lucky.
Also, I love the design of the mining helmet, focusing the natural aura of Rarity’s magic into a spotlight. Clever design and a good use of available resources… though I do have to ask where this cave is in relation to Ponyville. Don’t tell me I need to write a story justifying the distortion of space in Equestria. I don’t think I can pin that one on Star Swirl.
And so a princess-focused slice of life was narrowly averted. We couldn’t have something like character building for Celestia and Luna; no, that would be terrible. Still, it is nice to see them acknowledge that it feels like one thing after another. To paraphrase Mr. Incredible, “Sometimes I just want the world to stay saved!”
Huh. As with Chrysalis, the characters apparently know Garble’s name without anyone ever mentioning it on the show before. Curious. Maybe he comes with boss subtitles.
Priorities, Sparkle. Support your brother/son/assistant/it’s-complicated now, nerdgasm later.
Watch Dragonlord Torch’s mouth carefully as he speaks. He has two rows of teeth, the outer fangs and an inner set that form the usual solid white cartoon grin.
(And yes, I’m treating Dragonlord as one word. Blame Tarkir.)
Dragonlords have term limits? And while we’re on the subject, who drafted dragon law in the first place? Is there a senate?
Ferocity, strength, and determination, eh? I guess Torch is what happens when you cross Atarka and Frisk.
Also, given how highly Torch values size and strength, it’s weird that the only dragons that came were much smaller than the ones we saw in the dragon migration. Where did all of Torch’s peers go? Is there some limit to the Dragonlord’s influence that Luna didn’t know about? Or perhaps there’s a deeper reason. I’m not sure how Machiavellian Torch is meant to be, but I can definitely see how people are coming to that conclusion.
Bloodstone, eh? I wonder if that’s literal. Sangrite is a thing, after all, and what better gem to use for a dragonlord’s scepter than crystallized, violently shed dragon blood?
Ember has blue diamond scales. I know her father does as well, but on her, it feels like flagrant shipping bait.
I honestly do want to see Garble’s invasion of Equestria, if only to watch him get his tail handed to him by, in his own words, “a namby-pamby pony princess.”
Brilliant plan, girls. Rather than leave the region where your very presence could lead to both an international incident and death by immolation, stay so you can cheer for Spike.
Don’t get me wrong, their hearts are in the right place, but the sentiment feels outweighed by the potential consequences.
Why would dragons wear armor? We’ve seen even Spike’s breath melt iron, and I have to question whether the stuff really any tougher than their own scales. Maybe it’s the only clothing they have available. Not a lot of textile crops or sheep in the Dragon Lands.
I do have to love Rarity’s incredible disguise crafting skills, as well as Twilight’s careful use of teleportation to keep them close to Spike.
What? How did you think they were doing it?
Sadly, we shall never know the reign of Dragonlord Wilhelm. Or Dragonlord Crackle, more’s the pity.
You know, once inside the island, the challenges became less about ferocity and strength than about care and cleverness. Poor design on Torch’s part, though given how he couldn’t even fit in there, I’m not too surprised. Couldn’t exactly check for himself. Or it’s further support for him gaming the contest in favor of the one dragon who won’t declare war on the Kingdom of the Sun and Moon.
Spike rescuing Rarity really isn’t as shockingly virtuous as Ember makes it out to be. It’s just magma. He would’ve been fine. At worst, he’d fall behind in the race for the scepter.
Ember breaking the alliance does make sense. She and Spike come from very different cultures, and a few minutes of beneficial cooperation isn’t going to undo years of emphasis on self-sufficiency. At least, not immediately. It would’ve been nice to see why she decided to embrace friendship, but at least her showing up in the nick of time makes sense. She was looking for the scepter, after all.
Feel free to do something, girls. Especially you, Princess of Friendship. I suppose they’re more worried about the aforementioned international incident.
I admit, I was kind of hoping that Spike would get wings when he got the scepter, since apparently every other dragon in existence has them. Ah well. I suppose shifts to the status quo need to wait until later in the season if they don’t happen in the premiere.
Spike’s punishment for Garble is pretty darn fantastic. Though apparently Garble knew what hugs were, but Ember didn’t later on, despite seeing one. Huh.
And so Equestria secures an alliance with dragonkind. Spike probably has ambassadorial duties in his future, especially once Twilight provokes a war by overwhelming Ember with questions. 
In all, a very fun episode, marred only by Twilight and Rarity being largely superfluous. They did have some reason for being in the episode, providing opportunities for practical demonstrations of Spike’s ethical system and helping sway Ember to the Friendly Side. Still, it would’ve been nice if they could’ve had more of an active role in the story. On the other hand, this was Spike’s story, and I’m kind of glad they let him have this.
Now, on to my hoard of ideas:
Royal Teatime 1W
Sorcery
You gain 6 life.
Hoofcraft — You gain 12 life instead if you control three or more Ponies, Pegasi, and/or Unicorns.
Tea is the lifeblood of the diarchy, keeping the sisters happy and sane.
Curse of Hugs 1WW
Enchantment — Aura Curse
Enchant player
Whenever a source enchanted player controls deals damage, you gain 1 life.
Humiliation is a far worse punishment for a dragon than pain.
Term Limit 2W
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a reign counter on the creature with the greatest power among creatures on the battlefield. If two or more creatures are tied for greatest power, you choose one of them.
When a creature has three or more reign counters on it, its controller sacrifices it.
Consult the Dragonlord 2UU
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast Consult the Dragonlord, you may reveal a Dragon card from your hand.
Look at the top five cards of your library. If you revealed a Dragon card or controlled a Dragon as you cast Consult the Dragonlord, put three of those cards into your hand. Otherwise, put two of them into your hand. Then put the rest into your graveyard.
Geyser Serpent 4UU
Creature — Serpent
Flash
When Geyser Serpent enters the battlefield, you may have target creature get -4/-0 and lose flying until end of turn.
Those who would hunt dragons need both might and cunning.
4/4
Reduce to Paste B
Sorcery
Destroy target creature with power 2 or less.
Dragonlord Torch does not suffer fools lightly. The fools suffer heavily.
Exploit Chivalry 2B
Instant
Exploit Chivalry costs 2 less to cast if an opponent controls a white creature.
Target creature gets +2/+1 until end of turn. Regenerate it.
Spike knew what would happen, but he couldn’t bring himself to let anyone suffer. Not even Garble.
Sunhunter Bats 3B
Creature — Bat
Flying, lifelink
Whenever an opponent casts a white spell, you may return Sunhunter Bats from your graveyard to your hand.
Enough light will rouse them from even the deepest slumber.
2/2
Seismic Stumble R
Sorcery
Kicker—Sacrifice a land. (You may sacrifice a land in addition to any other costs as you cast this spell.)
Target creature can’t block this turn. If Seismic Stumble was kicked, it deals 4 damage to that creature.
Pillar Surge 2R
Sorcery
Pillar Surge deals 2 damage to each creature.
Awaken 3—3RR (If you cast this spell for 3RR, also put three +1/+1 counters on target land you control and it becomes a 0/0 Elemental creature with haste. It’s still a land.)
Draconic Aspirant 2RR
Creature — Dragon
Flying
Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
At the beginning of each end step, if Draconic Aspirant’s power is 4 or greater, transform it.
2/2
Dragonlord Ember
(R) Legendary Creature — Dragon Warrior
Flying
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, Dragon creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.
2RR, Exile two instant and/or sorcery cards from your graveyard: Put a 5/5 red Dragon creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
3/2
Teenage Dragon 3RR
Creature — Dragon
Flying
As Teenage Dragon enters the battlefield, roll a six-sided die. Teenage Dragon’s power is equal to the die roll and its toughness is equal to 7 minus that number.
Puberty is even more awkward for dragons than it is for most species.
*/7-*
Dragonlord’s Call 5R
Sorcery
Each player reveals his or her hand, then puts all Dragon permanent cards revealed this way onto the battlefield.
”Come to me!”
—Dragonlord Torch
Dragon Mail 2
Artifact — Equipment
Equipped creature gets +3/+3.
Equip 5
Dragon Mail’s equip ability costs 2 less to activate if it targets a Dragon.
Made by dragons, for dragons, of dragons.
Mining Helmet 2
Artifact — Equipment
Equipped creature gets +0/+2.
Creatures your opponents control can be the targets of equipped creature’s abilities as though those creatures had no abilities.
Equip 1
Bloodstone Scepter 4
Artifact — Equipment
Creatures you control that share a creature type with equipped creature get +1/+1.
As long as equipped creature has first strike, other creatures you control that share a creature type with it have first strike. The same is true for flying, deathtouch, double strike, haste, hexproof, indestructible, lifelink, menace, protection, reach, trample, and vigilance.
Equip 3
Hatchling Copilot RW
Creature — Dragon
Battalion — Whenever Hatchling Copilot and at least two other creatures attack, prevent all damage that would be dealt to attacking Dragons this combat.
Even the proudest dragon can appreciate the benefits of a second set of friendly eyes.
2/1
Camouflage Crafter GU
Creature — Unicorn Wizard
1: Camouflage Crafter becomes a colorless land of the basic land type of your choice until end of turn. (It’s no longer a creature and loses this ability.)
“Natural materials are very much in vogue right now.”
2/2
Dragonlord Spike RWU
Legendary Creature — Dragon Advisor
Dragon creatures you control have trample as long as you control a Pony, have first strike as long as you control a Pegasus, and have hexproof as long as you control a Unicorn.
You may cast Dragon, Pony, Pegasus, and Unicorn cards as though they had flash.
2/2
Garble, Vengeful Terror 2WBR
Legendary Creature — Dragon
Flying, menace
Activated abilities of non-Dragon creatures can’t be activated.
2B: Regenerate Garble, Vengeful Terror
”Dragons rule. Remember that.”
4/3
Catapult Slingtail 3RG
Creature — Beast
Reach
Whenever Catapult Slingtail blocks a creature with flying, it deals 3 damage to that creature.
They toss boulders for territorial and mating displays. Hitting the occasional dragon with one is just a bonus.
3/5
Dragonlord Torch 5RG
Legendary Creature — Elder Dragon
Flying, trample
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell that targets only Dragonlord Torch, copy that spell for each other Dragon you control that the spell could target. Each copy targets a different one of those Dragons.
”Agree with me!”
7/7
Flamecano Island
Land
Flamecano Island doesn’t untap during your untap step.
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, untap Flamecano Island.
T: Add U or R to your mana pool. Flamecano Isand deals X damage to you, where X is the number of times you’ve activated this ability this turn.
There was a fall, and magma is very dense. He might've been bruised!
Considering how much punishment the ponies take, I sometimes wonder if the presentation of long falls as a mortal hazard isn't a little questionable. Just what is their terminal velocity, anyway?
Gilda has something similar going on with her beak, doesn't she? I think it's a lip-synching thing.
I googled it, and... it depends on what your definition of the word "is" is. Although "magic is a thing" would make sense in this context, so I guess it's kosher.
I'm responding to all these quotes because I saw something I wanted to comment on while reading, and promptly forgot what it was. (It was probably a joke about bat poop.) You did remind me of a reaction I had to the episode that I haven't noted elsewhere, though: I really wanted Spike's glow to be the Cutie Map trying to summon someone who lacked a cutie mark.
I doubt the writers gave much thought to Thorn's motivations. He's a plot device. Maybe in the comics they'll go into more detail with him. I wouldn't mind seeing him and Ember again!
I don't know, his threat may have more credibility than we're giving credit for. After changelings, a future war with Sombra, chaos thorns, and a bunch of other instances I can cite, the princesses don't have a good track record of winning without assistance.
Because it's cool.
I have a theory that Spike's a wyrm, meaning he'll get really big, but remain flightless.
Tru dat.
Thanks for the plug
It might be that the older, bigger dragons all knew what the summoning spell meant, and knew that it would end when it ended so there was no point in going. But that doesn't explain why none of the big dragons were interested in winning the throne themselves. Possibly the competition is only open to younger dragons for some reason, or possibly the older dragons all want to advise the Dragonlord rather than carry the risks of command. Maybe all the young dragons present are the children of the older ones.
Or maybe the Dragonlord killed them all between the Dragon Migration and the present. There are lots of possibilities
As far as I am concerned...who needs them? Why can't Spike prove himself without the wings and become a stronger character for it. That...and I am still not convinced that Spike is a child of a chinese luck dragon.
Wich would probably mean that his dad is Falkor
IMO she was covered in bat poop all during that scene in the Castle of Friendship.
That's ponies for you. Any show based on the power of friendship or any other group bond tends to have a lot of that. I understand why, but just once when someone's stuck in a collapsing cave and they yell "save yourselves, it's too late for me" I want to see everyone else just go "KAY" and book it out of there. Pretty sure Batman once lost his shit at some other Justice League members for not doing that when he was in trouble so at least I got that.
The absence of the larger dragons is fairly explainable in universe: the whole point of the abdication is to pass the torch (natch) to the next generation. The older, larger dragons already had their shot, and Dragonlord Torch won.
Additionally, I see I'm not the only one who believes Torch might be a fair bit brighter than he is letting on: by expressly, and publicly, forbidding Ember to enter, he removes any accusations that he might have favoured his own daughter, wilst knowing her well enough to assume that she'd enter anyway.
And trusting that she could win.
That's the headcanon I shall be going with, in any case.
You're in top form with the card designs today.
The dragon lord is really just a kind of honorary title, or maybe just something he made up.
The little ones are the only ones really influenced by him or his summons, the grown ups just ignore him, because, like they said, dragons don't do friends or cooperation.
The Dragonlord has some influence on the fledglings because he can essentially bully them into doing whatever he wants.
I still wonder about mana costs displayed for wedge colors.
I've sort of taken to the central enemy color in the trio, GUR, URW, RWB, WBG, BGU.
I'm not sure if that's what WotC is going with from now on though.
Anyways, great job with the cards. Its always nice to see keywords and abilities throughout the multiverse in your set.
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Considering the belly flop in "Dragon Quest," even bruising doesn't seem like much of a concern there. Unless Torch installed some kind of super-magma that ignores fire damage immunity.
Gilda had teeth, yes, but teeth and a beak kind-of sort-of make sense. At least, they do with the soft, expressive beaks we've seen on Equestrian griffins. Torch flat out has two rows of teeth. Even Garble doesn't seem to have that, his overbite meshing with his lower teeth.
I agree that seeing the Cutie Map trying to summon Spike or another being without a cutie mark would be fascinating. Heck, just seeing the Map in action again would be nice. I'm beginning to think the castle took away the ponies' map privileges after Starlight used it to power her time spell.
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All the more reason I want to see them kick dragon ass. They need an unambiguous win.
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All valid possibilities for explaining the absence of the older dragons. I like the "one chance per generation" idea the most. It would also explain the term limit.
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His uniqueness bothers me more than the winglessness itself. In all the times we've seen Spike mature, he's still been wingless, which suggests that he's never getting them. That makes me want to know why he and he alone has no wings. Is it a mutation? Is he a member of another subspecies? His growing wings would resolve that, as would seeing another wingless dragon or getting an explicit explanation.
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Truly, there is no greater sign of love than caring more about your beloved's welfare than how you're encrusted in filth while in front of royalty.
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Those arrangements were done for Tarkir to put the primary color of the clan first. Elsewhere in the multiverse, it goes with the enemy color followed by the two allied colors, as seen on Numot, the Devastator. That order is the shortest clockwise route around the pentagon that covers all the necessary colors, the same reason why, for example, green-blue cards put green first.
I love Kingmaker Spike (and this shall be his new title in my head from now on). I can also kinda understand that Twilight and Rarity don't want to do anything at all, considering that their actions may lead to accusations of ponies meddling in the affairs of dragons.
I will also go with the idea that every dragon has a shot at the role of Dragonlord once per generation. Sorry old coots, you got your asses handed to you by Torch and that was your chance.
And now Spike has left his chance as ruler of a desolate, pillowless wasteland and went back to indoor plumbing and gem encrusted cupcakes. The sacrifices one does for for his friends...
Glad I'm not the only person brought back to Tarkir by this episode's premise. And Torch is shaped rather like an Atarka dragon in addition to acting like one, even if the conspiracy theory suggests he's more of a Silumgar in Atarka's clothing. I'd definitely peg Ember as an Ojutai, though. (Sorry if I mangled the spelling of any dragonlords' names.)
Also, since Spike was briefly dragonlord, would that technically make him an elder dragon?
Don't you mean your Horde of Notions?
Spike's Curse of Hugs was wonderful, both in the show and as a card. I had no idea Spike could be so cruel!
I love the transformation mechanic you placed on Dragonlord Ember. It doesn't even need to use her prowess in order to trigger, if you don't want it to. Kinda surprised you didn't make her Jeskai, or at least Izzet, given her interactions with instants and sorceries. Well, that and her character's emphasis on intellect carrying the day.
Dragonlord's Call seems like one of those cards in commander that you play because you just want to watch the world burn.
I spy an Undertale reference in Dragon Mail.
Also, good work on your Dragonlord Spike.
I'm glad we finally got another good Spike episode.
One thing that I think I am going to be the only DND fan to notice...have you ever noticed the distinct lack of metallic dragons in this show? I mean come on, lets get some children of Bahumut going on here. How about a Silver or Gold dragon once in a while?
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Yeah, this episode blew "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone" out of the water in terms of pro-Equestrian geopolitical manipulation. Ember owes her lordship to Spike. Depending on what dragon law says, he may be able to reclaim that lordship at any point over the course of her reign. That is a tremendous lever. I doubt Spike would ever exploit it out side of times of dire need, but it's still there.
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If it's any consolation, in my headcanon, Spike is a cesium dragon.
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Don't worry, you got all of the dragonlord names right. You will not be eaten this day.
I shouldn't have laughed at this as much as I did.
As for Ember's color identity, her intelligence came off as more of an informed attribute to me, unless we're supposed to infer that there's a direct correlation between intelligence and friendliness. Ember's whole character is dominated by her impulses and personal desires. She wants to prove herself a worthy leader and defies the dragonlord's explicit orders in order to do so. She covers for Spike without thinking about it, not knowing why when pressed. She overthrows centuries of cultural insistence on self-sufficiency to do what feels right. Once she gets the position she sought, she assures her new subjects that she's going to be dragonlord in her own way, not following in her father's deafening footsteps. There's no pre-planning, no hesitation, no reflection. Ember's scales are the only blue thing about her.
Plus, as cards like Pyre Hound and Spite of Mogis prove, red likes spells just as much as blue, even when they aren't working together.
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Cesium?
Oh, yes you can.
Best episode this season so far and probably the best Spike episode. After a shaky start it feels like we're getting back to S5 quality, thankfully.
Why would a dragon wear armor? Purely as a disguise. Spike didn't recognize Ember until he took off her helmet.
Now I kind of want to write a fanfic where Spike "ascends" by gaining wings and horns.
Consistency of the magma dictates deadliness, same as quicksand, same reasons as quicksand.
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Spike has shown that emotional magic controls the growth of dragons.
As long as Spike's heart is subservient to Twilight and company, he will never gain his wings.
Teenage dragons are so rebelliously reckless because it is by emotionally shedding their childhood authority figures that prompts the transformation to dragon-teenager-hood, the magical growth of wings and body reinforcing their attitude in a feedback loop.
This is why heartless parenting is the norm for dragons, to encourage wing-hood as early as physio-magically possible.
I'll be honest, I thought of the "share of information" type of mail first, not armor. Can you use dragon mail (the flame) to send someone dragon mail (the armor)? And if Spike did it that would mean it'd have come from a dragon male.
Also you might not find that sort of thing at a bakesale. (Obligatory "I get that refernce" joke.)
Skulk should be added to Bloodstone Scepter as it is with Odgric.
That's one of the main problems with adding new ability words; older cards that should get the new stuff (like Soulflayer) sadly do not get the new stuff because of the way the wording has to be for the ability to work.
I like that Camouflage Crafter is a sneaky way of color fixing. What's that? You have three Forests but only one Island and need a second blue? No problem! I've got my seashell hat, sandcloak and saltwater pool right here.
And it can save itself from all sorts of removal.
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The only dragon subspecies whose fire burns faster than entropy, allowing them to preserve the information of what they incinerate. (This makes no sense, but dragons are magical enough to get away with it.)
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... Yeah, probably, but that doesn't mean I want to need to. Maybe the cave is in those cliffs that showed up apropos of nothing in "The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well."
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That still doesn't explain all of the other armored dragons.
Will Ember sing him a song to commemorate his accomplishment? Alternatively, will Torch?
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Interesting hypothesis. Dragons grows wings when they're ready to figuratively (and possibly literally) leave the nest. It does make some sense, and it's not like we've ever seen another hatchling. I'll have to consider this...
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Bloodstone Scepter intentionally leaves out skulk because it also provides a constant power buff, which would lead to inherent antisynergy (as opposed to the only-when-you-want-it boost of Behind the Scenes.) Plus, it's a draconic symbol of power. Dragons don't skulk!
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I figure, given how much of a magical fantasy world Equestria is, magical crystal filled caves are a dime a dozen. Ponyville might as well be over a Terraria island.
Wait, when has Chrysalis shown up again?
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Season 5 finale, where she was referred to by name despite no one saying it in the Season 2 finale.
3915579 Oh, right, in that alternate timeline. XD