Friendship is Card Games: Viva Las Pegasus · 11:27am Sep 18th, 2016
Today, we here about how great a pony is, welcoming ponies to his world, putting his hoof in theirs, telling them they'll never walk alone, and generally offering something for everypony. And yet, though he seems second to none, everypony else seems to be feeling the moody blues.
Jailhouse Rock.
I have to admit, I am a little disappointed that Las Pegasus is Vegas rather than Los Angeles. The syllable count made the latter seem like the far superior horse pun. Still, it’s nice to see another cloud city. It’s also nice to see one better adapted to visits by all tribes, given all of the walkways.
Apparently the TV-Y version of a casino is a blend between an amusement park and a Chuck E. Cheese. Okay then.
You know, this may be the target audience’s first encounter with an Elvis impersonator. Ever. I find that thought strangely disturbing. Also, Equestria apparently had an Elvis. It may still have an Elvis, as long he's gone easy on the fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches. The story of the Equestrian music industry is likely a fascinating one.
“Cohorts of the Princess of Friendship”? What an odd way of putting it. Still, always nice to see someone who recognizes the Bearers for their deeds. Though given Fluttershy’s surprise at Gladmane doing so, my “Harmonious Normalcy Initiative” headcanon may be closer to the mark than I realized.
Oh hey, the Whinnysotans from “Spice Up Your Life” are in the background. Very suitable asset reuse there.
The tour feels kind of rushed, but this episode does have a lot of ground to cover.
This is a great conflict for Applejack. Forcing her to do the right thing for the wrong people leads to all kinds of fascinating internal issues.
Ponies have DDR? This raises several questions. Not the least of which being “How good is Pinkie Pie?”
Good thing AJ’s here. The problem here is a weed. Both ponies found leaves, but they needed to get to the root.
I love seeing more Fluttersly. There’s something delightful in watching her when she forces a friend to admit something unpleasant is good for them.
A very Sunset Shimmer-style divide and conquer strategy. That is, it's the sort where a little clear communication clears up everything. The catch is getting the divided to communicate. Gladmane adds an extra wrinkle by befriending his patsies in addition to driving them apart. It is better to be loved than feared, after all.
I like how Applejack now has an adjective form.
So, do you think Impossibly Rich actually exists? Filthy Rich’s mother, perhaps? (I also can’t help but think of Estee’s proposed black sheep of the family, Dubiously Rich, and his controversial use of dead rodents as toupees.)
I adore how deep the deceit goes in the third act. Take Gladmane’s discussion with Flam in his office. Gladmane seems obviously menacing, and his tone and diction made me wonder how anyone could trust him… but that’s the thing. He wanted Flam to think he was buying into the surface-level ruse, so he put on a big show of wearing his true colors on his sleeve, the better to make Flam think he would reveal them at the worst time. Which was exactly what Flam wanted. I’m a sucker for these sorts of elaborate machinations.
Even if Gladmane hadn’t seen the ruse coming, the echo from the PA system probably would’ve tipped him off.
Ah, gloating. The downfall of many a villain. Though really, Gladmane probably should’ve been a bit more concerned about close, personal friends of a reigning princess being on to him. That could’ve ended poorly even if he hadn’t hoisted himself by his own intercom.
How exactly did the Flimflam’s “theater of imagination” ploy work?
Still, at least those two didn’t insta-reform. We’re running low on antagonists; we can’t afford to lose them.
Also, I’ve been seeing a few people express concern about the map mission leaving the Flimflams in charge of the casino amusement park. Remember how terrible those two are at sustainable business, legitimate or dubious. Their nomadic ways and Once-ler impression in an unfavorable timeline show that quite clearly. I’d be very surprised if they could stay in charge of the theater for more than a month.
In all, this was quite enjoyable. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it set my soul on fire, but it definitely managed metaphysical smoldering.
Drag Hooves 1W
Instant
Target creature gets +0/+5 until end of turn. If that creature is blocking, it gets an additional +5/+0 until end of turn.
It’s possible to get an earth pony to go in a direction she doesn’t want to, but it definitely isn’t easy.
Hail to the King 2W
Sorcery
You gain 5 life and become the monarch.
”Thank you. Thank you very much.”
—Gladmane, theater proprietor
Countercon 1U
Instant
Counter target instant spell or spell with flash. Scry 1.
”Lying around the lies the other pony’s telling… It makes me sick, but I can’t deny that it works.”
—Applejack, Bearer of Honesty
Conpony Consultation 2U
Instant
Choose one —
• Look at the top six cards your library. You may reveal an instant card or a card with flash from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
• Set a scheme in motion.
Trapeze Artist 2U
Creature — Pony Citizen
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, Trapeze Artist gains flying and hexproof until end of turn.
When a spell or ability that targets Trapeze Artist is countered, transform Trapeze Artist. (Targeted spells with no legal targets are countered on resolution.)
2/1
Acrobatic Mage
(U) Creature — Pony Wizard
Flying, hexproof
Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
“Any of my skills would be enough to draw in a crowd, but why settle for merely enough?”
3/2
Imaginary Entertainers 3U
Enchantment
2U, Exile a creature card from your hand: Create a token that’s a copy of the exiled card, except it’s an Illusion in addition to its other types. At the beginning of the next end step, return the exiled card to your hand and exile that token.
Competitive Marketplace 3UU
Enchantment
Spells cost 1 less to cast for each player. (For example, if there are three players, spells cost 3 less to cast.)
“It’s good for business. Keeps everypony sharp.”
—Gladmane, theater proprietor
Blend Genres 4UU
Sorcery
Exile two target instant and/or sorcery cards that share no colors from graveyards. Copy those cards. Cast the copies without paying their mana costs. Exile Blend Genres.
Novelty can always draw in a crowd.
Impossible Riches XXU
Sorcery
Kicker X (You may pay an additional X as you cast this spell.)
Gain control of each nonland, nontoken permanent with converted mana cost X. If Impossible Riches was kicked, gain control of each nonland, nontoken permanent with converted mana cost less than X.
Triumphant Gloating 3B
Sorcery
You draw X cards and lose X life, where X is the amount of life lost target opponent lost this turn. (Damage causes loss of life.)
“It’s tremendously satisfying, but leaves you open to pesky heroes.”
—Discord
Falling Idol 1R
Sorcery
Exile target artifact. If that artifact is legendary, search its controller’s library, hand, and graveyard for all cards with the same name as that artifact and exile them, then that player shuffles his or her library.
Raucous Crowd 1RR
Creature — Pony Citizen
Trample, haste
At the beginning of each upkeep, if a player controls more artifacts than each other player, that player gains control of Raucous Crowd.
Ponies come to Las Pegasus expecting to be overwhelmed.
3/3
Sibling Squabble 2R
Sorcery
Target creature fights another target creature that shares a creature type with it. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.)
It’s easiest to hurt those closest to you.
Grandiose Beastmasters 4R
Creature — Unicorn Shaman
Prowess
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, creatures you control with power 5 or greater get +1/+1 until end of turn.
Bigger bodies make for bigger performances.
3/3
Exotic Prairie Dogs 2G
Creature — Squirrel
RW: Exotic Prairie Dogs gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is its power.
Pink stripes offer little camouflage. These coteries take a more direct approach.
2/2
Natural Testimony 2GG
Sorcery
Investigate for each green creature you control. (To investigate, create a colorless Clue artifact token with “2, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.”)
Gladmane can win over anypony. Fluttershy goes much further.
Wonder Coaster 4
Artifact — Vehicle
Whenever Wonder Coaster attacks or blocks, untap all creatures crewing it at end of combat.
Crew 3 (Tap any number of creature with power 3 or more: This Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.)
5/4
Plutocrat’s Interpreter U(rg)
Creature — Unicorn Advisor
T: Add CC to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast spells with converted mana cost 6 or greater.
Rich people are never strange or crazy. They can afford to be eccentric.
1/1
Gladmane, False Friend 2UB
Legendary Creature — Pony Rogue
Creatures each opponent controls can’t be the targets of spells or abilities that player controls.
2UB, T: Counter target spell unless its controller sacrifices a creature or controls no creatures.
”Trust me. I’m looking out for both of us.”
1/3
Flimflam Appropriators 3WB
Creature — Unicorn Rogue
When Flimflam Appropriators enters the battlefield, you become the monarch.
Whenever another permanent is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, if you’re the monarch, you may pay 3. If you do, return that card from that graveyard to the battlefield under your control.
2/2
Canterlot Two-Stepper 4(wu)
Creature — Unicorn Rogue
When Canterlot Two-Stepper enters the battlefield, if W was spent to cast it, create a 1/1 white and blue Bird creature token with flying. If U was spent to cast it, you may exchange control of a creature you control and a creature an opponent controls. (Do both if WU was spent to cast it.)
2/2
Las Pegasus
Plane — Ungula
When you planeswalk to Las Pegasus or at the beginning of your upkeep, flip a coin. If you win the flip, you may put a permanent card from your hand onto the battlefield. Otherwise, sacrifice a permanent.
Whenever you roll chaos, each player discards his or her hand, then draws five cards.
The only card I'm unsure about is Hail to the King being at 3 mana. Every other spell that makes you Monarch is CMC 4 or greater. I guess the only way to balance it would be to make it a 4CMC instant.
Nice.
If you believe FIENDship is Magic, most of it was invented by Starswirl and the Sirens practically overnight during their epic battle of the bands sometime before Nightmare Moon.
They invented so many genres, musical instruments, and performance tricks in an effort to outdo each other, that relatively few new things have cropped up since.
Of course this episode also completely josses the Siege of the Crystal Empire arc form the IDW comics because it's not referenced in any way.
I came into this episode with low expectations - the only Cutie Map episode I really loved so far was "Griffonstone." So I found myself enjoying this episode probably more than I would have if I had gone in completely blind. I think it's the second best Map episode, which isn't saying a whole lot, but it's certainly not bad.
And actually, there are three unreformed antagonists if you count Gladmane. And I agree with you that the show should keep at least a few villains unreformed, because it gets old to keep introducing new villains and reforming them in their next appearance.
You mean apart from the fact that "Vegas" and "Pegasus" rhyme, making it the more obvious pun?
Honestly I'm surprised anybody ever expected it to NOT be Vegas.
They're gonna go back to Las Pegasus in a year and find the whole place burned to the ground.
Is it just me, or did Gladmane's cape cover his cutie mark during the whole episode? Estee's concept of ponies that cover their marks are untrustworthy is now canon.
4215557 His cape covered his cutie mark for most of the episode, but at the end he wasn't wearing his cape and he had three bits for his mark, IIRC.
Chuck E. Cheese is already a casino.
4215442
The thing is, most of the other kingmakers are creatures that can defend the throne, Marchesa's Decree disincentivizes attacking you, and Throne of the High City is the only way in Conspiracy: Take the Crown to become the monarch on someone else's turn without a Stunt Double. All Hail to the King does is give you a life cushion to keep you afloat after someone else tears the crown off of your defenseless head.
4215466
If we believe that comic, all of Equestria was in an inexplicably Greco-Roman period and Star Swirl looked nothing like how he did in the Reflections arc. Or Queen Chrysalis's FIENDship comic, for that matter. I choose to interpret it as the work of an especially incompetent historian.
4215469
Why would it? I don't think Las Pegasus ever comes up during that arc. Besides, it was jossed after Flurry Heart shattering the Crystal Heart resulted in nothing worse the climate trying to return to normal for the region.
4215501
"Angeles" and "Pegasus" rhyme as well if you go by the Anglicized pronounciation of the former. Plus, both refer to winged beings.
4215507
Only because the Jackpots lost the buckball finals.
4215557
Nope, we got some clear shots of it. Heck, one of the Siegfried and Roy ponies kept his cutie mark covered the whole time, and he was as much a victim as any of Gladmane's employees.
4215644
... I want to dispute this, but I find I can't.
4215653 Because if the arc had happened it would be mentioned in relation to the actions of the FlimFlam brothers in the arc. Not that I ever considered it canon.
I think you forgot some numbers on Acrobatic Mage's mana cost.Derp. Barely noticed it was a transform card.Also, I always enjoy your blending of current and past mechanics.
Too bad that the guy who used to narrate Rocky and Bullwinkle is no longer with us. Otherwise, we would have had big fun with the following ending:
"Will the Flimflam Brothers trade their casino for a bowl of vegetarian chili rather than face an angry mob? Will the chili be too spicy when they eat it? Find out next time in 'Dia De Los Lynch Mob' or 'Why Do Foals Fall In Loathe?'"
I was really impressed with Flim and Flam this episode, especially when they revealed that they'd actually been running a Kansas City Shuffle.
Fluttershy managing to be assertive in her own way always warms my heart, as well.
And now for the cards:
Imaginary Entertainers seems hilariously abusable, especially if you're playing Bant enter/leave the battlefield effects. It'd Also be great for creating cheap, huge, reusable blockers.
I kinda expected Gladmane to be Esper-colored, myself, but I suppose Dimir works as well. For some reason, he gave me a televangelist sort of vibe in addition to the Elvis impersonator one.
4215653
Sounds right to me.
4215670
Their last major appearance on the show wasn't referenced either.
I guess that's also not canon.
Am I the only one who saw Imaginary Entertainers and thought "blue Sneak Attack"? Also, it goes infinite with Peregrine Drake.
I was rather disappointed to find that Las Pegasus was Vegas as well, simply because I alluded to there being an art museum there, and I somehow doubt one could exist in the place we saw on-screen (I have since amended the statement as being a museum near Las Pegasus).
Also, shouldn't Impossible Riches say "Also gain control" in the kicker clause?
4215819
Ah, the classics. Now we just need Mr. Peabody to take Sherman to Los Pegasus to teach him an object lesson in the perils of greed and dishonesty.
4215929
I can definitely see Gladmane coming across as televangelistic. I think it's mostly the accent. Well, that and the insincere, profit-oriented promotion of an ethos he doesn't really believe in. I went with just blue-black because his whole shtick is being the insidious puppetmaster who drives communities apart. Hence his abilities.
4216546
Peregrine Drake and its ilk are the whoopie cushion of infinite combos... though you do make a good point. I've tweaked the card's functionality. Also, remember that it doesn't give haste, so you'll need to set up your attackers on the end step before your turn.
4216552
Nope. Since there's no "instead," a kicked Impossible Riches will implicitly give you the less costly stuff in addition to what you paid for.
And yeah, an art museum anywhere near the strip probably wouldn't go well. Maybe it's in Reino.
4216938 Much better. I suppose I could still populate in the meantime, but that's an edge case.
My favorite part of this episode, Applejack's face when she realized that Flim and Flam are among the ponies she needs to help. The straight up nope at first had me smiling. I also like that she's a good enough person to actually to let it go long enough to help even what could be called enemies.
And also like how it shoes that Flam almost whole apple cutie mark is for the mechanical side of business, while his brother is the missing showmanship part. It's a bit that makes them less 2-D. And yes i think Impossibly Rich is or at least was real.
4216938 Add in a comment about how everyone has the bad horse puns sewn up first and you'd probably have a classic.
4216938
I didn't say "instead," I said "In addition to."
Or does the kicker mean that you no longer get the permanents that cost X, just the ones that cost less than X?
4217196
What I'm saying is that because there's no "instead," the "also" is superfluous. Same reason there isn't one on Vampire's Bite.
Does the "XXU" mean you have to pay X twice in the base cost (eg, paying 2U would mean X=1, 4U X=2, etc), or does that signify something else?
4217298
It means exactly what you think it does. You need to pay X twice (or three times, if you want to kick it) and all instances of X have to be equal.
4217205
Ah. I did not realize there was precedent. Nevermind then.