Friendship is Card Games: Manehattan Mysteries · 12:26pm Jan 8th, 2017
This week, there’s a mystery afoot. Ahoof? Something along those lines. Point is, it’s off to the big city.
Carneighie, like Hockefeller, was a plutocratic captain of industry who invested heavily in things that bore his name. He also made a lake near Pranceton for the university rowing team.
It is nice to see Babs Seed again.
Dang. Trixie’s reputation must’ve really been on an upswing if she could book Carneighie Hall. I guess she was able to spin the whole “Queen of Dimondia” thing into a massive hype boost.
Also, looks like AJ still carries a grudge… which makes me wonder why she was so enthusiastic while going into the theater. Didn’t she know what the act was going to be?
… Why pudding? I suppose it’s like the pies in “Over a Barrel.” Desserts may be weaponized depending on the context.
There’s something perfectly appropriate about Trixie calling her audience credulous.
So, Applejack’s first impulse after a police officer shouts “Stay where you are!” is to get out of her seat and onstage. Okay then.
Yes, Apple Bloom, I suppose you could call using a soul-eating artifact to tyrannize the town for a few days a history. (I'm not blaming Trixie for anything in “Boast Busters” beyond an abrasive personality. The Ursa was Snips and Snails being unable to process the difference between fantasy and reality.)
Of course Chief Stablemaker doesn’t recognize the Bearers. Aside from the media blackout on them, this is Manehattan. If an alicorn can’t get a cab, mere world saviors shouldn’t expect any kind of recognition.
Huh. The backgrounds cut out for a lot of the exposition here. And elsewhere at times. Deadlines are a thing, I suppose.
Wow. It takes serious guts to rob a bank while disguised as a reigning diarch. I’m amazed that Luna isn’t leading this investigation personally.
Staggering professionalism on the part of Manehattan’s finest. 
A tracking chip!? Specifically as in a microprocessor? Ugh. Who thought that was a good idea? Granted, it does appear to be a piece of magitech, but it still feels horribly anachronistic.
I have to admit, Trixie casting the tracking spell is quite cool-looking… and then quite adorable.
Hmm. All those badge cutie marks make me wonder if businesses in Equestria profile by mark. Indeed, they may be expected to.
Let me guess: Escape from Midnight Castle premiered on April 14, 1984.
… Yes, yes it did. Nice callback.
Okay, when, why, and how would Trixie have put the diamond in her own hat? At the very least, her cape probably has plenty of more secure hidden pockets. This stinks of a setup.
Let me get this straight: Stablemaker heard about the Alicorn Amulet incident… but not the Bearers. Or the role these three mares played in deposing her. If you look closely, you can see the shipping manifest for the manufactured conflict.
Bonus points for the police not giving the group unlimited time to plan, and for Babs being the one to guiding everypony to the best escape route. Nice touches.
I’d have gone with Hocklyn for the Brooklyn pun. Also, good to know the other four boroughs exist. Also also, Babs apparently has a sister.
Huh. Now I know about Pepper’s ghost. Neat.
Heh, Equestria Daily. Though that is one wordy newscolt. Good luck repeating that to all passersby, kid. And where did they get that photo of everypony else?
Also, how can the diamond still be missing? It still had the tracking device on it.
Apple Bloom, the last thing you want to do in a museum is mutter out loud about stealing things.
Okay, all of these disguises are pretty fantastic in their ludicrousness.
I adore the moment between Babs and Trixie. This is the sort of unusual but fitting character interaction you usually only see in fan fiction, and I mean that as praise.
That poor sales-stallion. This has to be so confusing for him.
Applejack is doing a lot of dramatic posing in this storyline. I’m not sure how to feel about that. I’d say it might be long-term exposure to Trixie, but she was doing it on the day of the performance as well.
Heh. The dangerous mission outfit returns.
I love the different approaches to handling the totally-not-a-laser-grid. (Also, points for not employing another piece of anachronistic technology.) Lovely display of character there.
… Did they really not prepare for another smoke bomb? In any case, save the dramatic posing for after you’ve subdued the target. I suppose a mare can't bear both the Element of Honesty and the element of surprise.
The spent smoke bomb would at least corroborate their story, especially given how it has a diamond-cut gem on it. Why use one otherwise, and why personalize it using somepony else's cutie mark?
Oh, now Stablemaker’s listening to them…
I have to give the comic credit, it handled the mystery and reveal quite well, especially the cutie mark being scuffed for several pages before the resolution. It figures that a Cutie Mark Crusader would be the one who found an incriminatingly imperfect butt tattoo. A shame none of them went to Our Town; they’d have deposed Starlight in a matter of minutes.
… Though now that I think about it, how did the fake diamond find its way into Applejack’s hat?
In all, the initial premise felt rather forced—an unavoidable consequence of heroic adventurers getting caught up in an “on the lam” mystery plot—but the follow-through was on point. The Trixie-Babs interaction was homemade buttercream icing on the cake.
Original cards. Do not steal:
Manehattan Newsie 1W
Creature — Pony Child
Revolt — When Manehattan Newsie enters the battlefield, if a permanent you controlled left the battlefield this turn, return target enchantment card from your graveyard to your hand.
The newsie strike was renown for its efficacy and choreography.
2/2
Adoring Audience 3W
Creature — Pony Citizen
Whenever a player activates an activated ability, if it isn’t a mana ability, you gain 1 life.
On the street, Manehattanites are among the most cynical ponies in Equestria. In a theater, they’ll cheer for just about anything.
3/3
Police Battalion 3WW
Creature — Pony Soldier
When Police Battalion enters the battlefield, target opponent skips his or her next combat phase.
”Everypony remain calm. If you cooperate, we’ll be able to get through this a lot faster.”
—Stablemaker, police chief
2/5
Unjust Accusation 1U
Sorcery
Detain target creature an opponent controls. (Until you next turn, that creature can’t attack or block and its activated abilities can’t be activated.)
Flashback 3U (You may cast this spell from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
Trixie’s Assistants 1UU
Creature — Pegasus Wizard
Flying
The first instant or sorcery spell you cast each turn costs 1 less to cast.
“I usually work alone, but some tricks just don't work with random volunteers.”
—Trixie Lulamoon, traveling performer
2/2
Second-Story Prancer 2U
Creature — Pony Rogue
1U: Turn Second-Story Prancer face down.
Morph 1U (You may cast this card face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)
When Second-Story Prancer is turned face up, it gains hexproof until end of turn and can’t be blocked this turn.
2/2
Theater Director 2U
Creature — Pony Advisor
Whenever you activate an ability of a creature, if it isn’t a mana ability, you may pay U. If you do, untap that creature.
”Somepony’s got to keep all these acts straight.”
1/3
Trixie’s Expertise 2UU
Sorcery
Return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand.
You may cast a card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your hand without paying its mana cost.
”Watch in awe!”
Follow the Trail 3U
Sorcery
Investigate for each instant and/or sorcery card in target player’s graveyard. (To investigate, create a colorless Clue artifact token with “2, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.”)
No criminal is truly untraceable.
Smoke Bomb Trap 3U
Instant — Trap
If an opponent cast two or more noncreature spells this turn, you may pay U rather than pay Smoke Bomb Trap’s mana cost.
All creatures gain shroud until end of turn. (They can’t be the targets of spells or abilities.)
Great Escape X2U
Instant
Improvise (Your artifacts can help cast this spell. Each artifact you tap after you’re done activating mana abilities pays for 1.)
Return up to X target creatures to their owners’ hands.
Grand Larceny 2B
Sorcery
Target opponent loses any number of counters. For each counter lost this way, you get a counter of that kind. (You choose which counters.)
Rough Diamond can steal anything from anyone, and lives to prove it.
Knife Tosser 3R
Creature — Unicorn Rogue
When Knife Tosser enters the battlefield, it deals 3 damage to target creature an opponent controls chosen at random.
”I swear I was aiming for the apple.”
3/2
Case the Joint 2G
Sorcery
Search your library for a land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
Investigate.
Commiserate 2G
Sorcery
Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature.
Conspire (As you cast this spell, you may tap two untapped creatures you control that share a color with it. When you do, copy it and you may choose a new target for the copy.)
Map Scrap 0
Artifact
T: Reveal the top card of your library. If it’s a land card, you may put it onto the battlefield. If you do, sacrifice Map Scrap.
It gives a destination, but the journey is up to you.
Decoy Diamond 2
Artifact
Whenever an opponent casts a spell, if it has a single target, change the target to Decoy Diamond if able.
T: Add C to your mana pool.
Shiny enough to overwhelm any sense of self-control.
Manehattan Express 3
Artifact — Vehicle
Manehattan Express can’t be blocked by creatures with flying.
Crew 3 (Tap any number of creatures you control with power 3 or more: This Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.)
5/5
Forehoof Pendant 4
Artifact
At the beginning of your end step, draw a card.
Whenever a creature deals combat damage to you, that creature’s controller gains control of Forehoof Pendant.
A treasure fit for a king attracts the far less noble.
Carneighie Hall
Land
T: Add C to your mana pool.
3, T: Put a verse counter on target Song.
Every art form has an ultimate venue, the place synonymous with greatness in that field.
Diamond District
Land
T: Add C to your mana pool.
1, T: Untap target artifact.
”If it’s beautiful, it’s here.”
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity
Hmm, I think I need to find my copy of this and re-read it now.
I remember not enjoying Manehattan Mysteries very much. I don't think it was that it was bad so much; I just found it uninteresting. With the exception, of course, of that Trixie and Babs scene. I liked that.
Gotta love Apple Bloom yelling 'Nuts to you, copper!'
Clearly, it is just more evidence that she is of the Joestar bloodline!
I think she mentioned her sister in “One Bad Apple.”
I thought this comic was just ok. I liked how they tried to give Trixie and Babs some character development, but the story felt contrived.
But is there a version of a legendary Trixie creature card that costs three or less? Preferably one with a legendary monkey creature token, because that's all the rage nowadays.
4374060 4374623
I suppose I set a low bar for this one. Given what I've been working with lately, I can't really blame myself.
4374151
That would resolve the mystery of Apple Bloom's birth and the parents' deaths not quite lining up: She was actually Applejack's Stand the whole time.
4375196
Got so caught up in playing with my new toys that I forgot the most important part of the Expertise cycle. Let's rectify that:
Trixie, Peerless Performer 1UU
Legendary Creature — Unicorn Wizard
When Trixie, Peerless Performer enters the battlefield, target instant card in your graveyard gains flashback until end of turn. The flashback cost is equal to its mana cost.
2U: Return Trixie to its owner's hand.
2/1
4379439
Speaking of JoJo's, is that Apples = Joestars thing just a throwaway reference in one fic of yours, or is a recurring element of your stories?
4379462
Just a throwaway reference.
For now.
4379513
Full JoJo crossover when?
4379521
Some time after I watch more than two episodes.
4379553
Well you should get right on that then. JoJo is great.
I think Babs' sister is called Sunflower Seed. She is in the Equestria Girls comic where Sunset shimmer is interviewing off panel the human mane 5 (pre equestria girls movie 1) to get info on our protagonists' friendships. Babs greets her cousin and invites her to sit at lunch with her and her sister, the latter making fun of Applejack's country accent. Eventually, AJ tells Sunset Shimmer that you have to be true to yourself.