FIENDship is Card Games: The Dream Team (Also Friends Forever #15) · 12:18pm Mar 26th, 2017
This week is all about leaders, underlings, and two very different management styles. Let's compare and contrast.
FIENDship is Magic: The Dream Team
Interesting choice with the “Men in Black title” font. Also continuing the trend of Tabitha St. Germain’s characters getting titled comics.
I’ve never been terribly fond of Nightmare Moon being trapped on the moon rather than in it. The craters in the shape of her face and their disappearance always suggested that she was bound within the satellite on a more conceptual level. Still, people have done great things with the idea, from MrNumbers’s laser-powered romance to Jordan179’s holy landing site. (Both make sense in context.) Let’s see how the comic handles it.
So there’s a castle on the moon effectively populated by dream-making Care Bears. (They look down from above through omniscient cloud portals and bring good cheer to all. They’re Care Bears.) Okay, then.
Aaaand we have a continuity snarl on page three. The Wonderbolts were canonically created at least a year after Nightmare Moon’s banishment and the increased militarization of Equestria. Unless Nightmare Moon was wandering for months before finding that castle, there’s no way somepony’s dreaming of the team. (And, after checking the dates, I can confirm that “Testing Testing 1-2-3” aired about a year before this comic was published.)
Not terribly fond of a heretofore unknown lunar race crafting ponies’ dreams for them, either. That always seemed to be one aspect of existence that didn’t need any maintenance. Still, good to see that their work experience keeps them from accepting Nightmare Moon’s poisoned honey at face value.
I’m not sure which naming coincidence amuses me more: Doran or the Nyx. Purplebird makes a striking contrast with the Doran I’m most familiar with… though if I had any art capability, I’d consider making something featuring one riding in the boughs of the other.
As for the Nyx, it’s not terribly surprising. The goddess of night’s pretty low-hanging mythological fruit. Though this does theoretically mean that Nyx the alicorn and the dreamcrafting Nyx could explore Nyx, the realm of the Theroian gods.
So… did Luna not employ dream magic before her banishment? Because she definitely interferes with the dreams of ponies nowanights.
Also, interesting to see Nightmare Moon realize that the Royal Canterlot Approach may not be the best way to deal with these creatures. Glimmers of sanity here and there amidst her madness, only making her more dangerous.
Okay, naming the leader of a bunch of dreamcrafters Gaiman is pretty darn amusing. I wonder if Lucien the librarian is somewhere around here. That said, I can’t help but think that Doran meant to say “I like your hair.” Leaving out that third word just makes it weird.
Oh, that poor innocent creature. It’s heartbreakingly amusing to see Doran celebrate her new best friend, even as said best friend plans a psychic reign of terror.
Hmm. I’d question how Doran’s braiding that ephemeral starstuff, but Pipsqueak did demonstrate that Luna’s mane is still tangible.
There’s something delightfully ridiculous in Nightmare Moon declaring herself president of anything.
I do like the way the panels between moon and Earth link together when attempting to access a sleeping pony’s mind.
Why do the Nyx even have suspicion and paranoia on tap? And how did Doran think this was still a good idea?
So… They did know that this was a thousand years ago, right? Because that shot of fiery terror looks like modern Ponyville with modern Canterlot in view. And that’s putting aside Celestia using dream magic with greater proficiency than Nightmare Moon.
When did Nightmare Moon find the time to transform literally every other Nyx without Doran noticing?
Okay, the living nightmares chanting around the blackened dream pool is a pretty fantastic image. Especially since it sounds like someone’s about to tear out a still-beating heart.
Much as I love a good mindscape battle, this one feels… weak. Part of the problem is that the battle of wills isn’t translating well to sequential art, looking mostly like the two alicorns butting heads with horns lit. This is a case where textual description of the sensations and struggle would probably carry it a lot more effectively. That or more evocative imagery. Nightmare Moon’s probing attacks don’t help either, making her seem petty and unimaginative when it comes to inflicting terror on Celestia. Fleecs’s obligatory cloud gremlin cameo doesn’t help either.
Luna hit home with Celestia, but in the best possible way. I have to say, that is a phenomenal The Reason You Suck Speech.
Interesting to see Celestia cooperate with Doran, though I do have to wonder how the braids carried over across the gulf of dreams and space.
In all, this is an interesting way to explain the origin of the Nightmare Forces… but the problem is that while it provides a nice bit of comic continuity, it does so at the expense of the continuity of the show. No sense of history, either; Equestria looks identical to how it is today. Nor any sense of scale; if every dream is made here, that’s a lot of overtime we’re not seeing.
So yeah, interesting, but poorly thought out in the greater scheme of things.
Friends Forever #15: Applejack & Mayor Mare
We open with Applejack tempting fate. You’d think she’d have learned better by now. (That said, she looks freaking adorable in that first panel.)
Wow. Ponyville’s bureaucracy would do the Azorius proud. I certainly know how Applejack feels; I could tell you horror stories about the run-around I got in college…
Also, I like the over-the-ear design on Tadwell’s glasses.
Huh. When does this take place? Applejack has to introduce herself to the mayor. Given the trophy she got all the way back in “Applebuck Season,” I’d put this at before the show even started.
It’s rather appropriate to have a Labyrinth reference in a comic about bureaucracy, isn’t it?
… okay, with Spike in the Department of Dragon Relations, I have no idea when this is supposed to take place.
An entire month with no sales tax revenue doesn’t seem like the best idea, but I’m not an economist.
Twilight’s ascended!? For crying out loud, the Mayor has given multiple speeches on Applejack’s behalf! AJ has saved and/or wrecked the town even more times than that! They shouldn’t need to be introduced!
To be fair to the sculptor, at least he managed to make some kind of equine head.
Okay, I really like the mayor’s election team. Especially At-Sign. She’s just so eager.
Ohhh dear. I have a duplicate page. I’m not seeing the one before this one, just another copy of the one where Mayor Mare asks Applejack to lend some common sense to government proceedings.
Holy crap. What did Sweetie Belle do? Also, Pinkie is enjoying being a grapefruit way too much.
… Huh. Your tax dollars at work, folks. Makes me wonder how many other incidents Ponyville’s civil servants handled off-camera.
I have many things I want to say about this issue, but I try to keep politics out of my blog. Aside from that early bit of temporal confusion, this was an enjoyable romp through the frustrations of overcomplicated procedure and a welcome reminder that governance can yield a net-positive result for the governed.
Now, normally I’d need you all to fill out a V-9C to see these, but I like you enough to overlook it this time:
Ward the Weary 1W
Instant
Tapped creatures you control gain indestructible until end of turn.
With no one else able to guard ponies’ slumber, Celestia took on yet another burden.
Light of Reason 2W
Enchantment
When Light of Reason enters the battlefield, draw a card.
Spells and abilities your opponents control can’t cause you to discard cards.
”Equestria cannot afford two mad alicorns.”
—Princess Celestia
Void Citation U
Instant
Counter target spell with one or more targets.
Bureaucracy is that rare weapon that can sunder itself.
Crisis Management 1U
Instant
Return target spell to its owner’s hand. If that spell has converted mana cost 5 or greater, counter it instead.
”Some things you can’t delay until after the election.”
—Marion Mare, mayor of Ponyville
Blind Sculptor 2U
Creature — Pony Artificer
When Blind Sculptor enters the battlefield, reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal an artifact card. Put that card into your hand and the rest into your graveyard.
”I call it ‘I Ran Out of Chisels.’”
2/2
Dreamcrafter Nyx 3U
Creature — Spirit
T: Each player may draw a card.
1B: Transform Dreamcrafter Nyx. Activate this ability only if each player has three or more cards in his or her hand.
They took in the stranger, eager for company.
2/2
Fantasy Corrupter
(B) Creature — Nightmare
Menace
Whenever Fantasy Corrupter deals combat damage to a player, each player discards a card.
She made sure to leave an impression on them.
4/4
Cornucopia Catastrophe 3UU
Instant
Each player exiles all creatures he or she controls, then creates that many 0/1 green Plant creature tokens. At the beginning of the next end step, each player exiles all Plants he or she controls, then returns all cards he or she exiled this way to the battlefield under his or her control.
Election Committee 3UU
Creature — Pony Advisor
U: You choose how target opponent votes this turn.
”It’s not gerrymandering. It’s optimizing the voting districts.”
3/4
Botched Dreamcraft B
Sorcery
Target player puts a card from his or her hand on top of his or her library. Fateseal 1. (Look at the top card of an opponent’s library. You may put that card on the bottom of that library.)
One poorly made dream can warp memory and bring madness.
Sow Terror 2BB
Instant
All tapped creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn.
With Doran in her thrall, Nightmare Moon laid siege to every sleeping mind in Equestria.
Canterlot Heliophobe 3B
Creature — Unicorn Citizen
Inspired — Whenever Canterlot Heliophobe becomes untapped, target opponent sacrifices a creature.
Those who fear the light are quick to embrace the darkness.
2/2
Drop of Adventure 1R
Instant
Choose target creature, then choose two —
• That creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
• That creature gains first strike until end of turn.
• That creature gains trample until end of turn.
Dragon Liaison 2R
Creature — Dragon Advisor
Protection from white
Dragoncycling 1RR (1RR, Discard this card: Search your library for a Dragon card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.)
“Do I need to get my supervisor?”
2/2
Pervasive Termites 3R
Creature — Insect
Nonbasic landwalk
Some squatters couldn’t care less about eviction notices.
3/1
Rain of Sunfire 3RR
Sorcery
Rain of Sunfire deals 3 damage to each creature target player controls unless that player has it deal 5 damage to him or her.
Delirium — If there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard, Rain of Sunfire instead deals 5 damage to that player and 3 damage to each creature he or she controls.
Archive Delver 1G
Creature — Pony Advisor
When Archive Delver dies, you may exile it. If you do, return target card from your graveyard to your hand.
”I’ve seen Zendikari ruins safer than the town hall archives.”
—Ditzy Doo
2/1
Frightful Swarm 4G
Creature — Spider
Reach
When Frightful Swarm dies, create a 1/2 green Spider token with reach for each card type among cards in your graveyard.
They feed on hope and sanity.
3/4
Dream Pool 3
Artifact
3, T: Each player draws a card.
3, T, Discard a card: Each other player discards a card. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Like any tool, it reflects the intentions of its user.
Dark Calling 2UB
Sorcery
Each player puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. Create an X/X black Nightmare creature token, where X is the greatest converted mana cost among cards put into graveyards this way.
Mayor Marion Mare 2(gu)W
Legendary Creature — Pony Advisor
Pony, Pegasus, and Unicorn creatures you control get +1/+1.
1W: Target creature can’t attack or block this turn unless its controller pays 1 for each Pony, Pegasus, and Unicorn you control. (This cost is paid as attackers or blockers are declared.)
3/3
Love W//Hate B
Instant//Instant
Love: Whenever target creature deals damage this turn, you gain that much life.
Hate: Target creature gains deathtouch until end of turn.
Can't tell if mistake or if it's a mechanic I don't know about :)
4472322
This calls for a bit of behind-the-scenes detail. I try to keep the double-issue cards separate from one another on the master document after I post the blog. The best way to distinguish them beforehand is the same way to tell any two sets apart, expansion symbols. In this case, that means a three-character code like what Wizards does with playtest copies. This week's codes were, naturally, NMM and F15. I try to remove all of them before posting the blog, but I guess that one fell through the cracks.
In any case, it's gone now. Thanks for the catch!
Nightmare Moon, another one I wasn't fond of. Not as bad as the Dazzlings, obviously, but still pretty fraught with issues. On the other hand, I liked AJ/Mayor Mare a lot. It had a pretty good premise, and it did a lot with it, both artistically and in the story and character interaction. I wish Friends Forever did more team-ups with minor characters like Mayor Mare, because it's not often we get them, but they're always a treat when we do.
So... the New Lunar Republic is now comic!canon?
Dream Pool and Crisis Management strike me as really, really overcosted for what they do. Like, why would I want a 3 mana not-counterspell? Unless the power curve in magic has just taken a big hit since I've been gone
4473117
Instant-speed discard is very dangerous. Combined with madness effects, mass instant-speed discard can be downright disgusting. Still, you may have a point about me being a bit too wary of it. I've dropped the casting and activation costs by one each.
As for Crisis Management, note that the standard counterspell these days is Cancel, much to control players' sorrow. However, looking back, I realize I made a rather critical oversight in designing this card: One of its inspirations also draws a card. Again, one mana dropped.
Also notifying 4472322 in case he's already added these to the database.
4473578
Thanks :) I always wait a few days before updating to allow for corrections
4472898
A literally lunar iteration, at that.
4473578 Dangerous, sure, but you can flip it as 'It's 6 mana spent to use it once, 9 mana spent for twice', and so on. So you're equivalent in spell form is '9 mana : Each player discards a card. Each player discards a card during your next turn' roughly which yea. Not so hot.
4473745
However, it's accessible to any color and can be done repeatedly so long as you have the mana open. In a two-player game, if your opponent empties their hand, it locks them out of doing anything that isn't instant speed at the low per-turn price of three mana and discarding a card if you have any. You can't judge activated abilities by the standards of spells if you can keep using those abilities over time.
Honestly, I'm tempted to bump it back up.
4473842 Make it sorcery-speed only?
4473842
{4} feels a little steep for the draw. Perhaps something like this?
{3}{T}: Each player draws a card.
{3}{T}, Discard a card: Each opponent discards a card
4474426
That could definitely work.