• Member Since 26th Sep, 2011
  • offline last seen 6 hours ago

FanOfMostEverything


Forget not that I am a derp.

More Blog Posts1330

  • Sunday
    Friendship is Card Games: Mane Event

    So, as I have come to understand, the main G5 IDW line has been replaced by/subsumed into a series of mini-series and one-shots that feels like the equivalent of a network trying to kill a show by bouncing it around the schedule. Hopefully I’m being paranoid there.

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    8 comments · 162 views
  • 1 week
    Rumor Gathering

    While diminished from its peak, the Writeoff is still very much an ongoing concern. Regrettably, while I actually had an idea for the most recent prompt, my Saturdays are packed to the gills and thus I didn't have time to compose it before the submission deadline. As such, I have employed Dueling

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    2 comments · 140 views
  • 1 week
    Friendship is Card Games: Wondercolts Forever: The Diary of Celestia and Luna

    The next entry on the schedule was issues #21 and 22 of the G5 mainline, but those have failed to manifest, making me wonder if that line’s actually been ended in favor of the various mini-series currently in progress. And among them, I only have one released issue unaccounted for. As such, it’s time to turn to the next pony novel… which does not contain ponies.

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    6 comments · 168 views
  • 2 weeks
    Incident of Examination

    There's a Crystal Prep-themed Sunset shipping contest on at the moment, and one castoff idea I had got me wondering about Sunset attending CPA... and running against a logical issue. At least I got

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    0 comments · 194 views
  • 2 weeks
    Friendship is Card Games: Tell Your Tale, Season 2, Part 2

    Looks like that Leap Day hypothesis carried some weight. The long-form episodes should be interesting in their own right, but we’re not looking at one this week. Let’s see what there is to see.

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    5 comments · 184 views
Jul
16th
2017

Friendship is Card Games: Siege of the Crystal Empire · 11:34am Jul 16th, 2017

We may have run out of horse-ape specials to mitigate the intraseasonal hiatus, but there’s no rest for the cardy. After all, I still have a whole lot of comics to get through, and this week, we’re resuming the IDW rundown with a bang. Or possibly a prolonged whimper; I only know the broad strokes of this storyline. Let’s see which is the more apt description.

Part One

We open on the Arctic wastes, which are apparently even more secure than Tartarus. Indeed, Tartarus allegedly has a “revolving door.” No, this is where the real troublemakers are kept. In an unsupervised wasteland where the only means of escape is… walking south.
Yes, it’s a hostile environment, but anything so dangerous that not even Tartarus isn’t enough probably isn’t going to be stopped by cold. Of course, the comic could mean security measures beyond the remote location itself, but it’s already losing me on the first page.

Yes, with the detonation of Princess Amore went so much information. If only she’d written it down, or told somepony. Of course, if Amore had been a better communicator, this entire storyline wouldn’t be happening.

I do like the idea of the entire Apple family being on high alert for Flimflam shenanigans. You do not want to mess with that family under any circumstances. No wonder the brothers went to Las Pegasus; a cloud city is the least likely place to find members of an earth pony clan.

“What if I told you I had the power to make you wealthy beyond your imagination?”
Well, if they’re even remotely competent con stallions, they’d immediately ask for details, assuming they didn’t duck out the moment you made the offer. Professional purveyors in the too good to be true should be able to smell a rat, and mysterious cloaked figures offering their wildest dreams reek of capybara.

:facehoof: Once again, the comics fail to grasp Iron Will. He wasn’t ever a villain. He was hardly even an antagonist. His charisma most definitely didn’t come from fear; we’ve seen Ponyville be fearful, and they are clearly not so when they congregate to his seminar. And even if that were the case, why would ponies have stopped fearing minotaurs?
On the other hand, Iron Will refusing to listen to someone who doesn’t speak in the third person is amazing.

Uh, no, Lightning. Dash cared more about not causing collateral damage. Important distinction. Still, at least the cloaked figure finally found someone who both has a legitimate beef and is gullible enough to listen to her.

To be fair, Twilight, the cider was just fine before the brothers disengaged quality control.
That said, given the brothers’ reputation, who approved that permit? I guess there aren't any Apples in the Empire either.

I know it’s a ruse, but why would Iron Will need to work hard to be a new minotaur? Why would Dash distrust him?

The management would like to apologize for the following joke: #ironwilldidnothingwrong

Yes, Lightning, there’s one pegasus fast enough to get near you. And she’s right behind you.

Oh! Well. That’s a thing. Those changelings must’ve been crammed in there like a clown car. Or they shifted as small as they could get.

Question: Where is Chrysalis getting the love necessary to go hooftip to hooftip with Twilight? They’ve done this song and dance before, and unless Twilight’s boost from the Secretariat Comet was much larger than Chryssy’s, the queen doesn’t stand a chance.

… Shining, you have telekinesis. Grab the bag.

Okay, everything from Pinkie’s Dirty Harry moment is gold. No complaints there. Especially not Chrysalis getting blindsided by a projectile minotaur.

Huh. So, did Cadence make the crystal cages?

Ah yes, the sigil of Sombra. That was totally a thing that we’ve seen before. Also, I’m looking back over the exchange, and there is literally no point when they could’ve switched the satchels. Well, not without magic, anyway, but Hope wasn't even on panel.

Okay, I knew this was coming, but how did Radiant Hope live this long? She was outside the Empire when it was banished. If this is never explained, I will be most displeased.

I admit, for all my grousing about this issue, the ending title page is pretty darn fantastic, especially the visual callback to Reflections.

Part Two

… Huh. I’m legitimately not sure if that breezie is imaginary or not. The parasprite probably is; the Empire’s still standing.

Do I want to know why Celestia had a flying monkey training manual?

Interesting to note that Luna was still around when Radiant Hope left Canterlot. Especially since Hope apparently knew that Sombra’s banishment had a thousand-year expiration date, which means he should’ve returned before Luna. See, this sort of thing is why the show uses moons these days.

Ooooh. Okay, I love the art style for the realm of the Umbrum (which is apparently both the singular and the plural.) The sepia palette and surreal lines of the Umbrum themselves all make it feel exquisitely otherworldly… while still conveying a subtle sense of wrongness.
Also, I’m going to assume that time passes strangely in that realm, and that Hope cheated her way through the intervening centuries.

So… in order to protect themselves from ponies who feared and misunderstood them, the Umbrum created a champion who would enslave, torture, and grind those ponies into the dirt.
You sure about that “misunderstood” part, Hope? Also, A+ on trying the diplomatic approach first.

Sombra has post-traumatic princess syndrome. Understandable given the circumstances.

You’d think after what happened last time, Shining Armor’s first instinct wouldn’t be to charge the smoky cloud of pure evil. What part of "shieldmage" is so hard for him to understand?

At least Twilight has some tactical awareness. But Pinkie… :facehoof: I am so sorry, Pinkie. They just stuffed that idiot ball down your throat, didn’t they?
I’m not too upset by her and Rarity getting perfectly sent into the cage. That’s just Rule of Funny working against Pinkie. Laughter magic is a capricious mistress.

As for Dash running into AJ… I’m of two minds there. On the one hand, Dash has demonstrated agility at rainboom speed that by all rights should’ve torn her flesh from her bones just from the inertia. On the other, she doesn’t exactly have a spotless record when it comes to thinking ahead or hitting things.

Points to Sombra for cutting the dialogue short.

:facehoof:

Really? Really? He just one-shot petrifies the both of them? After Celestia has him at a draw? It makes an impactful final page, with some excellent expressions all around—especially Hope finally realizing that she might have miscalculated—but come the absolute chocolate-coated fuck ON! Is it so much to ask for the diarchs to actually do something right this millennium?

Part Three

… Twilight, she asked if you if you’d get in his way. “I won’t stay out of his way” is a yes to that question.

By all rights, he should’ve been Emperor Sombra to begin with. He did conquer an empire.

… Wait, what? Putting aside the question of how changelings got through the arctic cold, how did the Empire even survive if Umbrum ruled it? From the sound of it, they would’ve reduced the place to dust in a matter of days. And for that matter, why did they lay waste to all and sundry? Don't tell me they're just evil for evil's sake.
Don’t get me wrong, I love some good backstory, but that’s contingent on the “good.” This just doesn’t jibe with anything else we’ve seen.

You know, Hope, if the ponies don’t understand what they fear, maybe you could’ve spread that understanding? Sure, you’re being led by the nose, but it’s still a better option than turning the local celestial mechanics to stone.
Hmm. You know, if this went on for much longer, Discord would probably notice that no one was setting the sun and decide to investigate.

Oh, hi, Cadence. What have you been up to?

Darn it, I already used the Naked Gun clip. What exactly did Iron Will think was going on when he partnered up with the swarm of sapient, psychic locusts? Or when the giant cloud of shadow magic freed him from rightful incarceration?

Uh, Chryssy? You’ve established that if the Umbrum win, you lose. You might want to think beyond the short-term pleasure of indulging your spite.
Wait, what am I saying? This is Chrysalis we’re talking about. Pre-reform Diamond Tiara is more emotionally mature than she is.

Don’t try to convince her or anything, Hope. Just teleport past her.

Huh. Very interesting to see that Cadence can use dark magic with no negative emotions at all. Bizarre and kind of worrisome, but fascinating.
Also, I do have to love how she apparently has no anger in her heart when earlier on the same page, she looked ready to beat Hope with her own spine.

Oh good, they actually are trying to convince one another. You know, now that there’s no other choice. Also, good to see the strange effects of the realm of the Umbrum on Hope’s aging confirmed. Still…
“I thought you’d never ask?” Radiant Hope, you smug, self-righteous chunk of quartz. You never even considered trying to talk to ponies about this before now.

Heh. I do like the idea that there’s something in the Umbrum psyche that is obsessed with stairs.

I’ve seen people poo-poo the “I believe in you, Twilight” scene as a hackneyed deus ex machina. Personally? I like it. This is the power that has thwarted gods. Sure, it isn’t boosted by the Elements of Harmony, but this is still a basic use of the friendship-magic equivalence.

And the truth comes out. Well, you can hardly blame a pony named Radiant Hope for being idealistic.
“When he was just a young filly.” Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the quality of writing you can expect from IDW. Though I suppose it’s possible that the Umbrum also performed a sex change on their cuckoo before releasing it into the ponies’ nest.

I admit, while I’m still sore about Celestia and Luna jobbing like they were Apple CEOs, getting to see Cadence do something effective is quite nice.

… Okay, why is that door even there? Was it necessary for the banishment rite or what? Because if there were an option to banish the horrific shadow demons without creating a literal door to their prison, I'd have taken it.

“You made me doubt myself!” Uh… not really that big an issue there, Twilight. You doubt yourself when you try to pick what to have for breakfast.

Oh boy. Nice job breaking it, Twily.

Part Four

Wait, when did they break the train tracks? Or was that Chrysalis on her way out? (Possibly; it hasn’t been done very well; three feet away from the end of the line isn’t the best place to disrupt the train.) And who moved the princess statues, and when?

Well. That went quickly. I’m not sure if I should be disappointed or relieved that they didn’t show the presumable curbstomp that preceded the sentencing.

Treason? Really? I know this is a kangaroo court, but Twilight isn’t even a citizen of the Empire. Still, at least this explains some of what happened earlier. Those first page establishing shots made little sense before this context, as seen by my reaction to them.

Cut, cut, cut! Twilight, what is this face on panel two? They’re threatening to petrify your brother. We want horror, not perplexity.

Heh. Twilight’s read about enough cliche villains to know how to think like one.

I do like the parallels of Sombra and Hope each shaking off the other’s aid as they try to move while injured.

Ah, the guilt complex. Sombra believes he is incapable of good, destined only to destroy, and thus blames himself even when Hope tries to make a point about free will. For all I’ve complained while getting up to this point, this scene is actually quite well done.

Epic reinforcements are epic. That’s pretty much all there is to say on the matter. Especially Rarity’s Uncle Tom.

Interesting that the seemingly ephemeral Umbrum can be hogtied.

The Crusaders are… Yes. Just yes. Amazing.

Ah. Good to see Discord at least putting in a token effort.

Huh. You’d think Umbrum magic would be dark. Interesting to see that they can create energy constructs, but I didn’t think they’d glow.

As I recall, Sombra gaining control of the Crystal Heart was a bad thing. You know, the whole “projecting hatred and fear across all Equestria” issue?

I also recall the Crystal Heart requiring the positive emotional input of the entire Empire to function properly. Granted, adding background ponies is a lot more troublesome when you can’t just plop in the Flash assets, but there does seem to be a marked dearth of crystal ponies in the area.

Yeah, Hope. Sombra was a victim of circumstance. You, on the other hand, are a patsy who imperiled the entire world because a bunch of eldritch horrors told you what you wanted to hear.

Hmm… On the one hand, that was a fantastic sendoff for Sombra. On the other, if ever there was a setting where redemption need not equal death, it’s Equestria. Transmuting Sombra into a pony feels kind of cheap, but it can work… though this does raise the question of how this will impact the universe’s interaction with the one from the Reflections arc.

Yes, Hope. Amore’s not dead. She’s just spent the last millennium and change scattered across the continent, possibly aware of every moment. Isn’t that so much better?
Also, even if they manage to reconstruct her and she’s sane afterwards, there’s the question of what to do with her. She’s been out of it even longer than Luna, and another has taken her throne. Still, at least Sweetie Belle hasn't been absorbing the fragments of her soul. I assume.

In all, this one is a bumpy ride. It fails to understand some side characters, does dubious things to the main cast, ignores a large chunk of canon… and pulls off sympathetic character building for a character who had about thirteen distinct words of dialogue on the show. This doesn’t live up to the blockbuster it was trying to be, but it still could’ve been worse. I just wish it didn’t drag so many characters through the mud to get where it did.

Also, I’m about ninety percent sure “The Cutie Re-Mark” and “The Crystalling” rendered it noncanon, and I’m honestly okay with that. Let's move on to the cards:

Glamour Squad 2W
Creature — Unicorn Soldier
Revolt — When Glamour Squad enters the battlefield, if a permanent you controlled left the battlefield this turn, target opponent skips his or her next combat phase.
Every pony’s special talent has military applications.
2/3

Harmonious Surge 2W
Instant
Exile target creature, then return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a +1/+1 counter on it. If R was spent to cast Harmonious Surge, that creature gains haste until end of turn.
There is more to Harmony than magic jewels.

Resistance Partillery 3W
Creature — Pony Soldier
Lifelink
Revolt — T: Resistance Partillery deals 2 damage to target attacking creature. Activate this ability only if a permanent you controlled left the battlefield this turn.
”Custard shot! Five servings rapid!”
1/4

Final Atonement 4WW
Sorcery
Exile any number of target nonland permanents. Your teammates can’t lose the game and your opponents can’t win the game this turn. You lose the game.
”I leave with no regrets.”
—Sombra

Seal in Stone XXW
Sorcery
Exile X target creatures. For each creature exiled this way, that creature’s controller investigates. (To investigate, a player creates a colorless Clue artifact token with “2, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.)
“The princesses are gone. Long live the king.”
—King Sombra

Imaginary Breezie U
Creature — Pony Faerie Illusion
Flying
When you cast a creature spell, return Imaginary Breezie to its owner’s hand.
Radiant Hope always had an affinity for the strange and otherworldly.
2/1

Reshape Destiny 4U
Instant
Put target creature on top of its owner’s library. Scry X, where X is that creature’s power.
”The Heart showed me only one possibility. I made my own fate.”
—Radiant Hope

Sombra’s Last Vestige 1B
Legendary Creature — Shade
Defender, indestructible
2(wb): Put a +1/+1 counter on Sombra’s Last Vestige. Then, if Sombra’s Last Vestige has power 3 or greater, remove all counters from it and transform it.
”No monster dies easily…”
0/1
Emperor Sombra
(wb) Legendary Creature — Unicorn Horror
Menace, vigilance, indestructible
When this creature transforms into Emperor Sombra, for each opponent, exile target creature that opponent controls until Emperor Sombra leaves the battlefield.
”…but heroes? Heroes fall all the time.”
5/5

Vulturous Shade 1BB
Creature — Bird Shade
Flying
B, Exile a card from your graveyard: Vulturous Shade gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
The Umbrum are not the only beings trapped in their prison.
1/1

Indulgent Spite 2B
Sorcery
Return target creature card from a graveyard to the battlefield under your control. Sacrifice that creature at the beginning of the next end step.
”Watching you die the first time was so entertaining. Let’s do it again.”
—Queen Chrysalis

Playful Wisps 2B
Creature — Spirit
Lifelink
1B: Transform Playful Wisps. Activate this ability only if an opponent controls a white creature.
”The Umbrum aren’t evil, only misunderstood.”
—Radiant Hope
2/2
Sadistic Umbrum
Creature — Horror
Deathtouch, protection from white
Once exposed by Cadence’s magic, the Umbrum wasted no more time with their deception.
3/4

Sombra’s Edict 2B
Sorcey
Target player sacrifices a creature with alicorn and a creature without alicorn.
A thousand years have done nothing to quell Sombra’s hatred of princesses.

Dreameater Umbrum 3B
Creature — Horror
Afflict 3 (Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player loses 3 life.)
Whenever Dreameater Umbrum attacks and isn’t blocked, defending player discards a card.
Dark magics that others spend centuries crafting are instinctive to the Umbrum.
2/3

Sudden Cancellation 3B
Instant
Destroy target creature. If U was spent to cast Sudden Cancellation, counter up to one target activated or triggered ability of that creature.
Well-To-Do’s publicist had a lot of work ahead of him.

Unleash the Umbrum 5BB
Sorcery
Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Gravestorm (When you cast this spell, copy it for each permanent put into a graveyard this turn. You may choose new targets for the copies.)

Crusader Applewagon RR
Creature — Pony Warrior
Double strike
Crusader Applewagon attacks each combat if able.
They laugh in the face of danger. And the face of road safety.
2/1

Fair-Weather Followers 2R
Creature — Goat Minion
Whenever a creature deals combat damage to you, that creature’s controller gains control of Fair-Weather Followers.
”Iron Will still won in the end. They’re never getting their severance packages.”
—Iron Will, master motivator
4/4

Relic Grabber 3RR
Creature — Minotaur Rogue
Haste
When Relic Grabber enters the battlefield, gain control of target artifact. Untap that artifact. It gains haste until end of turn. If it’s an Equipment, it gains equip 0 until end of turn.
4/3

Apple Family Surveillance 1G
Enchantment
When Apple Family Surveillance enters the battlefield, draw a card.
G: Creatures your opponents control lose hexproof until end of turn.
G: Spells you control can’t be countered by spells or abilities this turn.

Myriad Distractions 1G
Instant
Any number of target attacking creatures must be blocked this turn if able.
As the security forces pinned down the invaders, Radiant Hope made her way to her true goal.

Writhing Strands 1G
Instant
Kicker 2G (You may an additional 2G as you cast this spell.)
Destroy target artifact. If Writhing Strands was kicked, create two 1/1 green Snake creature tokens with deathtouch.
The Umbrum will gladly create life that spreads death.

Embiggen 4GG
Sorcery
Creatures target player controls get +2/+2 and gain trample until end of turn.
Chaotic GGG (You may cast this spell for its chaotic cost. If you do, choose its target at random.)
“Noble spirits, chaos magic, same difference, really.”
—Discord

Shard of Amore 2
Artifact
T: Add C to your mana pool.
T: Add R or W to your mana pool. Shard of Amore deals 1 damage to you.
Amore’s fragments are not conscious, but they still feel love.

Sour Swarmwagon 4
Artifact — Vehicle
Multikicker 2 (You may pay an additional 2 any number of times as you cast this spell.)
When Sour Swarmwagon enters the battlefield, create a 1/1 black Shapeshifter token for each time it was kicked.
Crew 3 (Tap any number of creatures you control with total power 3 or more: This Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.)
5/5

Radiant Hope 2WB
Legendary Creature — Unicorn Wizard
T: You gain 3 life.
(wb), T: Another target creature gains indestructible until end of turn.
WB, T, Exert Radiant Hope: Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. (An exerted creature won’t untap during your next untap step.)
3/3

Arctic Wastes
Basic Snow Land
Arctic Wastes’s name is also Wastes.
T: Add C to your mana pool.

Umbral Empire
Land
T: Add C to your mana pool.
1, T: Put a storage counter on Umbral Empire
1, Remove X storage counters from Umbral Empire: Add X mana in any combination of W and/or B to your mana pool.

Shadow Prison
Plane — Ungula
All creatures have “(2b): This creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.”
Whenever you roll chaos, add BBBBB to your mana pool.

There Is No Hope
Scheme
When you set this scheme in motion, until end of turn, creatures your opponents control lose all abilities and have base power and toughness 0/2.
”Look upon your doom. See your insignificance.”

Comments ( 18 )

I'm afraid this is just a mess. It's got moments of greatness sprinkled throughout it, like shining crystals embedded in a strata of boring dumb rock, but the mass of the stupid and wrong-headed stuff just overwhelms the rest.

Well, this went the opposite direction from my impressions back when this arc came out: I started out wanting to like it, but found it only got worse and worse as it went on. This starts out low and ends, if not high, then at least higher.

It still saddens me, because the Fiendship King Sombra issue was so good and had so much promise that this just failed completely to bring to fruition.

I really was looking forward to this arc when it was announced and when it came out. Sombra's FIENDShip is Magic issue really sold me on the concept. Too bad it failed to deliver on the promise.

Despite this arc being four issues long, it still felt rushed. The entire A-List and B-List of secondary villains straight up disappear without so much as a mention. I think there's a line of dialogue of "What have we done?" and that's the end of them. Not even a panel of them sneaking away.

As you said, the Umbrum are fascinating creatures design wise and apparently very powerful if they are able to subdue princesses. But then the "Resistance" appears and they get stomped back without too much trouble. A little consistency would be nice.

I’ve seen people poo-poo the “I believe in you, Twilight” scene as a hackneyed deus ex machina. Personally? I like it.

I agree. It might be eye-rolling, but it makes sense within this world. There are better things to rage against than this.

I could rail against this arc for pages, it disappointed me so bitterly. I'm going to stop here though before I get too deep. It had good ideas and some really great artwork, both epic and chilling, but it just couldn't maintain itself given the age range that this comic is being sold to. I suppose the writers got away with a lot in terms of tragic imagery, but if you're going to go in, don't do it half-assed.

AH! I got to quit! Nice cards! If there ever was an Umbrum themed deck, I'd play it.

This is what Executive Meddling does. As huge a mess as this arc is, I can't blame the writer. His idea is decent, and he did some good things. he was fucked over by both Hasbro and IDW. IDW ordered that he included the pointless, stupid 'villain teamup' that wasted most of the story and forced the actual plot, Sombra and Hope, to be squashed in and rushed. Then Hasbro only okay a very very small list of 'villains' he could use, hence having the totally fuck over Iron Will and make all these stupid things happen to make the already ordered team up work.

I think this is the arc that I finally just.. gave up caring about the comics.

It's been awhile since I read this one and I don't even remember that much about it other than the Radiant Hope/Sombra/Umbrum parts, which is probably a sign of poor writing. I think the comic arc tried to do too much and ended up not being able to give enough attention to each character and subplot.

Speaking of Iron Will, I wouldn't mind seeing a "good" Minotaur character in the series proper. It seems a shame that after six and a half seasons the only representative of that race is a misunderstood so-called antagonist.

I know you've watched the Australian-released episodes! Why must you torture me with more waiting?!

4603045
Fortunately, fan fiction acts as a mineral refinery for this sort of thing, removing the dross and polishing the promise.

At least, it does when people want to even bother with it.

4603050
Yeah. It does improve over the course of the plot arc, but that's a relative thing.

4603054
Rail away. I like seeing others' reactions to this sort of thing.

4603074
That explains... well, not quite everything, but certainly a lot, especially in the earlier chapters. Given those limitations, the writer did just about the best he could with what he was forced to work with.

4603085
More minotaurs would be nice. As would more zebras, more buffalo, more Saddle Arabians...

Really just more nonponies would be nice. Preferably not in the form of more yak episodes.

4603116
As I said at the start of the Dance Magic review, I don't post reviews of episodes until they air in the US. You'll live until then.

This also reminds me that the comics never again touched any of the new characters this story made available :applejackunsure:

4603074
I hadn't heard this. That is interesting, and honestly kind of helps. I always thought Whitley was one of the better writers on the comics, and it was a bleeding shame that his worst story was also his biggest.

Iron Will's treatment is a crime, but the thing that really rips at me is how they keep teasing interesting character flaws for Cadance and then jerking them away.

As a massive Sombra fanboy, I could not physically have been more hype for this arc when it came out.

What I got was a great Sombra story that appeared to have been horrifically spliced with a random villain team-up story and ended with my favorite villain, who I think works best as a villain, getting cheaply resurrected as a good guy. I mean, the moment that should have been his death was utterly fantastic, and I would probably have forgiven this arc all its weaknesses if it had ended there, but, NO!

All in all, I sometimes re-read this one for fun. And to weep.

Radiant Hope, you smug, self-righteous chunk of quartz

Maybe it's a bit trite that out of all this, this line is what sticks with me, but I love this as a crystal pony perjorative. I kinda wonder if I should actually read this particular comic, I have been out of touch with them for some time now.

4603128
4603354
Yeah, I think there's lots of material for a tragedy here. Sombra, Radiant Hope and Princess Amore are all very interesting, and a solid fanfic treatment that pared away the dross and focused on the doomed love, betrayal, and Amore's callousness masquerading as caring for the greater good could be epic.

...Yeah, that all sounds fair to me. I don't have anything more to add. What else is there to say, really? I think we're all on the same page about this story.

4603074
Do you actually like, know this through legit sources, or is it speculation / 'I heard from someone who heard...' sort of thing?

As for me, yea, this arc was where I stopped caring entirely about the comics because it showed the care that Year 1 had had died away. Characters constantly acting out of character, the single worst Princess Worf that has been put in play until the S6 finale (And those two still hold the #1 and #2 slots), a terminally stupid 'sympathetic' antagonist, Sombra having a tragic misunderstood past instead of just being a jerk, etc, etc, etc.

So if it's executive meddling that would at least be something of a relief. But...I doubt it because this was far from the only comic to suffer.

4605234 It came directly from the writer.

Also, yeah this one was horrible at screwing over the princesses

The Season 6 finale, that one was actually well done and worked.

4605661
The S6 finale has them kidnapped offscreen by incompetent mooks. Like, we can see that the Changelings are hardly intimidating the entire time they are around - their impersonations suck and despite having 0 magic Team Starlight gets all the way to the Throne Room before being taken down (and even then Starlight still makes it to the throne itself).

And at least the dialogue suggests that Chrysalis was in her hive during the abductions, suggesting standard idiot changelings took down all 4 princesses.

Which is possible, of course - you can write it where it works - but I'd argue it's a far more insulting defeat than Sombra who at least has some Big Bad chops. Especially when it's all offscreen and they don't even get the agency to fight back apart from Luna's silly dream message.

Anyhoo huh. Did Whitley write out what happened anywhere or did you just hear it in person?

4605694 Think it was some tweets he made.

And we don't see what they actually did, or how they handle things. The impersonations, yeah, not the best, but not enough to make even Starlight realize the truth, just that something is odd. How many would be willing to question a Princess? None of the rest got found out besides the ones in the CE and that had another changeling around that is likely the one who found it out. They might not bother acting in their role, but we've seen just how little that matters to ponies. Further, it's still showing the one thing they are good at, infiltration and hiding in plain sight. They could be anypony. With their abilities, yeah there are so many ways capturing anypony could be easy with the right planning, and that's what Chryssi is great at. Right up until her own ego gets in the way of things.

Capturing the Princess and Mane 6 would be easy with enough prep time. Really, the hardest part would be getting the bodies out of Canterlot/the Empire unseen more then anything else. Everything else is painfully easy. Have the mane 6 replacements nab Fluttershy while she's alone, far from town, and near the Everfree. Have her send out invitations to a tea party, lace the tea with sleeping potion, collect the unconscious ponies. Same for the rest, just give Celestia's evening cake a tranquilizer frosting, she's out. And same for the rest. That is only one possible way, and many many more that could have also worked.

4605774
Key here is all that is a headcanon thing. We could argue for ages about how competent/not competent drones are but in the end it's interpretation. To me, that they act so dumb suggests incompetence that makes it hard for me to believe they could pull it off. It's fine if you see it differently; to take the tranquilizer frosting as an example, sure, assuming Celestia has no poison detection spells running, or a way to purge it before it takes effect, or some kind of alicorn resilience to make her immune to it, or so forth.

And we could go back and forth forever and still disagree there. For me, at least, the Princesses are the sort that aren't going down to the equivalent of a random mook with a knife or vial of poison :raritywink:

Chryalis doing it? Sure. But her minions? Bleh.

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