Friendship is Card Games: Marks and Recreation · 11:55am Oct 1st, 2017
One week away from the movie premiere. That’s going to be an interesting weekend to manage…
Eh, that’s future FoME’s problem. For now, the Crusaders get to meet their greatest nemesis yet and I wish I’d ever seen Parks and Recreation so I could do an on-theme intro gag.
Huh. With those circle drawing skills, I bet Kettle Corn would be great at Okami.
It is really weird how “blank flank” is treated as a neutral descriptor in this episode. It disconcerted me every time it passed somepony’s lips, especially since I’m pretty sure the last time we heard the term, it was Spoiled Rich spitting it out.
So… is Camp Friendship okay with the Crusaders using their campgrounds like this or what?
Also, how exactly does this connect with the Crusaders using their Bearer connections for camp purposes in “Fame and Misfortune”? The order of events there feels blurry.
I like the customized balloons, and I love the flag that uses the old Crusader emblem in their cutie marks’ color scheme, but who made the former? The latter’s easy enough to put together given Rarity and her sewing machines, but custom balloons seem a bit trickier.
Huh. Well, Rumble may not have grown, but his voice has certainly changed. Likewise Pipsqueak. I hold by my hypothesis of ponies having distinct stages of growth they abruptly enter and leave, like Pokémon evolution.
Thunderlane’s a full Wonderbolt? I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised. As we saw in “Newbie Dash,” inducting a ‘Bolt apparently consists of the captain showing up, doing a superhero landing, and telling them to report to the barracks at 0800.
Also, that uniform really does not go with a coat that dark.
Also also, what do you think his embarrassing nickname is?
Sorry, Scoots, but the foals are going to go for the Wonderbolt who’s actually here.
Aww, adorable foal affection. 
Also, looks like Kettle Corn’s been eating her Bashōs. (Part of a poetic breakfast!)
Wow. The Crusaders have to be the most guileless ponies ever to miss Rumble’s utter failure to give a crap. Or they’re just so driven to fulfill their mark-defined mission that they miss that others may not have the same interest. Couple that with societal expectations about cutie marks and their assumptions do start to make sense… the first time or two.
Interesting to note that Rumble’s no happier at the Wonderbolts practice.
Heh. Another possibility with the Crusaders’ failure to pick up on Rumble’s disinterest is that they’re just projecting their old anxieties like a cineplex.
I honestly love the Crusaders’ reaction to Rumble’s espoused cutie mark apathy. Heresy! Burn the nonbeliever! Deus vult! That said, he does have a point about the dangers of letting one’s mark become the be-all end-all. You are more than your job.
“You’re not the only pegasus in the family, you know!” Hmm. That raises some questions. For one, how many pegasi are in that family? We don’t see many multitribal family lines beyond background ponies and the Cakes. Secondly, where are the parents? It seems like Thunderlane has to serve as brother and father both. I’m getting vibes similar to several of Wise Cracker’s stories.
So.. why are the other foals listening to Rumble? Especially before the musical number starts up?
Also, the Crusaders definitely aren’t versebreakers. An intrinsic connection to harmonious destiny would likely preclude that, to say nothing of Sweetie Belle’s secondary talents.
I am a bit disappointed that Skedaddle didn’t just end up lodged in the target by his horn.
It’s kind of funny; Rumble’s argument is a malicious spin on the stance Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo took in “Call of the Cutie;” a lack of a cutie mark represents infinite potential.
The song’s genre is well chosen. Nothing like classic rock ’n’ roll for the bad boy rebel who scoffs at traditional values.
Also, the interlude with the Crusaders trying to set Pipsqueak is interesting. The gestures and sounds clearly indicate that the backup singers are meant to be snapping. With single-digit limbs. The crap?
Ah yes, the catchy slogan. Nothing deadens thought like something the masses can chant. Might as well have them spouting “Four feet good, two feet bad!” Actually not a bad comparison given the jokes we’ve made about the last pony who questioned the cutie mark status quo, especially given how Rumble’s already gotten one filly to reject her mark.
“In a word, yes.” I don’t know why, but Michelle Crieber’s delivery on that line had me in stitches. It was the perfect inflection to convey Apple Bloom’s perplexity and resignation to the insanity of the situation.
I do love how Rumble’s blank flank camp falls apart so quickly. The flawed premise would’ve either led to this or somepony accidentally getting a mark. That Kettle Corn just shrugs and keeps doing what she’s doing only makes it even better.
While it’s good to see the Crusaders go to an authority figure with this issue, it would’ve been really nice if Thunderlane could’ve mentioned the preexisting issue in the first place. Tutors aren’t mind readers, people. (Of course, if that had happened, we wouldn’t have had an episode, but still.)
That being said, I honestly hadn’t seen this coming. One might think that Rumble was sincere in all of his beliefs, or that he was just being spiteful. Instead, while he legitimately does believe his own philosophy regarding cutie marks, he doesn’t think that’s a bad thing. He wants to do nothing but go fast and doesn’t want to risk that avenue forever being sealed off from him, and if that means turning the Crusaders’ day camp into Boredom Central until he can get out of it, so be it.
I love how Twilight’s castle is the go-to object for arts and crafts projects in either universe.
Huh. I’m surprised that the Wonderbolts don’t have a designated cook. You’d think an athletic team would want a nutritionist on staff. It’s why I created one of my unseen OCs, Carbo Load.
Congratulations, Kettle Corn. You’re the new Zecora. And you’re even less likely to see future speaking roles.
Thunderlane winning over Rumble when the Crusaders couldn’t makes perfect sense. Of course they’re going to claim that he’s misunderstanding cutie marks; that’s part of their marks. But Thunderlane doing something beyond his special talent provides a counterargument that Rumble can’t refute.
In all, this was an interesting low-key episode, poking a little at the more troubling implications of cutie marks and showcasing the dangers of groupthink and people manipulating the crowd for their own agendas. Fun stuff all around, and a very rich ground for allegories of all kinds.
Now, over here we have trading card crafting. I’ll show you a few examples:
Kitchen Duty 1W
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has “W, T: You gain 2 life.”
1W: Attach Kitchen Duty to target creature.
Every Wonderbolt is expected to cook for the team at least once.
Simple Slogan 1W
Enchantment
1W: Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.
Because chanting is easier than thinking.
Painted Enso 2W
Enchantment
1: The next time a colorless source of your choice would deal damage to you this turn, prevent that damage.
Kettle Corn was barely aware she drew the glyph, but each time she did, strange entities drew away from Ungula.
Cutie Compulsion 2W
Enchantment
Creatures with activated abilities can’t attack or block.
”Falling into the mark,” a state where a pony becomes little more than a special talent performing automaton, is Equestria’s most common mental illness.
Archery Range 3W
Enchantment
W, Tap an untapped creature you control: Archery Range deals 1 damage to target attacking or blocking creature.
Remembering their own exploits, the Crusaders made sure to give the campers only suction cup-tipped arrows.
Decree of Lassitude 3WWW
Sorcery
Put all creatures on the bottom of their owners’ libraries.
Cycling 3WW (3WW, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
When you cycle Decree of Lassitude, you may put target creature on top of its owner’s library.
Blank Canvas 1U
Enchantment
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under an opponent’s control, if Blank Canvas is an enchantment, you may have it become a copy of that creature. (If you do, it loses this ability.)
Infinite potential doesn’t do anything until it’s applied.
Indifference 1U
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets -6/-0 and its activated abilities can’t be activated.
”Oh no. Nothing happened. Can I go now?”
Bad Faith Argument BB
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast Bad Faith Argument, discard X cards.
Target player discards X cards.
Just because debates are fought with words doesn’t mean you can’t fight dirty.
Young Poet 2R
Creature — Pony Spellshaper
1R, T, Discard a card: Add R to your mana pool for each nonland permanent by the artist of your choice.
Syllabic structure
Is odd in red, however
There’s a precedent.
1/1
Tear Down 3R
Sorcery
Each player sacrifices a permanent he or she controls with the greatest converted mana cost among permanents he or she controls.
Rumble was determined to get away from the Crusaders’ camp, even if that meant destroying it.
Unreasonable Discourse 3R
Sorcery
Goad all creatures you don’t control of the color of your choice. (Until your next turn, those creatures attack each combat if able and attack a player other than you if able.)
Sweetie didn’t have her sister’s eye for color, but she was definitely seeing red.
Massive Schism XRRR
Sorcery
Gain control of up to X target creatures until end of turn. Untap those creatures. They gain haste until end of turn.
”When everyone but you goes mad, who’s really the crazy one?”
—Discord
Charmable Cobra GG
Creature — Snake
Deathtouch
2U: Gain control of Charmable Cobra. Any player may activate this ability.
The cobra is as vulnerable to hypnotic swaying motions as its prey.
2/2
“Blank Flanks Forever” 1G
Enchantment — Song
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a verse counter on “Blank Flanks Forever”.
1G, Sacrifice “Blank Flanks Forever”: Creatures you control with no abilities get +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the number of verse counters on “Blank Flanks Forever”.
Blank Flank Affiliate 2G
Creature — Pony Citizen
Blank Flank Affiliate gets +2/+2 as long as you control a creature with no abilities.
Parents flocked to the Crusaders, eager to see their foals realize what they were meant to do.
2/3
Catalyze Destiny 2G
Instant
Choose one —
• Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature.
• Transform target permanent. (Only double-faced cards can be transformed.)
The Crusaders merely sped along processes that would inevitably happen in time.
Rumble’s Recruiter 3G
Creature — Pony Rogue
When Rumble’s Recruiter enters the battlefield, manifest the top card of your library. (Put that card onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature. Turn it face up any time for its mana cost if it's a creature card.)
“Stop struggling. There’s a better way.”
2/2
Crusaders’ Banner 6
Artifact
Whenever you activate an ability, if it isn’t a mana ability, you may copy that ability. You may choose new targets for the copy.
The Crusaders’ metatalents augment everything their pupils try.
Rapid Recap RG
Instant
Return a card at random from your graveyard to your hand.
Sweetie Belle can relay information at startling speed, but little of it is actually understandable.
Marksist Anarchist 1RG
Creature — Pegasus Rogue
Flying
Marksist Anarchist can’t be the target of abilities.
Some Marksists want to install a new regime. Others just want to topple the old one.
2/1
eh, it's no different then any number of other derogatory terms that have been appropriated by the people they were originally targeted at over the years. I... can't actually think of any of the top of my head atm, but I know it's happened more than once.
I am almost certain Starlight spent the whole episode feeling anxious and not knowing why.
"I sense a disturbance in the force. Something calls to me..."
Apparently that kind of specific circle has specific connotations in Japanese mythology? Or so I have heard.
4683661
It happens in playgrounds all the time that terms like 'redhead', 'queer', or 'tomboy' can be used as abuse, but can also be embraced by individuals as part of their identity. This was a nice educational message in the episode. Young children often have difficulty understanding that bullying is not just about 'what he/she said', but the wider context. Diamond Tiara teased the CMC for being blank flanks, and they now use the same language to defend themselves, but it's not the same.
Rumble is a character familiar to many parents - the clever child who resents being forced to do something he sees as beneath him - so be rebels and makes trouble. And the way to deal with it is to get his big brother to show that actually cutie mark camp is cool.
I really enjoyed the flavor text on these cards this week. Just something about them.
As for multi-color, can't really say more about RG than has already been said. Though the fact that a pegasus just so happens to be in this color pair only makes the rebel thing better.
On the balloons, maybe the CMC contacted Party Favor to provide them with some customs?
Maybe Apple Bloom used AJ's connections as an alumnus and Bearer to utilize the campgrounds, but the continuity still doesn't seem to fit because this episode makes it sound like the CMC thought of the idea and executed it in the same episode. I have no idea where we would fit in the events of “Fame and Misfortune.”
This episode managed to be low-key and meta at the same time. I enjoyed it, but I don't know if I'll keep coming back to it unless I decide to give Rumble or Thunderlane prominent roles in one of my fics.
On a side note, I'm going to wait a couple of weeks after opening weekend to watch the movie, because I have a lot going on in my life.
"I am a bit disappointed that Skedaddle didn’t just end up lodged in the target by his horn."
I was positive that was going to happen when I watched the episode.
Massive Schism is a ridiculous limited bomb, and I wonder if it should cost XXRR instead. (Consider the mana costs of Oblivion Ring and Quarantine Field.)
I would have preferred if Thunderlane's cutie mark was related to his handling of thunderclouds, rather than flying fast.
The whole concept of this episode reminds me of one of my earlier stories. Scootaloo wants to be like Rainbow Dash, but she can't fly yet, so she subconsciously sabotages her efforts to get her cutie mark, because she wants one that has to do with flying.
4683689
Or more likely, Pinkie.
Thunderlane's nickname
I'm sorry, sir, but you are misinformed. Clearly "Deranged Unicorn Syndrome" is more common.
With a slicked back mane, rock and roll rebel style, and a love of speed, Rumble is a Greaser. Seriously the kid's got charisma. Just a question, who does Rumble’s Recruiter represent? Funnily, having a zen master named Kettle Corn of all things is actually very funny.
I feel like that happened between the cold open and the episode proper.
Between her newfound verbal tic and her artistic preferences, I really want to see her grow up to be an ambassador to the zebras.
I find it amusing that Painted Enso prevents damage from both eldritch horrors and from robots/golems.
I also find it amusing that Bad Faith Argument technically hurts the caster more than the target.
Evocative flavor text this week, as I seem to be drawn to comment on it more than the cards themselves. A true author's flair, I suppose.
It draws to mind the final panels of this Penny Arcade strip, except with haiku in Heptapod and Eldrazi.
This is actually extremely sad, when you think about it. Quite a moving image.
Though I agree with 4683792
Pinch the O's?
The two cards that reference bonuses to creatures without abilities actually sounds like an interesting archetype to design around. Most of the relevant effects would have be on enchantments, artifacts, and lands, but then there's creatures like Blank Flank Affiliate or similar.
Could borrow a few concepts from Yu-Gi-Oh! there, they did a whole bunch of cards based around Normal Monsters (I once built a deck for that, but let someone borrow it and never saw it again).
4683792
My avatar has no idea what you are talking about.
4683667
See the link in Painted Enso's name for more on the meaning of that specific circle.
And yeah, it is kind of a shame Starlight didn't get involved. Still, that just means we can handle that particular interaction.
4683689 4683720
Either seems possible. Given how Sugar Belle's been seen at Sweet Apple Acres, she may have conveyed the message to Party Favor.
4683707
I suppose "Fame and Misfortune" could've happened after this episode, once the camp hit its stride and the Rumble Problem was resolved... except that there, Apple Bloom says "We were thinkin' of puttin' together a cutie mark summer camp," emphasis mine. I'm going to blame the time travel Starlight briefly performed in trying to restore Rarity's mane before telling herself not to do so.
4683711
I wasn't sure about Schism. Stealing three creatures for the same cost as a full Insurrection felt off to me. This may be one of those things that needs playtesting to determine definitively.
Also, I suppose "cloud and lightning bolt" is a universal symbol for speed in hindquarters heraldry.
4683750
Certainly one of my favorite candidates for his call sign.
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That's not a syndrome, that's a unicorn's default state of being. Though truth be told, falling into the mark is originally Estee's idea, shamelessly borrowed from the Triptych Continuum.
Also, Phil, the card Young Poet alludes to is linked in the last line of her flavor text.
4683798
Yeah, all Rumble was missing was a leather jacket and a motorcycle.
Rumble's Recruiter is made more for "no abilities matter" synergy than reflecting a specific event in the episode, though it could've easily happened had Camp Blank Flanks Forever gone viral. If you need a face to put on the card, use Pipsqueak. Who can apparently fight a grizzly bear to a draw. Who knew?
Also, agreed on the little zen mistress.
"Wait, why is a Zen poet named Kettle Corn?"
"Mu."
4683813
I suppose going in between would explain things. Plus, it'd keep the Crusaders safe from the Best Pony Heterodoxy, though it raises the question of why the Crusaders were advertising after that recruitment drive.
Personally, I want to see Kettle Corn work with Snails to achieve new heights of enlightenment. Hopefully Skedaddle can forsake worldly desire enough to avoid jealousy.
4684057
There is one real-life example from which I drew inspiration for the "no abilities matter" cards: Muraganda Petroglyphs. Future Sight was a weird but delightful set.
One of the better episodes of the season, in my opinion. Rumble as an antagonist was very interesting to me, especially since his philosophy was almost the antithesis of Diamond Tiara's bullying, and yet still works against the Crusaders since their roles have changed.