Friendship is Card Games: Surf and/or Turf · 10:55am Apr 22nd, 2018
After the Dominaria prerelease, it feels appropriate to have an episode focused on people returning home after a long absence. Of course, not everyone has that same sense of history and nostalgia. Let’s see how this pans out, and hope there’s nothing that anyone can peg on Belzenlok, King of Storms, Spirit of Chaos, Enslaver of the North, etc.
Huh. Crusaders on a map mission. Fate’s breaking out all its tools today. And I suppose it’s trying to help avoid scheduling conflicts for the teachers.
I’m not sure if I should be amused or concerned by how thrilled Scootaloo is about her glowing. Maybe she thinks she’s about to evolve into Combusken.
It seems like the Crusaders’ marks aren’t equidistant from one another on the map, instead forming three points of a square. It’s possible that Twilight’s mark is invisibly filling the fourth spot, as it might have in “A Royal Problem”… or I’m overthinking this. Either way, nice to see further continuity carryover from the movie… though it’d be even nicer if there had been more continuity carryover into the movie. C’est la vie.
No, girls, I think adult supervision when you leave the country is entirely merited. (That said, good save on Twilight’s part. “I know you’re mature enough for this, but your sisters would have my cutie mark if I let you go alone.”)
Wow. When was the last time we actually saw Scootaloo on her scooter?
Um, Twilight? The postal service exists. That excuse is about as flimsy as the permission slip itself. Also, way to keep your word to Neighsay on not galloping off on adventures.
Also, if Silverstream is Novo’s niece, how does the rest of her family fit into the hippogriff nobility?
Seeing a pony tuck away something in hammerspace will never not bother me. Especially when it looks like they’re inserting it up one of the body’s natural storage pouches.
… The train goes to Mount Aris. The train goes to Mount Aris. The remote island that the ponies had to use an airship to access in the movie, that’s most of a continent away from Ponyville. Shrink Laureate has written a brilliant short on the subject.
“I’m happy with just my pony parts.” Yeah, Scootaloo, I’m sure you would find being part bird the most disconcerting.
Heh. Apple Bloom is the PR guru who Applejack never asked for.
I admit, I do like the show design of Mount Aris and its surrounding environs… though I hope that it’s high tide. Those tracks getting covered could play merry havoc with the schedule.
Also, stairs are present. What the crap, Silverstream?
Sorry, girls, no magic butt tattoos to make things easy.
I do appreciate how almost everyone who gets a map mission complains about the Map’s ambiguity at one point or another. Look, you try working with lifeforms who view space and time in an almost completely different way and see how clearly you can communicate.
Terramar. Land and sea. I get it.
Oh my God, Apple Bloom, you can’t just ask someone why they’re a seapony.
Ah, we get an explanation for how Silverstream can transform at will. And splitting up the transmutation pearl would ensure that its power couldn’t be abused… though I’d like to have a better name for it than “the magic pearl.” How am I supposed to work with that? 
So, if hippogriffs get the “any/everygriff” pronouns, what do griffons use?
… Looking at past transcripts, it seems to be “any/everygriffon.” That’s… Yeah, color me underwhelmed.
I like the shell trumpets. Very indicative of the continued importance of the sea to hippogriff culture.
… and, of course, cue the “this body shape is the right one and anyone who disagrees is implicitly wrong” party. I can understand it—going into hiding for years in a body not your own is going to wear on a person who still identifies as something else—but the subtext is practically pushing up through the text.
Oh. Oh. The father’s accounted for but the mother isn’t. So on to top body dysmorphia, this is going to deal with divorced parents?
I am very glad that Twilight got recognized. She did kind of save this entire species, after trying to steal one of their most treasured artifacts. If nogriff reacted to her presence at all, that would’ve been… bothersome. Let’s go with bothersome.
Also, hippogriffs make bird noises. Good to know. And with chimerae, one can never be too sure.
I’m not sure if I’d want a shot of salmon juice, much less a whole stein. Still, Twilight doesn’t seem too phased by drinking fish derivates. Interesting datum there.
Sorry, Terramar. You lost Sweetie at “wonderful sound.” Yes, I know she said that. That’s still when you lost her.
Heh. “You’re suffering? That’s great news!”
Girls, you still have to solve the problem. Still, I can hardly blame these three for getting excited after resolving a pressing but vague issue. That’s basically their job.
Yup. Self-identity and post-divorce obligation tug-of-war in one go.
Heh. The Crusaders still fall back on charts. Some methods stand the test of time.
Twilight, just enjoy your vacation. Goodness knows you’ve earned it.
Huh. I may have to take back my comment on not abusing the pearl’s power. What’s the limit on number of transformed targets per shard?
Also, there is the question of whether there are any non-hippogriff seaponies, but I don’t know if we’ll ever get an answer to that. (And whether Twilight remembered to waterproof the permission slip, but that’s resolved fairly quickly.)
Wow this is bittersweet. Scootaloo finally gets to maneuver in three dimensions… temporarily.
Sky Beak and Ocean Flow, eh? I suppose they might not have seen that as a warning sign when they married, though it does raise the question of whether those who chose to stay seaponies changed their names.
Okay, how exactly does one keep any kind of beverage in the cup in an oceanic enviornment? Especially an oil-based tea, which raises even further questions.
I guess Sweetie isn’t a big fan of percussion-intensive music. Also, interesting how the seaponies don’t seem to have a “thank goodness we’re this body type” festival, though given how they’ve been seaponies for the last decade and change, that makes sense.
I can’t help but suspect that that gull has been traumatized by transformations more times than it can remember.
If Twilight can use the Royal Canterlot Voice, that screeching competition is in the bag.
Huh. First time I’ve ever seen a musical number resulting in a completely unrelated friendship disruption. Still, it does highlight how the Crusaders have unique talents beyond greasing the wheels of destiny. Sweetie’s focusing on the ASMR Meadows—so much so that she basically says nothing about hippogriff culture itself—and Scootaloo was won over to Seaquestria the moment she started maneuvering in three dimensions. These are aspects of themselves that they don’t get to express very often during their work. Young as they still are, it makes sense that each would take her position deeply personally.
Apple Bloom, why are you even conveying these messages? They’re not helping. You’re the earth pony. You’re supposed to be the sane one when the others have gone off half-cocked.
That said, points rewarded for forcing the others to confront their own stupidity in front of Twilight.
Speaking of, Twilight was definitely an invisible fourth cutie mark.
… Wait, how many loving couples were separated by an arbitrary choice and just chose not to give each other any time afterwards? Their reactions here are downright bizarre. “Ohhhh. Riiiight. My spouse. So, what have you been up to lately?” I suppose it works for couples who separated on good terms, but I feel the metaphor breaks down.
Huh. This didn’t go nearly as deep as I thought it might, though I suppose it gets some credit for even gently addressing these issues, and “Talk to your separated parents about how you feel” is by no means a terrible lesson. Still, the resolution feels a bit too quick and neat to be wholly satisfactory, especially since both parents expressed a desire to see more of Terramar and don’t seem willing to move. Still, the Map seems satisfied. Maybe Terramar will be the trendsetter that ushers in a more amphibious society. Or maybe this was all an elaborate method to expose and mend a rift between the Crusaders that had been building under the surface.
Whatever the case, I have five colors to unite.
Field Twirl W
Instant
Untap target creature. It gets +1/+3 until end of turn.
”If Twilight asks, I’m doing research.”
—Sweetie Belle
Alarm Screech 1W
Instant
Untap all creatures you control. Creatures you control with flying get +1/+1 until end of turn.
The competitions are a kinder way to remember the warning calls that sent the hippogriffs fleeing to Seaquestria.
Kindred Festival 1WW
Enchantment
As Kindred Festival enters the battlefield, choose a creature type.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you gain 1 life for each creature of the chosen type you control.
”Happiness is the right of all sapient beings, and the rest can have some too!”
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Mount Aris Dogfighters 2WW
Creature — Hippogriff Soldier
Flash
Flying
When Mount Aris Dogfighters enters the battlefield, you may have it deal 2 damage to target attacking or blocking creature.
”There’s dog in there too?”
—Scootaloo
2/2
Aquatic Avoidance 1U
Instant
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1 for each Island you control.
No spell can reach the deepest trenches from the surface.
Seafoal School 2U
Creature — Pony Merfolk Child
Whenever you cast a blue spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Seafoal School.
When Seafoal School dies, create a 1/1 blue Pony Merfolk creature token for each +1/+1 counter on it.
Trained from birth to scatter at a moment’s notice.
1/1
Terramar’s Dilemma 2U
Enchantment
As Terramar’s Dillema enters the battlefield, choose Hippogriffs or Seaponies.
• Hippogriffs — Creatures you control with flying get +1/+1.
• Seaponies — Creatures you control have skulk. (They can’t be blocked by creatures with greater power.)
Illuminating Eel 3U
Creature — Fish
When Illuminating Eel enters the battlefield, scry 2.
The pearl’s magic allowed Seaquestrians to adapt their new environment to their needs.
2/3
“Your Heart Is in Two Places” 1B
Enchantment — Song
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a verse counter on “Your Heart Is in Two Places”.
3B, Sacrifice “Your Heart Is in Two Places”: Gain control of target creature unless its controller pays X life, where X is the number of verse counters on “Your Heart Is in Two Places”. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Biased Perspective 2BB
Sorcery
Target player reveals his or her hand. Each player chooses a card from that hand not chosen by another player this way. That player discards those cards.
Enough eyes can find a problem anywhere.
Glow of Fate 1R
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+0 and has “Whenever this creature attacks, scry 1.”
Fortunately, harmonious radiation is harmless to life. Unfortunately, Scootaloo isn’t.
Luggage Mishap 1R
Instant
Target artifact you control deals damage equal to its converted mana cost to target creature or planeswalker.
Thankfully, the anvil shipment was scheduled for the next train.
Twist the Tale 1R
Sorcery
Gain control of target enchantment until end of turn. If that enchantment is a Saga, put a lore counter on it.
History is written by the loudest.
Distant Journey G
Sorcery
Reveal cards from the bottom of your library until you reveal a land card. Put that card into your hand, then shuffle your library.
The Map was quick to put its expanded scope to use.
Nacre Fragment 1
Artifact — Equipment
2: Switch equipped creature’s power and toughness until end of turn.
Equip 1
With the Storm King gone, Novo gave a piece of the pearl to each of her subjects, letting them choose where and how they would live.
Permission Slip 1
Artifact
3, T, Sacrifice Permission Slip: Target creature can’t be blocked this turn.
When Permission Slip is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, you may pay U. If you do, draw a card.
School Chaser WU
Creature — Pegasus Merfolk
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, create a 1/1 blue Fish creature token.
The difference between flying and swimming is mostly a matter of viscosity and what you’ll run into.
1/1
History of Seaquestria URW
Enchantment — Saga
(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter. Sacrifice after III.)
I — Exile any number of creatures you control for as long as you control History of Seaquestria.
II — Draw a card. Skip your next combat phase.
III — Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control this turn, it gets +2/+1 and gains flying and haste until end of turn.
Scavenger Gull BGU
Creature — Bird
Flying
Whenever Scavenger Gull deals combat damage to a player, that player puts the top card of their library into their graveyard. You may return a card that shares a card type with that card from your graveyard to your hand.
You never know what might wash up.
3/2
Harmonizing Heights 1GW
Legendary Enchantment
When Harmonizing Heights enters the battlefield, draw a card.
At the beginning of your upkeep, double the number of verse counters on each Song you control.
A nexus of Harmony magic unlike any other.
Surf 3U//Turf 1G
Sorcery//Sorcery
Surf: Put target creature on top of its owner’s library.
Turf: Target player searches their library for a land card, reveals it, then shuffles their library and puts that card on top of it.
Fuse (You may cast one or both halves of this spell from your hand.)
Unbreakable Bond
Conspiracy
Double agenda (Start the game with this conspiracy face down in the command zone and secretly choose two different card names. You may turn this conspiracy face up any time and reveal those names.)
Whenever you cast a creature spell with one of the chosen names, you may put target card with the other chosen name from your graveyard on top of your library.
I haven't watched this episode yet. I couldn't find a good quality version on either youtube or dailymotion, and I'd prefer to watch it with the complete soundtrack and animation.
It's looking more and more like Equus operates like a video game: new locations are challenging to reach, but after you get to them the first time you can travel back and forth in just a brief cutscene.
Disclaimer: It's been a few years since I've played any video games and the last one I played all the way through was Lego Batman.
I continue to believe that there never really was a Map Rule that said all the ponies called and no-one else had to go on a mission. That was only Twilight thinking that magic itself is as fastidious about the rules as she is, and she learned this in the s7 finale when the entire crew went on a mission that only the mane six were tagged for. Probably Star Swirl told her how the table's magic works in more detail off-screen during that episode.
Also, more proof for my pet map theory that the map doesn't actually do "friendship problems" so much as situations where a whole society risks veering off-course and needs to be set right.
Also the divorce angle intrigues me, as that is another pet topic of mine.
I'm mostly just glad that we're six episodes in and already have another song. Hope the trend keeps up. Season seven only had five in its entirety, and I sorely missed them after a while.
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From what I understand, Season 8 won't have many songs either due to the fact that there are a few being made for the upcoming Holiday Special.
4845128
Has anyone on staff actually said that there will be less songs for that reason? Because every season since the third (except seven) has had a big musical episode with about five songs of its own, and that never stopped the rest of the season having songs before.
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I believe they gave an exact number of songs for Season 8 somewhere but I forget where. The reason for a lack of a musical episode is because they can only produce so many songs within a year and those songs are divided between FiM and EQG. Season 7 had to give some of their songs to the movie and Season 8 has to give some of their songs to the Holiday special so there aren't enough to do a musical episode.
4845100
I believe the issue is that extra ponies can defeat the purpose of the mission. For example, if Twilight had gone to Griffinstone, then Gilda does not have to help rescue Dash. Twilight goes to the gorge, teleports down, grabs Rainbow and teleports up
Heard second hand that Big Jim (?) tweeted that Silver Stream's mom is Novo's sister. So Ocean Flow is apparently the queen's sister.
Never found a source on that, but one of the parents has to be Novo's sibling.
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Okay, so is this holiday special a different, stand-alone thing? I don't actively follow show news anymore, so I'm not sure. I thought you were talking about the Hearth's Warming episode later this season, but by the sound of it you mean something different.
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Yeah its a 1 hour special that's seperate from season 8.
But she just had a vacation last season! What, does she get two weeks of vacation a year? How absurd and utopian.
She uses it (or something so very like it as to be indistinguishable) in The Hooffields and McColts and Fame and Misfortune. But the Royal Canterlot Voice is projected from the diaphragm, while a screech is produced in the larynx. Chest voice versus head voice.
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Eh, the train runs on what's clearly an artificial causeway. I can handwave that it took about as long to build that, and to lay down track, as it did to build the School of Friendship building. Especially with aquatic beings to lay down the causeway foundation.
4845099
That was a good game.
I'm just eagerly awaiting someone to make a fan animation of Twilight participating in that screeching contest.
And I keep sitting here smirking because I can't stop picturing Twilight soaring thru the sky making that eagle screech noise.
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Okay, makes sense.
"Salmon Juice" could be juice from salmon berries.
static1.squarespace.com/static/507b480bc4aa45dec4ef6990/t/51d91ff8e4b0fc2d0df9ecbe/1373183993999/Yellow+Salmonberries+in+Southeast+Alaska
I said pretty-much that exact thing to a friend when I saw that part.
I have to say, Sweetie Belle scampering off and proceeding to prance and twirl in the meadow was one of the most adorable things ever. Also, it totally reminded me of this card:
cardkingdom.com/images/magic-the-gathering/dominaria/mesa-unicorn-12144-medium.jpg
Minor typo.
Looks like I'll have to add Harmonizing Heights to my Bant song deck.
Surf//Turf: I see what you did there.
This conflict was played entirely too safe. The idea of the parents choosing to separate was confirmed to me with the line "you look well," but this episode refused to lean into it. Maybe they weren't actually allowed to do so. But if that's the case, I'm now worried about how the supposed episode with Trixie's dad is going to function if the show is almost forbidden from even acknowledging non-nuclear families.
I believe it was said that Ocean Flow is Novo's sister. This is only as canon as any other Twitter post, so not all that much, but Ocean Flow does look more like Novo than Sky Beak does. They have the same general mane color, if nothing else.
It's not so much the rail line itself that bugs me, depending on how much time we can assume to have passed between the movie and this episode (and assuming it skirts the coast to avoid the jungles, swamps and massive, massive desert in the way), but the fact that Mount Aris, which was show as way out to sea in the movie, is now smack next to the coast.
I liked the touch of buildings along the mountain's base (instead of just on the summit) and the farms along the coast, none of which were present in the movie. I thought that was a neat way to show the hippogriffs had done some serious rebuilding since their return.
Same for the salmon juice -- it makes sense, insofar as having the heads of eagles also implies having the taste buds of eagles.
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I like this interpretation. I originally went with it calling people it had a connection to (the Mane Six because of the Elements, Starlight because of her messing with it, Spike because the Tree of Harmony was apparently aware enough of him to give him his own mini-throne, the Pillars because they planted the Tree), but the CMC being called in the episode kinda blew that out of the water.
So people are saying mom is Queen's sister, I was assuming that they were actually her in-laws and related to Skystar's dad instead.
And there was the very, very quick line from Twilight saying this was a new rail system, and I can buy them building it all fast as well. The mountain being so close to shore however.... it says a lot about this world that I would fully buy that they somehow just moved the entire mountain closer to shore. Either that or there was some really really wonky perspective in the movie. Would explain how everyone else got back off the island though. What I find more annoying, is the conductor calling out the train was heading there. Given how far it is, I find it really hard to buy there are not any stops between Ponyville and there.
Yeah, the conflict was resolved a bit quick, even by this shows standards, but still overall good.
4845100 Mostly true, though as noted, there have been times that other's going would have ruined things, so The Map does seem to know who should and should not be there, but yes, Twilight likely overplays it.
And while the Map does seem to target problems that end up having a much wider effect and causing beneficial changes to large groups through being fixed, there is the odd case of Top Bolt, where the only real benefit or change we saw was to Sky Stinger and Vapor Trail alone. Though that could just be 'the exception that proves the rule' or something.
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I noted that point about Top Bolt back when it aired. Several people suggested Vapor Trail and Sky Stinger will birth the Kwizats Ponerach.
Oh dear. Reading that comment again I see FOME's reply,
And I just realized this is Terramar
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In this case it jumped in before this vecame a big issue and headed it off at tge pass so to speak. Also with the lower stakes and tension it was a good test run to see if the CMC would be reliable tools of destiny.
gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=460954&type=card
And a bit later, Alarm Screech +1.