• Member Since 26th Sep, 2011
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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    So, as I have come to understand, the main G5 IDW line has been replaced by/subsumed into a series of mini-series and one-shots that feels like the equivalent of a network trying to kill a show by bouncing it around the schedule.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.

    Read More

    8 comments · 161 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

    Read More

    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
Mar
24th
2019

Friendship is Card Games: Legends of Magic #11 & #12 · 11:02am Mar 24th, 2019

In this final week before we go back to long-form animation for a while, we conclude the story of the young trainer Stygian as he tries to assemble a Ponymon team capable of taking on a legendary trio.

What? He is putting together a group of six.

Issue #11: Wherein a Shrubbery Seeks Out Our Heroes

It occurs to me that Stygian did an alphabetical tribal sort when recruiting the Pillars: First the earth ponies, then the pegasi, and now the unicorns.

I have to wonder why the greenhouse is locked from the inside. Was there a convenient padlock that the vines could set up just lying around?

It’s honestly wonderful to see Stygian step up and command this team of legends, especially in how they all listen to and clearly respect him. That trainer comment wasn’t too far off the mark… though it makes me wonder how it all comes crashing down.

Huh. Talk about tempered glass.

Rockhoof trying to solve the problem with his back legs as Flash Magnus tries to beat the others inside. The more things change…

Poor Meadowbrook. I’m tempted to cite the Fluttershy connection for why everyone keeps talking over her.

Okay, so the vines can definitely work the doors. And a lock and key. I’m with Rockhoof; this is getting creepy.

:facehoof: For the love of… Next time, phrase the ruse in terms of military tactics. Maybe then Flash will get it. (Somnambula I can’t blame quite as much. Can’t expect a desert mare to think much of plant life.)

Silly Flash. Cleopatrot is somepony completely different.

Wait, this was all Mistmane’s plants being clingy and overprotective? Yikes. You’d think somepony who apparently gets foresight from everything that lives would see that one coming.

“Ponies go with their bulbs toward the sun.” Okay, I really appreciate phrasing the concept in a way the plant can better understand.

The cut to Canterlot really raises the question of why they built that castle if the Castle of the Two Sisters already existed. Attaching the thing to the side of a mountain…
Hmm. I was going to say it doesn’t seem like the best way to unite the nation, but it actually does rather appeal to all three tribes one way or another. Despite Flash Magnus’s assertion, it’s eminently accessible by the air. Still, it feels extraneous; I’ve always liked the idea that Celestia moved the capital after the Nightmare Moon incident. Still, if this is taking place after Mistmane’s focus issue, I suppose they’ve forced the issue.

Yes, look at Star Swirl pacing a line in the beautiful, cobblestone-shaped grass.

Ah, the destiny spell. Good luck there, Star Swirl. And I can’t really blame him for being moody when he has to deal with two teenage alicorns on a constant basis. And Stygian’s hero worship isn’t in the least bit surprising.

Interesting implication that Tirek was the last of his kind. It raises questions about what happened to the rest. Or who. :twilightoops:

Oh dear. Never ask for criticism if you just want compliments, folks. This probably soured Star Swirl on Stygian more than anything.

Issue #12: Wherein the Solution is the Problem

It’s honestly nice to see Star Swirl on the other end of being awestruck for once.

“There are no evil wizards.” Citation needed, Gandalf Horse.

“You have friends?” :rainbowlaugh: I’m sorry, that is just amazing. And kind of perfect.

I appreciate how some of the characters are with me on the superfluity of Castle Canterlot. I’m apparently siding with the earth ponies on this one.

Ah. There’s my answer for what went wrong. Star Swirl. Star Swirl is what went wrong. I should’ve guessed. Though Stygian’s own inability to see his own strengths certainly played a part. Good on the others for standing up for him.

So close, Somnambula.

“I created amniomorphic magic as we know it. I can change the shape of a pony, but I cannot change their mind.” Now that is very interesting. We already knew how little stock Star Swirl put into the idea of redemption (which is especially odd when one considers the part Scorpan played in sealing away Tirek,) but here we get a sense of what amniomorphism actually is. A subschool of transmutation, apparently.

Wonderful symbolism with the sun setting as Stygian decides to side with Star Swirl. This is the beginning of a dark era indeed.

“I know of several lovely dimensions without the slightest hint of magic.” I would love to hear more about… well, any multiversal adventures, if I’m honest. :derpytongue2: Still, seeing Star Swirl encounter various other realities would be quite fun indeed.

Yeah, the “wax in your ears” approach makes it pretty hard to coordinate tactics.

Huh. Brainwashed army. Are we sure we have the right Equestria Girls villain? (That said, thank goodness the Rainbooms broke the spell before the sirens had enough control to try that tactic. A brainwashed horde works a lot better against a stationary target.)

I do have to wonder why Stygian didn’t ask the others for the symbols of their abilities. I suppose he wanted to surprise them.

“If things had gone differently, you could have been Princess Twilight.” Now there’s a mental image…

Wait, Sunburst knows about the events of Rainbow Rocks!? How many other ponies know about that? This might actually be evidence for Sunset being his sister.

Not sure if I buy Star Swirl sealing himself away as a cause for Nightmare Moon, but he definitely did a lot wrong. And a lot right. That’s wizards for you.

This was certainly a fascinating miniseries. The additional pieces of the puzzle offer some great insight into Equestria’s past… even if some of the edges don’t quite connect. Sadly, I won’t be getting to the annual any time soon, but I’m still glad I made sure to finish the main run.

Now, onto that special quality I bring to the group:

Grip of Inadequacy WW
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant nonlegendary creature
Enchanted creature can’t attack or block and its activated abilities can’t be activated.
Through the entire quest, one thought echoed in Stygian’s mind: “I am no hero.”

Elemental Unity 2W
Sorcery
Until end of turn, creatures you control get +1/+1 if you control a white creature, gain flying if you control a blue creature, gain lifelink if you control a black creature, gain first strike if you control a red creature, and gain vigilance if you control a green creature.

Planar Rift 2W
Enchantment
When Planar Rift enters the battlefield, exile target creature an opponent controls until Planar Rift leaves the battlefield.
Whenever a player planeswalks, you may exile Planar Rift, then return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control.

Scholar of Heroes 1U
Creature — Unicorn Wizard
Lieutenant — At the beginning of your end step, if you control your commander, scry 2.
“Great ponies’ actions warp the future like ripples in a pond. I just watch the splashes.”
1/2

Enthralled Villagers 2U
Creature — Pony Drone
Sirens you control have hexproof.
“I had hoped they’d spend the battle fighting one another. But I am not the Pillar of Hope.”
—Stygian, Pillars’ Base
2/3

Intellectual Arrogance 3UU
Enchantment
Spells your opponents cast that target you cost 2 more to cast.
As long as you have more cards in hand than each opponent, you have hexproof.
2UU: Draw a card.
Star Swirl dominated the group from the moment he joined.

Scholars’ Bond 5U
Sorcery
Assist (Another player can pay up to 5 of this spell’s cost.)
Target player draws a card.
Target player draws a card.
Target player draws a card.

Unseen Ditch XU
Instant
Return up to X target attacking creatures to their owner’s hand.
“Pay no attention to the moat behind the stallion.”
—Somnambula, Pillar of Hope

Myth Made Real 1B
Sorcery
Manifest a card at random from your graveyard. (Put it 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.)
Somnambula: “He does exist!”
Star Swirl: “They do exist!”

Fading Hope 2B
Sorcery
Target opponent sacrifices a creature.
Recover 1B (When a creature is put into your graveyard from the battlefield, you may pay 1B. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, exile this card.)

Imposing Presence 2R
Enchantment
Whenever your commander enters the battlefield, creatures with power X or less can’t block this turn, where X is the number of times your commander has been cast this game.
1R, Sacrifice your commander: Imposing Presence deals X damage to each creature your opponents control, where X is the number of times your commander has been cast this game.

Dive Kick 2RR
Instant
Target creature you control gets +2/+0 until end of turn, then deals damage equal to its power to target creature you don’t control.
“Flash didn’t think I could learn anything from him. I took that as a challenge.”
—Rockhoof, Pillar of Strength

Amniomorphic Pulse 3R
Sorcery
Exile target creature. Its controller reveals cards from the top of their library until they reveal a creature card. The player puts that card onto the battlefield, then puts all other cards revealed this way on the bottom of their library in a random order.

Greenhouse Gates 1G
Creature — Wall
Defender, reach
Greenhouse Gates’s toughness is equal to the number of lands you control.
It’s not locked to keep you out. It’s locked to keep them in.
0/*

Overgrown Greenhouse 1G
Enchantment
You may play an additional land on each of your turns.
3GG: Transform Overgrown Greenhouse.
“I never was much for pruning.”
—Mistmane, Pillar of Beauty
Writhing Mound
(G) Creature — Plant
Trample
Writhing Mound’s power and toughness are each equal to the number of lands you control.
“The plants always took care of that themselves.”
—Mistmane, Pillar of Beauty
*/*

Stygian’s Command 1WB
Instant
Choose two —
• Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.
• Creatures you control gain first strike until end of turn.
• Nonlegendary creatures get -1/-1 until end of turn.
• Scry 1, then draw a card. You lose 1 life.

Moment of Glory 2(wb)
Sorcery
Target creature you control gains lifelink until end of turn. Other creatures you control gain exalted until end of turn. (Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each instance of exalted among permanents you control.)
All Stygian wanted was his time in the sun.

Pillars’ Heroic Charge GGWW
Legendary Sorcery
(You may cast a legendary sorcery only if you control a legendary creature or planeswalker.)
Until your next turn, creatures you control get +2/+2 and gain hexproof, lifelink, and vigilance.
Centuries ago, six legends began a new chapter of history.

Sage of Beauty 2GW
Creature — Unicorn Wizard
Whenever a creature, enchantment, or land enters the battlefield under your control, scry 1.
“The world says much, but very few care to listen.”
2/3

Reverse Psychology 3UB
Instant
Target opponent puts X cards from their hand on top of their library, where X is the number of cards they’ve drawn this turn. You draw X cards.
“Thanks for doing all the heavy thinking.”

Null Pocket
Phenomenon
When you encounter Null Pocket, destroy all artifacts and enchantments. (Then planeswalk away from this phenomenon.)

Comments ( 11 )

Final week? Isn't it another two weeks?

5032194
There's an Equestria Girls special next week.

5032195
Ah, thanks.

Designer's Note:

Not sure how well this is going to come across, so at the risk of tooting my own horn, I'm going to highlight Stygian's Command. "Command" spells (pick two of four options) are always a fascinating challenge to tackle, since they present six different possible outcomes and have to make all of them work. Stygian's Command is a case of me trying to use that framework to tell a story without a single word of flavor text.

The first three options all convey the same sense of Stygian directing the Pillars: Cooperation, coordination, envelopment tactics that don't work on the sufficiently heroic and notable. But then there's that fourth one, sticking out like a sore thumb. Sure, it's good. The option to get the spell to replace itself in your hand is a big part of what makes Cryptic Command so fantastic. But it's different. It doesn't actually interact with the board, instead doing its own thing. It's off-theme, out of place, even slightly self-destructive.

It's Stygian himself.

Note also how the number one crops up so often throughout the card. +1/+1. -1/-1. Scry 1, draw 1, lose 1. Even 1st strike gets in on it. Now, this could be seen as an expression of primacy, of saying, in the immortal words of Stefán Karl Stefánsson, we are number one. But it's also the number of isolation, especially in the one mode where there's no big group of creatures to contrast it. It's Stygian sitting on the sidelines, thinking so hard it hurts while his friends are out there risking their lives. And it gives you a choice and an idea. A potentially wonderful, possibly terrible idea...

So yeah, I don't just pull these mechanics out of a hat. :derpytongue2:

The cut to Canterlot really raises the question of why they built that castle if the Castle of the Two Sisters already existed. Attaching the thing to the side of a mountain…
Hmm. I was going to say it doesn’t seem like the best way to unite the nation, but it actually does rather appeal to all three tribes one way or another. Despite Flash Magnus’s assertion, it’s eminently accessible by the air. Still, it feels extraneous; I’ve always liked the idea that Celestia moved the capital after the Nightmare Moon incident. Still, if this is taking place after Mistmane’s focus issue, I suppose they’ve forced the issue.

IIRC Starswirl was wanting a new castle for the sisters for their protection. And it wasn't until Mistmane inspired Luna that the design went from "defensible keep" to "place of inspiration".

Castles were built on top of hills or mountains when they could be. It was far more defensible than any castle on the ground could be.

No one ever built a castle to perch on the side of a mountain, but then, no one ever had a wizard to fortify the perch with magic.

5032195
Oh yeah the Spring Break Special.
That I was a little annoyed with existing until the recent slew of shorts seemed to encompass a school year in between Most Likely To Be Forgotten and Spring Breakdown. Which I've been waiting on ever since the SDCC footage. SO HYPE.

5032221
You are a freakin' genius :raritystarry:

Ah. There’s my answer for what went wrong. Star Swirl. Star Swirl is what went wrong. I should’ve guessed. Though Stygian’s own inability to see his own strengths certainly played a part. Good on the others for standing up for him.

One scene I found particularly interesting was the one where, after the pillars stood up fo Stygian, Starswirl seemed to genuinely open up to the possibility that he'd miscalculated and that Stygian might have been a seventh Pillar. His expression makes me think that he was truly open, at that moment, to accepting Stygian as a member of equal standing to the other Pillars, before Stygian said he's no-one special. I can't help but wonder what would've happened if he'd been a little less self-denigrating...

I liked the conclusion to this arc. For all my griping about the Pillars, I do like these versions of Star Swirl and the Sirens, and this is certainly a much better story than the one Ted Anderson gave us. I only wish we could've spent more of the Legends series with them, instead of waiting until the very end for them to show up again. I liked Stygian and all, but Stygian and Star Swirl together would've been better, and it would've been nice to check in on the Sirens a little more often, too.

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