Friendship is Card Games: The Point of No Return · 11:34am Apr 28th, 2019
Well, yeah. When three named characters are dead and Bolas is back in the penalty box, there’s no take-backsies on War of the Spark.
Oh, right, the pony episode! Yes, let’s take a look at what gets such a dramatic title.
And this episode is already looking promising! Any day where Best Pony is allowed to speak is a good day,
I have to agree with Spike; sending the explanation for the package through a completely different transit system is just asking for trouble.
Also, the reason for the episode title is clear. Celestia’s cleaning out Twilight’s old stuff because she needs that space for somepony new.
So… how many generations of My Little Wizard have there been?
Twilight is the sort of person who’d save her favorite assignments for later review. (ahem) Not that I know anyone like that…
Oh. Or the plot involves an overdue library book. That works too. 
Also, why is the checkout card in the inside front cover? Or is this particular language read right to left for some reason? We’ve seen ponies read left to right before, so this is quite bizarre.
“This one has been overdue since I left for Ponyville!” Not that we’ll ever get a specific amount of time for that.
Huh. Looking at the checkout scene, the librarian has a stamp specifically for Twilight’s cutie mark. Admittedly, that makes perfect sense for Twilight, but it seems insanely inefficient for most patrons.
Double huh. Consecutive purple pair flights to Canterlot.
“Everywhere I go, ponies recognize me.” Unless it’s Manehattan.
I’d ask where Twilight keeps that wallet, but I know better.
Your book sniffing experiences are not universal, Purplesmart.
Nice to see Star Swirl wasn’t Equestria’s only chronomancer. Though apparently Mooncurve means bending time in the Dali sense.
That seems like a suitable reaction to Twilight Sparkle not wanting more books. It’d be like Celestia turning down dessert.
Yeah, by the time Twilight panicked about the late fee, there’s no way the new librarian didn’t hear her.
“Number 18905.” Huh. I guess they don’t use the Dewdrop Decimal System.
So… is there a Grossly Overdue Book Office for Ponies who Don’t Know Better?
“In the basement. Because of the shame.” Yes, these are indeed Twilight’s people.
Dante’s Inferno was apparently a thing in Equestria. I wonder which of his enemies he sent to Tartarus.
Seventeen bits in the time it took to get to the office? Does the fee increase exponentially, or is Twilight just Twilighting with extreme prejudice?
Yes, I know when I look a dragon, I think “He probably works at this restaurant.”
Moondancer? Wow, it’s a callback in a callback.
Oh, of course, it’s a G. M. Berrow episode. Continuity’s one of her strongest suits. (Using it for an actual purpose isn’t, but it’s still nice to hear from Sweater Twilight again.)
Okay, at this point, I’m starting to think this entire episode is just one drawn-out anxiety-induced fantasy on Twilight’s part. That, or Equestrian library culture explains so much about her.
Yup, everyone recognizes Princess Twilight. Except one guy who assumes that an alicorn is selling manebrushes door to door.
You know you’re desperate when you check to see if the mare you’re looking for moved into one of your students.
As for why Twilight didn’t ask Silver Spoon, who do you think helped her with that map of all things silver? Also, you know, hippogriffs are omnivores. (“Silly Headmare Twilight! Aunt-Queen Novo declared pony eating illegal weeks ago!”)
I feel like they’re overplaying the montages with this one.
I have several concerns about that jester pony.
Given the “single imperfection equals dismissal” policy at the Canterlot Library, I can’t blame Dusty for not wanting to go back. To say nothing of everything she’s doing at Silver Stable.
Dang. When I retire, I hope I get to play overripe-fruit-based wargames.
I appreciate how Twilight’s reputation for bibliophilia apparently extends nationwide
Oh. Oh wow. Imagine if Twilight had read that book years ago.
The anticlimax with the capped late fee is, dare I say it, perfect.
I quite enjoyed this. Again, the culture of impossible perfection at that library explains so much about Twilight, and the lesson is a legitimately great one. And Best Pony spoke, so that gets some bias points right there. It’s a bit heavy on fluff and gratuitous callbacks, but not the worst of Berrow’s work by any measure.
Flawless Record 1W
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and has vigilance.
At the beginning of your end step, if you didn’t attack with a creature this turn, sacrifice Flawless Record.
Take Five 1W
Instant
Each player sacrifices an artifact or enchantment. If you sacrifice a Song this way, return that card to the battlefield.
“Have you ever held a bow in your fetlock for an hour? You’d appreciate a break as well.”
—Octavia, orchestral assassin
Grossly Overdue UU
Instant
Cast this spell only after combat.
Counter target spell.
“I’ve had enough last-second victories to know how terrible being late can be.”
—Princess Twilight Sparkle
Book Sniffer 1U
Creature — Unicorn Wizard
When Book Sniffer enters the battlefield, draw a card, then discard a card.
Delirium — At the beginning of each opponent’s upkeep, if there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard, draw a card, then discard a card.
1/1
Canterlot Library Corps 2U
Creature — Unicorn Wizard
When you have three or fewer cards in your hand, sacrifice Canterlot Library Corps.
Magical libraries require equally magical staff.
5/5
Silver Miner 2U
Creature — Pony Citizen
U, T: Target player puts the top X cards of their library into their graveyard, where X is the number of artifacts you control.
“Down here, there’s no such thing as too much equipment.”
1/3
Marehunt B
Instant
Choose a card name. This turn, permanents your opponents control with hexproof and that name can be the targets of spells and abilities you control as though they didn’t have hexproof.
Draw a card.
Once Twilight has a goal, nothing will deter her.
Longsnout Jester 2B
Creature — Pony Rogue
Spectacle 3B (You may cast this spell for its spectacle cost rather than its mana cost if an opponent lost life this turn.)
When Longsnout Jester enters the battlefield, if its spectacle cost was paid, each opponent sacrifices a creature.
3/1
Abandon All Hope 4B
Sorcery
Target player reveals their hand. You choose two cards from it. Exile those cards.
Tartarus was never meant to inspire confidence.
Canterlot Antisocialite 1R
Creature — Pony Citizen
Whenever a creature entering the battlefield causes an ability to trigger, Canterlot Antisocialite deals 1 damage to that ability’s controller.
“What part of ‘I’m not interested’ don’t you ponies understand?”
2/2
Subterranean Shame 1R
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature loses flying and can’t block.
In Canterlot, there is no greater sign of disgrace than hiding from the sky.
Live-Fire Exercise 3R
Instant
Until end of turn, creatures you control gain “T: This creature deals 1 damage to any target.”
“Next week, we’re breaking out the pointy sticks!”
—Dusty Pages, retired librarian
Overloaded Mailmare 3R
Creature — Pegasus Scout
Flying
Whenever Overloaded Mailmare attacks, you may discard a card. If you do, draw a card and Overloaded Mailmare gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the discarded card’s converted mana cost.
0/3
Practiced Woodworker 1G
Creature — Pony Artificer Druid
When Practiced Woodworker enters the battlefield, you get EE (two energy counters).
Pay EE: You may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield tapped.
Whittling dead wood leads to shaping the living.
1/2
Freedom from Perfection 2G
Enchantment
This spell can’t be countered.
Whenever a spell you control is countered by a spell or ability an opponent controls, draw a card.
Whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls causes you to discard one or more cards, draw that many cards.
Madness G
Traveling Salespony 2G
Creature — Pony Scout
When Traveling Salespony enters the battlefield, search your library for a land card and reveal it. If you control no lands with the same name as that card, put it onto the battlefield tapped. Otherwise, put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
1/1
Youthful Cache 2GG
Sorcery
Return any number of target nonland cards with total converted mana cost 6 or less from your graveyard to your hand. Exile Youthful Cache.
The memories aren’t in the box, but the means to retrieve them are.
Fantasy Figurine 2
Artifact Creature — Construct Ally
Cohort — T, Tap an untapped Ally you control: Add CC.
“There’s a special bond between you and your character. When they get hurt, you feel it.”
—Spike
2/1
Figurine of the Bearded One 3
Artifact
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, you may have Figurine of the Bearded One become an X/X Unicorn Wizard artifact creature until end of turn, where X is that spell’s converted mana cost.
Star Swirl wasn’t sure if the little ponnequin more flattered or unsettled him.
Golden Oldies 1GW
Creature — Pony Elder Band
Finale — Whenever you sacrifice a Song, you may exile that card from your graveyard. When you do, return target multicolored card from your graveyard to your hand.
The greatest hits stand eternal, even if their hips complain.
2/3
Way of the Serene Hoof 2(ur)
Enchantment
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.
If you wish for inner peace, you must prepare for outer war.
Late Fine Collector 2WB
Creature — Pony Advisor
Whenever an opponent draws a card, you gain 1 life and that player loses 1 life.
“Honestly, planeswalkers are the worst thing to happen to libraries since fire.”
2/2
Ditzy, Superb Supplier 2UR
Legendary Planeswalker — Ditzy
If you would draw a card while you have no cards in hand, draw two cards instead.
+1: Discard a card, then draw a card.
-3: You may cast target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard. If that card would be put into your graveyard this turn, exile it instead.
4
This End Up 2RW
Sorcery
Tap up to two target artifacts, then destroy all tapped artifacts.
“‘Fragile’ is not Istallion for ‘durable.’”
—Ditzy Doo
Mooncurve, Timebender 4UB
Legendary Creature — Unicorn Wizard
When Mooncurve, Timebender enters the battlefield, if you cast it from your hand or the command zone, you may have target opponent take an extra turn after this one.
During extra turns, you control the active player. (You see all cards that player could see and make all decisions for the player.)
2/3
Ah, boy, if any one thing sums up my reaction to this episode...
Oh god I didn't even realize that.
This is just scratching the surface of Canterlot library culture. Twilight wasn’t even offered membership in the Incorruptible Library below Canterlot for fear she would spill their secrets to Celestia...
I feel like Freedom From Perfection should be red. Love the card though.
Antisocialite, heh, I’m stealing that.
Booksniffing IS universal, don’t let anyone tell you different.
*Art of an extremely shaggy orange pony with a banana-on-book cutie mark.*
Ponified Librarian 2UB
Legendary Planeswalker - Librarian
+1 - If you would exile a card, place it in its owner’s graveyard instead.
-2 - Draw two cards, then discard a card.
-4 - You may play target card in any graveyard, using mana of any color. If you do, exile it.
3
“Ook.”
When I saw who the writer was, I decided to skip this episode, but your review made me reconsider. Hopefully G.M. Berrow is better at writing for Twilight than Rarity.
At first, I thought the lesson was a bit off. Like, don't obsess over perfection, everybody makes mistakes. But Dusty didn't make the mistake. Her perfect record is broken because Twilight messed up, something completely out of her hooves. Which is also a good lesson: Don't become obsessed with perfection, you never know what life throws at you and if you fail because someone else mucked it up, don't get stuck on that, move on.
Figurine of the Bearded One needs to be a cycle. Twilight said it was her G1, who knows how many there are?
Didn't that turn out to be just Twilight's panicking though? Dusty herself quit because she realized her now imperfect record felt liberating?
It probably won't happen before the show ends but I would love to see an episode where Twilight has to deal with Celestia taking on a new, younger and seemingly more talented student.
We've seen ponies read right to left more often than left to right.
Also somewhat vindicated- either the fine is for some reason a strange amount of bits per day (which would be weird since everywhere else except the hot air balloon ticket we've only ever seen whole bits used) or there's an initial charge of 4 bits and one bit per day for a 25-day month
I just figured she was asking Silverstream if she had seen Dusty Pages in the hippogriff kingdom during summer break. To me it would be kind of like asking Pinkie Pie about any new arrivals in Ponyville.
I was going to not respond, figuring it was just exaggeration for humor, but there was a little voice that said if she was in a manic enough state, that is something Twilight might do. I mean, she did check a silver mine for a former librarian before checking the retirement center.
5050605
Imagine being that student.
"Here's your keys! Oh, by the way, the filly before you became an immortal divine avatar of magic. She lives in a crystal castle grown from a god-tree she got for saving the world. Again. Anyway, I recently had all her old stuff shipped to her there, so you should have plenty of space now! Ta~a!"
5050609
Maybe their language can be written in either direction. At least it's better than fairy, they write in spirals...
5050605
5050637
Twilight gave Moondancer her old tower, so, presumably this is just stuff she found and she gave it to Celestia to send off.
"If we still had the Library Hounds then this issue would never have come up in the first place." -Ginny the Librarian.
Also I had to share this episode with a librarian friend irl, for obvious reasons.
5050586
My biggest laughs in this one involved orifices.
Luna: “Really? Another one? This would be the third now."
Celestia: “One ran away to another dimension and the other I had to give up way too early. I want to mentor somepony. Anypony! It’s…it's just something I like to do, okay?”
Luna: “More like an itch you need to scratch. Try bedding a stallion to solve this need to raise a filly on the longer term.”
Not that Twilight repays the favor. She walks by Twinkleshine, Minuette and I think Lemon Hearts 3 times this episode. I’d normally tease ‘and of course no Moondancer either’ but she was forced by the plot to see her. And even then. Where was the affection? Or the hug?
Some very intelligent and talented fanfiction writers were clever enough to write this particular habit of hers years ago.
Bigger question is what would have happened if she said “Yes.” in her bubbly cheerful voice.
This flavor text actually gives a real good explanation for her fear of tardiness.
5050656
Well, inasmuch as that tower is Twilight's to give.
This leaves us wondering what she was like before those freaks warped her personality. She probably started out as somepony a lot less high-strung than the friendless loner from the first episode. If she'd read the book Celestia really assigned her, her life would have been a lot better......
5050569 5050613
This is what happens when you just search for "name LIKE 'silver%'" with no regard for other data.
5050586
I would love to see a story on the Incorruptible Library, who maintain the True Card Catalog through rites that aren't so much unspeakable as terminally dull to the uninitiated.
I am proud of the term "Antisocialite," yes. As for Freedom from Perfection, it specifically hoses both of green's enemies. Red getting anti-discard tech doesn't make much sense.
As for the card... Good try?
There are several issues at work, but I won't dig into them unless you actually want me to.
5050589
Here's hoping you don't regret the recommendation.
5050592
We don't talk about G3 Star Swirl.
5050594
The fact that the other librarians so readily believe the rumor says a lot about the culture at the library, to say nothing of Dusty's own attitude prior to the imperfection. And, as I noted, such a culture of perfectionism would explain a great deal about Twilight.
5050605 5050637
If the show doesn't explore this story, we may have to.
5050609
Or it's one bit per day for a 28-day month, though that raises the question of why they'd use seven days per week if they have manual control over the lunar cycle.
5050647
Reminds me of a bit of headcanon on the minotaur written language. It's a fully two-dimensional set of intersecting lines that flow outward from a central point. Minotaurs, appropriately enough, write in labyrinths.
As you might imagine, this makes translating literature for them a uniquely difficult and frustrating endeavor.
5050656
Aside from 5050786's point, remember that Twilight offered her old tower as part of
a bribean incentive to get Moondancer to reunite with their old school friends over dinner. And Moondancer refused to hold up her part of the bargain. I don't think they ever finalized the exchange, especially given how Moondancer's still in the same house at the end of "Amending Fences."5050679
To be fair, I'm pretty sure Twilight has divine command over Library Hounds. Though they would've hunted her down long before the wings... but on the other hand, that might have triggered her ascension all the earlier. And possibly prompted a transformation into Courier Nova.
5050835
"Freaks" is a strong word. Don't forget, that meticulous, obsessive attention to detail was what allowed Twilight to put the pieces together and see Nightmare Moon coming. But there is an element of personal tragedy at work.
5050745
And at some point, Sunset and Twilight visit the castle at just the wrong time and Celestia starts weeping about how her daughters keep growing up and not needing her anymore.
And Luna just sighs and reminds herself to be grateful that her sister didn't take up goose breeding instead.
There's a frightening thought. The Curse of the Protagonist, forcing ponies to only perceive that which is narratively important.
Kudos on calling the book sniffing.
"I've been learning so much from Professor Pinkie!"
"I am far too frightened by the possible implications of that statement to even consider investigating it."
At first, I imagine it was a combination of the Canterlot intelligentsia and Twilight's anxiety. But these days? That many close shaves with disaster are going to leave an impact.
5050837
Don't, I actually know nothing of modern cards or card design and am well aware it's horrid. I was just going for 'crosses time and universes to save knowledge/spellbooks from destruction'.
I do like the Librarian as a shaggy earth pony though.
Actually, I take it back. I am curious what you'd do for that so if you feel like it... :p But yeah, It wasn't mean to be good or balanced.
5050843
cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/516391194092109855/532973644205260800/Screenshot_20190110-122633_YouTube.jpg
Five day weeks. (Also apparently Arbor Day is April 4th in Equestria.)
(5 day weeks in Path wasn't an errant decision; Krickis and I pored through the transcripts and found the only instances of Wednesday and Friday being mentioned were in the EQG films. Which makes sense if Sunday and Monday are named after Celestia and Luna. Celly has shades of Odin, so Wednesday's namesake would roll into her day, and Luna has shades of Frigga, aame story)
Also;
afternight.com/runes/a-theb.gif
Unicorn-script Ponish.
Earth script is either traditional Norse-Teutonic "futhark/thorn" runes or omniglot.com/images/writing/ogham.gif for ease of drawing with a frog or mouth-held tool.
And Pegasus-runes; (mentioned as featherspeak in Tales of Fillydelphia and written in yhe text using Welsh)
3.bp.blogspot.com/-AzY8bx1gv0s/WR1LMFE0lEI/AAAAAAAABYo/btYm7zjZoQE726oC-ZgxdlKajpXczGzywCLcB/s640/images.png
5050853
5050745
Celestia and Firelight hook up over the shared grief of their little ones not needing them anymore. Ain't that the crackest of ships.
They meet at a museum opening. He says he loves old things preserved from the past. She jokes she's the oldest thing in the room. He cheerfully agrees, leaving the press and the other guests mortified but Celestia amused.
5050843
She'd need to have come either from outside Equestria to now know who Twilight Sparkle is, or be an even worse shut-in. Which would make a strange amount of sense.
5050889
Or wherever Cozy is from...
Also O really like that shipfic idea. I'm stealing it.
5050892
Steal away. For added snorts and giggles, imagine Starlight's face when her daddy introduces his new marefriend. Or Twilight's face, for that matter.
Oh, is Magic: The Gathering doing an Infinity War type event?
I didn't see the episode, but maybe the stamp takes the shape of whoever is responsible for the book's welfare?
5050926
Naturally, dear.
Now, I wonder if Sunset is Pony Non Grata in Canterlot's libraries. Since she isn't as neurotic as Twilight (Or rather, goes about it in a completely different manner than Twilight) then perhaps she got a reputation for flaunting library rules as a filly? Hmmm....
5051054
IIRC, Sunset mentions in one of the shorts that she's always been more hooves-on researcher. Unlike Twi who has a tendency to bury herself in books, I assume Sunset always preferred the laboratories and the field expeditions.
Also raises the question of what they use for blank flanks looking to checkout books.
It's just a graphical representation of what Ponies do to the rules of time and space. And logic. And Causality....
To be fair, she did have her saddlebags covering her wings.
I was expecting that, if only because that's how my town library growing up worked.
Agreed, it played to her strengths as a Pony Writer, character and continuity. As well as telling simple, slice of life stories. Few bits where the dialog was a bit too awkward or too perfectly worded to fit the needs of the plot to not feel forced, but overall, very fun little ep with a good heart.
5050837
Hey, you need to learn those rites. You don't want the unprepared to attempt to navigate the hazards of L-Space, they could get lost among the stacks forever, eaten by a rogue Thesauros pack, or end up meeting The Librarian and using the 'M' word.
Twilight never gave it to her to live in, just offered to give her the keys so she could use it whenever she wanted. I'm not sure that was even Twi's actual 'home' so much as just her personal study. That she spent so much time in it might as well have been where she lived.
5051087
Ohhh nice catch, and does fit well with showing different "Smart Pones" all tackling things in different ways.
Twilight is the scholar, trying to study and learn as much about Magic as possible, just for the sake of knowing, wanting to understand how and why it works. To simply understand it.
Sunset is the experimenter, going out, doing stuff, trying out things just to see what they'd do. Having fun with the experinces of learning.
Starlight is a problem solver. Sees a problem, and works to find a way to use magic to fix it. Always looking less "What can magic do" then "What can I do with magic."
I feel like Mooncurve, Timebender is to strong. In the right commander deck, you could essentially have unlimited turns, given you can bounce it to your hand or the command zone or whatever. There is after all a reason why Emrakul is banned in Commander after all. Building an Eldrazi deck with some blue and black spells would allow you to cast this commander with ease.
It would be MAYBE balanced if it read this,
Thus you can't use it to loop your own turns and infinitely bounce and recast Mooncurve.
I am also curious how the second part interacts. So for 2 (well technically 2.5) examples.
1) Lets say I play Timesifter (One of my favorite gimmick cards in MtG) while already having Mooncurve on the field. Does this mean all successive turns from this point on are under my control (Since it just keeps creating extra turns for different players and I control the active player during extra turns?)
2) Lets say player X plays Karn's Temporal Sundering, you have Mooncurve on the field, and I have a Mindslaver on the field.
a) What happens if I activate Mindslaver targeting Player X in their endstep
b) What happens if I activate Mindslaver, targeting you in player X's endstep.
5050938
If you ever publish it, will you give me a notice, please? I would love to see it when it does come out.
5051261
Message me a couple pertinent details and I'll slot it into Fifty First Episodes
5051277
You mean things like Twilight and Firelight getting along quite well after the initial shock? And how that informed Starlight's opinion on Princess Bookhorse? That sort of thing?
5051389
Yes. Private message me some concept notes and I'll put it together.
5051158
I love scenario 1. I would so play the same deck forever until I annoyed my playgroup with my Mooncurve/Timesifter combo. Even more so when I Donate one of my two Lighthouse Chronologists to one of them.*
For 2a, an Oracle ruling of Mindslaver states that its ability "Only lets you make decisions that the player would actually make." One or the other effect would take precedence. Which one is tricky, but I think that Mooncurve would get Oracle'd (as many abilities that used "During" as the only indication of timing did before Sixth Edition) to comment that the ability is actually shorthand for a more complex triggered ability that reads something like "If a player would take an extra turn, you control that player during that turn," which triggers at the beginning of the turn and thus overriding the older Mindslaver ability.
For 2b, Mooncurve's controller isn't taking an extra turn, they are controlling another player's extra turn, so Karn's Temporal Sundering player takes an extra turn, controlled by Mooncurve's controller. Then you control the next turn that actually belongs to Mooncurve's controller.
*My playgroup actually preemptively banned me from donating a Lighthouse Chronologist while controlling another one during the Rise of the Eldrazi spoiler season.