Friendship is Card Games: Coiffure Confidence and Ponyville Mysteries #1

This week, we have only one issue of the main line left before confronting the Cosmos arc, and we’re fresh out of Legends of Magic. As such, we’ll start looking into the following side series, Ponyville Mysteries.

But before that, there’s a little matter involving Zephyr Breeze…

Coiffure Confidence

Huh. Given the color scheme and slit-pupilled eyes of the assorted hair products, I feel like that cover is intentional foreshadowing for the arc to come.

Given the endemic bad mane days, I have to appreciate Gallus and Smolder’s nonchalant entrance. Sure is nice being a theropod. Granted, Gallus isn’t completely furless, but it’s feathers in the front.
That said, I’m amazed Fluttershy’s eyes in panel 3 made it to the final printing. Those just look wrong. And that’s putting aside the question of the light switches.

Good to see Zephyr’s found somewhere to put his skills to use. And he isn’t even being harassed by Babs Seed! … Even if that would be fun to see.

Wait, wait, wait. “My baby sister Fluttershy”? Stellar editing, you guys. Taller does not automatically mean older. My sister’s four years older than I am and I still have almost a foot on her.

Hippogriff manes needing saltwater does make sense. Though you’d think Sandbar would be able to diagnose his lack of pomade on his own. Granted, that might be a bit more awareness than I should expect from Chillhorse.
Also, again, panel 3. Yikes on Zephyr’s mouth.

Fluttershy sticking her tongue out at her brother is delightful.

Oof. I definitely empathize with Zephyr’s impostor syndrome. I know I’ve had days where I’ve expected to be told not to come back tomorrow.

So… why does the School have a lightning practice field, and why did Yona run into it?

Good thing Manecon isn’t so big that they couldn’t swing four tickets a few days in advance. Or Fluttershy used her royal connections; also a possibility.

There’s a surprisingly high number of dragons at this manestyling convention. Also a bear. And an alicorn on the left. What the actual?

Seriously, what’s with the bears?

The existence of Fetlocks of Love is simultaneously heartening and concerning. Still, we’ve had suspicions of pony cancer since “Reading Rainbow.” Rograin, meanwhile, probably doesn’t work nearly as well as advertised; otherwise Cranky would buy it by the gallon.

I really have to question these styling experts when only one of them is a mammal. Okay, one and a half.

I’m still getting used to this artist’s idiosyncracies, but this? This is a good panel.

Zephyr actually apologizing and helping to clean up after he carelessly messed something up? Wow, this job has been good for him.

GUNQ is a legitimately brilliant brand name. I’m surprised it doesn’t exist in our world.

This was a sincerely helpful and supportive bit between Pixie Cut and Zephyr. Lovely stuff. “Fluttersis” and “Brother Breeze” are also cute.

Hoo boy. In case it wasn’t clear that Zephyr is Fluttershy’s brother. Break down his facade and he’s just as panic-prone as she used to be. (And as he used to be, apparently, going by the unspecified incident at Dash’s eighth birthday party.)

I like “ponies and gentlecreatures” as a generic semi-formal greeting for attendant sapients. Still equinocentric, but a good transition phrase as Twilight gradually breaks Equestria’s isolationism.

One gallon of mousse doesn’t seem like nearly enough for a yak manestyle.

So… can other ponies see Pixie’s black tentacles of fear, or is she just visualizing them as part of an attempt to get rid of them?

And yeah, putting yourself out there can be legitimately terrifying, no matter your experience level. Part of why I like contests here is that you never have to actually see the judges as they assess your work.

And having those judges say you actually did well, that’s always nice.

I can’t show it, but Yona just becomes a homogenous brown blob behind Zephyr in that last panel. Not sure how much of that is on the artist and how much the colorist.

As with “Flutter Brutter,” I find myself relating with Zephyr Breeze to an uncomfortable degree, but at least he’s making progress. Makes me feel better about myself.

Ponyville Mysteries #1

I feel i should note the credits page has a bowling motif. Is Jeff Letrotski getting involved?

Well, this is awkward. We open with references to a six-book series of novels that I haven’t read. I especially want to know about the bogles. I imagine they don’t resemble the ones on Shadowmoor.
Also, the Crusaders in candy striper outfits are adorable.

They’re good foals. Even if the janitor disapproves of eavesdropping. Seriously, girls, tread carefully. Hospital janitors have a tendency towards strange and unnatural capabilities.

Wow. “Distemper”? Honestly, we should be grateful he’s just a cranky janitor. A unicorn with that name could go a long way down a dark path.

Ponyville’s most helpful ponies? The Crusaders? Dang, what did I miss in that book series?

Cooperate with the investigators, Distemper. The alternative is far worse.

Huh. You know, I think this filly might mark the first explicit reference to blood in G4.

Only now did I notice that Redheart’s boss is Nurse Neightingale. Sometimes the horse pun isn’t necessary.

Oh boy, this is familiar.
“I’ve applied a fix and the problem should be taken care of.”
(The next day) “The problem hasn’t been taken care of, and something else broke!”
“Oh. Crap.”

“Plus, it’s so high up!” Scootaloo’s right there, Apple Bloom. Just because her wings can’t generate lift doesn’t mean pegasi don’t exist.

And there we go. Security hole spotted… though how did the birds get into what’s supposed to be a locked supply closet? That window is directly above it, not in it.

Our heroes, everyone! Lying about life and death situations to get a good chunk of Ponyville’s medical staff away from the hospital.

Heh. Scootaloo’s plotting out new scooter tricks.

Ah, we are working with the Dude… next week. Though I’m impressed he and Walter already came to girls. Rumor travels fast, I suppose. And maybe Donny was in the hospital for his heart condition.

This was fluff, but fun fluff. Not sure how much material I’ll have to work with next week, but hey, these comics still exist. I can use all the material I can get. Now, onto what I’ve made with this week’s offerings:

Hospital Volunteer 1W
Creature — Pony Citizen
Flash
When Hospital Volunteer enters the battlefield, prevent all damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn.
“Don’t worry, sir. We’re here to help.”
1/2

Crime Scene Investigation 2W
Instant
Whenever a creature deals combat damage to you this turn, investigate. (Create a colorless Clue artifact token with “2, T, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.”)
Every crime leaves evidence, be it physical traces or stains on the soul.

Social Weavers 2W
Creature — Bird
Flying
Social Weavers gets +0/+1 for each artifact and/or enchantment you control.
They gather every scrap they can find for their nests, regardless of whether someone else was already using them.
2/1

Urgent Care 2W
Instant
Whenever a creature you control dies this turn, return that card to its owner’s hand.
“My friends and I manage to keep most creatures safe. The real heroes take care of the ones we miss.”
—Princess Twilight Sparkle

Peerless Coiffurist 3WW
Creature — Pony Wizard
When Peerless Coiffurist enters the battlefield, return up to one target artifact card and up to one target enchantment card from your graveyard to your hand.
In the hooves of a master, no look is out of style.
2/2

Regalia Shaper 3WW
Creature — Artificer Noble
Alicorn (This card is also a Pony Pegasus Unicorn.)
Flying
You may cast Aura spells as though they had flash as long as they target a Pony, Pegasus, or Unicorn.
You may activate equip abilities any time you could cast an instant as long as they target a Pony, Pegasus or Unicorn.
3/3

Saltwater Rinse 1U
Instant
Creatures and lands you control gain hexproof until end of turn.
Awaken 3—4U (If you cast this spell for 4U, also put three +1/+1 counters on target land you control and it becomes a 0/0 Elemental creature with haste. It’s still a land.)

Stakeout Sleuth 1U
Creature — Unicorn Rogue
Whenever you sacrifice a Clue, surveil 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card into your graveyard.)
“Patience. Nopony ever solved a mystery by jumping to conclusions.”
2/1

Whelmhaze 3UU
Creature — Elemental
When Whelmhaze enters the battlefield, tap up to two target creatures. Those creatures don’t untap during their controllers’ next untap steps.
Evoke 2U (You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it’s sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.)
3/3

Supply Raid 4UU
Sorcery
Search target opponent’s library for a noncreature, nonland card and cast it without paying its mana cost. Then that player shuffles their library.
“Sparkle said Starlight was free to use anything in her lab. Getting it for me counts as using it.”
—Trixie Lulamoon, traveling performer

Bad Mane Day 1B
Instant
Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is 2 plus 2 for each permanent attached to that creature.
“Every improvement to your look runs the risk of spoiling it.”
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity

Unlicensed Physician 3B
Creature — Unicorn Citizen
Flash
Exploit (When this creature enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a creature.)
When Unlicensed Physician exploits a creature, creatures you control gain indestructible until end of turn.
“Don’t worry, I know what I did wrong.”
3/2

Dreadtendrils 4B
Creature — Elemental
Menace
When Dreadtendrils leaves the battlefield, target player sacrifices a creature.
Evoke 2B
4/1

Panic Strike 1R
Sorcery
Choose one or both —
• Panic Strike deals 3 damage to target creature.
• Target creature can’t block this turn.
Frightened ponies have a tendency to bolt.

Impostor Syndrome 2R
Enchantment
Whenever a player activates an activated ability of a creature, if it isn’t a mana ability, that player flips a coin. If they lose the flip, counter that ability.
At the beginning of each end step, if a player won two or more coin flips this turn, sacrifice Impostor Syndrome.

Ursine Vendors 1G
Creature — Bear Citizen
When Ursine Vendors enters the battlefield, if you control an enchantment, draw a card.
A bear market isn’t always a bad thing.
2/2

Hurricane Coiffure 2G
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
When Hurricane Coiffure enters the battlefield, it deals 2 damage to each creature with flying.
Enchanted creature gets +0/+2 and has reach.
You’ll take the fashion world by storm.

Tanglecoat Yak 3G
Creature — Ox Warrior
Whenever Tanglecoat Yak blocks or becomes blocked by an equipped creature, destroy all Equipment attached to that creature.
Swords get crushed within her knotted locks. Shears don’t stand a chance.
3/3

Scrap Wagon 3
Artifact — Vehicle
When Scrap Wagon is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, return another target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand.
Crew 1 (Tap any number of creatures you control with total power 1 or more: This Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.)
3/3

Implements of Destruction 9
Artifact Creature — Eldrazi Construct
Emerge 8 (You may cast this spell by sacrificing a creature and paying the emerge cost reduced by that creature's converted mana cost.)
When you cast this spell, destroy target nonland permanent.
The stars are right. Equestria hangs by a hair.
4/4

Everfree Bogle 1(gu)(gu)
Creature — Beast
Hexproof
“Of course I brought other species to Ungula! You didn’t expect me to make up a whole biosphere, did you?”
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
2/2

Dracostylist 2RW
Creature — Dragon Citizen
Flying
Dracostylist has first strike as long as it’s enchanted.
1R: Dracostylist gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the number of enchantments you control.
2/2

Comments

[hawthornbunny]

Whenever Tanglecoat Yak block

Typo, should be "Whenever Tanglecoat Yak blocks"

also I want four

[hawthornbunny]

Also missing period on Dracostylist

[Herald of Opera]

Stupid Complicated Game Alert: If something is both an artifact and an enchantment, Social Weavers will only count it once because it's worded differently from the cards that are designed to count such things twice.

Stupid Complicated Game Alert: if you sacrifice a Clue to its own ability, Stakeout Sleuth's surveil trigger will go off before the draw does. However, that's not the only way you can sacrifice Clues; go ahead and feed the evidence to an Atog, Sweetie Belle will still surveil.

Stupid Complicated Game Alert: Panic Strike's two instances of "target creature" can refer to different creatures, and in actual play the only time they won't is when you're not even using both effects. The thing you damaged will already be prevented from blocking by the fact that it's dead.

[Darkstarling]

The lightning practice field is for Pegasi taking electives on weather management. Yona runs it (not the class, just the field) because she’s tough enough for the occasional accidents and scraps of thunderhead left around.

Deliberately building up static to turn her into a fuzzball is not appreciated.

I think the alicorn is meant to be Flurry Heart going by that panel. Which raises the question of just how panicked Sunburst was looking for her.

[Venerable Ro]

Frightened ponies have a tendency to bolt.

I see what you did there.

[Dustcan]

Well, this is awkward. We open with references to a six-book series of novels that I haven’t read. I especially want to know about the bogles. I imagine they don’t resemble the ones on Shadowmoor.

You should. They're genuinely good with loveable characters and easily a Top 3 villain as the main antagonist. Also with your backlog of comics starting to thin you could use another medium if you want to continue the blogging.

Also the boggles were more or less territorial ghosts. I don't think a description was given since they were invisible.

[Herald of Opera]

5166259
Oh, right.

Inside Baseball Alert: Panic Strike is a worse Panic stapled to a worse Lightning Strike, thus its name. Lightning Strike is itself a less broken version of Lightning Bolt, thus the flavor text.

[The Great Derpsby]

The comic did good on Zephyr Breeze. And Fluttershy too. It didn't deviate too much from what we saw of him so far; a lot of his confidence is an act. It's like with people who talk fast so you don't think as much about what they're actually saying. In perfect 'Shy fashion, he graduated from fearing he'll be failure for never learning a single thing to having learned a thing and now fearing he hasn't learned it well enough.

Wow. “Distemper”? Honestly, we should be grateful he’s just a cranky janitor. A unicorn with that name could go a long way down a dark path.

Shining Armor looked through the one-side mirror at the pony brought in. A brown earth pony stallion in a sleeveless white shirt.

"So, what did they bring him in for?"

"Domestic dispute. Neighbours complained about the noise. Mister W.B. swears he did nothing."

"Mister W.B.?"

"Wife-Beater."

"Ah," said Shining Armor.