Friendship is Card Games: Spirit of the Forest #2 & #3

This week, we return to the eco-adventures of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Let’s hope the message here isn’t so heavy handed that Whoopi Goldberg comes in with a crystalline computer to support these three Planeteers.

Spirit of the Forest #2

Huh. You don’t usually see the cover of one issue pick up right where the previous one left off. (As opposed to the alternative, which presents the tantalizing prospect of the Tantabus taking over the lumber mill. There’s a story idea…)

I’m with Applejack on that first page. You’d think Rarity would know better than to tempt fate.
Also, no, Pinkie wouldn’t like any tea with her sugar.

“We’re flustered and consternated!”
“Ooh! You’ve been using the thesaurus I bought you, Sweetie!”
Well, she was already a dictionary, so…

The industrial waste going downriver is definitely a potential issue. You girls probably could’ve brought that up at the meeting.
And it’s interesting to see how Dash approves of direct confrontations with the local corporate overlords. Also adorable given that hoofbump.

Amused as I am by Pinkie’s genre-savviness and Fluttershy being delighted by not being involved in the story, no one said they couldn’t get involved. I bet Twilight’s bureaucratic skills would be very useful in attacking the mill from an unexpected angle. Or they could have a completely unrelated adventure of some sort. (Another potential idea to explore.)

I do appreciate how many family photos Filthy has in his office… though the tremendous Diamond Tiara portrait behind him feels a bit much. Still, it does hint at the best way to convince him. (And I’m going to call him Filthy throughout this review. He doesn’t deserve to be Mr. Rich right now.)
Also, I do have to wonder what discrepancies there may be between what he presented to the city and how he’s doing business.

“This place has memories attached to it, which is why I’m clear-cutting it!”
Yeah, it isn’t the soundest logic, even from a sentimental perspective.

Oh. I see how it is. When they start using your argument against you, suddenly the forest is “just a place like any other.” Which means you could look elsewhere. :applejackbemused:

Ah. Well. So much for the bureaucratic approach.

Good thing Ponyville’s roads do a three-way split there, and that eacxh Crusader’s house lies in a different direction. Would’ve been a lot less dramatically poignant otherwise.

It is wonderful to see something official do something with post-reform Diamond Tiara. Also, nice way to address why she didn’t seem to know what was going on when her father was the culprit. And why she hasn’t said anything to his face. She’s still feeling insecure about being a petty bully, and she’s not sure if this is a case where she’d be using her powers of persuasion for good.

You do have to feel for that lumberjack. I mean, his cutie mark is a stump. What else is he supposed to do with his life?

Huh. This plan works a lot better on mill workers than Scootaloo’s parents. Makes sense; the latter are actually familiar with monsters.

“I heard it kidnapped Splinter!”
Oh dear. Someone will have to go to Manehattan and tell his kids. Bring pizza; it’ll ease the sting.

“Isn’t anycreature in this mill doin’ their job?”
Huh. Just political correctness, or has Filthy hired some nonponies? I don’t see any in the commissary.

Aaaand there’s the other side of things. The mill exists for a reason; the supply chain is an insatiable beast. Though ponies are panicking a bit overmuch; there are other sources of lumber. After all, they were able to get by before Filthy built the mill. (Still, Ponyville. Drama capital of Equestria.)

I’m sorry, just… this panel. This panel is a delight.

“Of course my little sister is sabotagin’ a major industrial operation! Of course she is.”
Brilliant bit of AJ dialogue. Oh, the woes of a big sister.

“There ain’t no spirit in this forest!”
I mean, this is a world where the local librarian came to town because she was convinced an old mare’s tale was about to kidnap the God-Empress of Ponykind, and she was right. Don’t discount fables so readily, Filthy.

Also, if the mill is shut down, what’s coming out of the smokestacks?

Spirit of the Forest #3

Well. Bit of a mood shift on this cover.

Replanting isn’t a bad idea, especially if the workers do so. Of course, the Crusaders kind of blew their diplomatic capital with Filthy.

As I said earlier, Diamond’s the secret to all of this.

Diamond’s dialogue is a bit bizarre in this issue. She has the same phonetic accent as her father and the Apples. (See panel 2 here; it persists throughout her dialouge.) Maybe her elocution lessons are slipping in her frustration. (And you know Spoiled would make sure her daughter didn’t speak with the same hick accent as her husband.)

Interesting that it’s Apple Bloom who sensed the presence of the spirit. I’m choosing to interpret that as earth pony magic, refined through farm work.

I do love how Diamond has no idea how the Crusaders got packed during the panel transition. She clearly needs more Pinkie exposure if she can’t do the same. (Or, you know, she couldn’t maintain her sanity. Either or.)

Ah, the puppy-dog eyes. The Crusaders may have refined theirs, but Diamond’s can cut through anything.

Keep going, Diamond. You’ll get through to him eventually.

There are indeed some things money can’t buy. Moreover, there are some things where the loss is so much greater than the profit in ways that a balance sheet can’t express. And, most importantly for someone like Filthy Rich, sustainability means sustainable profits. Not maximized in any given quarter, no, but over the long term it’s best to let the resources that can renew themselves.
(That being said, a stallion who’s shown as much appreciation for tradition and history as Filthy Rich going full exploitation does feel a bit off. Still, at least it’s not as bad as his human analogue in Legend of Everfree.)

I do have to appreciate Mr. Rich’s “Kiss the CEO” apron. Also, Spoiled is notably absent from the barbeque. I wonder what she thought of all of this.
Also, how exactly does an earth pony use tongs? Seriously, look at this nonsense.

Huh. Ponies have red Solo cups. I’m not sure how to feel about that.

Also, that’s… quite the design for the spirit of the forest. And for an alleged protector of all woodlands, it didn’t exactly do much. Unless we’re going by the Futurama guidelines of divine intervention.

In all, this did do a fairly balanced presentation of the issues. It doesn’t discount the reasons behind pollution sources, it doesn’t condone ecoterrorism, and it doesn’t vilify anyone involved… too much. Plus, again, a chance for Diamond Tiara to actually do something in canon after “Crusaders of the Lost Mark.” All told, a good low-key three-shot.

Now to see what I can make from these materials. Bear in mind that I’ll be using Ikoria mechanics henceforth, though I don’t anticipate doing any Godzilla alters.
No, I’m not kidding. Wizards Japan was in talks with Toho since this whole set is kaiju-themed.

Broken Supply Chain 1W
Sorcery
Choose a card type. Players can’t cast spells of the chosen type until the end of your next turn.
When the mill closed, all the businesses that had relied on it struggled to adapt.

Pinkie’s Tincture 1W
Instant
Choose up to two target creatures. Put a +1/+1 counter on either of them. Then put a lifelink counter on either of them.
“It’s good for the soul! Less so the pancreas.”
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter

Adamant Agitator 2W
Creature — Pony Rebel
Adamant Agitator has indestructible as long as you control a green permanent.
Her cause is just. Her skull is thick.
3/1

Staggering Bureaucrat 2W
Creature — Pony Advisor
1W, Sacrifice Staggering Bureaucrat: Detain all creatures target opponent controls. (Until your next turn, those creatures can’t attack or block and their activated abilities can’t be activated.)
Filling out the forms takes less time than wading through them.
2/1

Nesting Eagle 3W
Creature — Bird
Flying
Whenever you cycle a card, create a 1/1 white Bird creature token with flying.
Other creatures quickly find uses for what ponies discard.
2/2

Brilliant Inspiration 2U
Sorcery
Draw a card for each artifact and/or enchantment you control, then discard a card for each of those permanents with no counters on it.
Gems for a cutie mark imbue a potent clarity of vision.

Surplus to Requirement 2U
Instant
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 2 for each creature they control.
“It’s nice to not be needed for every crisis.”
—Fluttershy, Bearer of Kindness

Elder Overseer 3UU
Creature — Shapeshifter
You may have Elder Overseer enters the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield, except it enters with your choice of a flying counter, a hexproof counter, or a +1/+1 counter.
0/0

Greedy Impetus 2B
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and is goaded. (It attacks each combat if able and attacks a player other than you if able.)
Whenever enchanted creature attacks, you lose 1 life and draw a card.

Foul Emanation 2BB
Sorcery
All creatures get -X/-X until end of turn, where X is your devotion to black. (Each B in the mana costs of permanents you control counts towards your devotion to black.)
Swamp gas isn’t any better than monster attacks.

Lumber Quota 1R
Enchantment
At the beginning of your precombat main phase, sacrifice a land. If you do, add three mana in any combination of R and/or G to your mana pool.
0: Sacrifice Lumber Quota. Activate this ability only if there are four or more land cards in your graveyard.

Quest for the Forest Spirit G
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may look at the top card of your library. If it's a creature card, you may reveal it and put a quest counter on Quest for the Forest Spirit.
At the beginning of each end step, if there are three or more quest counters on Quest for the Forest Spirit, you may put a legendary creature card from your hand onto the battlefield.

Replanting Team 2G
Creature — Pony Citizen
T, Exile a land card from your graveyard: Search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
“Just replace what you take and you’ll never run out.”
3/2

Roostcrown Honeycrisp 3G
Creature — Treefolk
Reach
When Roostcrown Honeycrisp enters the battlefield, if W was spent to cast it, create a 1/1 white Pegasus creature token with flying.
“Not my fault AJ grows comfy branches.”
—Rainbow Dash, Bearer of Loyalty
3/3

Nature’s Vengeance 3GG
Sorcery
Destroy all artifacts and enchantments.
“Patience only goes so long when ponies do so much so wrong. Careful with your toys, my friends, for in time they’ll meet their ends.”
—Zecora, zebra shaman

Sustainability Advisor 4G
Creature — Pony Advisor
Whenever Sustainability Advisor or another permanent is put into your graveyard from the battlefield, any player may pay 3. When no one does, return to your hand another target card in your graveyard that shares a permanent type with that permanent.
3/4

Breakneck Sled 3
Artifact — Vehicle
Trample
When Breakneck Sled dies, the controller of each creature that crewed it this turn sacrifices that creature.
Crew 2 (Tap any number of creatures you control with total power 2 or more: This Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.)
5/3

Diamond-Edge Axe 3
Artifact — Equipment
Equipped creature gets +2/+0.
Fabulosity 2 (2: If this artifact isn’t fabulous, put a gem counter on it and it becomes fabulous.)
As long as Diamond-Edge Axe is fabulous, equipped creature has first strike and trample.
Equip 2

Malicious Mill 6
Artifact Creature — Construct Horror
Whenever Malicious Mill deals combat damage, each player puts that many cards from the top of their library into their graveyard.
1, Exile two cards from your graveyard: Malicious Mill gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
5/5

Looming Presence 2BR
Creature — Nightmare Spirit
Mutate 2(br)(br) (If you cast this spell for its mutate cost, put it over or under target non-Human creature you own. They mutate into the creature on top plus all abilities from under it.)
Menace
Whenever this creature mutates, creatures you control get +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the number of times this creature has mutated.
3/2

Whitetail, Sylvan Protector 4(gw)(gw)
Legendary Creature — Spirit Elk Dinosaur
Companion — Your starting deck contains no artifact, enchantment, or nonbasic land cards. (If this card is your chosen companion, you may cast it once from outside the game.)
At the beginning of each player’s upkeep, create a 2/2 green and white Spirit creature token unless that player sacrifices an artifact or enchantment.
5/5

Clear-Cut Wasteland
Land
T: Add C.
As long as Clear-Cut Wasteland is in your graveyard, lands you control have “T: Add R or G.”
“We learn from the mistakes of the past, but we don’t repeat them.”
—Filthy Rich, business-stallion

Comments

[Herald of Opera]

Stupid Complicated Game Alert: If you happen to control a single permanent that's both an enchantment and an artifact, it only counts once for Brilliant Inspiration. For a fun time, make everything enchantments. Seriously, go nuts.

Inside Baseball Alert: Greedy Impetus is part of a cycle in the attached-to-Ikoria Commander 2020. I personally would have waited until they revealed the member of that cycle in that color, but you do you.

Inside Baseball Alert: Quest counters were a thing back in OG Zendikar, and they're being used correctly on Quest for the Forest Spirit.

Stupid Complicated Game Alert: Creatures that are blocking or blocked deal combat damage to other creatures. The likes of Malicious Mill will teach you to care about this. (But fighting isn't combat. Because see the title for this type of alert.)

Inside Baseball Alert: Oh hello there, Riftstone Portal Clear-Cut Wasteland. It took me a bit to figure out how to search for you effectively without remembering your name. (For the record, "in your graveyard" as rules text and "Land" as type narrowed it down to single digits)

[Anon E Moose]

That spirit of the forest looks like it should be one of Discord's cousins or something.

[Herald of Opera]

5236272
I've always said that nature is inherently chaotic. Mostly as the "romantic chemistry" portion of my Fluttercord spiel, but still.

[SockPuppet]

Such a wonderful comic! I sat and read it to my little one as bedtime story a few months back, and used it as the basis for a recent Diamond fic, too!

Thanks, FoME!

[UrsaMajor]

Might be me being dumb, but how does "either" on Pinkie’s Tincture work? Is it "on one" or "on one or both"?

I see Nesting Eagle's flavor text is a bit punny.

[Herald of Opera]

5236281
Definitely "on one" here. "Choose one or more" is sufficiently established vernacular to assure that. Oh, that reminds me...

Stupid Complicated Game Alert: you can target only one creature with Pinkie's Tincture in order to put both counters on it. You can also put both counters on the same creature even if you decided to target two, just in case you want to target one without doing anything else to it (Theros block and the new Theros set contain cards that would make that useful). Heck, you don't even have to decide where the counters go until the spell resolves, so if one of them gets murdered that's less of a problem than your opponent might have hoped.

[Anon E Moose]

5236276
Fluttershy ascending to draconequus of nature rather than an alicorn is a fave fan theory of mine

[_Undefined_]

I’m sorry, just… this panel. This panel is a delight.

(insert obligatory "Fluttershy wants to be a tree" joke here)

I’m with applejack on that first page. You’d think Rarity would know better than to tempt fate.

Rarity's getting casual around her friends. A proper lady grasps only the handles of teacups and teapots using her magic.