Friendship is Card Games: Rural Renewal and Camp Bighoof #1 · 11:44am Sep 10th, 2023
If we’re going in strict chronological order of release, I should’ve gone for Camp Bighoof before Endless Summer, but it is what it is. Let’s see what I missed out on last time, while also chipping away at the main line backlog.
Rural Renewal
Ah yes, the incredible anthropomorphizing power of googly eyes
Huh. I’m kind of surprised Izzy’s maintaining her Bridlewood residence, but I suppose there are some good memories there. Also, that looks uncannily like the Crusaders' clubhouse in that last panel. When Apple Bloom builds something, it really does last… as long as Scootaloo doesn’t get to it.
Ah, the spiral staircase of planks is new. And the sort of thing I’d expect from an N64-era collect-a-thon platformer. Though the tree would have grown after all this time…
Also, nice to see a gift from Violette, mostly as assurance that she exists outside of her premiere issue.
One could read a lot in the vague, shadowy menace that turns out to be a harmless misunderstanding once magic gets involved. A summary of G5, really.
“Wow, this place sure didn’t brighten up like the rest of Bridlewood when magic came back.”
Hmm. Does Izzy just mean the dismal atmosphere, or was there a physical element to go with the psychological one? And this raises the question of how unicorns have missed this treehouse until now, but it might have been so jinxy that they never even told Izzy’s generation about it.
In any case, no surprise that Izzy looks a derelict building and sees only its potential once she refurbishes it. This almost certainly isn’t the Crusaders’ clubhouse, but it might have similar origins… and given how Discord apparently moved all of Canterlot into the wilder parts of the Everfree, I could see him shuffling bits of Ponyville around in the process. I suppose the question is how much apples factor into the Bridlewood diet…
Heh. Most ponies see junk. Izzy sees a furniture outlet. After all, between Bridlewood in general and her pariah status therein, she never had a lot of new material to work with. Especially not compared to Zipp “literally grew up in a castle” Storm.
Hmm. More of those strange critters. It’s probably nothing.
I imagine this isn’t the first time Izzy’s woken up without knowing where she is. Her first night at the Brighthouse, for example.
Huh. Is that a ponified teru teru bozu in the window? Interesting touch.
SMS logs in My Little Pony are one of the things about this generation I may never get used to.
Okay, complaining about the weather I can understand, but why did none of you bring umbrellas, raincoats, or literally any other rain gear? Izzy’s the only one who made any effort in that regard.
I appreciate Sunny’s attempt to work with whatever Izzy’s doing. Hitch is confused, Zipp has already given up all hope, and Pipp… I’m not sure if she’s streaming this in anticipation of something great or cringey meme fodder. I suspect she’s prepared for either.
The true sparkle being on the inside is one thing, but I feel Izzy could’ve replaced the broken boards in the staircase.
Ah. Credit where it’s due, Pipp stopped the stream the moment she saw the devastation. Also, credit to both Izzy and the writer for not making this a “Filly Who Cried Clubhouse” situation. Clear communication works wonders, especially when working with a motormouth.
Also also, shades of the Legends of Magic sideline. This isn’t quite on the same scale as Castle Everfree, but then, Hitch is no Mistmane.
And sure enough, he’s the one getting the critters’ side of the story. And much like Star Swirl in the Everfree, Izzy was intruding on the animals’ home without ever asking them what they thought about it. To her credit, she takes the news much better than Luna did at first, apologizing to the previous tenants and promising to get out of their way. Fortunately, Hitch and the critters’ spokes-squirrel are able to come to a mutually agreeable arrangement.
One fix-stuff-up montage later, not only have Izzy’s efforts been restored, Hitch has made a shelving unit full of pet beds for the previous occupants.
“There’s always room for new friends. Sometimes you just have to get a little creative about it.”
Yes, Hitch, because if anypony in the room is synonymous with creativity, it’s you. 
And… that’s it. We close with a full page spread of Sunny and Zipp playing a board game while most of the other creatures watch Pipp perform karaoke with songbird accompaniment. This was an incredibly lightweight issue, using a lot of low-dialogue visual montages. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but as I noted, G4 did this story before. And that one had a bear. Nothing wrong with this one, there just isn’t a lot to it.
Camp Bighoof #1
Nicely ominous cover, though the ponies are a tad… squashed. Likewise in the issue itself. Not a dealbreaker of an art style but definitely one that takes a little getting used to after the previous issue. The non-pony animals are a lot more ovular, for one.
A summer camp is definitely an interesting narrative approach, though I do have to wonder why these five felt the need to be in charge of it. Sunny may have talked the others into another magic orientation activity. (Also, where’s Sparky? I’m not expecting regular appearances from Misty for a while yet, but he was notably absent from the previous issue as well. This is approaching Season 6 Starlight levels of “If they’re not relevant to the story, they don’t exist.”)
There’s also the question of why they named the place “Camp Bighoof.” That just feels like it’s tempting fate.
“Here are all your detailed schedules and itineraries.”
“Yay. Who doesn’t love a minute-by-minute timetable of their day?”
A reminder that Sunny isn’t a perfect one-to-one mapping of Twilight, and that Hitch may have taken more lessons from Argyle’s tales of the Bearers of Harmony than either realized.
I do appreciate each counselor’s personalized placard.
… Yeah, definitely going to need to get used to this art style. Not saying I could do better, but it’s closer than usual.
Hmm. Zipp’s been assigned nothing but pegasi. Don’t feel like you have to branch out or anything, princess.
“Unicorn, Pegasus, Pony, Alicorn” doesn’t have quite the same ring as “Duck, Duck, Goose.”
Charades with hooves seems especially awkward when you have to indicate how many words are in the answer.
I do love the varying degrees of enthusiasm among the campers. Most are happy to be here, some are thrilled, one of Sunny’s is clearly terrified to be at his first sleepover camp, and one of Zipp’s was fed up with the place before she even got here.
Also, I swear one of Izzy’s campers has a wooden prosthetic horn. It’s not the same color as his coat and has what appears to be wood grain rather than the G5 spirals.
Ah, Sunny gets to explain the name of the camp and comic through a campfire story. The camp used to be named after Horseshoe Canyon, where it resides, but then the usual story played out: mysterious enormous hoofprints leading to suspicion of a hairy, bipedal cryptid. The question-mark cutie mark is a lovely touch. Bighoof may be a mysterious entity, but it’s still a pony. (As opposed to the Pony Life version.)
Appropriately enough for this particular modern myth, there a number of regional variants. Unicorns have the Bridlesquatch (identical aside from the horn.) Pegasi have the Zeti, a winged specimen that dwells high in the mountains, with a white coat.
Sadly, Sunny’s giddy moment of cultural analysis gets interrupted by a guttural roar that may or may not have come from any of these mythical ape-ponies. (No, not Sunset Shimmer. Though she may have contributed to the legend’s origin.) Everyone is reasonably concerned… aside from the pegasus filly who is absolutely done with all of this and who is quickly becoming one of my favorite background ponies of this generation. I’m calling her Gloomy Skies until further notice.
The counselors assure the campers that they’re safe, and indeed, the next morning seems to dawn without incident. Sunny reaches out to the nervous colt, assuring him that missing his parents is entirely normal during these sorts of things and organizing a nature walk with him and a few other campers to get him to make some friends and get his mind off of homesickness.
(Also, this is apparently “the first group of campers to spend the summer here since we got magic back.” I’m going to say Maretime Bay considered the camp too dangerous in recent years without the kind of defensive emplacements that ruin the point of a summer camp in the first place.)
This is a great idea up until she decides to have the campers—one of each tribe, conveniently enough—decorate the camp sign. Which, to be fair, goes great until the earth colt sneezes, making the vines smack the telekinetically lifted rubble smack the pegasus midflight, which results in a cascading effect that ends in an avalanche. Nopony’s hurt, but the camp entrance is blocked off for the flightless.
Did I mention that the campground is otherwise surrounded by very steep mountains? Because it is. Again, Horseshoe Canyon, with the camp in the frog. Also, there’s that roar again.
There’s something weirdly hilarious about Pipp saying that they’re trapped in the camp midflight. “Trapped” is relative, after all. But yes, the summer’s activities have truly begun, and few of them were on the schedule.
This is a great beginning to an adventure arc; I look forward to looking at the future installments.
Digital Pesterlog 1W
Artifact
2, T: You and another target player each draw a card.
“No sign of Princess Twilight. The Sbarn Protocol remains contained.”
—Hotel Sierra, agent of S.M.I.L.E., final transmission
Frostpeak Zeti 3W
Snow Creature — Pegasus Yeti
Vigilance
1S: Frostpeak Zeti gains flying until end of turn. (S can be paid with one mana from a snow source.)
The highest peaks of the Zephyr Range are reserved for those who were there first.
3/4
Optimistic Refurbisher 3W
Creature — Unicorn Artificer
When Optimistic Refurbisher enters the battlefield, return target noncreature permanent card with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
“A little glitter goes a long way.”
2/2
Revealing Light 3W
Instant
Tap all creatures target player controls. You may look at face-down creatures tapped this way.
Few superstitions survived once unicorns realized the full depth of their restored abilities.
Zipp’s Skyseeker 1U
Creature — Pegasus Scout
Flying
Zipp’s Skyseeker can only block creatures with flying and can’t be blocked by creatures with reach.
“Hitch says I let them fly too high. I say somepony’s got to show them just how far they can reach.”
2/1
Envisioned Potential 2U
Instant
Create an X/X blue Spirit creature token, where X is the greatest mana value among noncreature permanents you control.
Most ponies look at what is. Izzy sees what can be.
Beyond the Horizon 4U
Instant
Target spell or nonland permanent’s owner puts it just beneath the top X cards of their library, where X is your devotion to blue. (Each U in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to blue.)
Elasticity is a double-edged sword.
Omnicrafter Adept 4U
Creature — Unicorn Artificer
2U, T: You may put an artifact card from your hand onto the battlefield.
She mastered every medium in the Bridlewood by the time she was sixteen. Now she’s claimed Canterlogic R&D for her own.
2/4
Cynical Youth 1B
Creature — Pegasus Rogue
Flying
Cynical Youth can’t block.
Whenever an enchantment enters the battlefield, that enchantment’s controller loses 1 life.
No matter the era, some ponies are happiest when they frown.
2/1
Everfree Hoofspeaker 2B
Creature — Squirrel Advisor
Whenever Everfree Hoofspeaker or another Squirrel enters the battlefield under your control, up to one target player loses 1 life and draws a card.
The wildwood chooses its emissaries carefully, selecting the most viciousness ponies least expect.
2/1
Signal Distortion 2B
Sorcery
Target opponent reveals their hand. You choose a card from it. That player discards a card. If they didn’t discard the chosen card, return Signal Distortion to its owner’s hand.
“Maybe you didn’t understand me the first time…”
Knacker’s Delight 2BB
Sorcery
When you cast this spell, copy it for each creature in its target’s herd. (A player’s herd consists of up to one each of Bat, Pony, Pegasus, and Unicorn.)
Target player sacrifices a creature.
“Magic’s great, but it’s still dangerous.”
—Hitch Trailblazer, Maretime Bay sheriff
Flickering Hatchling RR
Creature — Dragon
Phasing (This phases in or out before you untap during each of your untap steps. While it’s phased out, it’s treated as though it doesn’t exist.)
Flying, haste
Flickering Hatchling attacks each combat if able.
3/1
Campfire Tales 2R
Sorcery
Choose one at random. Create a red creature token with those characteristics.
• 3/3 Pony with trample and haste.
• 2/2 Pegasus with haste and “This creature has flying as long as it’s attacking.”
• 2/2 Unicorn with prowess and haste. (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
Bellowing Bighoof 4R
Creature — Pony Yeti
Menace, haste
Some cryptids are hard to find because they’re shy, solitary beasts who want to be left alone. Some are hard to find because they don’t leave any survivors.
5/4
The Mystery of the Castle 4R
Enchantment — Saga
(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter. Sacrifice after III.)
I — Destroy target artifact or land.
II — Whenever you attack this turn, create a tapped Treasure token for each attacking creature.
III — You may sacrifice an artifact. When you do, return another target artifact card from a graveyard to the battlefield under your control.
Skybreak Dancer 1G
Creature — Spirit
Whenever you cast a Spirit or Arcane spell, untap target creature or land.
The little creatures flock to bright spots beneath the canopy, leading unicorns to believe they bring good weather.
2/1
Abandon to the Wilds 2GG
Sorcery
Exile target noncreature, nonplaneswalker permanent.
The depths of the Bridlewood contain many relics from the Twilit Era, left there by unicorns who couldn’t bear the pain of remembering better days.
Fuzzy Mass 2GG
Creature — Beast
When Fuzzy Mass dies, search your library for any number of creature cards with total mana value X or less, where X is the amount of damage dealt to Fuzzy Mass this turn. Put those cards onto the battlefield, then shuffle.
Morph 2G
3/2
Nesting Swarm 3G
Creature — Beast
Riot (This creature enters the battlefield with your choice of an additional +1/+1 counter or haste.)
Whenever Nesting Swarm deals combat damage to a player, destroy target artifact or enchantment that player controls.
Take their home and they’ll take yours.
3/2
Nest Rack 3
Artifact
5, T: Exile any number of nontoken creatures you control. Put up to that many creature cards from your hand onto the battlefield. Then put the exiled cards into your hand.
“They’re comfortable and sortable!”
—Hitch Trailblazer, Maretime Bay sheriff
Unicycler’s Bane UBR
Instant
Target player mills six cards. Exile that player’s graveyard. Unicycler’s Bane deals 1 damage to them for each card type among cards exiled this way.
For a brief, horrible moment, Izzy understood why other ponies didn’t like trash.
Vernal Splendor 2(gw)
Sorcery
Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control. Those creatures gain vigilance until end of turn.
Before the first guttural roar echoed from the hills, Camp Bighoof was awash in the beauty of summer.
Elusive Bridlesquatch 3GU
Creature — Unicorn Yeti
Ward 3 (Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player pays 3.)
Elusive Bridlesquatch can’t be blocked except by creatures with the same power as it.
4/4
Restless Campsite
Land
Restless Campsite enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add R or G.
2RG: Until end of turn, Restless Campsite becomes a 4/3 red and green Yeti creature with trample. It’s still a land.
Whenever Restless Campsite attacks, defending player sacrifices an artifact or enchantment.
Stupid Complicated Game Alert: Yes, Nest Rack has to do that weird shuffle. At least if it wants to stop you from putting the creatures you returned to your hand right back onto the battlefield with the rest of the ability, which it does.
You just stomp the ground with a foreleg the appropriate number of times.
5745955
Very clever, Hans.