Friendship is Card Games: Filli Vanilli · 6:19pm Feb 16th, 2014
Well, the flavor analysis last week got some positive reactions, so this week, we'll talk about fear.
Obviously, black is the master of fear, to the extent of having a keyword named just that. The keyword, in turn, was named after one of the first cards ever printed. Another such card frightened a creature to death and was the progenitor of the hoary old criticism "dies to removal." These days, of the thirty-four cards that have or grant intimidate, only nine of them are neither black nor make something black. Furthermore, black is the color of zombies, vampires, unspeakable horrors, and other frightening mainstays. (And of Pinkie Pie, speaking of unspeakable horrors.)
Red, as the color of emotion, also makes heavy use of fear. Of those nine nonblack intimidators, five are red, and that's not counting the pair from Planar Chaos who hail from an alternate timeline or Boldwyr Intimidator, he of the quintessentially red rules text, "Cowards can't block Warriors." Most fear-themed red cards use that fear to obviate blocking, making the foe's force run off to find their brown pants. One seems tailor-made for a moment in the episode:
I think it's clear who Kezim considers worst pony.
The other colors have little to do with fear on their own. Blue has the odd bit of psychological warfare like Cowardice, green inspires primal terror with the occasional intimidator, and white prefers knee-buckling awe over bowel-loosening terror.
And that's Fluttershy's problem. All of the Mane Six have some white characteristics — indeed, all ponies do — but as Bearer of Kindness, she's got the strongest bond to it, and suffers the most when beset by the tactics of its enemies. While she can overcome fear, it's generally been for the benefit of others than for herself. (cf. Dragonshy, Hurricane Fluttershy, Power Ponies, et. al.) She only agrees to act as Big Mac's voice in a moment of dire need. To stand in center stage, expose herself to the judgement of the crowd, solely for her own benefit? She goes from literally walking on air to fleeing in tears.
By the end of the episode, though, she's grown. She isn't going to become the next Sapphire Shores any time soon, but she's a little tougher. A little stronger. And it's the support of her friends that got her there.
Now, the cards. The cards for a cartoon in the 2010's with a name based on a band from the 1980's and the plot of a movie from the 1950's. Did cicadas write this?
If so, they should keep it up. Big Mac singing. Anti-Scootaloo. Realistic portrayal of overcoming anxiety. So good.
Backup Songbirds WW
Creature — Bird
Flying
Each Song you control enters the battlefield with an additional verse counter on it.
Birds were singing long before ponies, but they appreciate the newcomers' efforts.
1/1
"Find the Music in You" 2W
Enchantment — Song
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a verse counter on "Find the Music in You".
2W, Sacrifice "Find the Music in You": Search your library for any number of enchantment cards with total converted mana cost equal to or less than the number of verse counters on "Find the Music in You", reveal them, and put them into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
Ponyville Vocalists 3W
Creature — Pony
Whenever an enchantment is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, you may pay 1W. If you do, return that card to its owner's hand.
Every group should be prepared for an encore performance or twelve.
2/3
Lip Synch U
Instant
Copy target activated or triggered ability. You may choose new targets for the copy.
"The words were spoken. My lips moved. If the magic can't tell the difference, what's the problem?"
—Trixie Lulamoon, traveling showmare
Singing in the Rain UU
Enchantment
UU: Put a verse counter on target Song.
"What a glorious feeling."
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity
Breathtaking Performance 1U
Enchantment
Activated abilities of Songs you control have split second. (As long as one such ability is on the stack, players can't cast spells or activate abilities that aren't mana abilities.)
Interrupting such beauty is more unthinkable than striking down Celestia herself.
Gravity Forgotten 1U
Enchantment
Creatures you control have flying.
Whenever a creature you control becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice Gravity Forgotten.
The laws of physics are fundamental, and all fundaments are forgiving to earth ponies.
Stage Fright 2U
Enchantment
Whenever a creature an opponent controls becomes the target of a spell or ability, that creature gets -3/-0 until end of turn.
Many psychomantic spells begin as attempts to expel fears by forcing them on others.
Horrific Recap B
Sorcery
Return target nonland card from your graveyard to your hand. You lose life equal to that card's converted mana cost.
Some memories want to be forgotten, and resent efforts to the contrary.
Piepothetical Situation 4B
Sorcery
Target player discards half the cards in his or her hand, rounded up.
"Sometimes my imagination gets away from me. When it comes back, it brings more than just cake."
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Suction Hooves R
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can't be blocked by creatures with defender.
"Well, if he didn't want me to climb him, he should have moved."
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Careless Exuberance 2R
Enchantment
Whenever a player gains life, you may destroy target artifact that player controls.
Some find their joy in breaking things. Some find they've broken things in their joy.
Gobble Off G
Instant
Until end of turn, each creature you control gains "T: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn."
Such is the infinite variety of the Multiverse that a turkey call is not the strangest battle cry that can be found therein.
Fluttershy's Jackalope 1G
Creature — Rabbit Beast
When you cast a spell, return Fluttershy's Jackalope to its owner's hand.
"Careful, now. He's very shy around strangers."
—Fluttershy, Bearer of Kindness
3/3
Zebra Alchemy 1G
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a cure counter on Zebra Alchemy.
G, Remove X cure counters from Zebra Alchemy: Destroy target Aura with converted mana cost X.
"For every curse, the cure I'll find, but know that it will take some time."
—Zecora
Charity Fundraiser 1GG
Sorcery
Join forces — Starting with you, each player may pay any amount of mana. Each player may put any number of permanent cards with total converted mana cost X or less from his or her hand onto the battlefield, where X is the total amount of mana paid this way.
Apple Intuition 3GG
Sorcery
Draw a card for each green creature you control.
"You get a sense for this kind of thing after a while."
—Applejack, Bearer of Honesty
Diving Helmet 2
Artifact — Equipment
Equipped creature has islandwalk.
2: Equipped creature can't be the target of nonblue spells or abilities from nonblue sources this turn.
Equip 1
"Drytrotters hide from one another just beneath the waves. They almost always forget about us."
—Electra, mermare
Hilaritincture 2
Artifact
2, Sacrifice Hilaritincture: Target instant or sorcery card in your graveyard gains flashback until end of turn. The flashback cost is equal to its mana cost. (You may cast that card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
Poison joke rarely repeats itself, but a skilled alchemist can coax out an encore.
Exacerbate (ur)(ur)
Instant
Copy target spell or ability that targets a permanent or player. (The copy has the same targets.)
"Did I lay it on a little too thick?"
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Inexhaustible Filly RW
Creature — Pegasus
Flying, vigilance, haste
The energy of youth and the passion of pegasi make for a daunting combination.
1/1
"Music in the Treetops" GW
Enchantment — Song
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a verse counter on "Music in the Treetops".
GW, Sacrifice "Music in the Treetops": Put X 1/1 green Rabbit creature tokens and Y 1/1 white Bird creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield, where X is half the number of verse counters on "Music in the Treetops", rounded up, and Y is that number, rounded down.
Swoon 1(wu)(wu)
Instant
Choose target creature you control. Tap each creature with power less than that creature's power.
With great swagger comes great responsibility.
Laryngitis 2(gw)
Instant
Target player can't cast enchantment spells or activate abilities of enchantments this turn.
Draw a card.
"I like a good song as much as the next mare, but sometimes I'd rather be able to hear myself think."
—Ditzy Doo
I think Backup Songbirds have the best flavor text in this batch
1841281 It's a very MtG things to have in the flavor.
Also the progenitor of the 'black can't kill black creatures' restriction, which made sense on Terror but not so much elsewhere.
1841281
Poignant flavor text is tricky. It's terribly easy to write something nonsensical, fauxlisophical, or otherwise insipid. I'm glad that one came out as I'd hoped.
1841436
High praise indeed. Thank you.
1841799
Thankfully, the trend has been bucked for the most part. Black can definitely kill black. Sometimes it can only kill black.
1844912 "Fauxlisophical," good word
Excellent, as always :)
1846029
Thank TV Tropes for that one.
(Usual cautions regarding links to the Infinite Time Sink apply.)
1847019 Hmm...
Curse of Endless Distraction 3UU (or something)
Enchantment – Aura Curse
Enchanted player skips his or her main phases and combat phases.
Enchanted player can't cast non-instant spells, play lands, or activate abilities with "activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery".
Some documents are impossible to escape.
The idea is that even if they've got a Vedalken Orrery or something, non-instant spells take more concentration than the cursed player can summon up.
1942336
Actually, I did a Card of the Article for the Elementals of Harmony page:
TV Tropes Wiki
Legendary Trope Land
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast trope spells or activate abilities of trope sources.
T: Add three mana of any one color to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast trope spells or activate abilities of trope sources. Skip your next turn.
For the record, trope is a supertype, like snow or legendary. Ponies aren't the only things I make cards out of.