Friendship is Card Games: Luna Eclipsed · 3:55pm Nov 23rd, 2014
Hmm. Maybe I should've moved this one ahead a little. Oh well, too late now. It's still kind of appropriate; Luna wanted a great and glorious feast, and Thanksgiving is coming this Thursday for us Usaians. In any case, it's time for some socially awkward moon horse.
Trottingham doesn't seem to do Nightmare Night, which makes me think that it's not necessarily part of Equestria, or even on the same side of the horse-Atlantic. (There are at least five different names for the Atlantic's analogue on the pony planet, assuming it's even spherical and has an Earth-like geography. (I do, simply for ease of use.) I went with the generic option.) That, or Pipsqueak was just too young to participate until now. A bit ambiguous, that.
Hmm. Twilight explicitly calls Star Swirl a conjurer. Now, I know that that needn't have the same definition in Equestria as it does in D&D, but that implies someone who uses magic to create matter and summon creatures. Which, given the amniomorphic spell, lends credence to the "elaborate 'hairy potter' pun" theory. And yet, his legend has steadily inflated as the writers have needed to call back to great unicorns of the past. Note how here, he only has a shelf in the Canterlot library. I'll have more to say about this when I get to "It's About Time."
Country music is confirmed to exist in Equestria. It therefore isn't a utopia, given the number of broken hearts, stolen trucks carts, and run-over dogs that that implies. 
I'm going to have to justify the Derpy cameos in the context of Elementals of Harmony, aren't I? Eh, only if I want to. Indeed, it might prove interesting. I've actually been sitting on an explanation for her costume since shortly after the episode aired. On an unrelated note, given how the paper bags aren't water-damaged, she clearly gave them protection from blue. (Or perhaps green. Given the color and the bubbling, it seems to be Mountain Dew. No, definitely blue in that case. Nothing natural there.)
Dammit Pinkie, stop being terrible. Also, ponies have the memory retention of goldfish when the plot requires it. That, or it was just the spirit of the season combined with Luna's own bombast and/or recovery. (Which, of course, raises the question of what rock Luna's been hiding under for the past several months, at minimum. But that's a different matter that has been long discussed.)
Luna's explanation for her habitual use of the TRCV is actually kind of horrifying. She cites her banishment as the reason why she's not sure she can turn down the volume, implying that she was screaming the entire time.
I really like that Luna can shapeshift. It works with my fanfiction, it makes sense as part of the whole "moon" theme (through both lycanthropy and lunar phases,) and I just like the concept of shapeshifting in general.
Trivia: As is the case for everything after Season 1, some of these cards were made shortly after the episode aired. Lunaphobia was originally called Cower in Fear, but then Magic 2013 happened. On a similar note, Royal Voice was made before Dragon's Maze.
And yes, that is a new keyword. Alicorn is basically a lesser form of changeling. (The Lorwyn kind, not the Equestria kind.) And yes, it was retroactively applied to both Celestia and Luna in the "Friendship is Magic" blog. Basically, I just wanted alicorns to count as every kind of pony, and there wasn't room on the type line.
Now, let us celebrate that most wonderful of nights, a score and three days after the fact:
Muffle 1W
Instant
Abilities of creatures can't be activated or triggered this turn.
When Twilight Sparkle can't hear herself think, she takes steps to remedy the problem.
Cloister 3W
Enchantment
You have hexproof.
Prevent all damage that would be dealt to you.
When you cast a spell, activate an ability that isn't a mana ability, or attack with one or more creatures, sacrifice Cloister.
Lunar Corsair 3W
Creature — Pony Pirate
Swampwalk
Lunar Corsair gets +1/+1 for each black permanent your opponents control.
Even the purest who act in Luna's name have a certain roguish charm.
2/2
Down the Drain 2UU
Sorcery
Return all blue creatures to their owners' hands.
"I swear that wormhole wasn't there when I started apple bobbing."
—Ditzy Doo
Twilight's Lecture 2UU
Sorcery
Target player draws three cards and skips his or her next untap step.
Twilight Sparkle's teaching methods don't give students new information so much as they besiege them with it.
Historical Obscurity 3U
Enchantment
Legendary creatures you control have hexproof.
"Princess who now?"
Star Swirl the Bearded 3UU
Legendary Creature — Unicorn Wizard
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal an instant or sorcery card. If you do, you may cast that card without paying its mana cost. Then put the rest into your graveyard.
1/3
Fright-or-Biters 1B
Creature — Pony Child
Whenever Fright-or-Biters deals combat damage to a player, you gain 4 life unless that player discards a card.
"Few horrors of the night can compare to foals eager for sweets."
—Princess Luna
2/1
Chiropteran Cloak 2B
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and has flying.
2B, Sacrifice Chiropteran Cloak: Put two 1/1 black Bat creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield.
Princess Luna always dresses in style.
Luna's Coachpony 3B
Creature — Bat Pegasus Soldier
Flying
Whenever a legendary creature you control becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, that player loses 2 life.
If you're going to be guarding the princess of the moon on Nightmare Night, you might as well look the part.
2/2
Nightmare Night 3B
Sorcery
Creatures you control gain intimidate until end of turn. Pony, Pegasus, and Unicorn creatures you control get +2/+0 until end of turn.
There are very few concepts that ponies won't make into a festival.
Luna's Decree 3BB
Sorcery
Name a nonland card. Search any number of graveyards, hands, and/or libraries for all cards with that name and exile them. Then each player whose library was searched this way shuffles it.
Generally speaking, try not to offend the moon goddess.
Luna, Moon Princess 4BBB
Legendary Creature — Avatar
Alicorn (This card is a Pony Pegasus Unicorn at all times.)
Flying, indestructible
B: Target Pony, Pegasus, or Unicorn gains protection from black until end of turn.
B: Target spell or permanent becomes black until end of turn.
"Fear not the darkness, my ponies, for it holds naught more terrible than I."
5/5
Shadowbolt Surprise 2RR
Instant
Shadowbolt Surprise deals 4 damage to target non-Pegasus creature.
Hoofcraft — If you control three or more Ponies, Pegasi, and/or Unicorns, creatures can't block this turn.
"Ha! Look at them jump!"
—Rainbow Dash, Bearer of Loyalty
Haunted Hayride 1G
Sorcery
Choose one or both —
• Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
• Return target land card from your graveyard to your hand.
Mac the Ripper's hayrides are always popular with the mares of Ponyville.
Force Out 2GG
Sorcery
You and target opponent reveal your hands. You and that player choose a creature card from the other's hand if able. If both players chose a card this way, each puts the card chosen from his or her hand onto the battlefield under his or her control.
Fluttershy prefers to stay in on Nightmare Night. She doesn't always have that choice.
Mooncrawler Swarm 3G
Creature — Spider
Intimidate, reach, vigilance
Luna quickly learned that spiders are not normally associated with fun.
2/3
Spooky Costume 2
Artifact — Equipment
As Spooky Costume enters the battlefield, choose a creature type.
Equipped creature has intimidate and is the chosen type in addition to its other creature types.
Equip 2
"I'm a dragon."
—Spike
Nightmare Monument 3
Artifact
Nightmare Monument enters the battlefield tapped.
T, Pay 1 life: Add BB to your mana pool.
Nightmare Moon is gone, but her dark powers have not been forgotten.
Pumpkin Launcher 3
Artifact Creature — Construct
Hoofcraft — T: Pumpkin Launcher deals 3 damage to target creature with flying. Activate this ability only if you control three or more Ponies, Pegasi, and/or Unicorns.
"The only thing worse than getting knocked out of the sky is knowing that what did it could have been delicious."
—Soarin, Wonderbolt lieutenant
1/3
Royal Gratitude BG
Instant
Choose one —
• Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn. You gain 3 life.
• Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn. You lose 3 life.
Luna's hugs are as much punishment as reward.
Illusory Nightmare 1(ur)B
Creature — Illusion Nightmare
Flying
Whenever Illusory Nightmare attacks or blocks, sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.
Zebra magic can conjure images as lifelike as they are fleeting.
4/4
Barred Access 1UR
Enchantment
If a creature would be returned to a hand, Barred Access deals 3 damage to that creature instead. (If the creature survives, it stays on the battlefield.)
Sometimes running away just isn't an option.
Terrifying Entrance 1BR
Enchantment
Whenever a creature with intimidate enters the battlefield under your control, creatures can't block this turn.
Living on the edge of the Everfree leaves Ponyville perpetually poised on the precipice of panic.
Royal Voice 2WU
Instant
Counter target spell. If a spell is countered this way, its controller can't cast spells this turn.
The traditional royal Canterlot intonation was designed to exploit alicorn lung capacity to drown out even the most obnoxious courtier.
Lunaphobia 3UB
Instant
Tap all creatures your opponents control. Those creatures get -1/-1 until end of turn.
"As your princess, we command you: BE STILL!"
—Princess Luna
Fun Reflection 3(wb)(wb)(wb)
Enchantment
Sources you control deal damage as though they had lifelink.
"It's a different kind of doubling."
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
the The Royal Canterlot Voice
Ohohoho, Mac you dog you. Oh, wait, no, that's only when Discord is being naughty.
In a means that only you understand Pinkie. Taking life and gaining life at the same time is not "doubling". At least it's not on most worlds.
If I had enough Ponies to justify it, I would probably run Luna over Eight-and-a-Half Tails in a WB deck.
I feel like Royal Gratitude's first mode is almost always better than its second one, though I'm not sure what can be done about it without ruining the flavor
ah, but they can be associated with !!!FUN!!!
...sorry, couldn't help myself
2611912
The Traditional Royal Canterlot Voice.
2611995
a. The reference is to fun being doubled.
b. The total change in life totals is doubled. Say you dealt six damage for the first time in the game. Normally, life totals would go to 20-14, a six-point change. With Fun Reflection, they go to 26-14, a twelve-point change.
2612014
Yeah, in retrospect, when the first mode is basically a creatures-only Lightning Helix, there's not much of a contest. Still, I liked the symmetry.
2612079
Never feel the need to apologize for Dwarf Fortress references. Unless you flood the world with lava. Then you should probably apologize.
2612177
But flooding the world with lava is so fun!
Also, I forgot the 'Traditional'. It's been, like, a year since I saw this episode. Cut me some slack.
2612226
Slack cut. Didn't mean to imply it hadn't been.
2612177
I got the "THE FUN HAS BEEN DOUBLED" (quote the princess) reference.
At the time I didn't think of the life-shift being doubled.
Luna's abilities are appropriately OP for her station. She can shrug off anything that would normally hurt or destroy her off the board, and any targeted exile card she can simply turn black and then give herself protection from it. Because she's indestructible, "destroy" board-clearers won't touch her, and exile board-clearers are pretty rare, aren't they? She'd still be vulnerable to sacrifice effects, though, because she can't give her player protection from spells/effects that would force one.
If you ever make an Elements of Harmony card it's going to have to have an ability that explicitly lets it break protection/shroud. Or else does something at right angles to it, like "Name a card. All copies of that card in play gain Phasing 1000".
2612524
As it happens, I have made Element of Harmony cards. They sidestep the issue of hard-to-kill creatures by acting as an alternate win condition. Because really, what else would the Rainbow Beam of Fix Everything do?
For Pumpkin Launcher, should Soarin maybe have been credited as Soarin Markov?
Should Illusory Nightmare's creature types be swapped?