Friendship is Card Games: Friends Forever #23 & #24 · 12:24pm Jan 14th, 2018
This week, we take a look at one of the most infamous cases of critical research failure to ever grace the comics. Also Fluttershy and Applejack’s vacation gets ruined by tourists and cryptids. Let’s get started.
Friends Forever #23: Fluttershy & Applejack
I love the way Fluttershy gets the local wildlife to help set up the campsite. Practical and adorable!
Hmm. Splendor Woods. Another point to add to the map, though where is unclear.
The way Applejack puts it is a bit expositiony, but I do like the idea of Fluttershy and her spending time together to appreciate the beauty of nature… though Applejack enjoying the idea of multiple days of not doing anything feels really weird.
There’s something wonderful about Bonbon of all ponies seeking out mythical creatures. “I have a containment cell picked out for it and everything!”
Silly Nosey News. You’re talking to two legendary creatures right now. 
Is anyone else bothered by how the pigasus is first presented with a butcher’s diagram? One that has designated neck, shoulder, wing, belly, and ham flank sections, no less.
Also, I have to appreciate how a mammal with the wings of a bird seems absurd… to Fluttershy.
Hmm. Going by the photo, I can only assume that the pigasus is the preferred steed of Assquatch.
In all seriousness, that is a pretty clear photograph. Lithograph? It definitely looks more like a woodcut than a photo.
I have to appreciate how the hunt for this mysterious, legendary creature comes with a plushie hut and a popcorn vendor.
Huh. Lyra’s here too. I wonder if they came together or separately. (“I thought you were going to a recital at Rainbow Falls!” “I thought you were going to a confectioners’ convention in Dodge Junction!”)
I actually like how Nosey doesn’t even pretend to deny that the pigasus hunters aren’t ruining Applejack’s vacation. Sure, it’s grossly inconsiderate, but I can’t help but admire the sheer chutzpah involved.
Huh. That’s a lot of familiar faces, from Pinkie to Sweetie Belle to Best Pony to… pegasus Carrot Top and unicorn Roseluck? How bizarre. Still, you’d think some of them would back off when they see their friends trying to have a non-pigasus-related good time. Also, looks like the best friends did come together. Darn, I liked that story idea.
Also also, I quite like the moment where the two try to identify that one stallion’s cutie mark. It makes sense that a pony with a rare bird for a mark would be looking for an even harder-to-find creature.
Huh. This is very interesting. This comic came out almost a year before “Where the Apple Lies,” but Applejack basically recapitulates the lesson of that episode. It’s an impressive amount of cross-medium canon integration that I’ve rarely seen thus far.
Wow. That’s some impressive sound insulation in that tent.
There’s never just one of anything in nature, Fluttershy. Moving a pigasus out of its natural habitat would be dangerous, yes, but for the environment it gets moved to. Grantedm, it may just not be able to survive; not all invasive species are horribly destructive. But the risk is there.
Interesting to note that Twilight apparently has the power to declare all of Splendor Woods a nature preserve.
“You always start lyin’ with the best of intentions! But sooner or later, somepony pays the price.”
Interesting way of saying “nearly gets his leg cut off.”
Why do the Mane Six keep making plans that hinge on Applejack deceiving ponies? You’d think they’d have learned after the Crystal Empire.
Chalk up another Canterlot pony who doesn’t recognize the Bearers of Harmony. An investigative journalist, no less. Sigh.
Indy, what are you doing here? It’s not like the horse-Nazis are going to abuse the pigasus’s power… I assume.
Poor AJ. Though I have to love the one mare who’s just shouting “Heckle!”
Interesting to see even Applejack isn’t sure about the chicken-egg relation of Bearer and harmonious virtue. Can she not lie because she bears Honesty, or does she bear Honesty because she can’t lie?
So… if the pigasus is lonely, why has she been avoiding the hunters? I guess the noise keeps frightening her.
Okay, between “How did she knock on the tent?” “I don’t know!” and “Casual hello, y’all!” this page is comedy gold.
Props to Fluttershy. That was a legitimately clever counterploy. Though I do have to wonder how Nosey faked the photo. Maybe it really was a lithograph.
I get the feeling that this instance of Indiana Pones doesn’t actually know what museums are.
Nosey’s goal in all of this is unclear. Is she getting a cut of the merchandise profits, is she in it for the fame, or is there some more oblique goal she has in mind? Probably a combination of the first two, though it’d be nice to know for sure. Still, always nice to see karmic payback.
Okay, I have to ask: How did Applejack get in that tree? If Fluttershy airlifted her, then I’m very impressed.
In all, this was a fantastic issue, even if the villain’s motives were less than clear. Still, funny, well-paced, and well-characterized.
And now for something completely different.
Friends Forever #24: Rarity & Gilda
Well, it’s nice to see someone in Ponyville cares about something outside of Equestria, even if it is pro sports. Definitely getting a soccer vibe from this, given that it’s a sport with national teams that isn’t played much in the US analogue.
Holy crap. Is that a military-grade spangling gun? Given the amount of certification and safety equipment needed to operate one, I have to think the thing has combat applications
Really winning over Rarity there, Gilda.
Those porters had better be getting paid a decent percentage of Griffonstone’s GDP. Goodness knows they’ve earned it.
And here we see the reason this issue is infamous. Fosgitt did not even pretend to try to replicate Greta’s in-show appearance. Uotapo's scone overload hypothesis can only do so much. And then there’s the whole “mammalian hairdos on eagle heads” thing, but that’s more a personal bugaboo.
That being said, “thank King Grover you’re here” is a very interesting bit of cultural data. It does make sense that the griffons would venerate the great unifier who brought them into a golden age.
The players do have a point; knowing the rules will be helpful when designing the uniforms.
Very Alice in Wonderland with the living ball.
I’ll give the issue this: It’s very nice to see a canon griffon whose name doesn’t start with a G.
Fosgitt does draw a commendable smug Gilda.
“Birdbeak” really doesn’t work as an insult. As opposed to what, squidbeak?
I can accept beak-teeth as a way to indicate certain facial expressions. I draw the line at buck-beakteeth on anything that isn’t a hippogriff.
Hmm. Getting “Buckball Season” vibes with pressure from the coach disrupting a player’s concentration.
I know it’s done for comedic effect, but I’m not sure how to feel about Twilight trademarking lists to support points. Does she get paid royalties? (
“Isn’t all of her pay royalties?”)
If Griffonstone didn’t have a chance at the cup until this point, how do they have this legendary coach? Heck, who says he’s legendary if he’s the one who’s dragging griffons kicking and screaming into the Boffyball Federation in the first place? Where’s the experience that supports these claims to fame?
I really do love how Gilda resents the appeal to her better nature.
Not sure how to feel about Gilda respecting anyone enough to willingly suborn herself to them.
I’ll give Fosgitt this: Gilda visibly resembling Coach Klaus as she yells at Firegem is a nice touch.
Hey, if Rarity can wrestle, she can certainly play Wonderland handegg… even if she apparently wasn’t listening to the explanation earlier that week.
Okay, what exactly is the opposing team? And why is one a cyclops? I want to say they’re yaks, but the sheer level of morphic diversity makes me hesitate to designate a species beyond “ungulate.”
I’d ask how a creature with the head of an eagle grows a beard while we’re on the subject of peculiar biology, but Gustave le Grande set the precedent for griffon facial hair back in Season 3.
So apparently the old griffon seen here is apparently supposed to be Grandpa Gruff. As a reminder this is how he appeared in the episode. At least Greta isn’t suffering alone.
I take it boffyball doesn’t have a “roughing the passer” penalty.
What are you doing, coach? Reinhardt is supposed to tank the hits with his shield so the squishier characters can—
Oh. Rinehart. Well. Carry on, then.
Good to see Gilda stand up for not just herself, but others. That said, it’s a really poorly designed rule if coaches can get ejected for something that would only give players an unfair advantage.
Hail Heinlein? What, do you throw the ball to Mars? Flood the field with alien bug monsters? Hold views of women that really don’t age well?
Why is the boffypuff celebrating? You have to get the opponent’s ball across the goal line.
Ah, they were yaks. Off-model, thy name is Fosgitt… except for Prince Rutherford, funnily enough. And I do appreciate the yaks rioting over the game not being a shutout.
I’m sure any Ponyvillian knows a superb post-disaster cleanup crew.
Having Rarity unveil the uniforms after the big game feels like it’s missing the point. Especially since, you know, the uniforms actually have helmets and padding, which I’m sure many of the players would’ve appreciated in earlier rounds even if they weren’t perfectly color coordinated.
… Wait, hold on, a letter to Celestia? This was printed in January 2016, shortly before Season Six started. The friendship journal had stopped being a thing by this point, much less letters to the princess. I suppose it might have been earlier in the series… if it didn’t have to come after “The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone.” This is a bizarre anachronism.
Hmm. Watching Rarity desperately try to balance all of her bags on the world’s least stable wheelbarrow made me go back and check, and she literally never uses her magic throughout the entire issue. I assume that telekinesis is penalized just as much as flight during boffyball, but she never once lights up her horn from start to finish. I can only conclude that Fosgitt forgot unicorns can do that in Friendship is Magic. Goodness knows he barely acknowledges how their hips work.
Yeah, I’m a lot less sanguine about his style’s eccentricities when they seem less quirky than they do indifferent.
I do love a Rarity who’s a closeted sports aficionado.
And as one final failure, Fosgitt misspelled “couture.”
I actually had to go back and reread this one to pick up on some stuff I missed while distracted by the art. Seriously, there comes a point where it just gets unacceptable. The story itself is perfectly acceptable, but comics need to blend art and text into a seamless whole. This has all the fine stitching of Frankenstein’s monster.
A mixed bag this week. Let’s see what I pulled out of it.
Scrawny Griffin 1W
Creature — Griffin Citizen
Flying
When Scrawny Griffin dies, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.
”No one’s eaten anyone else in Griffonstone in years. I’m not saying how many years.”
—Gilda, griffin sconemonger
1/1
Consign to Obscurity 2W
Instant
Put target artifact or enchantment on the bottom of its owner’s library.
”I doubt Princess Celestia knows what the average museum has in storage. If she did, there wouldn’t be any.”
—Daring Do
Conniving Reporter 2U
Creature — Unicorn Rogue
Exploit (When this creature enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a creature.)
When Conniving Reporter exploits a creature, investigate twice. (Create two colorless Clue artifact tokens with “2, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.”)
2/3
Off-Model 2U
Instant
Roll a six-sided die. Target creature has base power and toughness X/Y until end of turn, where X is the result and Y is 7 minus the result.
”I’m not sure what I expected from something called an ‘anatomic recombobulator.’”
—Ditzy Doo
Winged Distraction 3U
Creature — Pegasus Rogue
Flash
Flying
When Winged Distraction enters the battlefield, you may change a target of target spell or ability to Winged Distraction.
Blurred motion draws all kinds of interest.
2/2
Merchandize 3UU
Sorcery
Create a colorless Treasure artifact token with “T, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool” and a token that’s a copy of target creature.
Counting plushies, the pigasus population of Splendor Woods soon skyrocketed.
Cryptid Seekers 4UU
Creature — Pony Scout
When Cryptid Seekers enters the battlefield, draw a card for each creature target opponent controls, then discard a card for each nongreen creature that player controls.
”Aww, it’s just another dragon.”
3/4
Vulgar Boffypuff 1B
Creature — Beast
Whenever Vulgar Boffypuff is dealt damage, you lose that much life.
It wouldn’t be nearly as angry if the other players knew what they were doing.
3/1
Bone Roller 2B
Creature — Squirrel Rogue
B, Pay 1 life: The next time you roll a die this turn, increase its result by 1.
”Trenchcoats make anyone suspicious. Especially the cute ones.”
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
2/1
Griffonstone Motivator 4B
Creature — Griffin Warrior
Flying
Exploit
When Griffonstone Motivator exploits a creature, creatures you control get +1/+0 and gain menace until end of turn.
3/3
Blitzpile 2R
Instant
Each creature you control deals 1 damage to target creature.
It’s a perfectly legal play. The tackled players don’t even complain on their way to the hospital.
Ruinous Riot 3R
Sorcery
Ruinous Riot deals damage to target creature equal to your starting life total minus your life total.
Yaks atone for any imperfections in their boffyball play through perfect destruction of the opposing team’s stadium.
Healthy Skepticism G
Instant
Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control. It gains hexproof until end of turn.
”I may not be the brightest apple in the bushel, but I know when something ain’t right.”
—Applejack, Bearer of Honesty
Defender of Nature 2G
Creature — Pony Druid
1G: Another target green creature you control gets +1/+1 and gains hexproof until end of turn.
Though most ponies bring the world to heel, some work to preserve it as they find it.
2/2
Deadfall Collectors 3G
Creature — Beaver
T, Exert Deadfall Collectors: Until end of turn, Forests you control gain “T, Exert this land: Add GG to your mana pool.” (An exerted permanent won’t untap during your next untap step.)
Not every animal lives in perfect, peaceful harmony with its environment.
2/2
Stubbornness Elemental 5GG
Creature — Elemental
Stubbornness Elemental can’t be countered and can’t leave the battlefield.
Scholars of the arcane study for years to say ‘No.’ Advocates of life meditate for a lifetime to let the word say itself.
4/4
Padded Jersey 2
Artifact — Equipment
If a source would deal damage to equipped creature, prevent 1 of that damage. If Padded Jersey is fabulous, instead prevent 2 of that damage.
Fabulosity 3 (3: If this artifact isn’t fabulous, put a gem counter on it and it becomes fabulous.)
Equip 2
Marshmallow Torch 2
Artifact — Equipment
Equipped creature gets +2/+0 and has “T, Sacrifice Marshmallow Torch: Marshmallow Torch deals 2 damage to target creature. You gain 2 life.”
Equip 2
For no reason she could explain, Rarity felt terribly uncomfortable.
Spangling Gun 4
Artifact
Fabulosity costs you pay cost 2 less.
3, T: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
”Sequins don’t thrill ponies. I do.”
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity
Pigasus GWU
Legendary Creature — Porcigriff
G: Pigasus gains hexproof until end of turn. Target opponent creates a 1/1 green Boar creature token.
W: Pigasus and target creature of an opponent’s choice gain indestructible until end of turn.
U: Pigasus gains flying until end of turn. Target opponent scries 1.
4/4
Cyclopean Yak 2RG
Creature — Ox Cyclops
Cyclopean Yak can’t block or be blocked by creatures with power 2 or less.
He doesn’t let the little things in life get in his way.
4/5
Splendor Woods
Land
T, Add C to your mana pool.
(rg), T: Target spell can’t be countered by spells or abilities this turn.
Petty pedantry pales before the glory of nature.
When the main characters of the comic are quadrupeds and you keep drawing them as bipeds, you might be working for the wrong comic series. I'm being very generous and trying to think of a series where Fosgitt's style would work, but it's hard for me to think of one. Maybe Ducktales or Darkwing Duck if they're still making new issues for those comics, but even then he needs to learn to stick more closely to show models.
I saw what you did there, Overwatch-style
This Fogsitt guy doesn't draw yaks very well >_<;
Fosgitt's style is certainly divisive. I kind of like it at times. Has to be the right sort of story tho. For instance, I like it in the Rainbow Dash / Spitfire story where they have to teach a bunch of foals at flight camp. Cute style for a cute story. But he also did one of the Guardians of Harmony stories and it was completely out of place for the tone. I also just kind of like the variety it brings to the comics. But only in small doses.
I can definitely understand how it can be a turn-off for a lot of fans tho.
I wonder if the misspelling of "couture" was intentional there. It's someone's autograph so could be a case of a celebrity trying (too hard) to stand out by using a unique spelling. Like I remember seeing about someone named "Uneek".
Hey guy, you do the Rivals of Ixalan prerelease? How'd you find out?
4773427
2-2 with Grixis Pirates and GW Dinos as a backup plan. My luck just ran out in those last three games, whether it was my opponent topdecking removal spell after removal spell, getting simultaneously land flooded and color screwed, or getting both Ghalta and Zetalpa in my opening hand both before and after mulliganing.
Still, had fun overall.
Could be worse. At least he's just offmodel rather than canonizing the character of someone who stands for literally the direct opposite of everything pony does.
4773326
They are still running I think.
4773428
Nice. I went 3-2 with RG sort-of-dino tribal. Basically the plan was to play a bunch of technically playable creatures on curve and then slam Rekindling Phoenix on 4 and/or Tendershoot Dryad on 5, which tends to win the game against decks with inferior card quality
Lol Indiana jones pony appears in the comics. "IT BELONGS IN A MUSEUM!"
I approve of your decision to pack all the cards I have questions about into one blog post so I can get them all with a single comment. Commendably efficient!
Can a creature with exploit sacrifice itself to get its exploit effect? And if so, are there any reasonably plausible scenarios where having Conniving Reporter or Griffonstone Motivator exploit itself would actually be a good idea?
What happens if you use Bone Roller's effect, then use Off-Model and roll a 6?
What all is covered by "can't leave the battlefield" - for example, what happens if Stubbornness Elemental gets reduced to 0 toughness, or if its controller tries to sacrifice it? Is there any way to get rid of it once it's in play other than negating that ability or stealing control of it?
4773326
I'm trying to imagine Fosgitt's style in the Equestria Girls. It... might work. For an issue told from Pinkie Pie's perspective.
4773362
"Onward, yaks! To glory!"
4773393
Yeah, I'm going to have a few things to say when I get to the Defenders of Harmony series. (Also, thanks for reminding me that those are distinct from the movie prequels; I had conflated the two in my mind and my schedule. Now I'm full up until the end of September, and that's before taking Season 8 into account.)
As for Fosgitt's style, the variety is nice, but every time I see it, it feels like he's putting less effort into consistency with both the setting and his own work from panel to panel. If the artist doesn't care, why should I?
And the artistique miss-spelling is certainly a possibility.
4773448
I feel like I'm missing a reference here.
4775429
A creature can indeed exploit itself. Griffonstone Motivator may do just that if you have enough creatures ready to attack that the immediate boost is more helpful than a flying body. Conniving Reporter is more of a corner case, but sometimes you really need cards. Or, depending on the synergy effects you have in your deck, you may specifically need Clues, whether it's for more life, finding something specific, or transforming a humble investigator into Lampman!
Bone Roller boosts the roll to a 7, which means that Off-Model will make the creature into a 7/0. Unless it has some toughness-boosting effects like Giant Growth or +1/+1 counters, the creature will be so off-model that it will die, presumably collapsing into a pile of Guernica-esque shapes and lines.
"Can't leave the battlefield" means just that. Once a Stubbornness Elemental hits the field, it cannot go to any other zone. It can't be exiled, even temporarily. It can't go to the graveyard by any means, whether through damage, explicit destruction, or sacrifice. (And yes, this means you absolutely cannot sacrifice it to satisfy any cost or effect that tells you to.) It can't be returned to a hand or library. The only way to get it off the field is, as you noted, making it lose that ability first, usually with something like Turn to Frog. Alternately, you could use an Aura like Pacifism or Claustrophobia to render the Elemental largely irrelevant even though it's still on the board.
4773476
Nice. I actually played against a Phoenix in one of the games I won. Reckless Rage on the Phoenix and my own Raptor Hatchling, followed by swinging with the token and using a Deadeye Rig-Hauler to bounce the token mopped it up nicely. I won't lie, my opponent's despair was delicious.
4775514
4775514 Ted Anderson
What? I don't remember this at all! Hold on, let me go back and che—
Oh my God.
reactiongifs.com/r/2013/10/tim-and-eric-mind-blown.gif
Holy shit, you're right. The comics and show agreed on something. The comics and show never agree on things!
This issue is infamous for that, but for my money, the bigger story is the drama with this issue's writer, Georgia Ball. She previously did the Celestia micro, so she seems like a pretty decent writer, but after this issue came out, she was so disappointed by the incompetence of everybody involved that she effectively said she's never going to write for this series again. Yes, Fosgitt is such a bad artist, he actually drove people away from working with him.
Is it any wonder the quality of the comics have been in decline?