Friendship is Card Games: The Triptych Continuum · 11:39am May 20th, 2018
Look, Estee noted that I design Magic cards in a recent blog. Then I mentioned in a comment on that blog that I had a few designs based on the Continuum. One thing lead to another, and here we are.
Note that there are unmarked spoilers of varying degrees here for Triptych; A Mark Of Appeal; Stupid Direction-Face; Orange Is The New Blue; Twilight Sparkle Vs. The Equestrian Cutie Mark Constellation Registry; Good For Nearly All Princess Labor, Public And Private; A Good Trot, Spoiled; The Bounce Test; and Every Time A Pegasus Flaps Their Wings, A Kitten DIES. That last one isn’t actually part of the Continuum, but it’s still fun. Also, I may be leaving a few out. I’m not saying you need to read all of those stories before you read the blog, but they will provide some context, and if you can parse how I translated the story concepts into trading cards—or, in some cases, read the flavor text—then story spoilage will occur. Just a word to the wise.
With that in mind, let's put in a little white space before we go check out the gloomy rainbow butterfly dimension:
Rock Doves 2W
Creature — Elemental Bird
Flying
Rock Doves can’t attack unless you were dealt damage since your last turn ended.
Some of Discord’s creations survived to this day, when only two ponies still remember the danger they represent.
3/3
Flash, Hapless Savior 3WW
Legendary Creature — Pegasus Soldier
Flash
Flying
All damage that would be dealt to you or another permanent you control is dealt to Flash, Hapless Savior instead.
2/6
Chromamantic Prodigy U
Creature — Unicorn Child
U: Target permanent becomes the color or colors of your choice until end of turn.
Her eagerness to use her magic is matched only by the havoc she leaves in her wake.
1/1
Quiet Presence 1U
Legendary Creature — Unicorn Citizen
Hexproof
Skulk (This creature can’t be blocked by creatures with greater power.)
Whenever Quiet Presence attacks and isn’t blocked, you may pay U. If you do, look at the top card of defending player’s library. You may put that card on the bottom of that library.
0/1
Vent Chickadee 1U
Creature — Bird
Flying
Whenever you cast an artifact spell, target player puts the top three cards of their library into their graveyard.
With enough exposure, they cheep away at anypony’s sanity.
1/2
The Earth Answers 2U
Sorcery
Scry X, where X is the number of lands you control, then draw a card.
Awaken 4 — 4UU (If you cast this spell for 4UU, also put four +1/+1 counters on target land you control and it becomes a 0/0 Elemental creature with haste. It’s still a land.)
Eighteen Howls 2UU
Instant
Counter target spell. That spell’s controller reveals cards from the top of their library until they reveal a land card, then puts those cards in their graveyard.
In Mazein, the links hit back.
Escort XU
Sorcery
X target creatures can’t be blocked this turn.
”Teleporting a bunch of ponies at once. Not the… other meaning.”
—Twilight Sparkle, Bearer of Magic
Send On 1B
Sorcery
Each player sacrifices a non-Unicorn creature.
Some unicorn bloodlines so pride themselves on their purity that they quietly remove any evidence to the contrary.
Grip of the Shadowlands 2B
Enchantment
Cards can’t leave your opponents’ graveyards.
What dies in Equestria doesn’t come back.
Canterlot Protestors 3B
Creature — Unicorn Rogue
Whenever a player casts a non-Unicorn spell, Canterlot Protestors deals 1 damage to that player.
Canterlot Unicorns Need Equal Treatment isn’t a tribalist or speciesist organization, and its members want to know what featherbrained, mud-hooved foreigner told you it was.
3/2
Crystal Goose 3B
Creature — Bird
Flying
Wither (This deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters.)
When Crystal Goose dies, put a -1/-1 counter on each creature.
Filth flies on graceful wings.
2/1
Luna’s Internal Burial 3BB
Legendary Sorcery
(You may cast a legendary sorcery only if you control a legendary creature or planeswalker.)
Exile target creature. Create an X/X black Nightmare Horror creature token, where X is that creature’s power.
Centuries ago, an anguished mare wished for an end to eternity.
Field Booster R
Instant
Choose one —
• Target attacking creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
• Target attacking creature you control gets +4/+0 and gains trample until end of turn. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.
Red-Tinge Exposure R
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
When Red-Tinge Exposure enters the battlefield or at the beginning of your upkeep, put a pollen counter on Red-Tinge Exposure.
Enchanted creature gets +1/-1 for each pollen counter on Red-Tinge Exposure.
Piano Murder 1R
Instant
Exile target artifact.
”Don’t worry, darling. No jury in Equestria would convict us.”
—Rarity, to Twilight Sparkle
Chain of Dominance 2R
Enchantment
Chain of Dominance enters the battlefield with a link counter on it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, gain control of target creature with power equal to the number of link counters on Chain of Dominance until end of turn. If you do, untap that creature, it gains haste until end of turn, and put a link counter on Chain of Dominance.
Crusaders’ Reputation 2RR
Enchantment — Aura Curse
Enchant player
At the beginning of enchanted player’s upkeep, that player sacrifices a permanent.
After three years of havoc, nopony trusted the trio with anything but accidental demolition.
And Then Scootaloo 4R
Sorcery
Destroy target artifact or land. And Then Scootaloo deals 4 damage to that permanent’s controller.
Disasters in Ponyville go by their own idiosyncratic ranking system.
Flebian Ram 4R
Creature — Sheep
First strike, trample, haste
Its horns can bend into the optimal configuration for goring or butting its victims. The ram itself is far more inflexible.
4/1
Hybrid Vigor 1G
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
As Hybrid Vigor enters the battlefield, choose a creature type.
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and is the chosen type in addition to its other types.
Blending essence yields bizarre results.
Protoceran Ranch 2G
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant land
Enchanted land has “2G, T: Create a 3/3 green Beast creature token.”
The more ferocious a monster is, the more griffins want to eat it.
Ahuizotl, Eternal Caretaker 2GG
Legendary Creature — Hound Avatar
At the beginning of each upkeep, create a 1/1 green Cat creature token.
Ahuizotl, Eternal Caretaker can’t attack or block unless you control six or more Cats.
Trapped in a dimension of infinite kittens, his release now depends on theirs.
6/6
The Barding of the Ancients 4G
Legendary Enchantment
Constellation — Whenever The Barding of the Ancients or another enchantment enters the battlefield under your control, return target nonenchantment card from your graveyard to your hand.
Made to remember, for reasons now forgotten.
Chaos Pearl 2
Artifact
Chaos Pearl enters the battlefield with three charge counters on it.
T, Remove a charge counter from Chaos Pearl: Add one mana of a random color.
T, Remove a loyalty counter from a Discord planeswalker you control: Put a charge counter on Chaos Pearl.
Storage Unit 2
Artifact
If you would discard a card, you may exile that card instead.
XX, T: Return up to X target cards exiled with Storage Unit to their owner’s hand.
Twilight saw no reason to stop buying books just because the library was full.
Homing Cart 3
Artifact Creature — Construct
Homing Cart attacks each combat if able.
Just because it can move doesn’t mean it can think.
3/3
The Cycle Continues B(gw)
Sorcery
Return target permanent card from your graveyard to your hand.
Morbid — If a creature died this turn, you may return that card to the battlefield instead.
Few ponies appreciate the interplay of life and death as Fluttershy does.
Fall into the Mark WU
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can’t attack or block.
Whenever an ability of enchanted creature is activated, if it isn’t a mana ability, its controller copies that ability. That player may choose new targets for the copy.
Coordinator, Blackmailer UB
Legendary Creature — Unicorn Advisor
Coordinator, Blackmailer has hexproof as long as it’s untapped.
Whenever an opponent activates an ability of a creature that isn’t a mana ability, draw a card unless that player pays 2 life.
”You’re going to do me a favor. You’re going to do me a lot of favors.”
1/1
Oath of the True Flame BR
Sorcery
Kicker — Discard a Dragon card. (You may discard a Dragon card in addition to any other costs as you cast this spell.)
Search your library for a card and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. If this spell wasn’t kicked, reveal that card and Oath of the True Flame deals damage to you equal to that card’s converted mana cost.
Bureaucratic Malice 1WB
Enchantment
Creatures can’t attack you or a planeswalker you control unless their controller pays 1 life for each of those creatures.
After enduring the Greater Business Centralization Initiative, ponies longed for the tender mercies of Discord.
Costume Critique 1UB
Sorcery
Destroy target creature, then attach any number of permanents that were attached to it to another target creature.
The most terrifying part of Nightmare Night lurks in Carousel Boutique.
Ratchette, Thaum-Blooded 1UR
Legendary Creature — Pegasus Artificer
Flying
T: Choose a number between 1 and Ratchette, Thaum-Blooded’s toughness. Add that much C and Ratchette deals that much damage to itself. Spend that mana only to cast artifact spells or activate abilities of artifacts.
1/3
Teleportation Recoil 2(ur)
Instant
If U was spent to cast Teleportation Recoil, exile up to one target creature, then return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control. If R was spent to cast Teleportation Recoil, it deals 2 damage to each creature that entered the battlefield this turn. (Do both if UR was spent.)
Gentle Arrival 1WUB
Legendary Creature — Unicorn Wizard
Deathtouch
Each other creature you control has hexproof as long as it entered the battlefield this turn.
WB, T: Return to the battlefield target creature card in your graveyard that was put there this turn.
1/4
Her, Earthen 1RWU
Legendary Creature — Pony Horror
Trample, haste
At the beginning of your upkeep, flip Her, Earthen.
5/5
Her, Winged
Legendary Creature — Pegasus Horror
Flying, first strike, vigilance
At the beginning of your upkeep, transform Her, Winged.
3/3
Her, Horned
(RWU) Legendary Creature — Unicorn Horror
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.
At the beginning of your upkeep, exile Her, Horned, then return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control. (She returns in Pony form.)
2/2
Immigration Department 2GW
Enchantment
Creature spells you cast cost 1 less to cast.
Creature spells your opponents cast cost 1 more to cast.
”Everyone wants to come to Equestria. Some of them even get in.”
—Crossing Guard, immigration officer
Referee Moonsault 3RW
Legendary Creature — Minotaur Advisor
Will of the council — Whenever Referee Moonsault attacks, starting with you, each player votes for hard or fast. If hard gets more votes or the vote is tied, attacking creatures gain trample until end of turn. If fast gets more votes, attacking creatures gain first strike until end of turn.
4/4
Joyous Release 3GW
Legendary Creature — Pegasus Citizen
Flying
All creatures able to block Joyous Release do so.
Whenever an opponent casts a spell, if it has a single target, change the target to Joyous if able.
1: Joyous loses flying until end of turn.
2/5
Snowflake, Determinator 4RW
Legendary Creature — Pegasus Citizen
This spell can’t be countered.
Flying, vigilance, indestructible
Snowflake, Determinator can’t attack unless you have 5 or less life.
Damage that would be dealt by Snowflake can’t be prevented.
6/6
Chaos Terrain
Plane — Continuum
Players may spend mana as though it were mana of any type.
Whenever you roll chaos, exile the top card of target player’s library. You may cast that card this turn.
Whoo! This is awesome! And also made me look through my feed for that Estee post that I missed.
I haven't read any of the continuum stories but I think it's cool to see this kind of recursive fanwork, as you call it.
Every single time I see "A Good Trot, Spoiled" I think it's a story about someone complimenting Mrs. Rich on her speedwalking and become both confused and intrigued.
I'm not competent to comment on the mechanics, but I love "Piano Murder" and, especially, "And Then Scootaloo".
I love how this card pointedly avoids the new wording for an effect like that. Hats off to you.
So if I'm parsing this correctly this is a Kamigawa flip, then an Innistrad transform? Kinda genius.
Protoceran Ranch 2G
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant land
Enchanted land has “2G, T: Create a 3/3 green Beast creature token.”
The more ferocious a monster is, the more griffins want to eat it
I get where your coming with this but it really feels more like it should be a land card. More like
Protoceran Ranch
Land
T: Add One Colorless
2G, T: Create a 3/3 green Beast creature token.
The more ferocious a monster is, the more griffins want to eat it
Since more ranches are multi generational and family controlled they are more permanent than just enchanting a land. Admittedly in a current standard parlance you would likely need 1GG unless released in commander or some other supplemental product.
Another card would be
Proctarian Farming Techniques 2GG
Enchantment
GG: Green Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn
1GG: Target creature you control fights target creature you don't control. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.)
What I love most about a certain card is that you can also use it as a direct pronouncement of your opponent's doom.
"I finally got Darksteel Colossus out! You're --"
"And Then Scootaloo."
This card has to exist just so someone can record the sweet, sweet cursing.
And thankee.
The quote on Canterlot Protesters may be a little too accurate.
Again, a missed chance of using Fateseal on Quiet Presence. Fateseal is Scy on an opponent, that is the only restriction on fateseal since reminder text is flexible. And since you can only ever attack an opponent it works here.
So here this could read "Whenever Quiet Presence attacks and isn’t blocked, you may pay U. If you do, Fateseal 1 that player (To fateseal 1, look at the top card of their library. You may put that card on the top or bottom of that library.)
(I just want to see more fateseal OK? I know it is stupid powerful (Thanks Mind Sculptor!) so we are very unlikely to see it in print again but it can still be used in fan cards!)
So for Chaos Pearl and Ratchette, Thaum-Blooded I thought you had accidentally left off the "to your mana pool" part but it seems that is how they are phrasing it now. Which, as one who is normally all for cutting off words to make room, I don't really agree with because this is just grammatically awkward as hell. Add it to what? I know there is only one place mana can go to but you can't just leave a sentence dangling like that! Guh.
(I had the example card played against me at the pre-release. I didn't read the card them, as in actually fully read the rule text, because I just understood what it did after reading the first bit of it and glancing at the color symbols. This is a point in the favor of dropping the words, because you just kinda pick up what it means when it just says 'add mana'. But just because it is easily grokable does not mean I agree with the decision to go in this direction for rules text.)
(As for dropping characters I'm all for the change to "their" because it saves four characters and makes some sentences a bit easier.)
Nice use of the various mechanics to get across just how unnatural She is.
I need to catch up on your other card blogs. I am so very, very far behind on them.
4865100
Sadly And Then Scootaloo doesn't work in that case because of indestructible. (You still get the 4 damage though). But as FoME said over in your own blog Piano Murder does.
Her is a great, great, GREAT thing! Flip and double-sided. Such a wonderful combination.
Now I must find a reason for a card that is flip on both sides.
Also, thinking on it, I think Grip of the Shadowlands should cost either 1B or just a B and shut off all graveyards; yours, your allies and your opponents (and any neutral parties but I am not aware of any game modes that have such).
It makes for more thematic sense in what the card is meant to represent if making it a slightly weaker card overall. And one of the pitfalls of making fan cards is wanting them to be overly powerful.
4865143
Her when she finally goes alicorn but is still unstable and changing between the forms.
4865100
As has been noted, Scootaloo isn't quite capable of bringing down a Colossus on her own, but she can wreck all manner of other items and places of great power. If she ever became a planeswalker, the entire Multiverse would soon shudder when it heard, "Wow! I bet that can get me a cutie mark!"
Glad you like the cards.
4865034
And now I'm imagining Spoiled Rich in Pinkie's aerobics outfit and it's kind of fantastic.
(Also, note to self, consider FiCG: The Last Human. No promises, but there's definitely rich potential there.)
4865059
While I appreciate the doffed hat, spells still refer to themselves by name when dealing damage. See Shivan Fire as an example.
And yes, it took some work to get a creature that can keep cycling between three states. My first idea was a Homarid-like design that used counters to track her, but this seemed like the more elegant solution. Not objectively elegant by any stretch of the imagination, but more elegant than that mess.
4865093
Enchant land Auras sometimes represent places that can be found in those lands, e.g. Security Blockade, Verdant Haven, Tin Street Market, etc.
Oh this is just lovely. I only half understand the references, since I've only ever played like one or two games of Magic in my life, but I love the curly thought and quantification regardless.
4865285
Thanks! Not entirely sure what you mean by "curly thought," but I love the term.
(Also, note to self: FiCG: Cadance of Cloudsdale could certainly be a thing...)
4868106
Just the logical loops one goes through to quantify plot elements and characters into game play terms.
I would love to see a set of C of C cards. Still working on that next story. Maybe it would give me impetus to finish this snarl I'm in the middle of.
Swooping in from four years in the future to say this was fun to read.
What does the card Her look like in the physical? If she's somehow a three-sided transform card then she's instantly my favorite, with the implied physical impossibility being really thematic with the fact that her very existence violates everything Equestria thought it knew. If we're talking Champions of Kamigawa style flip-cards where two of Her three states are half of a card then, like, oh. Still rad.
Pretty good idea for a Discord card anyway.
Discord, Friend to Most
XUBRG
Legendary Creature - Discord
Discord cannot attack, block, or leave play, or cause harm to any living thing. If any rule would cause you to ignore this effect, instead transform Discord.
0/0
~
Discord, Allegedly Harmless
Legendary Creature - Discord Horror
Discord cannot attack, block, leave play, or cause harm to any living thing. You may transform Discord when you feel you aren't ready.
0/0
~
Discord of the Yellow Tether
Legendary Creature - Discord Horror
Discord cannot attack, block, or leave play. Transform Discord when opponent asks to see the "other side" of this card.
0/1
~
Smiling Discord
Legendary Creature - Discord Horror
Discord cannot attack or leave play, and gets X +1/+1/+1/+1/+1 counters. There is nothing to be afraid of. Transform Discord when he becomes bored.
~
Discord
You cannot leave play.
5653332
The intent is a double-faced flip card, yes. Her, Horned would be printed upside down in order to make it a clean flip from Her, Winged and to underscore the unnatural state she's trapped in.
Also, that's a fine cardboard SCP you've concocted.