Friendship is Card Games: Generations #4 & #5 · 12:49pm Mar 6th, 2022
Well, this is a bit sad. These issues could well be the very last pieces of official G4 pony media. There’s always the possibility of a third round on MLP/Transformers or the like, but this is the last bit on the horizon. Let’s see how well it works as a capstone.
Issue #4
When we last left our heroines, they’d just crossed over to the original Ponyland and met some locals. And the immediate reaction is straight out of the Uncanny Valley. Makes sense to me.
Oof. Pinkie’s still adjusting to the new plane.
Starlight covering for Twilight’s diplomatic faux pas. Yes, this is definitely the right order of things. Especially given which one has more experience with alternate dimensions. (Yes, Starlight did talk down Juniper Montage, but still.)
Ah, and a recap of the original MLP movie. Including normal flesh tones on the three witches and Megan, which just raise further questions about Dyre and Grackle. (TImescale, for one. This was a literal generation ago for the G1 ponies, yet they don’t seem to have aged a day. Perhaps these are the “Little” instances of these ponies born from the magic mirror—no, not that one, the other magic mirror—all grown up.) No mention of the Grundles, sadly. Did you know Danny DeVito was in that movie?
Heh. Even Rarity, the mare who’s worked most closely and most recently with the 80’s, only processed about a quarter of Surprise’s totally tubular recap. Though I’m sure Pinkie processed it flawlessly.
Double heh. They had to put in the “name’s the same” joke for the Applejacks. Though Pinkie’s in no place to call something so mundane creepy.
Interesting theory that the Rainbow of Light is “an ancestor” to the Elements of Harmony. I’ve seen the concept before, but explicitly setting the two generations on different planes makes that hypothesis a lot shakier. The two can operate on similar principles, certainly, but the worlds woul need to have previous contact for this to…
Oh. Right. Star Swirl. Carry on.
Interesting to see the return address on the letter to be “From: Mummy & Aunt Reeka.” Aren’t Dyre and Grackle explicitly cousins? Mind you, the possibly parthenogenic reproduction of witches isn’t something I want to dive into too closely.
Huh. Hydia’s dead. Further underscoring the apparently immortal (or at least unaging) ponies. Also, the current witches apparently haven’t been reporting back to their progenitors. For shame, girls. Even if nothing’s good enough for Reeka and Draggle, that doesn’t mean you can tell them nothing.
I admit, the Real Horsewives of Equestria bit was funny.
I’m really not sure what to make of that first panel in Equestria. Are the unicorns communicating in the bloodeldritch throes of the broodfester tongues supposed to reflect the true nature of the smoozicorns—I still prefer that to “s’monies”—or the magic in Violet Shiver’s streamers?
… Huh. One of Black Belle’s honor students is a clear and obvious Cozy Glow recolor. Heck, she even has the same coat color. I have many concerns there.
Also, anyone who says “peak evil” while describing their own technique should not be considered a role model, Ocellus. Honestly, it’s like changelings were eugenically designed to admire ruthless mares with crooked horns or something.
Also also, Black Belle, a unicorn, is literally teaching a changeling and a pegasus how to fly. I really feel like there were communication issues between writer and artist here.
Ah. The second instance clears things up. We’re seeing and hearing from the raw smooze’s perspective… and those pink particles raise some interesting questions. I’ll have to keep an eye on that.
Oh boy. The constructs are making constructs of their own. This rarely ends well.
Heh. Black Belle takes pride in her work. Though I’d be careful about using the phrase “agent of chaos” where Discord might hear you. He could take it as volunteering for fun.
Also, Trench disapproves of this more subtle corruption.
Ah. Positive emotional energy glows white in Smooze-o-vision. And the streamers hunger for it.
Over there is the Hay Burger, but it’s closed now because the bowling alley ponies vandalized it.
That was never proven.
Heh. Amusing exchange aside, AJ has a point. That was a false-flag operation.
“And I thought our Trapper Savers and tape decks store was specific.”
We get it, Casey. The G1 ponies are from the 80’s.
“I feel so helpless, even with all of my powers. I can’t tell which creatures are affected and which aren’t.”
I see Twilight truly has inherited her mentor’s legacy, up to and including being absolutely useless in a crisis scenario. I realize the creeping Smooze tendrils are probably visual shorthand for our convenience rather than actually being plainly visible, but this is what, the twelfth time Twilight’s moped as the world hangs in the balance? Yes, the Smooze is an outside context problem, but I can’t help but feel that that should cut both ways. Making it immune to all local magic because its from another world…
Well, they have to justify bringing in the G1 ponies somehow, but it still rubs me the wrong way. I suspect I’m looking at this more from a game balance perspective than a narrative one. The competitive balance is all out of whack, though even then, I may be complaining about how the scissors player has no counterplay against rocks.
Huh. Did someone vandalize Carousel Boutique while Rarity was out, or is this all Opal?
Also, Opal’s apparently been limiting the damage Trench can do on this plane. Good for her.
“Let me see what’s in your mouth, you little angora assassin.”
Fluttershy sweet-talking Opal may be one of the greatest things in this comic.
Ah. Trench is officially described as a “lava-goblin.” Unexpected. I’m used to those having shells.
And now we hit the epiphany. Twilight may hit emotional rock bottom with distressing frequency, but she does always bounce back. “Use crystals to concentrate harmony magic” seem obvious in hindsight, but all the great revelations do.
The gems Twilight chose look suspiciously like Chaos Emeralds, even if there’s only six of them.
Apparently Starlight got involved in the huddle so she could attune with the Rainbow. Interesting. As is it disintegrating some ponnequins. Holy crap.
Yeah, heat vision is one thing. Lava vision is quite another.
Oh. Huh. Yeah, that’s also obvious in hindsight. The witches’ magic doesn’t work outside of the Volcano of Gloom… in their own universe. In Equestria, they have no such restrictions.
Also, the smoozicorns are apparently also made of pizza dough, which is I find hilarious and I’m not sure why.
Ah. And we end the issue on that realization, with the witches eager to discipline their underlings.
Issue #5
Twilight, I don’t want to tell you how to do your job, but three hundred trials may be a bit excessive when the enemy is at the proverbial gates.
Oh. When those trials include splitting the Rainbow of Light into quasi-Elements, I suppose it’s worth the effort. Pinkie’s cupcake platter seems less than practical, but I imagine she demanded it.
“I’m so proud of all of you.”
Starlight saying this to Twilight et al. just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It feels like she’s stepping on Celestia’s lines here. Heck, at least she was trying to contribute last issue. Now it feels like she’s a kindergarten teacher handing out gold stars.
Huh. The witches have a concept of Heaven. This raises a number of questions. There was a Christmas pony in the line, but you’d think literal witches would want little to do with the whole thing.
“Quit acting like you’ve never seen a human before!”
Huh. They explicitly are human. I wasn’t sure. Also, this means that in the very last bit of pony media, it finally happened. We finally got humans in Equestria.
The irony is that if the witches hadn’t sent minions out to ruin the town, they might have received a much warmer welcome from the locals.
Oof. Pinkie Pie really knows how to deliver a shot to the heart without even meaning to. (Or does she? I’m still half-convinced she’s deliberately trying to reform Violet.)
Also, I feel like there were some wires crossed between description and execution of the ‘Est Ends” shirt. That’s the wrong half of the heart, and the words should each be on their own line for the side-by-side effect to work.
“Somepony needs to deal with those two-legged, tailless monsters.”
Okay, wow. I’m going to blame that on Smooze contamination. Ponyville gave a warmer welcome to Iron Will in Season 2. (Okay, he had a tail, but still.)
“Meaty, upright impost-horses.”
… I have no words.
And so Violet Shiver is consumed by her own creation.
Yeesh. The wreckage is honestly disturbing. And I do love how Dyre and Grackle keep finding things they would have loved to try… if their minions hadn’t already ruined it.
Heh. Even Black Belle has something resembling a heart. And better maternal instincts than most of the authority figures in Ocellus’s life.
Hmm. If the climax weren’t hurtling along at a breakneck pace, I’d wonder what the locals would think of the G1 ponies. The reaction to not-quite-ponies might be even worse than that to humanoids.
Even the microphone is concerned by the surprise tentacles!
Ah. The problem with dividing the Rainbow into a form that inflicts less collateral damage is that it also inflicts less damage in general.
“Look what you’ve done! This isn’t revenge, this is decimation! Is this what you wanted?”
… I’m sorry, is the Smooze chastising the witches for its own actions? I’m really not sure how to process this.
Ooh, very nice “hair of flame” effect from Grackle. Chandra out of ten.
Definitely some storyboarding issues with whether or not Twilight was in a crack in the floor. For goodness sake, she’s right next to herself between panels.
Huh. Combining negative emotion and harmony magic in a yin-yang bomb. Very nice.
“Your moms were so afraid of us, they never gave us the chance to become friends.”
Um… no. From what I recall, Hydia despised ponies because they were nice and happy and she was a Saturday morning cartoon villain. Reeka and Draggle were afraid of her and went along with everything she said.
“And we can still use some good teachers.”
You may want to have a long talk with Black Belle about an acceptable curriculum, Twilight. Caring for her students is one thing, but again, “Peak evil.”
… Wait, that’s it? Yeesh, I wasn’t kidding when I said this was racing towards a climax. This definitely wanted to be longer than five issues, and it feels like they wrote three of them before they realized the constraints involved. There’s some good bits here, but it could’ve used another issue or three to properly pace matters: Let the different pony casts play off of each other more. Call in more of the G4 cast to tackle the situation, as one alternate cover proposed. Give Shadow Storm literally any redeeming qualities. Heck, I’d love to see Dyre and Grackle exploring the multiverse as they look for a new home, pony worlds and otherwise. Goodness knows IDW has plenty of possibilities on that front.
In short, this was a good idea that didn’t have room to grow to its full potential. I did appreciate the theme of the cycle of abuse continuing through… well, generations. The only way to break it is to choose something better, to look back and see the only reason you’re fighting the wars of your forebears is because they told you to. I just wish it stuck the landing.
And it’s a darn shame Rainbow Dash never got to do anything with that jetpack.
Now, let’s see what I can make of what may be the very final serving:
Serra Baker 2W
Creature — Angel
Flying
Angels you control have lifelink.
Before its corruption and collapse, Serra’s realm sustained its inhabitants on light alone. The angels have learned to make do in the centuries since.
2/2
Stopping the Unstoppable 2WW
Enchantment — Saga
(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter.)
I — Create two 1/1 blue Pony Faerie creature tokens with flying.
II — Creatures you control gain indestructible and vigilance until your next turn.
III — Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control.
Memory of Megan
(W) Enchantment Creature — Human Warrior
Vigilance
When Memory of Megan enters the battlefield, you may tap any number of untapped creatures you control. When you do, exile target nonland permanent with mana value equal to the number of creatures tapped this way.
2/3
Bind to Harmony XW
Instant
Up to X target creatures can’t leave the battlefield this turn.
As the S’monies faded, a heartfelt emotional bond tethered them to reality.
Utter Flutter XWWW
Sorcery
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature’s color.)
Exile any number of target nonland permanents with total mana value X.
Many wings make light work.
Insidious Smooze 2U
Creature — Ooze
Skulk (This creature can’t be blocked by creatures with greater power.)
Whenever Insidious Smooze deals combat damage to a player, goad target creature that player controls. (Until your next turn, that creature attacks each combat if able and attacks a player other than you if able.)
1/3
Cozy’s Disciple 3U
Creature — Pegasus Rogue
Flying
When Cozy’s Disciple enters the battlefield, you become the monarch.
Whenever a player becomes the monarch, you may have that player mill five cards.
Curled ringlets belie a twisted mind.
2/3
Twilight’s Epiphany 3UU
Sorcery
Mill six cards, then return up to three artifact, instant, and/or sorcery cards from your graveyard to your hand. Exile Twilight’s Epiphany.
One moment, all seemed lost. The next, Twilight raced through the boutique at the speed of thought.
Reforge the Rainbow 4UU
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice an artifact.
Converge — Search your library for up to three artifact cards with total mana value X or less, where X is the sacrificed artifact’s mana value plus the number of colors of mana spent to cast this spell. Put those cards onto the battlefield, then shuffle.
Controlled Contamination B
Instant
Put a -1/-1 counter on target creature. Scry 1.
“The scientific community thanks you for your contribution.”
—Princess Twilight Sparkle
Unsuspicious Horse 2BB
Creature — Horse Citizen
When Unsuspicious Horse dies, create two 2/1 black Hag Warlock creature tokens.
“Greetings, fellow ungulates!”
4/2
Parcel Vulture 3B
Creature — Bird
Flying
When Parcel Vulture dies, target player draws two cards and loses 2 life.
Owls have refused to carry witches’ packages ever since Hydia’s infamous stew recipe became public knowledge.
2/2
Misanthropic Mob 3BB
Creature — Pony Berserker
Menace
When Misanthropic Mob enters the battlefield, destroy up to one target Human or Warlock.
Dyre and Grackle were welcomed to Equestria by the consequences of their actions.
5/4
Magmatic Gaze 2R
Enchantment — Aura
Flash
Enchant creature
Whenever enchanted creature deals combat damage to a player, its controller exiles that many cards from the top of their library. That player may play those cards this turn.
”I thought you said ‘sear the future.’”
Flamelock Witch 3R
Creature — Hag Warlock
Whenever Flamelock Witch blocks or becomes blocked by a creature, it deals 1 damage to that creature and 1 damage to that creature’s controller.
“They want to burn witches? Well two can play at that game.”
3/2
Blind Destruction 4R
Sorcery
Undaunted (This spell costs 1 less to cast for each opponent.)
Each player chooses a different target nonenchantment permanent you don’t control. Destroy one of the chosen permanents at random.
Writhing Ballroom 4RR
Creature — Ooze Horror
Whenever another creature with no counters on it attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature and on Writhing Ballroom.
Delirium — As long as there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard, all creatures attack each combat if able.
4/4
Burning Liberation XR
Sorcery
Choose X target creatures. Burning Liberation deals 1 damage to each of any number of those creatures. They can’t block this turn. Untap the rest. They get +1/+0 and gain haste until end of turn.
Grackle fed her flames with all her rage, freeing herself as she charred the Smooze.
Teahouse Python 1G
Creature — Snake
T: Add G. Activate only if you gained life this turn.
While Ponyville repaired most of the S’monies’ damage, the teahouse adopted the snakes as mascots rather than chase them out.
2/1
Flume Pod 3G
Creature — Plant Horror
Defender, reach
1G, Exile Flume Pod from your graveyard: The next creature spell you cast this turn can’t be countered. When you cast that spell, that creature enters the battlefield with two additional +1/+1 counters on it.
Potent, dead or alive.
4/4
Opal, Silent Death UBR
Legendary Creature — Cat
Haste, hexproof from planeswalkers
Opal, Silent Death can’t be blocked as long as it’s attacking a planeswalker.
Whenever Opal deals combat damage to a player or planeswalker, you may draw a card. If you do, discard a card.
Pity the out-of-towner.
3/2
Wings of Malice 1UB
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has flying and menace.
“Watch carefully, students. It’s not enough to merely hang in the air like a balloon. If you take to the sky, do it with style.”
—Black Belle
United Dismissal 3WB
Sorcery
Exile up to one target artifact, up to one target creature, up to one target enchantment, and up to one target planeswalker.
Grackle’s last act of dark magic was also her first taste of Harmony.
Ponyville Wreckage
Land
T: Add C.
Hoofcraft — 1, T, Sacrifice Ponyville Wreckage: Destroy target nonbasic land. Activate only if you control three or more Ponies, Pegasi, and/or Unicorns.
At its worst, Ponyville was just a series of fights in the remains of its better self.
I'm now imagining that in Equestria the Uncanny Valley is an actual place, where strange ambient magic makes everypony who goes inside look like they're from another generation.
I had the same thought when it came out :( It's sad to see it come to an end. And it didn't help that this last story didn't do anything for me.
I started reading the comics when the very first issues came out, and kept following it to the end. A lot of it was lackluster but some of it was brilliant. Thanks for all the stories, IDW.
Mind you I still haven't read the manga. I should do that sometime.
Considering Hasbro's track record with Transformers, and considering they announced two new G4-branded tabletop games just yesterday or so? Unlikely this is the last we see of the Mane 6. But it is probably the last major thing we'll see for a while at least. In a couple months we'll finally get the flood of G5 content between the two series and the comics (please Harmony let IDW not fuck up the G5 comics, at least the early ones). At least you're not going to run out of material for card blogs anytime soon.
We don't see the cutie mark, so it's entirely possible that this is just Cozy Glow herself having escaped the moment we stopped looking. Look, I'm going to keep positing that Discord contributing to that spell could only have weakened it into uselessness until someone brings up an actual counterpoint.
I seem to recall that there were only six Chaos Emeralds in the first game, not that I ever managed to obtain more than one.
To be fair, if it's in dialogue there's no guarantee that it's true. Megan existing would give them an alibi if their real species is too evil.
Stupid Complicated Game Alert: As I've mentioned previously, effects like Utter Flutter can eat one of the scariest things in the game for breakfast. Unfortunately for the Memory of Megan, I honestly don't remember whether zero is considered a number.
Inside Baseball Alert: I'll be honest, the flavor text of Magmatic Gaze feels incomplete without a "Jaya Ballard, task mage" at the end. (There's 21 cards attributed this way according to my Gatherer search; I can't pick one and Fimfic's "url" code breaks if I try to link the search).
This series was odd. Not sure I can call out anything you haven't. The pacing was definitely bad. Too slow to start then a sprint to wrap up. A sixth issue would have helped, but just more even pacing would have improved things. Even just a couple more pages to wrap things up a bit less abruptly. As it is it reminds me of old movies (like 50s and earlier) - they often seem to just end as soon as the big bad is defeated and roll credits immediately.
Curious if anyone on here will pick up Grackle and Dyre in a fic. Seen a few stories with the original witches, but if anyone has written these new ones I haven't seen it.
Ocellus has mommy issues confirmed.
I mean, before this miniseries came about there was no reason to believe that there would ever be new media for the G1 setting or characters ever again. I don't think it's unfeasible that G4 might feature in future cross-generation material in the future -- although, even so, this is still likely to be the last primarily G4-centric feature.
Yeah, "s’monies" makes them sound like snacks you make around a campfire.
Here's the thing, as it happens. In "The End of Flutter Valley", the show proper's first story arc, the witches come back and try to get revenge on the ponies, and at one point they've got them strung up in a net and put Draggle in charge of guarding them. It so happens that the ponies have caught on that Draggle is a) hopeless at witch magic, and b) constantly belittled by her mom and sister because of this, and offer to teach her pony magic if she'll let them go. Draggle is absolutely on board with this, a song is sung, she lets the ponies out, and then they stick her in the net, laugh and run away.
Yeah. It's the only part of the old show that left a genuinely bad taste in my mouth.
"Let us do regular ungulate things, such as eating grass, and then singing about it!"
Out of curiosity, given this story's material and the coming full shift to G5, I was wondering -- have you ever given thought to giving the card blog treatment to the old G1 specials or show?
5641876
Same thoughts here. More room would have been good, tighter pacing would have been better.
5641872
I'm 99% sure zero is a number for these purposes.
Officially too.
5641876
I might. Minor appearances but they'll have their limelight.
5641872
I think Crazy Glue here is her twin sister.
5641857
It's not the Deck building transformers game right?
Writhing Ballroom: Oh, it was electric! So frantically hectic! And the band started leaving, 'cause they all stopped breathing!"
5641872
Through the power of URI-encoding, behold! (Also, going by this search, there are seven cards with flavor text attributed to Jaya Ballard without indicating that she's a Task Mage, plus one where her full name is simply mentioned.)
Also, Stupid Complicated Game Alert: I'm absolutely sure that zero is a valid number of creatures to tap for Memory of Megan, though with the way it's worded, there's a difference between choosing to not tap creatures and choosing to tap zero creatures. If zero weren't a valid choice, the wording would be "one or more" rather than "any number of".
5738663
All of these are much more recent than the classic ones, coming from after Dominaria the set reintroduced her (Time Spiral is canonically decades before most of the post-Mending sets, and she looks the part).
Just because that's the wording FoME chose to use, doesn't mean it's the way it would actually work in the rules. Derpy is his spirit animal by his own admission, after all.
5738684
Zero is absolutely a number in this context, Herald. See Ratchet Bomb.
5738685
Fair enough. The example is important.