#cn: Spitfire

[spotsandsilliness]

Something about this really resonated, and I hope @wisteriasymphony knows that while you might say "your art is flat" it connects with the viewers. There is so much depth to this piece and I love how it shows every side of Adrien, including the parts he can't figure out.

Under the cut is my ramble abt this incredible artwork and the incredible symbolism and depth that I was struck with, with hopes the OP might see it :)

Happy reading! :))

The side his friends see (Imitation): A damsel in distress.

I can only imagine how frustrating it must feel to be incapable of saving yourself from someone who is supposed to love you, who is supposed to care for you and I feel like this really shows the depth of Gabriel's negligence, control, and abuse of Adrien and how it reflected into other areas of his life.

His friends mean well, but I see Adrien as someone who really wants independence above all. He wants to ride the subway on his own. He wants to just go for a walk without people being all over him. He wants to make a decision on his own without feeling the pressure of his father, without being smothered by his friends who may just want to help, but they're actively taking away his desperate reaches for independence. I can only imagine that once Adrien can do something that may seem as simple as riding the subway on his own just because he wants to, sitting in that train car he would break down crying because "he did it" all on his own. And that train car would forever hold a special place in his heart.

The side the media sees (Capitulation): A perfect poster child.

I won't ramble too much because this fandom KNOWS all about the affects this has.

Adrien is constantly under the spot light of EVERYONE. Including his classmates. Adrien is a model. A brand icon. So everything he does will always be not just focused on because "it's Adrien Agreste" but also will be focused on and highlights because every move he makes reflects the Gabriel brand. This is an insane amount of pressure he indures on a day to day basis. Your teenage years are hard enough, with thousands of different social pressures playing into your day to day weather it be who to hang out with, what's "cool" to say, what's "cool" to wear, what's "cool" to do, etc.. So Adrien is constantly holding his mask, making sure he doesn't slip up and become "detrimental to the Gabriel brand" he's also just joined a new school, trying to make new friends, AND balancing the regular ins and outs of being a teen.

Eventually we watch Adrien push modeling away, hoping to have some freedom and to be out of the spotlight, only for Gabriel to scan him into a digital model. Placing him right back where he was, only now with some newfound free time. Free time you could almost argue came with more pressures, because it only gave him more time to worry if he is representing who "Adrien Agreste is supposed to be" correctly.

Imagine the anxiety.

The side Paris sees (Deviance): A goofy spitfire.

Chat Noir immediately provides Adrien both relief and struggle. Chat provides Adrien an escape, and a companion (Plagg). While Chat also adds to Adriens responsibilities, just adding more pressure to the poor kid. The pressure of Chat is very real, this piece (Deviance) gives more light to the relief being Chat Noir gives Adrien, but also the identity crisis it can lead to.

Paris sees Chat Noir as a goofy and light hearted hero. He is seen as Ladybug's other half. And to Adrien, Chat is everything the Gabriel brand model isn't. Adrien is polite, while Chat is a jokester. Adrien laughs politely, while Chat speaks fluent puns. Adrien is quiet, while Chat is bold. Adrien may be in the spotlight for both of these lives, but with Chat, he's able to loosen up.

Adrien would describe CN as "his true self". I only believe this is partially true. While Adrien is tailored for the media by Gabriel, there are still qualities that aren't 100% manufactured. Adrien IS polite, but he also has the jokester side in him. Adrien can be quiet, but he also loves the dramatics. The only one that doesn't line up, is the puns. But that doesn't mean all these others are wrong.

Adrien was tailored, but some of those things weren't bad, and shaped Adrien to be the sweet, caring, loving, silly, and interesting boy he is. It's the way it was done that was negative and eventually became stifling.

These two very opposite personalities, while both Adrien, have lead to a identity crisis similar to Marinette's with LB. As a fandom we watch Mari think of LB as better than Marinette, despite the fact that they are the same. Adrien's identity crisis comes from being two complete opposites, and light is shed on that in Kuro Neko.

The side Ladybug sees (Subservient): The perfect partner.

Ladybug would without a doubt, call Chat the perfect partner. And don't get me wrong, he is! They work great together!

But I feel like this subservient piece really reflects Adrien's self worth. When I look at this piece, it immediately makes me think of all the times Chat has sacrificed himself for LB.

Chat sees himself as less important, and diminishes his and Ladybug's equal partnership just because she repairs everything. While the miracle cure is invaluable, so is CN as a partner as LB and I'm sure the fandom would agree.

In this piece we see a numb look on Chat's face, almost as if the pressure of all his responsibilities are catching up to him. Making CN more of a chore, and making it hard for him to see his worth as Ladybug's partner. We can see the total deconstruction of Adrien and how lost he is through the eyes of CN.

This reminds me of an ao3 fic by Buggachat called "I (Wish) I knew you" Here's the link if anyone wants to read that: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49011655/chapters/123650881#workskin

The side Adrien sees (Self?): No. Damn. Clue.

**Que Adrien/Chat Noir identity Crisis lol

This pulls it all together. The damsel in distress. The poster child. The goofy hero. The perfect partner.

All of these "characters" are separate. They live different lives but not really, intertwining in Adrien's head, adding more and more pressure, forcing Adrien to conform and change who he is depending on who he's surrounded by all while having no clue who Adrien Agreste is when he's all alone.

Adrien couldn't decide on a career because he was never given a choice in life. He was pushed into modeling by his father and was never given another option. He didn't know what he was passionate about. He didn't know what got him out of bed in the morning other than the fact that his alarm went off and "father would be furious".

Adrien sees himself as all these different people. But can't seem to figure out who he actually is. All he knows is these routines, these pressures to perform. These eyes always watching him.

Adrien has no clue who he is. He's a doll that is posed for whatever is most convenient to the people around him.

Adrien is like water: He changes shape to whatever his surroundings are, and his form is all dependent to the "temperature" of his surroundings. He has no choice because he has no identity other than whatever matches what the world wants.

All together:

All together it shows who Adrien is. It shows the hellscape that Adrien's brain is. The pressure he receives from everyone around him, even his friends and how it impacts his identity or lack-there-of.

Once again. A truly touching piece. I haven't felt so impacted by fanart in a long time, this is incredible.

OP, be kinder to yourself, this piece has so much depth and is the furthest thing from flat.

This piece reflects who Adrien is so well. The imitation piece is shaded in a more dramatic way, showing the princess/fantasy way his friends see him. The capitulation piece has bolder lineart, flatter colors, and is much whiter, showing the spotlight he's under and the black and white way people view "Adrien Agreste". The deviance Piece is Sketchy and shows how CN is a stark contrast to Adrien, and how Adrien uses CN as a outlet for freedom and to act less "perfect". The subservient piece is dark, with a faint ladybug backlighting, this shows how CN thinks he lives in Ladybug's shadow and how he is numb and has a low self worth. The self? piece is striking because of the lack of detail and a silhouette that resembles a blurred mix of Chat and Adrien, showing how Adrien has no idea who he is and is so incredibly lost.

Be proud of this piece!! It's so cool!!

here's my late contender for @sadrien-week Day 2: Identity! And, while we're here, I have a >1k little fic for Day 3: Depression nest right here as well! :) https://archiveofourown.org/works/64576597

[superdweebs]

[usafphantom2]

Ronnie Bell Following

Supermarine Spitfire photo Reconnaissance in June 1944.

on an English airfield, circa June 1944, Men present are (from left to right): James J. O'Connor, CN. Pfanenstiel, Chief Aviation Machinist's Mate VG Disa, Aviation Machinist's Mate Third Class R P Theirauld, and Edmund Pachgio. at the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory on February 17th 1945.

Via Flickr

[fba-art]

Just out of curiosity, why don’t you like young justice??

aight, so i knew i was gonna wait to respond to this ‘til i had some time to explain.

and i want to start out by saying that i don’t think Young Justice, as a property, is a bad show. in fact, i think it’s a show that had GREAT potential. i watched every new episode via livestream every saturday lol. and now, i’ll be honest when i say it’s been some time since i’ve rewatched it, and i’m always open to changing opinions. a few years back, i wanted to give it another, fresher perspective and dove in for a rewatch, but ultimately didn’t finish. i don’t remember my reasoning exactly, but i recall being disappointed.and it’s funny i received this ask this week, b/c my friend and i were planning on giving it another rewatch for shits and giggle after finals ( sober or not is tbd ).

but so, here’s where i stand on the show.

i started watching YJ when it was abt 5 episodes into s1. and i binged those first five and stick to my guns that holy SHIT 1-3 are bomb as FUCK. super strong start! Independence Day will never not get me SO HYPE and remind me why i fell in love with DC’s teenage heroes in the first place. it’s so… youthful. a fun conversation for another time.

and now, when i started watching YJ, it was like four months into my making my TT!Kid Flash rp blog, and two months after i’d gotten into reading comics; when i found out Wally was like a biG DC CHARACTER, NOT JUST AN OLD CARTOON ONE-SHOT, i went EVERYWHERE to get my hands on more about Wally West. ironically, the first purchase i ever made from a comic store was a silver age Teen Titans tale, issue #2 of TTY1, and two issues of the old Young Justice comics ( still some of my favorite comics to this day; more on that later ).TL;DRi saw a commercial for YJ, ft. my fave DC char and my fave comic title and went “HOSHIT”.

as the episodes pushed the show’s plot along, it was fun and explorative of a more intense side to the idea of a group of superteens in the DCU. and again, very TEENAGER-Y, which i say in the BEST of ways, considering that was the target audience as well. but, as part of that audience at the time, one of the things that had started to bother me was the character relationships. yeah, i was loving on most of the main cast at the time, but for the first half of the season, the team’s supposedly-close friendships were pushed to the backburner ( EXCEPT for KF and Rob’s, which was one of the only things that got me through the season ). the first season WAS about straining relationships. the social drama was palpable. you NEED conflict in your plots, and char-v-char is especially fun. but i remember feeling like there was little bonding. they were a group of acquaintances, learning to co-habitate the same space- not to say that they didn’t seem like friends, but there was a lack of balance between “teens being professionals in their field” and “teens being immature teens”. both were squeezed in, but both consistently felt forced.

which brings me to the next point: forcing relationships without developing them!i wasn’t sure why i was supposed to care about Roy, like. At all. the team always bringing up that they trained alongside him, grew with the guy, and then??? nada, except when the plot needed edgy tantrumy angst.then there was spitfire. i ship spitfire now, but the ENTIRETY of s1 i was SO FRUSTRATED, because all those two did was bicker. wally was pretty foul to artemis, who was also just plain mean to wally. and i say this with the two of them as my TOP FAVE CHARS.and don’t get me STARTED on the best char on the entire team, KALDUR’AHM!!!! who was shit on by EVERYONE– fandom and plot, alike. actually, i do recall in my last rewatch starting two tallies of everytime kaldur was DISRESPECTED and TREATED LIKE GARBAGE BY TEEN AND ADULT CHARS, versus everytime he was treated respectfully. this boy was BRUTALIZED through s1.m’gann and conner, too– a cute concept, but borderline cringey, even creepy, at times. i was rooting for supermartian. i was. but it was like the writers didn’t know how to write a slowburn. the idea was honestly better on paper than in execution.

the YJ spinoff comics filled in a lot of these gaps, i’ll admit. it explored the chars, their relationships, and their behavior in ways the show seemingly didn’t have time to do, and i LOVE the spinoff series. but i also firmly believe that you shouldn’t need a second media to fix the first. it’s capitalistic and no fun.

through the duration of the show, there were also issues such as the hiatuses. i don’t recall them coming with much warning at a time, nor sticking to much of a schedule. i don’t actually remember what they were for, either. but, before and after each of (three?? was it three?) hiatuses, the showrunners would introduce a new character during a new arc, give said character some liners or plot fodder, and do away with them for the rest of the season ( i.e Rocket, Zatanna, Garth and Tula, etc. ).

i have some other, nitpickier issues– why was wally That Way, why was clark Like That, how come bruce was the ENABLER the entire time, etc– but many can be argued as whether they affected the show as a whole or not.my actual biggest problem was the direction.the director.Greg Weisman.bc idk what the hell he was doing half the time, and i don’t think he knew, either. the writing wasn’t GREAT, but at least it was consistent. Weisman truly had a marketable property, a fan favorite, and one of CN’s best running shows at the time. but between the hiatuses, the writing’s faults, the insufficient character development, and a HUGE ego thanks to his fanbase, Weisman was unable to uphold the integrity of his show. there was both fan-pandering, AS WELL AS consciously going AGAINST fans’ wishes. there was that whole “Ask Greg”-thing, too, where he would get back to a fan once every blue moon and answer background questions about the show’s universe, which became a scene of hot debate. Greg Weisman became the JK Rowling of DC, and lost a lot of my respect with his lack of damage control, and impulse control.

then, with the very inception of the show– and i don’t actually know if i can blame weisman for this or not, but i wanna know who pitched it, otherwise– the show’s CONCEPT. why was Young Justice made with this particular cast of characters, cherrypicked through DC history, aged down or revamped or just cut-and-pasted where they didn’t fit? why was its concept, “COVERT TEAM OF ADOLESCENTS WITH SUPERPOWERS WORKING TOGETHER WITH LACK OF SUPERVISION”? why was the show called “Young Justice” when what they wanted was the TT v3 comics? WHY DID WE NEED TO TURN SUPERMAN INTO THE UNAVAILABLE-FATHER TROPE????? questions that will forever remain unanswered. that’s a lie, i can answer most of them, myself.but all in all, a show with great potential that failed in execution.

season 2, i actually enjoyed more than season 1– it felt like there was more of a handle on the story and cast, alike. did i approve of season 2 and what went down? debatable. but that’s a very subjective view. objectively, season 2 flowed better than season 1, but still didn’t follow through on subplots, nor resolved relationships or even characterization ( m’gann, girl what the fuck?? ). very little team bonding, save for, once again, two chars out of the whole team. again, another season of SO much potential, but one that fell short.

its pros, however– i really enjoyed the darker themes, getting darker as time went on. there was a lot of tragedy in s2, and different perspectives and walks of life to watch through different lenses. a much more diverse cast, and very different conflicts to tackle. i was impressed. i don’t think all the controversies were resolved, but i also wasn’t quite as upset that they weren’t; open-ended conflict is frustrating, but is a great lead-in to another season.

————which, for better or for worse, we weren’t supposed to have.i personally would’ve rather the show ended there, not quite on a high note ( are u fucking kidding me fjaoisdfjoaifio waLLY, this was during the n52, too ), but with a concrete END. of course there was more to explore, the world they’d built was a big one, but we didn’t need to.

i was literally just yesterday chatting w my sis, bc after school lets out, we wanna watch season 3. i really do. i’m upset that there is one, but i do wanna know what happens to my faves. and, on top of that, i’ve been meaning to do one BIG rewatch, anyways, to get me set up for s3. as a student of film, it’s a huge philosophy of mine to rewatch EVERYTHING and go in with the intent of giving it a fresh start and a clean slate– both medias i love, and medias i hate. it’s important to analyze pop culture critically, and even things that aren’t good can still be enjoyable.

for me, Young Justice wasn’t a phenomenal show to begin with, from its technological side to its creative team to its politics, and i stopped enjoying it pretty early on. but, that isn’t to say it didn’t accomplish GREAT things, and isn’t UN-enjoyable; it has its moments. also i would DIE for most of the cast, i fucking love the characters.

i don’t think anyone is wrong for liking Young Justice. i try to stay in the loop about it, and form new opinions based on whatever information is out there until i can get ahold of the source material. and, i do like aspects of the show. but ultimately, it just isn’t my cup of tea. 

[debbielovesbooks]

@viamari.inc ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ Relentless: Dark Billionaire Mafia Romance (Billionaire Bodyguards Book 4) by Via Mari Buy Now - https://amzn.to/2OH3sTw #OnTour #ItsyBitsyBookBitsTours #BookSpotlightShowcase #VIAMARI #RELENTLESS #BILLIONAIREBODYGUARDS #Darkromance #BillionaireRomance #DarkBillionaireRomance #Trafficking #DominantBillionaire #ROMANTICSUSPENSE Hosted by Itsy Bitsy Book Bits Genre - Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, Organized Crime Page Count - 193 pages Cover Designer: Cassandra Fear @ C&A Designs SYNOPSIS - The fiery beauty Layla Contreras is an exotic dancer who can hold her own in the dangerous industry she’s in. Strong-willed, sassy, and determined, she’s relentless to undermine anyone who threatens her mission and the secrets she keeps. Dereck is a member of an elite security team. His duty is to protect two of the wealthiest men in the world. When asked to take an assignment for one of them, the last thing he expects is to end up in the middle of a trafficking ring, or to meet an exquisite woman full of attitude who ignites his dominance. When Layla’s secrets and true identity become exposed, both of them realize they bit off more than they can chew. Mafia alliances might not be enough to take control back when Dereck tries to claim the brave spitfire for his own. But when the clock starts ticking on Layla’s life, he will try to do the impossible. Via Mari Author Itsy Bitsy Book Bits Itsy Bitsy Book Bits Romance https://www.instagram.com/p/CN-imQ-DTqw/?igshid=7yhv791sjjnr

[rantceratops]

Image

God this episode starts out so delightfully awkward, LMAO. At least Ollie gets a kick out of it. 

And, man, Greg, could you possibly broadcast it any louder that Conner and Megan obviously have the most kinky relationship out of any of the couples in the show? I mean god, sometimes I’m kind of surprised they even got away with this scene, given all the uh, adult situations it kind of entails these two participate in their bedroom. (I love the adult jokes and topics YJ was able to get away with, tbh, and I hope that kind of thing increases in s3 with it not being held back by CN)

HELLO, MEGAN!

Man, I love Mama Canary! It’s a good thing she’s around or these kids would have been beyond repair after Failsafe, especially considering how Bats expected them to just be okay a week after that happened. Yeah, okay, Bats; did you get over your parents in a week? NO.

Also, I like seeing the character’s rooms and stuff! I wish it was actually canon that all the Team members had rooms at the Cave for late missions and stuff, but I’m not so sure they do. Oh, well, that’s what fanfiction is for, and I don’t see why they can’t at least have lots of extra rooms for the Team to stay in if they need to, at the very least. (the idea of the Cave being a home away from home for them all is quite appealing)

“Suuuure, any friend of Bruce Wayne’s!” Goddamnit, Wally!

Wait wait wait. Why does Conner say “Tt, not a fan.” when Batman brings up Queen Bee? Did Conner have some kind of run-in with her prior to this episode? I’ve read all the tie-in comics and I know the actual s1 episodes like the back of my hand and I’m pretty sure Conner never had a run-in with Queen Bee before this. ????

“Dude, you totally left me hangin’!” Dick, you can’t just leave a bro hanging like that, not even for your internal crisis!

But in all seriousness though, this is the first time Robin has been put in charge of a mission since the failsafe exercise... it’s no wonder he looks completely unhappy about it, considering all the things he said to Black Canary in that therapy session; he’s not ready to put himself in that kind of position of power again, not with what happened, not with the way he sacrificed his friends for the sake of the mission, as he put it. Ugh, poor child... and it becomes even worse when you realize just how much he still behaves like Batman in s2, but that’s another rant for another season. 

It’s also just nice to see a hint that the kids definitely still aren’t quite healed from Failsafe (probably never really did fully heal, tbh, I’m sure that stuck with them all for the rest of their lives).

“A border the Bialyans are in the process of ignoring.” (I just think Wally looks cute here :3)

STAMPEEEEEDE, STAMPEDE IN THE GORGE! (sorry, I couldn’t help myself)

Wally’s goggles are seriously so cool and one of my favorite things about him as a speedster, like he’s got cool high tech goggles that not even Barry or Bart or Jay have, but the sad thing is that he rarely utilizes them within the show. The only other times I can think of off the top of my head that involved Wally using the techy functions on his goggles were in Dropzone, this episode, the first part of the Museum Heist tie-in comic issue when he was with Barry, and the Gorilla Warfare tie-in comic issue.

Lol, poor naive Robin, thinking the Team can do stealth mode. 

Conner vs. wildebeest. Conner wins. Wildebeest needs a chiropractor.

“Mom, mom, mom! We were just saved by Robin and Kid Flash!” What a little fanboy omg.

“--admired your stance on animal rights for years!” “You’ve only been on Earth six months!”

Oh Megan.

Oh my god it’s like they were meant to be siblings, they’re both losers! <3

You ever get second-hand embarrassment for characters? Because I totally get that for poor Megs when she’s gushing about Hello Megan to Marie. :( It always makes me cringe a little.

“Woah, you still have VHS. Where’s your 8-track?” LMAO oh my god, Wally, so offended by their lack of up-to-date technology. XD

Jesus christ, Gar, how the shit did you get from the main house over to the barn that quick without anyone seeing you? Do you secretly already have animal powers or are you just a fast little shit?

“I told you there’d be consequences!” “Always.” :((((((

Holy shit, I NEVER noticed that there were droplets of blood spattered across the floor leading to Garfield’s bedroom! Like obviously he has blood on his face when they show him a moment later but I somehow never picked up on the fact that there was actually a freakin’ trail of it leading to his room. That’s pretty intense, wow. Poor kid.

Oh my god, so we all know about the Aqualad poster that Gar has hanging over his bed right? Well I just noticed that he also has a Robin poster that you can see beside Robin when Marie is asking if any of them are O-.

I like the animation on Robin’s hair here, not to mention the whole gesture he makes here is just very natural.

I like how they made the animation for Hello! Megan look kind of grainy compared to the show, to give it a little bit of that old video tape look.

“Oh yeah, pure coincidence.”

Glad to know at least Wally seems to find the situation rather amusing, look at those facial expressions, LMAO.

“Ugh, I still remember the headache from the last time he brain blasted us!” Come on, Wally, quit pretending like the only thing you REALLY remember isn’t all that quality time you spent with the beautiful blonde you found unconscious in the desert. You know, girl that goes by the name of Artemis that you have a huge gross crush on but are too afraid to admit because you’re scared of your own feelings for her? THAT girl? (I had to slip some Spitfire in here, leave me alone)

I honestly think Megs looks pretty badass, and I like that they keep the little red criss cross going across her chest just to further identify her in this particular form. 

Aww, poor boys. That was rude Megs T_T

A+ voice acting from Megan’s VA when she says “No, please, stop...”. Also for the “You don’t know me at all!” Yesss, that fierceness!

And thus Psimon is the first victim of M’gann’s later delve into the dark waters in s2. >.<

“Gee, Bruce Wayne sure got here fast, almost like he kne--” “Don’t you have a souvenir to collect or something?” LOL

“Something you’d like to tell us?” Wally quit being so sassy.

“Blad M’gann. Still hot.” I... really don’t know whether to say that’s sweet or not, Wally. LMAO (what a horndog)

Aaaand, blackmail. :(

[thegeneralsnotebook]

June Feature: Top 10 Harmony URs for Johnny

Those of you unfamiliar with the CCG player archetypes which were first established for Magic: the Gathering may be unfamiliar with the significance of this article’s title. I would advise you to take a quick look around the Internet for some explanations, of which there are many. While attempting to break down any broad population into clean categories is always a tricky exercise, the Magic archetypes have been pretty successful over the course of their tenure. And that’s why I start writing this article and tell you that I really am a Johnny player. (Except for the few short weeks around cons when Spike shows up a little.) I love being challenged by cards, and seeing puzzles that can be solved. A card that’s just straight-up good isn’t much fun. It’s the cards that you have to work with, to tease out in just the right way to reveal their beauty, those are the good ones.

So what follows is most definitely not a list of my Top 10 URs in Harmony. What follows instead is a list of my Top 10 URs for Johnnys. I settled on three criteria for cards that I would use to judge which ones fell under the label:

Cards that apply symmetric effects, i.e. things that are either a boon or a penalty to both players. The trick with these cards is usually to build a deck that ignores the penalty or consistently takes advantage of the boon.

Cards that create “side-grade” effects, which aren’t obviously useful on their face. Giving more power or extra colours is an obviously useful thing. Changing traits on other cards is not so obviously useful.

Cards with powerful abilities that are locked behind significant restrictions. For these, the trick is building a deck that can consistently get around those restrictions and show off the true power of the card beneath.

I’ve limited this list to only Ultra Rares firstly to limit the work I had to do putting it together, but also because URs are generally where we expect to find strange, quirky cards that might fit the criteria listed above. Ultra Rares are so very rarely simple that there’s always a wealth of experimentation to be done in nearly every new set. And sure, sometimes you get a Staff or a Carbo Loader that just goes in everything, but then those cards just won’t make the list. So let’s get to it.

#10 Philomena, Bird of a Feather (PR)

Way back in Premier, we got the first card in the game that was capable of altering the traits of other cards. We didn’t get another one until Absolute Discord, which honestly is a bit of a shame. Philomena’s role in creating Critters specifically during the Score Phase has admittedly only a few limited uses, but those uses are still pretty cool. A good choice these days is something like Cratus, which with Philomena can retire any Friend at the Problem for the point (including Cratus itself, if that’s needed at any time). In her time, though, Philomena suffered from not having very many cards that could take advantage of her effect. Only Goldie Delicious, Cat Hoarder (CN) and Beast Bulk Up (AD) really fit the bill. But this still is a card that I keep in the back of my head.

#9 Starlight Glimmer, Enforced Equality (EO)

Oftentimes, the best cards happen when flavour aligns with power. “Big Glimmer” here, as I’ve affectionately nicknamed her, is an impressive confluence of the two concepts. Forcing all characters at her Problem down to an equal two Power is of course wonderfully flavourful, and at the same time it creates a card with a built-in choice. Starlight does something that very few Epics in the game do: she stymies traditional Farming decks while still being viable for non-traditional Farming decks to use. Wide styles like Thorax or unorthodox styles like Professor Sparkle can take advantage of her two points just fine, while Applejack is left with naught to rely on but a flip. Personally, I think we could use a fair bit more of cards like this.

#8 Ember, Up to the Challenge (DE)

Another thing which can often be appreciated about card design is when we get a card with an amount of elegance to it, and as much as Ember herself might object to being called elegant, this is a card which wraps up a nice amount of flavour, too. Of all the cards on this list, this is probably the most straightforwardly powerful one. Ember’s ability to boost your power in any faceoff, regardless of location or who started it or anything, is just great. But I simply can’t get over the comparison between this card and a card like Spitfire, Drilling it In (DE). Rather than having a veritable pile of abilities to overwhelm you with her utility, Ember has just one nice, clean ability, but you’ll still be overwhelmed by the number of things that you can do with her.

#7 Trenderhoof, Trailblazer (AD)

Now, sure, this card has caused a lot of trouble for the game, so you could certainly start a legitimate debate about whether or not Trailblazer is actually a well-designed card. It’s certainly an audacious card, in its extreme potentially encouraging some sort of quasi-Highlander deck that finds a way to consistently get Trailblazer into play to mess with the opponent’s plays. In this way, it’s a perfect example of Criterion 1 above: a symmetrical effect that you really have to build around to take advantage of. The combo decks which have utilized him did just that, taking advantage of the game’s rules to allow free dismissals on their own Friends. Again, we can talk separately about the decks that this card has enabled, but any card that allows tinkering around with the rules in that way is cool in my book.

#6 Pinkie Pie, Distracting Cheerer (CG)

Distracting Cheerer really is the epitome of Criterion 3 above, a powerful effect that can really swing a turn, but with the chief restriction that the card itself has no built-in way to activate the effect. Essentially, Distracting Cheerer gives us a lock, and we have to build a deck that can consistently provide the key. And there are a whole bunch of different ways that you can do this. Orange-Pink might like it a lot, actually, exhausting Pinkie to Muffin Mare maybe, and crushing a resulting faceoff because of it. Or you could stretch into some other colours to make it work. Either way, Pinkie Pie simply demands creativity in her use, and that means that there’s a real payoff for players like me, when we can make her work.

#5 Nightmare Star (AD)

In many respects, Nightmare Star is exactly what I would think an Epic Troublemaker should be: a high-powered Troublemaker with a big point score and a global effect that neither player can ignore. Sometimes, Nightmare Star can just wreck a deck, eliminating the usefulness of most of its key tools, especially these days with so many AT-generators running around. Meanwhile, of course, the challenge is on the player running NMS to insulate themselves against the effect. The card provides a big modification to the way that the game is played, but it’s totally possible to protect yourself from it with your build. Which is to say, it’s pure Johnny.

#4 Fluttershy, Hide and Squeak (AD)

There’s a lot of Absolute Discord on this list, I think mostly because that was a set where Enterplay really pushed the limits on creative card design. You want to talk about a card that creates an enticing puzzle to solve? There’s only one card in the game that I find more fascinating, and you’ll see it soon enough. Hide and Squeak presents the possibility of a Holy Grail of Troublemaker control: never having to care about Troublemaker-faceoffs at all. The puzzle, of course, is finding a way to effectively cycle Fluttershy out of the discard pile and back into play for the next turn. There are some cool ways of doing it, but everything I’ve found so far is pretty AT-expensive. Either way, Fluttershy is the Queen of Criterion 3.

#3 Sunset Shimmer, Clever Girl (AD)

Clever Girl is, admittedly, a touch mainstream for this list. She did see some play, after all, in the days of Absolute Discord, when extra AT was very much at a premium, especially compared to where we are now. But what really excites me about cards are the possibilities for the interesting choices that they could create. Most of the cards on this list create those choices during the process of deck construction, but Clever Girl brings that choice right into the game itself. Her ability essentially allows you to sacrifice card advantage for AT, which makes her a fine example of Criterion 3. What’s more important at the instant the trigger fires? And, as with any good Johnny card, can you build your deck in a way that mitigates her costs and takes full advantage of her benefits?

#2 Starlight Glimmer, Chrono Trigger (MT)

Much of what was said earlier for Nightmare Star surely applies here, but if you thought that Nightmare Star was a just a minor annoyance, here we have a card that literally demands your attention. Because if you leave it be, eventually it is going to fundamentally change the game that is being played. Even before you think about how to play with it, you’ve got to make a fundamental choice in including it in your deck: do you want it to go off? Are you trying to potentially cheat out a bunch of powerful cards, or are you trying to use it to mill your opponent at accelerated speed? Or maybe you just want to beat it up (clearly you just don’t know how to have fun). Once that’s done, then you can start solving the problem of how to actually play it properly.

Now, before we get to #1, I’m going to build some suspense by quickly touching on a couple of Honourable Mentions:

Twilight Sparkle, Noted Speaker (CN)

A classic example of Criterion 2, Noted Speaker is a card that changes a lot about the game when it’s in play. Both you and your opponent know what your faceoff flips are going to be. You have a huge incentive to participate in some top-deck shenanigans, too.

The Equestria Games (CG)

The Equestria Games is another classic example of Criterion 1, giving us a huge potential effect, but one that’s fully symmetrical with the opponent. These days, I could consider maybe a Magical Misfire right before popping Games. Wait, now that’s an idea, isn’t it...

Well, that’s enough for stall tactics. Let’s get on to the big one:

#1 Flutterbat (CN)

As an enticing, cool puzzle, Flutterbat is on a level entirely her own. The card is flavourful to a fault, throwing away nearly any chance at being useful so that it can emphasize itself as a flitting, standoffish Troublemaker that just wants to be left alone. Attempting to make Flutterbat work for you is an exercise in and of itself, involving manipulating the board in an attempt to get her to move when you want her to. It’s so hard that one might even dismiss the effort as not worth it. Here, though, I might ask you to remember that there was another Canterlot Nights UR that was dismissed as nothing more than a joke when first printed, and that story ended up lasting for a long time indeed. But even beyond that, Flutterbat is a challenge without equal. Getting her to work inside a deck would be a crowning achievement, and something I would proudly remember for the rest of my career. So still we try. Good luck to any who still try to crack her code. One day, we’ll find something.

So, did I miss something? Do you have your own creative UR that you think really should have been on this list? If so, then please let me know, and I’m sure we’ll be able to have a rousing debate on the matter. In any event, I’ll see you all in a month.

[superdweebs]

[usafphantom2]

Ronnie Bell Following

Supermarine Spitfire photo Reconnaissance in June 1944.

on an English airfield, circa June 1944, Men present are (from left to right): James J. O'Connor, CN. Pfanenstiel, Chief Aviation Machinist's Mate VG Disa, Aviation Machinist's Mate Third Class R P Theirauld, and Edmund Pachgio. at the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory on February 17th 1945.

Via Flickr

[sixtypbeatz]

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[superdweebs]

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