@Zaknel
I imagine it’s a bit like the “The point of the game is to have fun with its wide array of characters, levels, items, and mechanics” casual Smash Bros crowd vs the “THE POINT IS TO BE THE BEST AND WIN FOX ONLY NO ITEMS FINAL DESTINATION GET ON OUR LEVEL SCRUB WAVEDASH OR LOSE” competitive Smash Bros scenes. I’d much rather a game like this be about deck themes and archetypes, instead of everyone just using “the best stuff” like Borreload Savage Dragon and Mystic Mine. It’s like Sid Meier said, “if you let them, players will optimize the fun out of a game” XD

@Badumsquish
Well, he exxaggerates a little bit by saying that there aren’t many viable strategies. But, I can see how you might find it a bit tiring to make it all competitive.

Go for the casual cards.

@Zaknel
I want to stick with a “Pony” theming, since I want them all to be under one umbrella archetype. Since it’s all “friendship” themed, I don’t want any one card to be overly good, but rather have other cards cover them. Trap cards that are activated when a Pony monster is removed from the field, or other monsters that can absorb blows for each other. Things like that. There’s even going to be an instant win condition, since I was always enamored by those: Final Countdown was one of the cards I used to play all the time :P

True story too, I’ve actually been advised by a friend, who plays this game competitively, to keep it as casual as possible and focus on theming rather than efficacy. He has outright said that the competitive scene has been so taken over by minmaxing optimizers that it’s basically not fun to play anymore, since there’s basically only like 3 viable strategies XD

@Badumsquish
A viable option would be a Changeling continous or field spell that protects these monsters from destruction once a turn, and floodgates to make it harder for your opponent to swarm the field with their monsters.

But sadly, it could all still get Kaiju’d. But, then again, so can everything else.

@Zaknel
That was half lore, half balance. Lore, because the changelings attacked as themselves and then assumed the pony’s forms mid-battle, and balance to force you to have to protect the thing for a turn before you could use its effect since I felt a combined search and special summon card that lets you get out any normal-summonable Pony monster without tribute, that also replaces itself, was pretty powerful in its own right. So you have to do something to protect it like use Threatening Roar or equip it with Heart of Clear Water. Since it’s part of the Pony archetype, there’s likely cards that help defend Pony-type monsters as well :P

@Badumsquish
The real problem you face is that it’s only during the Standby Phase. Any sane person would read this effect and set to get rid of this card on their turn before you get to the Standby Phase. It would be better if you could special summon this card from the hand and tribute it immediately.

@necromancer5
I wanted to make it a four star, ironically, to cripple it somewhat. I felt it had a good effect with no real cost, so I wanted to make it so it couldn’t benefit from low level support cards :D

@Setsugekka
A buggo that looks and sounds like Twilight is the next best thing :D

@Zaknel
It’s best use would be card economy and setting up a combo I think. It can summon any Pony monster, regardless of level, so long as that card can be normal summoned, and all you have to do is protect it for one full turn. Summoning any Level 7 Pony monster from your deck for only one tribute, and also getting a second summon that turn, is one extra monster in your deck or hand AND one extra monster on the field. Or, if you have a specific card that needs a specific Pony monster, this can set that combo up. And, you also get another changeling from your deck if the monster goes to the grave for any reason, not just destroyed, so you could summon a particular Fusion material monster, fuse it, and get another changeling to your hand to draw another Pony of your choice which is really good card economy too :D

@:< + dog = :>
Just be warned of when your opponent activates Cheeto Dust :P

@Background Pony #CE3B
My idea for them is Level 7’s with high attack and good effects, but some kind of limitation on summoning. In the show they’re powerful but rarely do anything, so I want them to have that kind of vibe in the game too XD

@Dirty Bit
Neither of those cards would stop a summon, though. The former is activated by an attack, the latter can only target a face-down monster :D

Nothing a Mirror Force or Acid Trap Hole can’t fix

Would alicorn cards be like the Egyptian god cards or like ritual cards?

WE ARE BUILDING A PONY DECK WITH THIS ONE! 🗣️🗣️🗣️🔥🔥🔥

That would be good in a stall deck. But I dunno about how you would use it to extend combos. Maybe Link or Fusion summons? Ritual, even?

Pretty neat effect and replaces itself, useful indeed

shouldn’t this be a 3 or 2 star card?