Rock 'N Rave!

The Rock 'N Rave Two Player Theme Deck is a theme deck released between the Canterlot Nights and The Crystal Games sets. It is actually a collection of two different theme decks, allowing one player to play as Maud Pie and another player to play as DJ Pon.

It's scheduled for release August 8th, 2014!

Winona, On the Scent

I've always wondered exactly what use Winona, On the Scent could play.

Yes, I understand what this card can do. (Exhaust it to look (not reveal, not turn face-up) a Troublemaker.

But what is the use of knowing what an upcoming Troublemaker is unless you can do something about it?

This card must be used in conjunction with another card.



Of the cards found in Fluttershy's (original) deck, it's only Hummingway, Fine Feathered Friend

that would seem to make much sense. At least if you know which Troublemaker's coming you could move Hummingway ti this problem in order to faceoff the Troublemaker next turn.

However, Sea Swirl, Porpoiseful could prove to be an interesting addition.

In this case not only could you move her to the upcoming Troublemaker next turn, but up to 3 Critter Friends as well! (Including Hummingway to easily defeat the Troublemaker).

However, there are other cards that could be more useful if the deck's secondary colour was different.

Surprise, Party Pegesus allows you to turn a Troublemaker face-down. (Problem is, it's a Pink card).

There are also hints of a potential Yellow/Purple deck in the Premier Series, with cards like Parasprite Pandemic (requiring Purple and Yellow to solve)

and Events cards like Royal Guidance

If we explore this option of a Purple/Yellow deck Monstrous Manual 

becomes a great card to have synergy with Winona, On the Scent. (You could see what Troublemaker's coming, then use Monstrous Manual to turn it back down).

... which goes to ask the question, what would a Yellow/Purple deck look like? Who'd be its Mane Character? 

Princess Luna Synergies

Frighten

The most obvious strength this deck has is its ability to Frighten.
With Princess Luna, Night Mare x2

Thunderclap (Event) x3

Pony of Shadows (troublemaker) x1

and with Rainbow Dash, Goosebump Giver x3

added to the mix the simple action of exhausting her will Frighten yet another opponent's Friend, costing your opponent 2 Action Tokens to Rally each frightening Character!

~         ~         ~

Faceoffs

However the Princess Luna deck isn't a one trick pony!
Build up a small arsenal of Events (including the above listed 3) to back up Starry Eyes, Space Cadet x2

will allow him to power up for faceoffs.

Also use Events to power up Princess Luna (boosted) for her +3/Event bonus as well!

Eclair Creme, Vicarious Listener x3 can help during the Scoring Phase and with Problem Faceoffs

Canterlot Archives can swing your draw card for faceoffs to help win

and with What Went Wrong? you can negate your opponent's high card from their faceoff draw card.

~           ~         ~

Token Generator

Use the synergy between Twilight Sparkle, All-Team Organizer x2

to generate an extra Action Token, and Rainbow Dash, Weather Leader x 2

to ready Twilight Sparkle to generate yet another Action Token!

~         ~         ~

Movement: Faster Than Swift!

And finally (in addition to Friends with the Swift ability), playing Friends like Rumble, Fast Learner

with Rainbowshine, Cloud Wrangler

can have a cascade effect for exhausting a Friend to move them, and then immediately ready them!

Flutterhshy Synergies

Fluttershy's deck - as powerful as it is - is really a pretty simple deck when it comes to synergies.
Basically, in a word, Caretaker.

Lots of Friends with Caretaker. Lots of Critter Friends.

Its Mane Character, Fluttershy (boosted) x1

Amethyst Star

Fluttershy, Animal Team, allows your next Critter Friend to be played for 1 less.

Lemon Hearts, Sweetheart

Mare Cureall. In addition to her Caretaker ability, her secondary ability can take along a Critter Friend for free!

~         ~         ~

The synergy is simple. Although the Caretaker ability cannot be stacked (a character with Caretaker will only ever get a +1 bonus regardless of how many Critter Friends accompany it), numerous characters with Caretaker are cumulative.
If you had 3 characters with Caretaker at a problem they would gain 0 power. Play or add only 1 Critter Friend, they each power-up by +1, totaling (in this example) +3. And that bonus is for their individual powers, Scoring Phase, Problem Faceoffs, and Troublemaker Faceoffs!

~         ~         ~

The only shortfall this deck would seem to have is an apparent inability to effect or control your opponent.
But with cards like Fluttershy, Guidance Councilor

and Mr. Beaverton Beaverteeth, Dam Builder,

this can be changed, dismissing opponent's resources and robbing them of their Action Tokens!

Of course this deck (unless severely modified or rebuilt) will still have its Orange powered cards which can come into play. 

Twilight Sparkle Synergies

Powering up Professor Neigh!

Monitor EVERYTHING! x3 (Problem)

This problem can help with playing Resource Reports at a reduced cost.
Outshine Them All x3

Fighting for Friendship x3

All these (6) Report Resources should attempt to be played to help power-up (Although this friend's ability is not stackable, the excess number of resources (6) are to make sure you have them in your hand and/or in play on each problem).
Professor Neigh, x3

~         ~         ~

The second synergy Twilight Sparkle's deck should build on is that of a Action Token Generator.

Both the Mane Character, Twilight Sparkle, Faithful Student and Mint Jewelup have Studious.

Twilight Sparkle, Faithful Student x1

Mint Jewelup x3

Amethyst Maresbury x1, can generate Action Tokens through her Pumped ability.

I Need Answers (problem) x2, can generate Action Tokens by dismissing Friends at this problem

Wrapping Up Winter (problem) x1

Further aiding these token generators are the following cards which directly or indirectly help in winning faceoffs, usually by moving or removing opponent's characters:

Tricksy Hat x1, can move opponent's characters away helping to win faceoffs.

Perfect Pace, x2, is simply a powerhouse once his Pumped ability come into play, winning many faceoffs.

The Twilicane x 1, can control you opponent's Mane Character and inflict ALL their Friends with a -1 power during the Score Phase.

Lady Justice x2, also aids in winning faceoffs

Mayor Mane x2, can control and mover opponent's character away from problems/faceoffs

and Greeting Lots of Folks with Clout (problem) x1 can move your opponent's Mane Character to this problem rather than the other.

Although it may seem like many of these cards are expensive to play (especially all together) but the idea behind this is to get the Action Token Generator up and running first.

The plan would be to have one character with Studious at each problem,

Perfect Pace at each problem,

Amethyst Maresbury at one problem,

Lady Justice at each problem, 

and Mayor Mane and Tricksy Hat at Home.

Applejack Synergies

There can easily be three synergies within the Applejack deck.

The first is that of the "Undefeatable Troublemaker".
Wild Manticore (troublemaker) x1

Duck & Cover (Event) x2

A Bully and A Beast (Event) x2

The synergy is simply after played the troublemaker, Wild Manticore, to boost him up at your opponent's troublemaker faceoffs with the support of either/or these two Events., making this troublemaker extremely difficult to defeat.

~         ~         ~

Sunny Smiles, Iconic Friend power-ups!

Sunny Smiles, Iconic Friend x3

Yellow Parasprite x3

Drill Bit x3

Applejack, Plant Leader x3

Avalanche! x3 (Problem)

Hungry Hungry Caterpillar x1 (Problem)

The key character in this synergy is Sunny Smiles, Iconic Friend. All these other cards - troublemakers, problems, and friends' abilities - power her up every time they force an opponent to discard.

~         ~         ~

And finally, there is a simple, if not overly powerful, synergy with Cherry Jubilee and the Hard Hat resources.
(The Hard Hat resource - giving a Friend Stubborn, although not useless, isn't particularly powerful in a deck with Stubborn characters - can be put to good use played (repeatedly) on Cherry Jubilee, powering her up to +3 4 power in total).