Rant of Valakut: Sci-Fi in Five Cards Ben Iverach-Brereton December 24, 2018 Rants of Valakut #In5Cards Last December I posted a series of word puzzles using Magic cards as clues. I took Christmas movies, songs and stories and described them using the names of exactly five cards. I had a lot fun writing the puzzles, and everyone enjoyed trying to solve them. It went over so well, in fact, that I decided to make more! This year I wanted to change the theme, so I opted to make the puzzles about something other than Christmas. For no particular reason, I decided to focus on science fiction movies. Here’s an example: Crash Landing Captured by the Consulate Apes of Rath Crumbling Colossus Horrifying Revelation Year1968. Remake: 2001. HintThe Simpsons made it into a musical starring Troy McClure. AnswerPlanet of the Apes Did you get the right answer? If you need some help you can check what year the film was released, and if you’re still struggling you can check out the hint just below. Just remember, the year given is for the film version of a work, not for any novels or other media, like a TV series. Also, you don’t need to know what a Magic cards does, only its name, so invite your non-Magic-playing friends and family to join you! Work through the puzzles together as a group, or try to solve them alone and see who can get the most right. Good luck! Sci-Fi In 5 Cards: 1. Endless Sands Bitter Feud Long-Term Plans Mystical Teachings Sandwurm Convergence Year1984 HintThe Spice must flow. AnswerDune 2. Diabolic Machine Murder Mind Funeral Basalt Monolith Fevered Visions Year1968 HintI’m sorry, Dave…. Answer2001: A Space Odyssey 3. Murder Investigation Solemn Simulacrum Grid Monitor Absolute Law March of the Machines Year2004 HintThree laws. AnswerI, Robot 4. Blasted Landscape Scavenger Grounds Mobile Garrison Start Your Engines Glorious End Year2015 Hint“Witness Me!” AnswerMad Max: Fury Road 5. Meteor Shower Blinding Light Carnivorous Plant Unchecked Growth Poison the Well Year1962 HintKiller plants. No, not Audrey II, the other ones. AnswerDay of the Triffids 6. Gavony Township Meteorite Incorrigible Youths Sudden Disappearance Gobbling Ooze Year1958. Remake: 1988 HintI prefer the original with Steve McQueen. AnswerThe Blob 7. High Tide Unknown Shores Limited Resources Sailor of Means Island Sanctuary Year1995 HintThe island is Everest. AnswerWaterworld 8. Accomplished Automaton Ensoul Artifact Witness of the Ages Dying Wish Human Frailty Year1999 HintRobin Williams AnswerBicentennial Man 9. Sinking Feeling Seafloor Debris Lightform Water Servant Rise from the Tides Year1989 HintBreathe the pink goo. AnswerThe Abyss 10. Flying Men Pale Moon Breaking Point Improvised Armor Homeward Path Year1995 HintBased on a true story. AnswerApollo 13 11. Star of Extinction Dwarven Demolition Team Tectonic Rift Desperate Gambit Detonate Year1998 HintAerosmith soundtrack. AnswerArmageddon 12. Mox Amber Swamp Mosquito Reincarnation Uncage the Menagerie Dinosaur Stampede Year1993 Hint“Clever girl….” AnswerJurassic Park 13. Game Plan Zodiac Rabbit Steal Strength Leaping Master Control of the Court Year1996 HintAnimated characters with live action actors. AnswerSpace Jam 14. Hieroglyphic Illumination Cartouche of Knowledge Planar Bridge Desert of the True Temple of the False God Year1994 HintBefore SG-1. AnswerStargate 15. Wanted Scoundrels Traverse the Outlands Reaver Ambush Leaf Dancer Impale Year2005 HintSpace western. AnswerSerenity 16. Overbeing of Myth Treasure Cruise Orcish Cannoneers Catalyst Stone Elemental Bond Year1997 HintEarth, air, fire, water, …. AnswerThe Fifth Element 17. Defender of Law Tower of Calamities Security Blockade Restore the Peace By Force Year2012 HintKarl Urban, not Sylvester Stallone. AnswerDredd 18. Giant Cockroach Sphere of the Suns Sunglasses of Urza Flash Selective Memory Year1997 HintJ and K. AnswerMen In Black 19. Brightstone Ritual Proclamation of Rebirth Runner’s Bane Escape Routes Forsaken Sanctuary Year1976 HintCarousel! Renew! AnswerLogan’s Run 20. Khalni Garden Bloom Tender Halt Order Wild Defiance Geist of the Lonely Vigil Year1972 HintGreenhouses in space. AnswerSilent Running 21. Snow Fortress Narrow Escape Oboro, Palace in the Clouds Dark Deal Frozen Solid Year1980 HintIt’s all fun and games until someone loses a hand. AnswerStar Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back 22. Primal Visitation Drain Power Timestream Navigator Great Whale Song of Serenity Year1986 Hint“Nuclear wessels.” AnswerStar Trek IV: The Voyage Home 23. Illusionary Terrain Dream’s Grip Inverter of Truth Awakening Freed from the Real Year1999 HintMister Anderson AnswerThe Matrix 24. Famine Time of Need Angry Mob Secret Salvage Eater of the Dead Year1973 HintIt’s people! AnswerSoylent Green 25. Jungle Hollow Invisible Stalker Camouflage Booby Trap Hunt the Hunter Year1987 Hint“Get to da choppa!” AnswerPredator 26. Thing from the Deep Crash the Ramparts Metalwork Colossus Synchronized Strike Epic Confrontation Year2013 HintGipsy Danger vs. Kaiju. AnswerPacific Rim 27. Assembly-Worker Clutch of the Undercity Worship Metallic Mimic Thatcher Revolt Year1927 HintSilent movie. AnswerMetropolis 28. Compulsive Research Teleport Horribly Awry Grisly Transformation Beetleform Mage Year1958. Remake: 1986 HintThe inspiration for Delver of Secrets // Insectile Aberration. AnswerThe Fly 29. Crux of Fate Time Walk Armory Automaton Dread Return Preemptive Strike Year1984 HintIn the sequel the villain becomes the hero. AnswerThe Terminator 30. Paranoid Delusions Clever Impersonator Primal Cocoon Supplant Form Mass Hysteria Year1956. Remake: 1976 HintPod people. AnswerInvasion of the Body Snatchers 31. Deadly Tempest Giant Shark Updraft Lifted by Clouds Rain of Gore Year2013 HintJaws meets Twister. AnswerSharknado 32. Search the City Decommission Candles’ Glow Die Young Rain of Tears Year1982 HintVoight-Kampff test. AnswerBladerunner 33. Mutagenic Growth Giant Strength Army Ants Infested Roothold Widespread Panic Year1954 HintThe trailer spells it out: “Terror! Horror! Excitement! Mystery!” AnswerThem! 34. Lone Missionary Scout’s Warning Stony Silence Standstill Violent Ultimatum Year1951. Remake: 2008. Hint“Klaatu barada nikto.” AnswerThe Day the Earth Stood Still 35. Journey of Discovery Forgotten Cave Into the Core Underground Sea Buried Ruin Year1959 HintJules Verne AnswerJourney to the Center of the Earth 36. Disciple of Deceit Ardent Plea True Believer Followed Footsteps Valor Made Real Year1999 Hint“Yoou aare our laast hoope!” AnswerGalaxy Quest 37. Transgress the Mind Dreamscape Artist Surreal Memoir Reality Anchor Sensei’s Divining Top Year2010 Hint“we need to go deeper.” AnswerInception 38. Skittering Invasion Contested War Zone Recruiter of the Guard Gird for Battle Deploy to the Front Year1997 HintCapture the Brain Bug. AnswerStarship Troopers 39. Grand Melee Longbow Archer Fight to the Death Last One Standing Shared Triumph Year2012 Hint“May the odds be ever in your favour.” AnswerThe Hunger Games 40. Forsaken City Prison Barricade Hostage Taker Audacious Infiltrator Dramatic Rescue Year1981 HintNot the one in L.A.. AnswerEscape from New York 41. Time Reversal Grapple with the Past Need for Speed Lightning Strike Fluxcharger Year1985 Hint88 mph AnswerBack to the Future 42. Arcane Encyclopedia Demolish Clear a Path Droning Bureaucrats Crucible of Worlds Year2005 HintIt’s puzzle number 42 for a reason. AnswerThe Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy 43. Information Dealer Psychic Overload Shred Memory Mind Extraction Orim’s Cure Year1995 HintTrade your childhood for 80 gigabytes of storage space. AnswerJohnny Mnemonic 44. Engineered Might Natural Obsolescence Borrowed Grace Test of Endurance Unexpected Potential Year1997 HintGenetically augmented society. AnswerGattaca 45. Windstorm Evacuation Cunning Survivor Cultivate Long Road Home Year2015 HintPotatoes in red soil. AnswerThe Martian 46. Wasteland Junktroller Salvage Scout Gather Specimens Sprouting Renewal Year2008 HintKid’s animated movie with almost no dialogue. AnswerWALL-E Bonus: Secret Plans Lantern-Lit Graveyard Animate Dead Increasing Confusion Dismal Failure Year1959 HintEd Wood. AnswerPlan 9 from Outer Space So, how did you do? If you have any Sci-Fi puzzles of your own you’d like to share, or a suggestion for a future #In5Cards theme, I’d love to hear them! Feel free to leave a comment below. And until next time, I’ve got about 46 movies to rewatch… Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName Email Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ
