Stabbing someone in the brain with a needle? Those Rakdos are hardcore.
lorendorky
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(6 votes)
This combined with Detain could be oppressive.
Trygon_Predator
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(4 votes)
That is some dedicated self-mutilation right there. (For those of you who didn't know, pithing is basically sticking a needle through the base of something's skull and destroying the brain by wiggling the needle around). Welcome back, Needle.
Lotsofpoopy
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(15 votes)
Pros like me know how powerful this card can be, especially with only a 1 mana cost.
DarthParallax
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(3 votes)
It's capricious, it's stupid, and it makes no sense:
But I didn't play this card before because of the art. That has been fixed. Thanks, Wizards! :)
RAV0004
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(3 votes)
The art is better, but not by much. I don't really know what could make a needle look cool, but neither this nor the original have done it so far.
JaFaR_Ironclad
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
I don't even want to think about the flavor of this card. Someone fetch me a pithing needle.
NuckChorris
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
If it doesn't seem good, just think of it as a cost answer to any planeswalker.
Superllama12
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(4 votes)
This card and Oblivion Ring are quintessential cards for Core Sets. They are very powerful but fair answers to a variety of cards that tend to be problems. I really hope that they put this in M14
Demento_Recraves
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The concept of this card makes me physically uncomfortable...
wstonefi
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(6 votes)
A classic returns. In a world full of planeswalkers, it's even more useful than it was last time.
Silverhawk100
★☆☆☆☆ (1.2/5.0)(7 votes)
Pithing Needle hoses Miracle.
That Bonfire's now a nearly useless lump sitting in your hand.
Alluceanot
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
To those saying this hoses snapcaster and miracles: Nope
Snapcaster Mage and Miracle both use TRIGGERED abilities (denoted by the words when, whenever or if)
Activated abilities are always cost : effect. They ALWAYS contain a colon.
Ike38
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Don't think it worths to put in the deck, may be just for my sideboard. I'd rather use Linvala, Keeper of Silence if I play white color.
Gcrudaplaneswalker
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Azorius control? We already have Nevermore, and now they reprint this!! A very useful and versatile card, all for 1 mana.
Ideatog
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Sorry Silverhawk100, but Pithing Needle does not hose miracle cards because the alternative cost option is a triggered ability, not an activated ability.
will_dice
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@Alluceanot: small correction. Triggered abilities start with when, whenever or at (like "at the beginning of your upkeep" or "at end of combat"). Not if. Normally, "if...instead" denotes a static ability with a replacement effect.
Otherwise, you're correct.
Pithing Needle shuts down activated abilities (written {cost}: {effect}) that aren't mana abilities (those that generate mana and don't target, not those that cost mana), nothing else. If you name "slayers' stronghold", it would shut down the +2/+0 ability, but not the 'add 1 to mana pool' ability.
wholelottalove
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Yeah, classic hose card. Can't believe they reprinted it.
The anti-planeswalker point made me think of something--why did they not think to reprint this when Jace and Stoneforge Mystic were causing problems?
Ligerman30
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
It's a good answer to a lot of combos. More useful then it seems. You can answer second sunrise combo by naming conjurer's bauble, or one of their win conditions pyrite spellbomb. You can shut off Nivmagus Elemental combo decks t1 on the play. You can protect your valikuts by naming tectonic edge. You can shut off Deathrite Shamans and Lotleth Trolls. Not to mention using them as answers to plainswalkers i.e. Jace, The Mind Scupltor, Tamiyo, The Moon Sage, Garruk, Primal Hunter, Elspeth, Knight-Errant. To be honest, this is probably the best sideboard card of all time, simply because it's any deck's answer to so many cards different cards for . The only thing that would make this a better sideboard card is if it drew you a card haha. Also, works well with Stifle and the detain mechanic.
P.S. The flavor text is so appropriate. Because, you can play it, and pre-emptively kill their card. Or, you play it after the card hits the board.
5/5
punxskywalker
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Can some one with high level judgeship PLEASE create a approved list of all known cards Pithing Needle works on, to end the debt once and for all.
This is roughly how Yawgmoth betrayed and incapacitated poor, gullible Dyfed, the Dominarian planeswalker who took him to the artificial, 8-layered metallic plane that would become the Phyrexian homeworld. When Dyfed was mercifully slain during the Thran rebellion, Yawgmoth had her dissected and her tissues cataloged for future study. Presumably, such processing led to the development of artificial planeswalking technology used by the Phyrexians to infiltrate plane after plane.
TzarChasm
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If you and your opponent each play one of these, does that turn the game into a pithing contest?
knight3607
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
My brother says this can be used on lands. is he right? older lands did have Tap: add B to your mana pool. so it is a cost:effect
Syngod
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@knight3607, the only way for this to have a use against lands is if you use it on something like Maze of Ith etc, where it is not a mana ability. "406.1. A mana ability is either (a) an activated ability without a target that could put mana into a player’s mana pool when it resolves or (b) a triggered ability without a target that triggers from a mana ability and could produce additional mana. A mana ability can generate other effects at the same time it produces mana"
According to flavor text, looks like the Needle is Rakdos tool. That may explain why the new Blood Witch Exava has no activated ability.
sweetgab
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is the ONLY reliable answer in current Standard to Aetherling as far as I know, assuming he already hits play and the opponent has untapped with lots (read: usually 2 is lots, 4 is absolutely enough) of blue mana open. This is very impressive for a one-mana card.
Also note that the only other reliable answers to Aetherling in general are Slaughter Games and counterspells, but the latter will only work after Cavern of Souls rotates this October. Counterflux will be probably the best counterspell option because of its own uncounterability. In other words, the list of cards that can handle Aetherling is already extremely short, and if he resolves with mana open, you're left with two options: Needle, or race him. (or die, obviously, so I guess three options.)
Oh my god, I just "got" the flavor text. Imagine R&D is saying it after the Caw-Blade decks left Standard...
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@knight3607: your brother is full of s***, since land abilities count as mana abilities.
DeckMechanic
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
You'll eat nailth and pith needleth.
kidhawk91
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A one mana cost solution to any single card's activated ability. Planeswalkers and certain lands beware.
Sorxores
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This would kinda of shut down snapcaster mage. not directly the snapcaster, but if you know what spell he's going to "flashback" you can name that spell. Flashback is an activated ability, and can now no longer be used.
you simply need to know which bothersome spell he will try to flashback, and name it. Might be easier to play Dryad militant or any other kind of grave hate instead, but could technically still work
Bortian
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Sorxores, flashback is a static ability, not an activated one.
Agent_Gold
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Other than lobotomizing Planeswalkers and AEtherling, here are some other things in Standard to consider stopping with this card:
- Creatures with Monstrous abilities - Equipment - Firebreathing - Regeneration - Drawbacks of cards like Soul Ransom - Man-lands or lands enchanted by Underworld Connections (doesn't stop them from tapping for mana, but stops everything else) - Anything equipped with Illusionist's Bracers, just to be mean. XD
Havrekjex
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
For your reference, here's the ten most played cards in Modern that this neuters:
Now consider that it also works against any manland, any equipment and any planeswalker.
I always have one in the sideboard of any deck where it's legal. It's that versatile.
SAUS3
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is actually so good. There's almost always going to be something to hit with it (as mentioned, planeswalkers lose to this - I heard they're pretty popular) and it only costs (1) to play. In EDH, you can hose an opposing commander that relies on its activated abilities to be useful. I always used to find myself wanting a way to just kill planeswalkers, and this card basically does it.
Comments (42)
But I didn't play this card before because of the art. That has been fixed. Thanks, Wizards! :)
That Bonfire's now a nearly useless lump sitting in your hand.
Snapcaster Mage and Miracle both use TRIGGERED abilities (denoted by the words when, whenever or if)
Activated abilities are always cost : effect. They ALWAYS contain a colon.
Otherwise, you're correct.
Pithing Needle shuts down activated abilities (written {cost}: {effect}) that aren't mana abilities (those that generate mana and don't target, not those that cost mana), nothing else. If you name "slayers' stronghold", it would shut down the +2/+0 ability, but not the 'add 1 to mana pool' ability.
The anti-planeswalker point made me think of something--why did they not think to reprint this when Jace and Stoneforge Mystic were causing problems?
P.S. The flavor text is so appropriate. Because, you can play it, and pre-emptively kill their card. Or, you play it after the card hits the board.
5/5
Also note that the only other reliable answers to Aetherling in general are Slaughter Games and counterspells, but the latter will only work after Cavern of Souls rotates this October. Counterflux will be probably the best counterspell option because of its own uncounterability. In other words, the list of cards that can handle Aetherling is already extremely short, and if he resolves with mana open, you're left with two options: Needle, or race him. (or die, obviously, so I guess three options.)
you simply need to know which bothersome spell he will try to flashback, and name it. Might be easier to play Dryad militant or any other kind of grave hate instead, but could technically still work
- Creatures with Monstrous abilities
- Equipment
- Firebreathing
- Regeneration
- Drawbacks of cards like Soul Ransom
- Man-lands or lands enchanted by Underworld Connections (doesn't stop them from tapping for mana, but stops everything else)
- Anything equipped with Illusionist's Bracers, just to be mean. XD
Scavenging Ooze
Relic of Progenitus
Spellskite
Birthing Pod
Splinter Twin (name Pestermite/Deceiver Hierarch)
Liliana of the Veil
Cranial Plating
Arcbound Ravager
Æther Vial
Expedition Map
Now consider that it also works against any manland, any equipment and any planeswalker.
I always have one in the sideboard of any deck where it's legal. It's that versatile.
5/5