Pithing Needle; A diamond in the scrap heap?
Opinion
Postmortal_Pop
21 March 2016
5169 views
21 March 2016
5169 views
The topic of this article is a modest artifact that traces its roots back to the kamigawa block; Pithing Needle. When I first got a copy of the Needle in a booster pack my first thoughts were something like "huh, never gonna use this card..", it wasn't until a few years back when I first got into EDH that I saw the true power of this little trinket. Now I come to you, fellow fans, with the hope of spreading the word about this commonly overlooked card.
Taking a glance at the list of popular commanders over on EDHrec I've noticed that a whopping 40% have activated abilities! (Such a shocker, I know..) These combo enablers are everywhere, in every meta and often bring with them all sorts of game winning mischief. Well have no fear fellow EDH fans, because I feel that Pithing Needle is the perfect solution. It stands to reason that this card is a nice defense against combo enablers given that it shuts down activated abilities and, unlike in other formats where naming a card may require a bit of guesswork, in Commander we often find ourselves with important combo enablers being open information - in the form of commanders themselves.
Let's start with the most obvious trait about pithing needle that makes it highly playable; it's an artifact. Unlike white's Arrest, blue's Encrust, or black's Viper's Kiss, Pithing Needle can be run in any deck, regardless of color identity. This also makes casting it easier because it has no color requirements. This brings me to the cost. At one mana, this card is hardly taxing to play, and nothing says you mean business like shutting down your opponent’s commander turn one before they can even cast it. Even in relatively high level Commander games this card has utility due to its very aggressive costing and carefree mana requirements.
But what about in the late game? What if I draw into it on turn six? Even in this case, I'm sure there are plenty of gears to throw this wrench into. Even regarding decks with static commanders I can guarantee there's an important activated ability in there somewhere. Maybe there’s a planeswalker on the board you want to stop. Maybe a Hermit Druid. Pithing Needle is perfect as a pre-emptive lock or a reactive shut-down. Turn 1 it can stop an opponent ever going off, and on Turn 6 it can stop another opponent using Sorin Markov’s ultimate ability. There are many situations in Commander in which a top-decked Pithing Needle can be the perfect out to a very sticky situation.
Now I hear some of you out there saying, "but don't those cards you listed earlier have the same effect and also halt your target in combat? Even Viper's Kiss gives -1/-1." Well to that I have only one answer: Permanence. All of these other options are auras and if you can't answer them immediately you can always kill off your commander and cast them again to get rid of that pesky annoyance. Two more mana isn't a huge deal if it means you can use your commander again. On the other hand, Pithing Needle is an artifact with a constant effect that you control. No matter how many times the opponent recasts their commander it isn't going to go away. Furthermore, unlike the other mentioned cards, it isn't a single target effect; it hits every card with the name you choose. Don't own a copy of Lightning Greaves? Well, now the rest of the table can't use theirs.
I argue that Pithing Needle should be an indispensable Commander staple due to the prevalence and importance of activated abilities in the format, and because it is easy and cheap to cast, and provides a permanent effect that can be very debilitating for all opponents.
Now by this point I'm sure you’re wondering what could possibly be the downside to this card? Well, as with all cards, Pithing Needle does have its shortcomings. The most notable if this is that it's easy to remove. Commander is full of removal spells and our little needle is pretty fragile. With most artifact hate being only two cmc it can be destroyed almost as fast as it gets played. Due to how powerful it can be it’s a magnet for removal cards. Everyone hates being told their commander is useless and Pithing Needle is a prime target for all the hate your opponents have. However, it's biggest drawback is actually it's own ability. Unlike the aforementioned auras, pithing needle does one thing and only one thing. It won't deal with Prossh, Skyraider of Kher swinging every turn, but it will keep him from getting huge on his own. It won't stop Oloro or Riku, but it can handle Arcum Dagsson.Whilst it might be great against big combos, tricks, and planeswalkers it doesn’t fundamentally alter many other aspects of the game.
All things considered, Pithing needle is a pretty useful card, with a lot of potential in any match. It may not be a must have for all decks but it definitely deserves your consideration when building that ninety-nine. I hope all of you found this as informative and maybe you have a new card to consider before your next match up.
I'd like to say thanks to K0D4 for helping me hash out the pros and cons for this list and of course Chiefbell for giving me the opportunity to share this with you all.
EndStepTop says... #2
The high variance in edh makes needle subpar. If you try and play it on t1 to stop a HD or something degenerate like a survival of the fittest, your opponents can play a birthing pod or necrotic ooze combo. The piece makes good points and I sometimes run needle, but the reasons it's overlooked are very valid ones.
March 21, 2016 1:51 p.m.
DruzakJakaria says... #3
Not to nag but we shouldn't be spreading false info in the magic community. Most people will read this article because it is on a reputable site and take it as canon. Read the card: unless it's a mana ability. I'm sorry your playgroup didn't notice this but a moderator should have.
On the positive side, the needle is a great utility card. I use it in brago so I can blink and change targets if I need to. Shutting down Marath, Will of the Wild is nice. Anyways we have Phyrexian Revoker to shut down ring and vault.
March 21, 2016 2:06 p.m.
As the others have said, Pithing Needle cannot stop Sol Ring, nor can it stop Mana Vault. A newer player that reads this then tries that at a LGS with people he barely knows will be laughed at and ridiculed for a long time (unless the randoms are nice people)
Otherwise, yes, Pithing Needle is great.
March 21, 2016 3:31 p.m.
Serendipitous_Hummingbird says... #6
Trinket Mage package:
1x Pithing Needle
1x Sol Ring
1x Each color artifact land
1x Mana Crypt
and you can grab all sorts of fun cards, like Elixir of Immortality and Brittle Effigy
March 21, 2016 3:39 p.m.
Edited out references to mana abilities.
Probably should have spotted it earlier but it's just a tiny error and corrections are only ever a few clicks away.
March 21, 2016 4:03 p.m. Edited.
I run pithing needle in some decks. It's fantastic because of its low investment and high versatility. In my meta I can usually find something on the board I'd be happy to turn off for a single colorless mana. Derevi, Empyrial Tactician causing you problems? Not anymore! Someone resolved a Necropotence? Fuck that guy in particular! Ezuri, Renegade Leader about to hit critical mass? Lol no!
In all honesty, it's great if your general gives you access to a very limited slice of the color pie. In mono-U, I might be able to answer some threats as efficiently if I were playing a tri-color combo.
Still, I don't feel like it should be an auto-include in decks. It's heavily meta-based but I've had success with it at high-level play.
March 21, 2016 4:55 p.m.
@EndStepTop Actually, Mana Vaults untap ability is a triggered ability that occurs at the beginning of your upkeep. It is not an activated ability, therefore Pithing Needle doesn't affect it.
March 21, 2016 5:02 p.m.
TheNinjaPhoenix says... #11
TheDevicer - Pithing Needle doesn't stop Derevi or Ezuri as they're mana abilities.
Re the OP, I find Pithing Needle useful enough. I run it in my Glissa, the Traitor EDH and can sac/bounce it to lock down specific cards as and when I need it. :)
March 21, 2016 6:10 p.m.
@TheNinjaPhoenix - Chief's right. Just because an ability requires you to pay mana for it doesn't make it a mana ability. Abilities that produce mana are mana abilities. Think Birds of Paradise.
March 21, 2016 6:20 p.m.
It seems like it'd be a great sideboard card in Tiny Leaders, as you can slot it in game two and three, once you know what they are playing.
March 21, 2016 6:21 p.m.
GlistenerAgent says... #15
Something people usually get wrong: Pithing Needle stops ALL of Deathrite Shaman's abilities. The first ability is not a mana ability because it targets.
March 21, 2016 6:24 p.m.
UpsetYoMama says... #16
The biggest problem I see is the high variance of the card. At times it could be a boon, or it could be sitting in your hand with nothing really great to name.
I kind of do like its application in a Daretti, Scrap Savant list or a list running Goblin Welder. That way you can return it if you need to, or sac and recast it if there is a more troublesome card in play. At worst it would be a 1-cost artifact that you can sac to reanimate something more worthwhile.
March 21, 2016 6:29 p.m.
TheNinjaPhoenix says... #17
ChiefBell, TheDevicer - thanks for that, that's actually really helpful! I've never really thought on that, as the phrasing mana ability has always made me think of using mana to do things as well!
That's a great help to me for both EDH and Modern, thank you very much. :)
March 21, 2016 6:55 p.m.
It's notable that Pithing Needle's brother Phyrexian Revoker can stop Sol Ring. I like them both in mono-colour decks, which often have limited removal options.
March 21, 2016 7:11 p.m.
DruzakJakaria says... #19
605.1a An activated ability is a mana ability if it meets all of the following criteria: it doesnt have a target, it could put mana into a players mana pool when it resolves, and its not a loyalty ability.
March 21, 2016 8:28 p.m.
It's very very good in a Brago, King Eternal deck. It can also slot into decks with artifact recursion (my colorless EDH deck could run it because I have Trading Post, Krark-Clan Ironworks and stuff like Buried Ruin to sac and recur it to name something else-- but I don't).
Otherwise I agree with the majority of comments here: it depends on your playgroup. Just like I run Torpor Orb to shut down Brago, I can run Pithing Needle just to shut down Marath.
March 21, 2016 8:54 p.m.
The better you are at magic the better this card is. Few other cards feature that unique trait. It takes either years of playing or a few dozen hours of studying to learn all the important cards you might want to name against every single opponent.
I have never played against a deck without thinking at least once "Gee a Pithing Needle would be really nice to have right now but I had no clue what to name!"
I'm nowhere near as profficient with commander cards as I sould be but here's a short list I typed only using gatherer to check spellings.
Cards I use PN for
Show
March 21, 2016 11:09 p.m.
It is a card that I run in every deck almost: short listed every time, but at the end ends up as sideboard card.
Pithing Needle is very good, and it can solve a lot of problems. But in multiplayer, the format I usually play, the card is not that strong because there are multiple threats: taking out (merely) one, (mostly) doesn't solve the issue if you are fighting that uphill battle.
On a side note: in a Red deck, however, as red doesn't have much against enchantments, it can be a real benefit. But even then it is slightly circumstantial, and that's my main objection.
March 22, 2016 4:33 a.m.
TheRedMage says... #23
I run Pithing Needle in decks that aim to be disruptive.
For example, my Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero deck mostly plans to stop people from executing their game plan. It's a mono-white creature-based prison/control deck where most of my cards aim to deny my opponent options while I draw to my combo pieces (the deck can gain infinite life with decent consistency) or accumulate enough creatures for a Mirror Entity kill. The deck runs Pithing Needle, as well as Phyrexian Revoker, Faith's Fetters, Suppression Bonds and even Voidstone Gargoyle as part of a package designed to aggressively try and shut down my opponent's commander. Other pieces of that package include "can't cast" effects like Nevermore and Null Chamber, and "no-ETB-triggers" cards such as Torpor Orb and Hushwing Gryff. Linvala, Keeper of Silence would also be a consideration if she wasn't a billion dollars; Rule of Law, Eidolon of Rhetoric and Spirit of the Labyrinth are waiting on the sidelines, waiting for somebody to give me a reason to play them.
Basically if a card says "Players/Your opponents can't do such and such" (and it's not Containment Priest) I am interested in it. Pithing Needle furthers the game plan of the deck as a whole, so it's in.
If I am running a deck with a proactive game plan I still usually have a small disruption package, but the amount of slots I am willing to devote to a card that does not further the game plan are limited, and usually colors just have better, broader options than Pithing Needle.
March 22, 2016 12:29 p.m.
trixster87 says... #24
It's in nearly every modern SB I make- stops any combo, or pesky planeswalker. I tell every new player struggling to do a SB to put 3 in since it's colorless and fairly budget for what it does. Absolute worse case name their fetchland and laugh since, they cant fetch in response.
March 22, 2016 3:52 p.m.
TheRedMage says... #25
I wouldn't say "nearly every modern sideboard", I think that's a pretty big overstatement. For example if you look at the top 8 of the three modern GPs from three weeks ago (Bologna, Melbourne and Detroit) there is only one copy of Pithing Needle across the three top 8s, to go with 2 copies of Pithing Needle's more lively brother Phyrexian Revoker.
Modern as a format prefers specific powerful answers rather then generic ones. However, it is true that Pithing Needle is not uncommon in Modern sideboards, I just wouldn't say it's as ubiquitous as you present it.
March 22, 2016 4:24 p.m.
TheRedMage says... #26
And then I re-read your post and noticed you said "every sideboard you make".
Welp. Nevermind then.
March 22, 2016 4:33 p.m.
Mandalorian says... #27
Cant stop Sol Ring but it can stop some mana enablers like Ashnod's Altar because of its activation cost.
March 22, 2016 4:55 p.m.
TheRedMage says... #28
Mandalorian: the activated ability on Ashnod's Altar still is a mana ability and cannot be stopped by Pithing Needle. Same goes for Phyrexian Altar, Krark-Clan Ironworks and other similar abilities.
March 22, 2016 4:57 p.m. Edited.
Damn I never realized that even though I understood the rules.
March 22, 2016 5:04 p.m.
TheRedMage says... #30
Just to be perfectly clear, an activated ability is a mana ability if:
- It adds mana to your mana pool (duh)
- It has no targets (that is why Deathrite Shaman's first ability isn't a mana ability, it targets a land in a graveyard)
- It is not a planeswalker's loyalty ability (sorry Koth of the Hammer and Xenagos, the Reveler).
This means that even though abilities like the ones on Chromatic Sphere, Phyrexian Altar or Selvala, Explorer Returned might seem kinda weird, they satisfy all these criteria and are mana abilities. All these abilities are not stopped by Pithing Needle (but they are stopped by Phyrexian Revoker).
March 22, 2016 5:13 p.m.
So wait I can +1 Xenagos, the Reveler even if my opponent names him with their Pithing Needle?
March 22, 2016 5:29 p.m.
TheRedMage says... #32
No, as I just said, loyalty abilities are never mana abilities.
March 22, 2016 5:36 p.m.
Just want to clarify something TheRedMage said.
The first point, It adds mana to your mana pool (duh), should read It could add mana to your mana pool upon resolution (duh)
Cards like Selvala, Explorer Returned aren't guaranteed to give you mana from the ability, but it is still a mana ability
March 22, 2016 6:08 p.m.
As others have said, it's a meta call, but I run it, revoker, and Cursed Totem in my artifacts EDH. I play mostly against Marrow-Gnawer, Horde of Notions, Phelddagrif, and the new Ezuri (I name Sage of Hours most of the time), so those three cards put in major work, even though the totem can really screw me if I don't have a sac outlet.
March 23, 2016 2:25 a.m.
NoSoyYucateco says... #37
I predicted Pithing Needle would make a much bigger jump after Commander 2014 was released and suddenly there were walker generals everywhere. I didn't see its play increase much, though.
Also, TheRedMage, your deck sounds fun. Are you using Curse of Exhaustion? I find it works extremely well when my nephew drops it on my elf deck.
March 23, 2016 7:35 a.m.
trixster87 says... #38
TheRedMage its not an overstatement- It is literally in every sb I make at one point or another and the vast majority currently still have at least 1. It's not in the vast majority of ALL modern decks but if I make a version of the deck you can bet I'm heavily considering it as a general answer.
March 23, 2016 10:49 a.m.
TheRedMage says... #39
NoSoyYucateco: I don't but if there was an elf deck in my metagame I might. I cast very few spells myself, so I would rather play Rule of Law or Eidolon of Rhetoric if I needed that sort of effect though.
March 23, 2016 1:28 p.m.
brokensaint058 says... #40
For the price tag on pithing needle, I hardly think it is overlooked ...
March 23, 2016 6:53 p.m.
Loved the article. Still won't use the needle.
No, for me, Rimewind Cryomancer is my choice, because artwork wins over practicality any day.
March 23, 2016 7:53 p.m.
Pithing needle is at it's place in a Lantern Control. Otherwise don't really see why you should play it main.
March 24, 2016 7:41 a.m.
TheRedMage says... #45
Well - the article is about Pithing Needle in Commander so sideboarding it is not really an option :P
March 24, 2016 2:57 p.m.
My edh decks tend to be tight on design space and the decks I struggle with like marath or sometimes omnath will likely outrace pithing needle or revoker, even with tutors unless I get lucky.
As for modern, I had revoker and posting needle in the sideboard but the decks I struggle with are comboing off of instants at the EoT step when I let my counterspell guard down to play card draw or direct damage - so I might actually drop these 2 for cheaper draw and counter-spells or even just something else to hose these kinds of strategies.
In the mean time, I plan to hang on to both because if I do start shutting down combos based on instants, these might become relevant again for their unique abilities.
March 24, 2016 7:35 p.m.
It's an alright if your group allows the optional ten-card sideboard. If not, it's not worth considering unless most of your meta runs win conditions with activated abilities.
March 24, 2016 11:33 p.m.
Yes it's important to have both Pithing Needle and Nevermore...and Declaration of Naught... one card for each of your three enimies commanders.
March 25, 2016 12:05 a.m.
theemptyquiver says... #49
I play with Nevermore, Pithing Needle and Copy Enchantment and Phyrexian Metamorph so I'm covered against multiplayer.
I like the counterspell enchantment idea though...
March 25, 2016 3:18 a.m.
I mean Declaration isn't really as efficient as Nevermore but it's the next best thing to having 2x Nevermore in EDH.
March 25, 2016 3:25 a.m.
TheRedMage says... #51
Null Chamber can easily be your 2x Nevermore by itself if you ally yourself with a player.
March 25, 2016 12:40 p.m.
KillDatBUG says... #52
Pithing Needle? ...No, too bad. Doesn't justify a slot in any EDH deck. Too narrow, too underpowered. Same goes for the other hate cards, honestly; wouldn't play anything like Torpor Orb or Rest in Peace in my deck.
March 25, 2016 12:59 p.m.
I know it's not directly related, but I've noticed that both in this article and on the one I wrote about Cryptic Command, it seems opinions are highly polarized. There's proponents for both sides of the argument putting forth valid arguments. I'm not sure if this is limited to EDH alone or if TO's userbase is just diverse. Perhaps it might be caused by a large degree in variance between EDH groups, resulting in drastically different play experiences between people.
Thoughts?
March 25, 2016 1:04 p.m.
DiamondFlavor says... #54
KillDatBUG while I agree about Pithing Needle being too narrow, I disagree about Torpor Orb or Rest in Peace being too narrow if you're willing to build around them.
Torpor Orb ruins so many decks. Even if they have answers, they usually have to dig them up and it slows down their game a lot. Nothing feels worse than holding Acidic Slime with a Torpor Orb down.
Same goes for Rest in Peace. Not only does it remove existing graveyards, but it prevents things from even entering graveyards. Turning off death triggers and self-mill is a big deal. Taking out fetch lands can be a big deal. Eliminating reanimate is a big deal.
I'd add Stranglehold to the list of not-too-limited hate cards. No tutoring is huge.
It's one thing to say you wouldn't play them; it's another to say they don't "justify a slot in any EDH deck".
March 25, 2016 1:30 p.m.
TheRedMage says... #55
Well, different groups value different things. Sometimes when I play Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero - my deck which is basically a pile of cards that aim to stop my opponent from doing things - with new groups I get dirty looks, even though the deck is honestly on the weaker side. Other people enjoy the mental challenge of trying to get out from my progressively tightening lock.
More in general there are groups that just don't value interacting as much. Me, I like low-powered magic, so the more your plan is powerful the more the game becomes about preventing you from executing your plan, but then again I am more of a Standard player than a Commander player to begin with.
March 25, 2016 1:34 p.m.
Torpor Orb is the one prison type card that can really hurt my own prison deck.... I know I should be playing it but then I lose the benefits of Sun Titan, Vedalken Plotter, Stoneforge Mystic, Solemn Simulacrum, Mulldrifter, Snapcaster Mage, Pilgrim's Eye, Wall of Omens, Venser, Shaper Savant, Trinket Mage and Phantasmal Image....
In other words 11 out of my 18 creatures use ETB effects...
March 25, 2016 1:53 p.m.
theemptyquiver says... #57
I feel the pain over Torpor Orb too.
I'm an ETB junky.
March 25, 2016 2:49 p.m.
TheRedMage says... #58
kengiczar: FYI Phantasmal Image and other clones still work through a Torpor Orb. They are not ETB triggers, they are static abilities that set up replacement effects.
For my Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero deck the prison cards I cannot play are Containment Priest, Leonin Arbiter and Aven Mindcensor. Not being able to play Containment Priest is the most annoying of the three honestly.
March 25, 2016 5:17 p.m.
Postmortal_Pop says... #59
TheDevicer i find that this level of debate only really happens for EDH and the like, it's one of the reasons I'm such a fan of the variant. I love hearing feedback from different metas because it helps bring new ideas into my home meta and debates like this one are a perfect example of that
libraryjoy says... #1
Just noticed - Pithing Needle can't stop Sol Ring. If you read the text on the Needle it says "Unless they're mana abilities".....
March 21, 2016 1:40 p.m.