Pithing Needle

Artifact

As Pithing Needle enters the battlefield, name a card.

Activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can't be activated unless they're mana abilities.

Discussion (51)

AfatBulbasaur on Turbo Marit Lage (budget)

1 week ago

Make sure you use snow basic lands. I would recommend having some blue Snow lands just in case they play a Karn, the Great Creator , Collector Ouphe , Pithing Needle or Stony Silence . Let me know if it works!

DemonDragonJ on Cards that Retroactively Became More ...

1 week ago

In this game, the power level of cards is variable; some cards remain either powerful or weak, but others may change, depending upon other cards that are printed in the future.

Therefore, this thread is for discussing cards that retroactively became more powerful.

The first two cards that I shall mention are Doubling Season and Pithing Needle , which both became much more powerful after planeswalkers became a card type, since they had significant interactions with those cards. Phyrexian Revoker , however, was printed after planeswalkers had become a card type, so it does not qualify for this thread.

The next card that I shall mention is Captain Sisay , who became more powerful after all planeswalkers were changed to be legendary, since she could now search for a planeswalker. The new version of her, Sisay, Weatherlight Captain , does not qualify, since she was printed after planeswalkers had become a creature type.

After planeswalkers became a card type, AEther Snap became more powerful, because it can eliminate them instantly.

When Vampire Hexmage was printed, Dark Depths became more powerful, because the hexmage could immediately removes its counters and summon marit Lage.

What does everyone else say about this? What are some cards that retroactively became more powerful?

Icbrgr on Nissa who Janks the Board

2 weeks ago

cute idea but i think people will get wise to this after a game or 2 and enchantment removal/ Pithing Needle will shut you down.

I'd suggest implementing a Landfall theme to help support a heavy land count:

Support Explore , Harrow , Rampant Growth , Cultivate , Harmonize , Khalni Heart Expedition

Landfall Seer's Sundial , Adventuring Gear , Explorer's Scope , Retreat to Kazandu , Groundswell

Grazing Gladehart , Undergrowth Champion , Lotus Cobra , Embodiment of Insight , Baloth Woodcrasher , Avenger of Zendikar , Murasa Ranger , Oran-Rief Hydra , Turntimber Basilisk , Jaddi Offshoot , Territorial Baloth , Snapping Gnarlid , Snapping Creeper , Scythe Leopard , Rampaging Baloths

Unlife on New to Modern, Need help ...

2 weeks ago

With your colors you have a decent amount of sideboard option. You already run relic, which hits both dredge and phoenix. Anger of the Gods can help both board wipe against fast aggro decks, and again hurt graveyard based decks when they can't get their creatures back. Surgical Extraction is a great card, but expensive. You already have Blood Moon , which can shut down tron, as well as nonred decks with few basics. Pithing Needle is a nice all around card, as it can name anything from planeswalkers to fetchlands. I would also look at maindecking Lightning Bolt , so you have a bit of removal or direct damage. I would cut the Nature's Claim for Shatterstorm if you want more removal, you don't want to provide too much life gain to your opponents. Hope this helps

dingusdingo on Urza, Lord High Artificer cEDH *Primer*

3 weeks ago

Okay lets break down the justifications you gave, because I still think they merit changing.

Choosing not to run Mishra's Workshop in a deck that combos and staxs with artifacts is just silly. The problem is far more with your deck building choices of running 20 artifacts in an artifact commander oriented deck than the card itself. I shouldn't have to explain the value of 3 extra mana going towards your paradox engine or a stax piece like trinisphere, but apparently I do. Getting to winning pieces faster is better, run it. You also have the luxury of a mulligan on hands when its dead, similar to how Gaea's Cradle is a great card but dead in some hands.

Seat of the Synod combos with Mox Opal Transmute Artifact Inventors' Fair Reshape Unwinding Clock and is pullable for X=0 from Tezzeret the Seeker or Whir of Invention , meaning you can ramp in mono blue. Also recoverable from GY with Academy Ruins . Meanwhile, it nonbos with Back to Basics . Do some cost/benefit analysis and come back to me on that one.

Expedition Map is tutor density, which is your single biggest problem. If you are in a creature heavy meta, it functions as Tabernacle #2, why would you not run it? The value engine with Academy Ruins is icing on the cake. It's also part of a tutor chain using Inventors' Fair which leads to winning lines. Calling it cute without realizing it gives you more consistency with another winning line that also grinds value is just ignorant. Similar to Seat of the Synod , look at your own cards before rejecting inclusions.

Legacy's Allure is 100% a bad card. Assuming you somehow land that on turn 1, it still isn't anywhere close to live until turn 3. Unless the opposing creature is already on the board turn 1, your opponent will remove it before they play whatever creature they need that you would steal anyways, and if the creature is on the board turn 1 you should remove it before turn 3 anyways. Many stax creatures are symmetrical, so stealing one does nothing because those decks are designed to work around the effects. Also Gitrog is a 6/6 so assuming turn 1 Allure it still won't be live until turn 7, at which point Gitrog has already won. You can make the argument for proliferate, but you aren't running any. Aether Spellbomb is faster, combos with your commander, can turn itself into a cantrip if there aren't good creature targets, synergizes with that giant list of cards I talked about with Seat of the Synod, and is less color intensive. If you really need another theft effect, Vedalken Shackles is significantly better and combos all the same ways.

Howling Mine grinds values in longer games. Even if you give your opponent 1 or 2 cards, if you end up drawing 6 or 7 cards from it you are getting a better advantage. It works better in a stax build over a combo build, but then that leads to my next point. If you're really scared run Blinkmoth Well

You should build this as a stax deck. Compare this to an Arcum Dagson deck. The reason that is able to be a fast combo deck is because it has a tutor in the command zone that leads to winning lines. Meanwhile, Urza generates mana and expensive card advantage from the command zone, which benefits you when games go longer. Why would anyone build this deck with these pieces when Arcum does the same thing but better? They are the same CMC, but Dagson is less color intensive so its easier to ramp into with mono blue.

Even if you are trying to run this as fast combo, you aren't making good choices. Why are you running Fact or Fiction and not Frantic Search ? Why is your counterspell density so high when you should be tutoring or drawing to win? 13 counterspells with the meme new Narset spell for 14? Why? The card advantage your deck generates isn't high enough to sustain a package that big. If you're trying to fast combo why are you focusing on playing defensive? You don't need that many counterspells to protect your own combo.

Why are you running Power Artifact but not Basalt Monolith ? Otherwise power artifact is literally a dead draw if Grim Monolith is gone or unavailable. It opens up more options to get infinite and win with Urza

Cut Future Sight . Focus on assembling infinite mana to use Urza as an outlet. Not a single cEDH list runs it for a reason, expensive and slow. If you have infinite mana to plow through your deck with Future Sight you can just do the same with Urza. Wasted slot.

Running Isochron Scepter Dramatic Reversal and Copy Artifact but you aren't running Winds of Rebuke . It has high value outside combo, and high value inside combo. Currently you only have one method of drawing deck outside Urza (Paradox + Voltaic Key + Sensei's Top), which means you are very liable to be hit with Meddling Mage or Pithing Needle or Phyrexian Revoker or Cursed Totem , all of which see play and make your Jace and Labman into dead draws. You should also consider Blue Sun's Zenith for similar reasons, gives an outlet for infinite mana if Urza is turned off or unavailable.

dingusdingo on Urza, Lord High Artificer cEDH *Primer*

3 weeks ago

Mishra's Workshop Seat of the Synod Hurkyl's Recall for sure.

Should consider Expedition Map for fetching and abusing Academy Ruins . If you lean heavier into stax, you should look at 1 cmc cantrip sac artifacts, it will help you grind value. Chromatic Star Chromatic Sphere . Also, Aether Spellbomb should replace Legacy's Allure .

Personally, I think leaning more into stax is a good idea with this deck. All sorts of great artifacts you could abuse Howling Mine Phyrexian Revoker Torpor Orb Pithing Needle Mana Web Orb of Dreams Tangle Wire

Sands of Time has a lot of potential here as well.

kamarupa on UW spirits

3 weeks ago

Metallic Mimic , Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit , & Grateful Apparition seem to pair up well with each other. Tezzeret's Gambit fits with them as well. Venser, the Sojourner seems like a possible fit, too, though his CMC isn't ideal. I'm guessing you'd get more mileage out of Dovin, Grand Arbiter . Unclaimed Territory or Ancient Ziggurat seem like possible land additions.

Sideboard ideas: Blessed Alliance , Nevermore , Revoke Existence (super against stuff like Hangarback Walker , etc) Ratchet Bomb , Pithing Needle , Elixir of Immortality , Shalai, Voice of Plenty and Teyo, the Shieldmage are cheaper than Leyline of Sanctity , Celestial Purge

SideBae on Ocean Bound, Yet Bound by the Ocean

3 weeks ago

I highly suggest running Rishadan Brigand , Rishadan Footpad and Rishadan Cutpurse . They're all pirates, but their surprise 'tax' abilities make them really powerful.

I also notice you're running a lot of 1-for-1s. It's important to remember that in EDH you're frequently playing against at least 2 opponents, and more frequently than not you're facing 3. Thus, you're already facing 3x as many cards as you have on your side. (Alliances being discounted as they only work when you're trying not to lose, as opposed to when you're trying to win.) In this sort of situation, 1-for-1s aren't where you want to be. I suggest Ashes to Ashes over Contract Killing and Toxic Deluge over Walk the Plank . (I realize this may remove some of the flavor.) Cast Down is worth reconsidering as well. Perhaps Pyroclasm or Volcanic Fallout would be better.

Cavern of Souls is expensive and ranges from very effective to irrelevant. If you have money and your meta is like mine and filled with countermagic, investing in it is a good idea.

I usually suggest Slate of Ancestry only for decks heavy on the 'spam little dudes' plan, but this deck strikes me as often having a sizable army on the field. You should consider running it.

I'm not sure how good Angrath, Captain of Chaos is. I advise either Pithing Needle or Sorcerous Spyglass instead. They deal with walkers, but more importantly they also deal with ANYthing with a non-mana activated ability. You may be partial to Sorcerous Spyglass if only because it depicts a pirate in the art; I also think it is slightly better, as you can strand a fetch land in the opponent's hand before s/he has a chance to even play it.

Bribery is a good card in EDH if your meta is filled with fatties and the like. I advise maindecking it.

Ancient Tomb is an almost strictly-better Temple of the False God . If you have access to it, you should run it.

I would run Daring Saboteur over Storm Fleet Sprinter . EDH games are often decided by card advantage/card selection, and the Saboteur gives you the ability to loot, at least a little. Similarly, you might consider running Faithless Looting .

Control Magic is a better Abduction , and you may have luck with it in the maindeck. That is probably a meta call though.

Notion Thief isn't a pirate, but he steals things... Same goes for Dack Fayden , and they're both superb in EDH. You should at least consider running them. (Note that together, if you target an opponent with Dack's +1, you draw two and that opponent discards two.)

Syphon Mind is a good draw spell, if you like the idea of 'stealing' things from your opponents.

Silent Gravestone is on-flavor and provides a level of graveyard hate. It stops most reanimation spells, and cycles as a worst-case scenario. I prefer Grafdigger's Cage , but the Silent Gravestone is likely more on-flavor.

Role Reversal is another card to consider, as it allows you to swap a treasure for a more powerful artifact or a dorky creature for a fatter one.

Good luck with deck building!