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Pojo's Magic The Gathering Card of the Day
Daily Since November 2001!


Image from Wizards.com

Pithing Needle
M10

Reviewed July 28, 2009

Constructed: 3.67
Casual: 2.50
Limited: 2.67
Multiplayer: 2.75

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.  3 ... average.  
5 is the highest rating

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Card of the Day Reviews 


David Fanany

Player since 1995

Pithing Needle

It's interesting to see that Pithing Needle is still part of Standard, many years after Umezawa's Jitte and Arcbound Ravager, the threats it was intended to fight, have gone. As long as planeswalkers are around, though, this card remains good and perhaps necessary; naming a planeswalker already in play means they've probably already had some impact, but it does strand the second copy in the opponent's hand. In limited, it might be a good idea to pick it up if possible, as planeswalkers do appear and will ruin your day. And casual tables love activated abilities, so hang on to it even there.

Constructed: 3/5
Casual: 3/5
Limited: 3/5
Multiplayer: 2/5
The Missing Linc

-Balding for just over 5 years
-Playing MTG for just over 10

Pithing Needle

This card has already proven itself. It usually comes out of the sideboard in game 2. This could stop that annoying elves combo. It could stop master transmuter from doing it's thing. It can stop the planeswalker's from using their abilities. It can stop a lot. Bottom line is that this can and will be played. With Fabricate back in with M10 and Tezzeret still kicking around, I would expect most likely to see it come out in blue decks.
Constructed: 4
Casual: 2 (like yesterday's card...just not fun enough)
Limited: 1
Multiplayer: 3
Miguel

Tuesday 3-28-09

 

Pithing Needle

 

Constructed:  Planeswalkers are here to stay, this is one of the few answers to turn them off. Still one of the best sideboard cards. It be played in alot of different formats for a long time.

 

Casual & Multiplayer: Not the casual type.

 

Limited: At first glance does not look like it is usuable because of the Planeswalkers being Mythic. But it helps against some of the crazy Equipment(like Whispersilk Cloak). I actually sided it in against one such treat, but it did not show up in time.

 

Overall a very good card for sideboards until the end of time, or if they ever stop playing the best of three.

 

Constructed: 4

Casual: 2

Multiplayer: 2

Limited: 4

 

Later

Miguel

Michael "Maikeruu" Pierno Today's card of the day is Pithing Needle which for a single mana can prevent non-mana activated abilities from being a serious threat. I mainly see this as more of a sidedeck card, but a very good one. If your opponent is running a creature-based combination this can derail it in the second and third game of the match for a very reasonable cost.

In Constructed this can be a good addition to the sidedeck depending on your local metagame as the value entirely depends on what others are playing. If your local area is filled with activated abilities this may even be placed in the main deck, but as a very limited and somewhat vulnerable counter it is a bit of a gamble.

In Casual this can function in a similar manner as Constructed as it depends on what kind of decks your friends are playing. If someone around the table regularly runs a vulnerable combo this is the kind of card that can force them to mix up their playstyle.

In Limited the card is pretty weak as a rare and has far fewer targets in any given match. Even as a sidedeck choice it is not the best response to a single threat across the battlefield. To work in that case the one copy of it you are likely to have has to be drawn and played in response to the likely one copy the opponent has. Pretty limited application to say the least.

Multiplayer is by far the best place to try running Pithing Needle in the main deck. With several opponents the odds of one running something you want to target increases dramatically. Also, if the threat of the victim is high enough other players may be interested in keeping your Needle, and by extension you, alive until they can take out the player of the ultimately larger threat.

Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 3.0
Limited: 2.5
Multiplayer: 4.0
Paul Magic The Gathering COTD: Pithing Needle

Welcome back readers today’s card of the day has been considered a sideboard essential for quite some time in standard and extended formats. Pithing Needle, the ability to shut down specific cards abilities that cause you the most trouble is a powerful tool. A prime candidate for the sideboard Pithing Needle can help improve your worst matchups and make your favorable ones even better. In standard Revilark and other miscellaneous cards can cause problems for certain player’s matchups with Pithing Needle you can cover almost all your bases utilizing a single flexible card. In extended its uses dramatically increase and allow it to be a preemptive measure to all sorts of nastiness. In casual and multiplayer its junk unless you know a certain players deck has a nasty combo or trick in it, Pithing Needle comes up short at the kitchen table. In limited it’s bad, especially when you’re unsure of the filed, Pithing Needles strength only comes when you know what you’re going to face and the needle helps to shut it down. Overall a sideboard card that can handle a large variety of threats its flexibility and cheap cost mean its perfect for any and all competitive formats including the eternal. Pithing Needle has a specific purpose but it fulfills that purpose remarkably well for players of any style or deck.

Constructed- 5.0
Casual- 1.5
Limited- 1.0
Multiplayer- 1.5

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