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.
-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.
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.
