@@sandwichboy1268 yes, triggered, static and mana abilities as mentioned are completely untouched. It's younger brother sorcerer's spyglass is a good alternative for standard. With the added benefit of getting hand information.
@@Dreadnaught1985 Sorcerer's Spyglass is better than Pithing Needle in legacy, for example (most of the artifact decks play Ancient Tomb/City of traitors/Any other form of fast mana, so T1 Spyglass is quite usual)
@@IvaneitorGamerHD I'd not thought about that. It's also good in commander. Because you can essentially shut down some decks by calling the commander. And you don't need to call the commander you just hand checked. So you can get info on one opponent and shut down another.
Best thing I've ever done was name my opponents commander, which was useless other than it's activated abilities. It turned out he'd switched decks since our last game, and I hadn't noticed
Felt obliged to come back to this video to note the moment that I spotted that Pithing Needle is getting a Standard-legal reprint in Innistrad: Midnight Hunt!
@@melindagreer4177 Agreed a monoblue Commander deck that can't draw a Disk, engineered explosives, ratchet bomb, etc. to handle a needle? Maybe the deck just had them and hit some bad luck
Got hit by a Nevermore once, named my commander. The only reason I didn't get absolutely crushed is because that deck doesn't need the commander at all. Still lost because W/U/R prison decks are evil.
you crack them when you need the mana, so you don't take unnecessary damage. This is more true in legacy/vintage where you don't have to run shocks etc
@@临高 its not an etb, because it happens *as* it enters, not *when* it enters, so you either respond when the needle is on the stack, or not at all. Treat it as if the naming of the card is part of the resolution of the spell, because in a way, it is.
@@Commander_Skullblade The video: "We should always have this effect in Standard" I don't know what you're specifically talking about, but yes, this was about Standard.
2007. playing against LSV at a vintage tournamwnt in Sacramento Ca. Finals. I have null rod agro. He has GAT (Gush-a-tog). I have wastelands, strip mine, sink holes, all that. I cast Needle. He asks what I name. I ask if it resolves. He says yes. I name Polluted Delta and he can't make or find mana for the rest of the game. GG.
Technically, I think you could have just named Delta after he asked. If he's asking what you're naming, that can be interpreted as him passing priority back to you.
***** It can be, but some people try to be tricky and I want to confirm. I was always in that habbit. Earlier I faced against Sullivan Solution with Order of the Ebbon Hand (pump knights) and wanted be sure I named the correct one. Not Knight of Stromgald, the other pump knight. Pump knights suck when they are just 2/1's. They pay to get first strike.
Josh Petticrew In a big scale tournament like that, it's a bad idea. You need to be sure because, if he ask what you name and you tell him, he will crack the fetchs you told him about in response to your needle. If you tell him that he can't do that, he will look at you and say: "what? Your needle was still on the stack." and, in the eye of the judge, he might be right.
There's nothing to respond to. The naming of the card isn't an ETB effect, it's an ETB requirement.Needle enters (assuming it resolves), and that's it, because it's already on the battlefield. Then the card is named. There is no moment for the opposing player to respond once Needle resolves (and it resolves prior to naming).
You have to show and tell at the same time, so it's either a galaxy level gamble to drop a pithing needle or you already knew he was a sneak attack deck.
These types of videos are why I subscribe. Yes, the art stuff is nice, but I love the history of the game and videos like this, the thragtusck one, the thoughtseize one, etc. those historical videos are awesome. Please keep up the good work.
Pithing Needle is useful in every format; it's a great card that as you said, really helps players have an answer to losing to the same strategy every time. I like this video; it has a very chill tone, but doesn't sound like a lecture, the interest in your voice is clear and it translates well to the listener. The visuals you add go well to add to what you're saying without being distracting. I really look forward to more of your content!
@@spinakker14 Except at that point being a good sport is irrelevant, cause it is obvious what you're talking about. Even in law that would count, so a rulemonger could only win that case with people not in the know. And even then they'd probably not win.
@@LoverOfMuch It's part of the 'copy-cat combo' that (at time of this video's release, and as RhysticStudies later mentions in the video) was dominating Standard and that pithing needle could've provided counterplay to (the actual solutions Wizards employed was banning Felidar Guardian). The combo involved Felidar Guardian and the planeswalker Saheeli Rai. It involved using Saheeli's -2 ability to make an artifact copy of Felidar Guardian with haste, which had an ETB effect that could flicker Saheeli, resetting her abilities and allowing the loop to repeat. Then the player could attack with an arbitrarily large number of Felidar Guardian tokens with haste. It would be more true to the game rules to depict Saheeli herself (because she has the activated ability, whereas Felidar Guardians' ability is a triggered ability that the Needle cannot affect), but, presumably, RhysticStudies didn't want to depict an actual human being... pithed. Or whatever the word is. Because it's gruesome.
it's not a bad beats story, but one of my favourite moments in modern was when my friend taught me not to be too hasty when naming the card, as I used to simply cast it and name the card right away
It's a nice feeling when you let a Koth Ultimate and then naming Snow-covered Mountain after that. First ever game where I had to name a land to not die
What makes Pithing Needle stand-out to me is that its effect occurs when it enters the battlefield, as your intro anecdote exemplified. There are not that many cards that feature this kind of effect, as most targets are named while the spell is on the stack. I like that there is this tension in EDH when this card is on the stack. It makes for great political theater.
It's not that uncommon though. Cabal Therapy, and discard in general doesn't establish the affected cards until resolution, nor do *insert any clone here*. And graft creatures, Ivy Elemental, etc. all use the same timing, despite not requiring any choices. Heck, if you cast Retether, not only are you putting them wherever you want on resolution, but you aren't targeting so you can give your Nimble Mongoose Serra's Blessing. Honestly, I think the biggest thing that I'd want a new player to know about rules is that words mean no more and no less than they say they do. The difference between "when" and "as" is very consistent, and things only target if they use the word "target". Also, if it doesn't damage, equip/attach, block, or target, protection gives 0 fucks if you do it. Not really related, but I'm talking about scrubs, and trying to explain that Strength of Lunacy does shit-all against the WRATH OF GOD is... taxing.
I really like the "flavor" of naming the wrong card, it's just like when you wanted to cast a spell but slightly mispronounced something resulting in the spell to backfire. From a gameplay point of view, I can understand why they changed it. Great video as always!
Lmao yeah, it’d be fun to play “high stress” magic, where you had to play very fast and name everything exactly. Kind of emulating the fact that everyone playing is a “wizard” casting “spells” and just run with it. X2 chaos for commander/other ffa modesz
Almost 2 years since this video release and I still can't stop watching. Congrats on making content that upholds its value more then some MTG cards themselves.
I haven’t played Magic since middle school in like 2005 but man this is making me nostalgic AF. I have just been binging your vids for like 20 hrs and your deep treatment of the subject reminds me of the influence all the amazing art had on my childhood imagination, the factions/colors and their interactions, qualities, and attributes (however subtly implied) influenced by thinking about the evolution of the natural sciences, how humans came to view the elements, alchemy, feng shui, ect. And how various cultures have categorized their difference interpretations or perceptions of energy and intention... it’s truly Magic Thank you
Your videos convinced me into getting into this game. The first pack I got had a shiny Pithing Needle inside of it. Fitting for it's the first video I watched of yours. :)
Absolutely love that you showed codex shredder at the end of the video. Been playing lantern for a long time now. Needle and me are besties. As always, great content.
Silver Fang Honestly, anyone who would who say that "my opponent didn't make it clear what they were naming," when it is obviously clear that the opponent is naming a specific card," is a jerk.
Maybe so, but it was a fairly high level tournament play. All bets are off and you gotta know your shit. If it was just a FNM, then yes. It's being a jerk. You'll never win correcting all your opponent's mistakes at a tournament. And I'm sure the dude didn't say it wasn't clear. He clearly named Borborygmos and not Borborygmos Enraged.
I run pithing needle in every modern sideboard ever. It's the best sideboard card in modern, in my opinion, it does a little bit of something to every deck, and totally hoses other strategies. my favorite is when I play the needle, and the opponents say "Naming?". I've gotten so many qasali pride mages and oblivion stones with this, it's nuts.
I have a playset of Pithing Needle in my ' Turbo Depths ' legacy deck. I'm new to legacy, missplayed it like hell and failed to understand it..Pithing Needle for sure will teach you, make youa better player etc.. It's horrible in my noob hands. Amazing in my pro friends hands. You summed it up spot on man.
My favorite pithing needle story: I’m playing legacy, it’s game 1 I’m on the draw. I have a pile of tokens next to my deck, and on the top of this pile is a shiny Merit Leige. My opponent casts turn 1 needle and looks at me to see if it resolves. I slowly inch my hand toward the token and turn it face down with an anxious look on my face. “Vampire hexmage.” “Um. Ok.” “Sorry I happened to see the token.” “It’s fine dude, turn 1 delver pass.” Fast forward 5 turns. My opponent has two vampire hexmages in play, his needle, and a dark depths. He was so eager to game me that he forgot he could just wait until turn 2 to cast his needle.
Perhaps they could/should create a small list of cards that will always be legal (haha, evergreen) in Standard to promote a more diverse and healthy meta.
GreenMyrtle This is actually why I believe that Wizards should retool their Deckbuilder's Toolkits. Sure it may not be profitable to print an entire large set every year just to reprint a few cards, and every reprint that would keep formats healthy may not be on theme for the upcoming blocks (see: Tormod's Crypt), but what if we could put those needed reprints in a small annual preconstructed product? So along with say, a preconstructed deck that would be decent at FNM and a small assortment of other cards for new players to build with, these toolkits would also include guaranteed reprints of cards designed to either help the upcoming decks of the standard season, or provide answers.
@@lt5334 I think he was referencing the potential confusion of the multiple powerful Teferis that were legal at the time, and how neither them have the card name "Teferi."
Man, I love how I started playing right around the time you were making RTR deck techs and whatnot. It's really awesome to share the same experiences and viewpoints on the game. Great video as always!
I love Pithing Needle\Meddling Mage type of Cards because they give players answers or limits certain cards that certain decks might not be made to deal with certain threats
ITS BACK IN STANDARD BABY! ...well also kinda always was here with "Sorcerous Spyglass" that came into the game soon after this video was made and was a spiritual replacement for awhile but the subtle differences are bigger than i realized
Love this video! I didn't even know about this card, but I love how your videos are so informative. Actually I love your channel in general, keep doing what you do man!
It was really nice seeing this video knowing Sorcerous Spyglass not only got printed, but also got re-printed in Throne of Eldraine to prevent it from rotating out with Ixalan. I guess they know a card like this, is indeed, good for a healthy format.
I happen to think all iterations of foils, alternate arts and special edition to be beautiful. Those HIGHLY and bizarrely excessively critical of the flavour, print and look of Matic cards show an inability to adapt and appreciate for what it is...ART. It won't appeal to everyone but if you see it for what it is inatead of pleasing you personally you will have a much better time appreciating the "Expressive Iteration." The only gripe I do have is the discontinuation of the 90s, early '00s card. They had a VERY specific smell and feel to them. What I would give to crack a pack and have that rush of nostalgia again. Seeing as the sense of smell is closely tied to memory it would mean a lot. Another fantastic documentary, Sam.
I didn't know the specification thing was a rule. At my table sometimes when playing tribal decks a card will be played that requires you to choose a creature type, sometimes people don't say and others will interject with "Declaring Trilobites?" or some other tribe that isn't being run, just to mess with the other person but I didn't know that from a game legal standpoint, that could actually make or break a game.
Nice video! I love the play you mentioned at the start, gotta feel good pulling that one out. My favorite card association with Pithing Needle is by naming ''Aether Storm''. Then, you play Aether Storm c:
Last round of grand prix Dallas one year, I get a game loss for my previous opponent accidently held on to one of my cards. So I had presented an illegal deck. :( So here we go into game 2, things are fixed, no sideboards. I am on the play. I drop flagstones of trokair and play Isumaru. that's all the guy has seen. He was playing lantern control, so he turn one drops land into needle, throws his hands up and says windswept heath. And I am looking at 3 windswept heath and 2 green cards in my hand... It had been such an exciting day. And then not so much... He had a draw, so even if he beat me, he wasn't going to day 2. But he refused to scoop me in. So I got booted out of day 2. But I love Pithing Needle, It's like 1 answer to almost any question that anyone can play.
Had a game about a month ago, playing eldrazi tron against restore balance. Post board games i brought in pithing needle as a way to name one of the many planeswalkers they had in their deck, or greater gargadon to stop them from sacrificing things to get it into play faster. this was game 3 and i was on the draw, they seemed to have a slow hand, turn 1 windswept heath, pass, i played an urza's tower and an expedition map, and passed. they drew for turn, played another windswept heath, and passed again. i drew pithing needle for turn. i go to cast it, they dont respond to it, i had the intent of naming greater gargadon so then they wouldnt be able to just untap, suspend one off a simian spirit guide, then cascade into a restore balance and sacrifice all their lands to it, but instead, i named windswept heath. I won that game
Essentially, Pithing Needle is a micro-scale, game-specific ban.
Yes and no. It's more like errata'ing, since passives still work, as does combat.
@@sandwichboy1268 yes, triggered, static and mana abilities as mentioned are completely untouched.
It's younger brother sorcerer's spyglass is a good alternative for standard. With the added benefit of getting hand information.
@@Dreadnaught1985 Sorcerer's Spyglass is better than Pithing Needle in legacy, for example (most of the artifact decks play Ancient Tomb/City of traitors/Any other form of fast mana, so T1 Spyglass is quite usual)
@@IvaneitorGamerHD I'd not thought about that. It's also good in commander. Because you can essentially shut down some decks by calling the commander.
And you don't need to call the commander you just hand checked. So you can get info on one opponent and shut down another.
Unless it has mana abilities
I come back regularly just for the Polluted Delta bluff opening.
Is 10/10
Play of the century
Best thing I've ever done was name my opponents commander, which was useless other than it's activated abilities. It turned out he'd switched decks since our last game, and I hadn't noticed
That intro is the most savage play I've ever heard of.
Your content is just insanely good.
Felt obliged to come back to this video to note the moment that I spotted that Pithing Needle is getting a Standard-legal reprint in Innistrad: Midnight Hunt!
I once caused enormous rage in another player in an EDH game by naming Azami, Lady of Scrolls with Pithing Needle, thus neutering his entire deck.
now that's a great play.
They deserved it for not having any artifact destruction.
@@melindagreer4177 Agreed a monoblue Commander deck that can't draw a Disk, engineered explosives, ratchet bomb, etc. to handle a needle? Maybe the deck just had them and hit some bad luck
Like the good nevermore on a commander
Got hit by a Nevermore once, named my commander. The only reason I didn't get absolutely crushed is because that deck doesn't need the commander at all.
Still lost because W/U/R prison decks are evil.
Nothing better than naming a fetch with Pithing Needle
And then they play every fetch, except the one you named...
Or you play needle and the opponent doesn't have a response then naming said fetch they didn't crack
Danny Pacione
I'm confused as to why a player would have multiple fetches in play without them being cracked. So turn 5 with only two mana?
you crack them when you need the mana, so you don't take unnecessary damage. This is more true in legacy/vintage where you don't have to run shocks etc
Also you might want fetches up if your running brainstorm and you need to shuffle
Yeah I've had my Bloodstained Mire hit by it before, not fun
YOU PLAY MAGIC! WAHT
Why not just crack all of them?
@@ShakerGER I'm confused too... Am I not allowed to just crack the land respond to the etb trigger of Needle?
@@临高 its not an etb, because it happens *as* it enters, not *when* it enters, so you either respond when the needle is on the stack, or not at all. Treat it as if the naming of the card is part of the resolution of the spell, because in a way, it is.
@@wisp5570 understood, I ask a judge and he responds similarly, thank you very much!
And now, with Ixalan, we'll get the "peeking needle" - Sorcerous Spyglass :)
And it got reprinted so yay!
And now it's completely irrelevant because the strictly better original is back in Midnight Hunt.
@@Commander_Skullblade Yes, a card printed four years ago is irrelevant in today's standard, how did you come to that conclusion?
@@xBenjiSx Wait, we were talking about Standard?
@@Commander_Skullblade The video: "We should always have this effect in Standard"
I don't know what you're specifically talking about, but yes, this was about Standard.
2007. playing against LSV at a vintage tournamwnt in Sacramento Ca. Finals. I have null rod agro. He has GAT (Gush-a-tog). I have wastelands, strip mine, sink holes, all that. I cast Needle. He asks what I name. I ask if it resolves. He says yes. I name Polluted Delta and he can't make or find mana for the rest of the game. GG.
hardcore.
Technically, I think you could have just named Delta after he asked. If he's asking what you're naming, that can be interpreted as him passing priority back to you.
***** It can be, but some people try to be tricky and I want to confirm. I was always in that habbit. Earlier I faced against Sullivan Solution with Order of the Ebbon Hand (pump knights) and wanted be sure I named the correct one. Not Knight of Stromgald, the other pump knight. Pump knights suck when they are just 2/1's. They pay to get first strike.
Josh Petticrew In a big scale tournament like that, it's a bad idea. You need to be sure because, if he ask what you name and you tell him, he will crack the fetchs you told him about in response to your needle. If you tell him that he can't do that, he will look at you and say: "what? Your needle was still on the stack." and, in the eye of the judge, he might be right.
There's nothing to respond to. The naming of the card isn't an ETB effect, it's an ETB requirement.Needle enters (assuming it resolves), and that's it, because it's already on the battlefield. Then the card is named. There is no moment for the opposing player to respond once Needle resolves (and it resolves prior to naming).
Opponent: Show and Tell
Me: ok
*he lays sneak attack*
*I lay down Pithing Needle*
You have to show and tell at the same time, so it's either a galaxy level gamble to drop a pithing needle or you already knew he was a sneak attack deck.
These types of videos are why I subscribe. Yes, the art stuff is nice, but I love the history of the game and videos like this, the thragtusck one, the thoughtseize one, etc. those historical videos are awesome. Please keep up the good work.
I'm glad you're enjoying the spotlights!
Pithing Needle is useful in every format; it's a great card that as you said, really helps players have an answer to losing to the same strategy every time. I like this video; it has a very chill tone, but doesn't sound like a lecture, the interest in your voice is clear and it translates well to the listener. The visuals you add go well to add to what you're saying without being distracting. I really look forward to more of your content!
this was a nice little review. thank you.
My friends call this one specific creature George. "I'm casting George"
With pithing he can say George and we all know what he's talking about
😂 What creature?
Mattie Sheldon George, duh
@@MattieSheldonTheUA-camr George, who else?
But you both will only respect that if you're good sports
@@spinakker14
Except at that point being a good sport is irrelevant, cause it is obvious what you're talking about. Even in law that would count, so a rulemonger could only win that case with people not in the know. And even then they'd probably not win.
Coming back to this after the Midnight Hunt reveal for the needle. Welcome back old friend.
It's not lost on me that you chose Felidar Guardian for the explanation of how pithing works. Nice touch.
;)
I'm out of the loop and genuinely curious- what does using Felidar Guardian add to the explanation of the the needle?
@@LoverOfMuch It's part of the 'copy-cat combo' that (at time of this video's release, and as RhysticStudies later mentions in the video) was dominating Standard and that pithing needle could've provided counterplay to (the actual solutions Wizards employed was banning Felidar Guardian).
The combo involved Felidar Guardian and the planeswalker Saheeli Rai. It involved using Saheeli's -2 ability to make an artifact copy of Felidar Guardian with haste, which had an ETB effect that could flicker Saheeli, resetting her abilities and allowing the loop to repeat. Then the player could attack with an arbitrarily large number of Felidar Guardian tokens with haste.
It would be more true to the game rules to depict Saheeli herself (because she has the activated ability, whereas Felidar Guardians' ability is a triggered ability that the Needle cannot affect), but, presumably, RhysticStudies didn't want to depict an actual human being... pithed. Or whatever the word is. Because it's gruesome.
it's not a bad beats story, but one of my favourite moments in modern was when my friend taught me not to be too hasty when naming the card, as I used to simply cast it and name the card right away
I had to learn the same behavior when casting Snapcasters back in the day.
Me being me, now I am probably too nice and remind opponents while needle is on the stack that by the time I name something it's too late.
Bryan Bonar when playing yugioh I always make sure that if a card doesn’t target on activation, I don’t say what the target is until it resolves
It's a nice feeling when you let a Koth Ultimate and then naming Snow-covered Mountain after that. First ever game where I had to name a land to not die
Skred red is one of my favorite modern decks, I have no idea why but it appeals to me immensely :D
Sounds like a lucky topdeck to me... Else you would have named koth long before he got to emblem.
The story at the beginning is the best bluff i've ever heard.
rerally like your video editing, very nice and chill.
Mike Nie III
What makes Pithing Needle stand-out to me is that its effect occurs when it enters the battlefield, as your intro anecdote exemplified. There are not that many cards that feature this kind of effect, as most targets are named while the spell is on the stack. I like that there is this tension in EDH when this card is on the stack. It makes for great political theater.
Pithing Needle doesn't target...
ccggenius12 ...choose, I know. The point is info about the choice isn’t known until the etb trigger.
It's not that uncommon though. Cabal Therapy, and discard in general doesn't establish the affected cards until resolution, nor do *insert any clone here*. And graft creatures, Ivy Elemental, etc. all use the same timing, despite not requiring any choices. Heck, if you cast Retether, not only are you putting them wherever you want on resolution, but you aren't targeting so you can give your Nimble Mongoose Serra's Blessing. Honestly, I think the biggest thing that I'd want a new player to know about rules is that words mean no more and no less than they say they do. The difference between "when" and "as" is very consistent, and things only target if they use the word "target".
Also, if it doesn't damage, equip/attach, block, or target, protection gives 0 fucks if you do it. Not really related, but I'm talking about scrubs, and trying to explain that Strength of Lunacy does shit-all against the WRATH OF GOD is... taxing.
When the new printing of needle for Midnight Hunt got revealed today, the first thing I thought of was this video🙏
Welcome back to standard, we’ve missed you.
Welcome back to standard, pithing needle! We needed you.
It came true! I’m so happy to see it come back
Ahh it feels good to be back in the credits after a brief hiccup
welcome back! I'm digging your new icon as well.
I really like the "flavor" of naming the wrong card, it's just like when you wanted to cast a spell but slightly mispronounced something resulting in the spell to backfire. From a gameplay point of view, I can understand why they changed it. Great video as always!
Lmao yeah, it’d be fun to play “high stress” magic, where you had to play very fast and name everything exactly. Kind of emulating the fact that everyone playing is a “wizard” casting “spells” and just run with it. X2 chaos for commander/other ffa modesz
@@owentucker6215 Check out Judge's Tower, basically you have to do everything you can as soon as you can and only lose by not doing so.
A perfect answer to cat combo as well as to crewing vehicles? Living the dream~
And the Amonkhet flavor matches just fiiiine~! I still have hope for a Hour of Devastation reprint
Almost 2 years since this video release and I still can't stop watching. Congrats on making content that upholds its value more then some MTG cards themselves.
I haven’t played Magic since middle school in like 2005 but man this is making me nostalgic AF. I have just been binging your vids for like 20 hrs and your deep treatment of the subject reminds me of the influence all the amazing art had on my childhood imagination, the factions/colors and their interactions, qualities, and attributes (however subtly implied) influenced by thinking about the evolution of the natural sciences, how humans came to view the elements, alchemy, feng shui, ect. And how various cultures have categorized their difference interpretations or perceptions of energy and intention... it’s truly Magic
Thank you
Your videos convinced me into getting into this game. The first pack I got had a shiny Pithing Needle inside of it. Fitting for it's the first video I watched of yours. :)
That's kind of some insane luck.
Man, I love your videos, they're so original and pleasant to watch... keep up the good work
thank you.
It's back, baby
We got the needle back!
Just in time to deal with the book
Absolutely love that you showed codex shredder at the end of the video. Been playing lantern for a long time now. Needle and me are besties. As always, great content.
I love the Lantern deck, especially because of the maindeck Needle.
Wow that's so depressing, loosing a game just because you accidentally didn't say enraged.
yeah. i guess you could say he was very....... displeased with the entire situation.
I bet he was pretty...enraged after that... haha I had to
TheUnprofessional Bob taking advantage of that was the most Dimir move I've ever seen.
Silver Fang Honestly, anyone who would who say that "my opponent didn't make it clear what they were naming," when it is obviously clear that the opponent is naming a specific card," is a jerk.
Maybe so, but it was a fairly high level tournament play. All bets are off and you gotta know your shit. If it was just a FNM, then yes. It's being a jerk. You'll never win correcting all your opponent's mistakes at a tournament. And I'm sure the dude didn't say it wasn't clear. He clearly named Borborygmos and not Borborygmos Enraged.
Well here you go its back in Midnight Hunt
Every bit of awesomeness as said within Magic community. First time here, will have long and grinding nights to catch up!
I'm glad you are here!
I run pithing needle in every modern sideboard ever. It's the best sideboard card in modern, in my opinion, it does a little bit of something to every deck, and totally hoses other strategies.
my favorite is when I play the needle, and the opponents say "Naming?". I've gotten so many qasali pride mages and oblivion stones with this, it's nuts.
IT'S BACK
I have a playset of Pithing Needle in my ' Turbo Depths ' legacy deck.
I'm new to legacy, missplayed it like hell and failed to understand it..Pithing Needle for sure will teach you, make youa better player etc..
It's horrible in my noob hands. Amazing in my pro friends hands.
You summed it up spot on man.
My favorite pithing needle story:
I’m playing legacy, it’s game 1 I’m on the draw. I have a pile of tokens next to my deck, and on the top of this pile is a shiny Merit Leige. My opponent casts turn 1 needle and looks at me to see if it resolves. I slowly inch my hand toward the token and turn it face down with an anxious look on my face.
“Vampire hexmage.”
“Um. Ok.”
“Sorry I happened to see the token.”
“It’s fine dude, turn 1 delver pass.”
Fast forward 5 turns. My opponent has two vampire hexmages in play, his needle, and a dark depths. He was so eager to game me that he forgot he could just wait until turn 2 to cast his needle.
So wait was that good for you or bad?
@@clayxros576 he disabled his own wincon, so yes it’s good for OP
@@Wertercat
Much appreciated. I'm unfamiliar with Vampire Hexmage and what tokens they might use, so the context was missed.
@@clayxros576 No problem, the specific combo is to use the hexmage to transform the dark depths immediately into Merit Leige
That BG music is so chill. Absolutely amazing video!
Lakey is too good.
www.soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired
You did it Rhystic! You actually did it!
Well done on this video. I love how in depth this is, as well as the corner cases you presented. Keep up the amazing work!
Another solid indepth video from the Magic Man Sam, well done.
Perhaps they could/should create a small list of cards that will always be legal (haha, evergreen) in Standard to promote a more diverse and healthy meta.
GreenMyrtle This is actually why I believe that Wizards should retool their Deckbuilder's Toolkits. Sure it may not be profitable to print an entire large set every year just to reprint a few cards, and every reprint that would keep formats healthy may not be on theme for the upcoming blocks (see: Tormod's Crypt), but what if we could put those needed reprints in a small annual preconstructed product?
So along with say, a preconstructed deck that would be decent at FNM and a small assortment of other cards for new players to build with, these toolkits would also include guaranteed reprints of cards designed to either help the upcoming decks of the standard season, or provide answers.
There are already five cards that are always legal! Crazy isn't it?
Do you mean five different versions of Gideon? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Azerim YTube, Plains, Island, Swamp, Forest, Mountain. Am I rite?
WotC has also said that the vanilla taplands will be Standard legal ad infinitum, so you can extend your list to 15.
You’re fil videos are so good I literally can’t even
And now it's back in standard with Midnight Hunt. Good heavens.
It’s been too long!
Just imagine
Pithing needle: Teferi
Alexander Kolchev sorcerous spyglass is in standard
@@lt5334 yeah, this is an interesting idea, but mortify, cleansing nova, negate and absorb are also in standard, and in Teferi's deck.
@@StRanGerManY and how would pithing needle not have that exact problem?
@@lt5334 I think he was referencing the potential confusion of the multiple powerful Teferis that were legal at the time, and how neither them have the card name "Teferi."
Man, I love how I started playing right around the time you were making RTR deck techs and whatnot. It's really awesome to share the same experiences and viewpoints on the game. Great video as always!
TheMagicManSam glad to see your channel growing! Keep up the great work. I would love to see a new Pack Lores video soon.
Great video my man wonderful as always
It's back in standard baby!
i played gruul in standard back in the days and your video showed on my feed, thanks for this fantastic memory trip
Great Video Sam! Love these histories of cards. I've never played with Pithing Needle but can see it being a welcome addition to Standard for sure
Pithing needle is back baby
I love Pithing Needle\Meddling Mage type of Cards because they give players answers or limits certain cards that certain decks might not be made to deal with certain threats
Your editing is so good man
I always come back to this video just for that intro
So who is checking the Innistrad spoilers atm?
Came back to celebrate the return of Pithing Needle
I still think you're right, and we're getting it!
AAAAAAAAAND ITS BACK LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
ITS BACK IN STANDARD BABY! ...well also kinda always was here with "Sorcerous Spyglass" that came into the game soon after this video was made and was a spiritual replacement for awhile but the subtle differences are bigger than i realized
Sorcerous Spyglass. 2 mama pithing needle that lets you see your opponents hand, and is standard
The card should be played in the sideboards of almost every deck in MTG. I have 2 in my sideboard for Jund Cat.
It's nice to see something different for a change. Love it.
Ive never played Magic in my life, yet the passion of this dude for the game grows on you.
Pithing needle is finally being reprinted in a standard set again.
Love this video! I didn't even know about this card, but I love how your videos are so informative. Actually I love your channel in general, keep doing what you do man!
as quite the new player, pithing needle now is a challenge in order to play it decently. thanks! like your channel, keep it up!
Dude! Awesome! I’ve been looking for this. Great vid. Keep it up!!
Very nice video Sam! As always keep it up!
I'm new to magic and have no idea what I'm doing so these videos really help also a lore mini series would be cool
It’s back
Who else is here after this card was spoiled for Midnight Hunt?
Anton Chigurh calling you out was hilarious. Well done.
It was really nice seeing this video knowing Sorcerous Spyglass not only got printed, but also got re-printed in Throne of Eldraine to prevent it from rotating out with Ixalan. I guess they know a card like this, is indeed, good for a healthy format.
4:52 Classic Seth. Gotta love him. (Fantastic quality video, btw!)
damn sweet video as always! highly appreciate your well researched, well made and well versed videos!
Just pulled one in Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and immediately thought of this video
That's some nice tactics in motivating people to become patrons.
I happen to think all iterations of foils, alternate arts and special edition to be beautiful. Those HIGHLY and bizarrely excessively critical of the flavour, print and look of Matic cards show an inability to adapt and appreciate for what it is...ART.
It won't appeal to everyone but if you see it for what it is inatead of pleasing you personally you will have a much better time appreciating the "Expressive Iteration."
The only gripe I do have is the discontinuation of the 90s, early '00s card. They had a VERY specific smell and feel to them. What I would give to crack a pack and have that rush of nostalgia again. Seeing as the sense of smell is closely tied to memory it would mean a lot.
Another fantastic documentary, Sam.
This is my favorite MTG channel, hands down 🙏
Content is just too good! Also love No Country!
Welcome back to Standard, courtesy of Innistrad's twisted science
Great video my friend...great video!
I didn't know the specification thing was a rule. At my table sometimes when playing tribal decks a card will be played that requires you to choose a creature type, sometimes people don't say and others will interject with "Declaring Trilobites?" or some other tribe that isn't being run, just to mess with the other person but I didn't know that from a game legal standpoint, that could actually make or break a game.
EDIT: I wrote a comment about the rules change *right* before reaching that part of the video. Silly me.
Great video as usual!
Nice video! I love the play you mentioned at the start, gotta feel good pulling that one out. My favorite card association with Pithing Needle is by naming ''Aether Storm''. Then, you play Aether Storm c:
I'm here because the needle reprinting on standard
Last round of grand prix Dallas one year, I get a game loss for my previous opponent accidently held on to one of my cards. So I had presented an illegal deck. :( So here we go into game 2, things are fixed, no sideboards. I am on the play. I drop flagstones of trokair and play Isumaru. that's all the guy has seen. He was playing lantern control, so he turn one drops land into needle, throws his hands up and says windswept heath. And I am looking at 3 windswept heath and 2 green cards in my hand... It had been such an exciting day. And then not so much... He had a draw, so even if he beat me, he wasn't going to day 2. But he refused to scoop me in. So I got booted out of day 2. But I love Pithing Needle, It's like 1 answer to almost any question that anyone can play.
Had a game about a month ago, playing eldrazi tron against restore balance. Post board games i brought in pithing needle as a way to name one of the many planeswalkers they had in their deck, or greater gargadon to stop them from sacrificing things to get it into play faster. this was game 3 and i was on the draw, they seemed to have a slow hand, turn 1 windswept heath, pass, i played an urza's tower and an expedition map, and passed. they drew for turn, played another windswept heath, and passed again. i drew pithing needle for turn. i go to cast it, they dont respond to it, i had the intent of naming greater gargadon so then they wouldnt be able to just untap, suspend one off a simian spirit guide, then cascade into a restore balance and sacrifice all their lands to it, but instead, i named windswept heath. I won that game
pithing needle: two time walks confirmed.
TheTunnelingCat chalice on 0 game 1 is almost unbeatable
The rewatch is also fantastic. 🍻
Love the video! Love the music!
Welcome back pithing needle!
Rejoice, the needle returns!
Wow, naming a fetch land with the thing. Evil. Imagine thinking of that in a tournament, and then actually thinking to do the bluff too.
This video made me want to build Lantern control
making Zac Elsik proud.
And everyone else tilt
I can see Harsh Mentor smiling behind the corner.