We Need the Needle | A History of Pithing Needle
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- A look at Pithing Needle's evergreen functionality and some of the best bad beats in Magic.
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Sources:
• SCGCHAR - Modern - Sem... (match footage of Huang vs Carpenter)
• Magic TV - #GPOak and ... (CFB discussing Needle ethics)
/ spoilers_bradley_carpe...
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• Legacy Pox Legacy League (Saffron punt)
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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
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.
damn sweet video as always! highly appreciate your well researched, well made and well versed videos!
This is my favorite MTG channel, hands down 🙏
I dont even play mtg anymore, i just love these videos.
I really love this video and especially the anecdote in the beginning, but could someone explain what the "hero" and "villain" designations are? Are they to show who started the game or something different? I don't know since I only play MTG extremely casually and haven't watched anything on the pro scene besides the clips in Rhystic Studies' videos and a few other highlights.
I believe that the terms originated in poker just to distinguish "protagonist // antagonist" and keep track of players.
Alright, thanks :)
Is the best way to support the channel is to buy the playmat using the link you provided?
Much Love,
Sodesne
I do get a slight kickback, but the Patreon page is the best way to support me directly (at least, financially!).
otherwise just kick back and enjoy the show.
I actually enjoyed "No Country for Old Men", nice inclusion in the video for reference.
Pithing Needle is in every side board as a 3 of
No it's not?
in my sideboard it is where its legal
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
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!
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
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.
Your content is just insanely good.
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.
That intro is the most savage play I've ever heard of.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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).
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.
THE NEEDLE WILL RETURN IN INNISTRAD, MIDNIGHT HUNT
I'm here because the needle reprinting on standard
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.
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
So who is checking the Innistrad spoilers atm?
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.
rerally like your video editing, very nice and chill.
Mike Nie III
Welp, you got your wish
I don't get how you accidentally name Pithing Needle with Pithing Needle on MTGO. Why would you start typing Pithing Needle when prompted?
Seth, known as SaffronOlive, in that game was saying Pithing needle and typed it due to how our brain works. He then hit enter which solidfies the naming.
@ArmchairWarrior Sincr you need further clarification, our brain is hard wired for communication. We associate text and speech to be communication. As such it can be more difficult to type and speak seperate things. Our brains are not exactly the most adept computers.
Your brain does stupid things
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."
Well, your wish has become true. It will be reprinted in Innistrad Midnight Hunt!
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.
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.
Welcome back to Standard, courtesy of Innistrad's twisted science
Coming back to this after the Midnight Hunt reveal for the needle. Welcome back old friend.
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.
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.
We got the needle back!
Just in time to deal with the book
Well, WotC reprint pithing needle again.
Pithing needle is finally being reprinted in a standard set again.
why tf did that guy have three uncracked polluted deltas though? such a made up story.
When the new printing of needle for Midnight Hunt got revealed today, the first thing I thought of was this video🙏
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
Ahh it feels good to be back in the credits after a brief hiccup
welcome back! I'm digging your new icon as well.
Welcome back to standard, we’ve missed you.
Rejoice, the needle returns!
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
This is such a great video. Love the visuals also. What kind of programs have you been using
thanks! I toggle between Premiere Pro and Photoshop to produce my videos.
TheMagicManSam how much were those programs about? I used Wondershare filmora and bandicam for my Card Anthology videos for MTG. I was wondering if you could check out on of my recent episodes and see how far off I am off having like a break through or if it's decent. Or maybe just your personal opinion.
It was outstanding. As a player who's been in from the beginning (well, almost... since Beta, anyway), but who has been in and out a few times, it would be nice to see actual cards when you mention them. I had to stop and google a couple of times, but really, that's no big deal. Just a thought. :)
The fun part is that we use borborygmus in my language to describe an unclear expression which didnt convey its meaning.
The story at the beginning is the best bluff i've ever heard.
Looks like WotC came around on this -- new set includes a 2 mana needle called sorcerous spyglass that lets you peek at your opponent's hand on etb. I'm digging this design, but not a big enough magic player to know whether it's weaker or stronger than needle. How much difference does the extra mana make for a card like this?
Well here you go its back in Midnight Hunt
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.
amazing vid.....but how did he cast dark confidant with 2 tropical islands
Turn three Daze'd an Underground Sea. #justlegacythings
And now it's back in standard with Midnight Hunt. Good heavens.
It’s been too long!
Welcome back to standard, pithing needle! We needed you.
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
It came true! I’m so happy to see it come back
I love the needle. You payed how much for that planeswalker? You can't use it.
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.
Great video my friend...great video!
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.
IT'S BACK
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.
Who else is here after this card was spoiled for Midnight Hunt?
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
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.
I enjoy your videos and your format, but can you please include an image of card text when you mention a card? I haven't played Magic since Masques block, so when you were naming cards that are and aren't affected by the Needle, I had no context to understand.
If you want to know if an ability is activated or triggered, its easy, look for a colon, :
It's back, baby
You did it Rhystic! You actually did it!
Think, if pithing needle was legal, cards like oko may have been somewhat contained in standard.
they reprinted sorcerous spyglass in ELD, it didn't do much
That BG music is so chill. Absolutely amazing video!
Lakey is too good.
www.soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired
so once the needle resolves the opponent doesnt have a chance to react to the enter the battlefield trigger? or does the opponent doesnt have a chance to react once the name is chosen?
you must respond while Pithing Needle is on the stack, but you have to guess what your opponent is going to name, since they *do not* have to name until it resolves.
as such, the villain in the first example should have cracked Polluted Delta in response to the cast, but instead he underestimated his opponent and was punished once Needle resolved.
Man, I love your videos, they're so original and pleasant to watch... keep up the good work
thank you.
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
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!
Just pulled one in Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and immediately thought of this video
Pithing needle is back baby
Do we know if there hasn't been a reprint for the same reasons we don't get good counter spells? "Our data shows you don't want this and it isn't fun for your."
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.
It's back in standard baby!
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.
Sounds like this card can be a real pain in the neck if it's used against you.
Another solid indepth video from the Magic Man Sam, well done.
Are cards in Commander Zone affected by Pithing Needle?
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.
Okay, Pithing Needle is cool and all, but *unban Jace* .
Me: ah thank god, an authority on how to say pithing that I can trust.
RS @1:51 : Coocoo's nest
Me: well fug
I always come back to this video just for that intro
Would you have made this if you didn't pull the masterpiece?
I actually didn't pull the masterpiece (I've yet to crack one from any set); I purchased it strictly for the giveaway.
Damn, that's nice 👏👏👏👏👏
pithing needle ability is a State condition
"IF this is in play| named card activated abilities cannot be played."
"As this enters| name a card" a completion of the spell
so no response can be stacked before it
So wait, the judge in the anecdote would have said "Yes" to the question regardless of the card anyway? Cause you explained that you can technically name any card.
Correct. The deceit was intentional. Pithing Needle doesn't name its target until it is already on the battlefield. If the target is named when it's on the stack, the opponent would have immediately counterspelled it. To mess with his opponent, he intentionally named a card out loud that his opponent would not care about getting the needle: "Bob"s card draw isn't an activated ability, rather a triggered one, so the Needle would be wasted. He allowed his opponent to believe he would name "Bob" by conferring with the judge. This lulled his opponent into believing he would be safe. He used the judge interaction to fake his opponent out into not counterspelling his Pithing Needle, so that when it did hit the battlefield, he could name the card he actually wanted to fuck with.
No, you don't get my point. Apparently you can *name* ANY card anyway. But if that actually blocks any effect on the card... That's another story.
Correct. Every Magic card can be named. The judge would say Yes to any card . The anecdote was interesting for its psychological manipulation. Like in this story: The card "Cursed Scroll" was designed by Marc Rosewater during a car ride. He liked to name "Counterspell" even if he didn't have the card in hand. He just liked that he could fake people out.
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.
Came back to celebrate the return of Pithing Needle