How to stomp devotion.
Standard forum
Posted on Oct. 20, 2013, 11:48 a.m. by gnarlicide
So I just realized that there is an extremely easy and often overlooked way to stop Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx . It is called Pithing Needle . For some reason people are saying that it can't target the recently abused land, but the text actually says simply, "name a card". This kind of secret tech really threw a wrench into the gears of G/r devotion during game day, forcing all three of the G/r opponents I faced in a row to actually cast things the old fashioned way. It was the most amusing thing I have seen since a modern scry/miracle mono red deck jumped out of the bushes and threw a local meta into a frenzy.
This doesn't work. Pithing Needle stops activated abilities, not mana abilities. Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx 's second ability is a mana ability.
October 20, 2013 11:53 a.m.
So, unbeknownst to both you and your opponents, you cheated.
October 20, 2013 11:54 a.m.
Was a judge on hand to make a ruling, because I'm pretty certain you and your opponents played that incorrectly.
The rest of Pithing Needle states. "Activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can't be activated unless they're mana abilities."
And the rules define mana abilities. "605.1a An activated ability is a mana ability if it meets three criteria: it doesn't have a target, it could put mana into a player's mana pool when it resolves, and it's not a loyalty ability."
So Pithing Needle should not shut off Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx second ability.
October 20, 2013 11:54 a.m.
gnarlicide says... #6
Hmmm, then the judge and other players missed it yesterday. Now I feel bad.
October 20, 2013 11:55 a.m.
gnarlicide says... #7
The only argument that came up from other players was that they thought that the needle said "name a non land card". Nobody caught the mana ability thing, and that goes for me too. We all completely missed it.
October 20, 2013 11:57 a.m.
I also forgot that Pithing Needle didn't have a nonland restriction, then I felt dumb because it was used last season on Nephalia Drownyard . I wouldn't worry about missing this ruling, since you know about it now for future games.
October 20, 2013 2:36 p.m.
notamardybum says... #9
mana abilities meaning things like Elvish Mystic . you can pithing needle nykthos, just like you could with Nephalia Drownyard
October 28, 2013 6:41 p.m.
Schuesseled says... #10
A mana ability is an ability that creates mana, doesn't target and isn't a loyalty ability,
i.e. Pithing Needle won't work as the land taps to add mana.
October 28, 2013 6:46 p.m.
SharuumNyan says... #11
RTFC. It's crazy that so many people at one LGS would misread/misinterpret a card.
October 28, 2013 7:17 p.m.
gnarlicide says... #12
SharuumNyan, you know it's ironic that you say to RTFC... I have sleeves that say that. Lol. Trust me, I have been spreading the word at my shop that we all missed that.
October 28, 2013 7:22 p.m.
SharuumNyan says... #13
You said that the judge missed it as well? That's really scary. What level is he/she?
October 28, 2013 9:58 p.m.
deathtouch_roadrunner says... #15
People don't find it intuitive that nykthos is a mana ability because of the 2 cost I think.
October 30, 2013 4:30 a.m.
On a related note, I miss being able to name Arbor Elf with Pithing Needle from last season. So many sour green players.
ChiefWannaHacka says... #2
Ummmm, isn't that a mana ability?
October 20, 2013 11:51 a.m.