Pithing Needle

Naming Specific Cards

When/If: "Whenever you name a card" (such as with Pithing Needle)?

If. Another very niche-y card.

Pithing Needle

Naming Rules Query

Hey Mark, un-rules question. Can you name _________ with Pithing Needle? Is it's name __________, or is that just a placeholder because it doesn't have a name. And if you can choose ___________, would this stop the abilities of other things with no name like face-down morph cards?

It doesn’t have a name to pick.

_____ Morph Pithing Needle Rules Un-sets

Name Changing

Can I use Truss, Chief Engineer to turn Wrenn and Six into Wrenn and Seven? Does that change the properties of what the card can do?

You can do it. It changes its name, but that has minimal mechanical meaning other than it lets you cast a second one and avoids things like Pithing Needle.

Chief Engineer Pithing Needle Truss, Chief Engineer Wrenn and Seven Wrenn and Six

Stickers and Game Mechanics

Mark, regarding Stickers I still don't understand how they work with Pithing Needle and Nevermore effects. Can you explain it please?

Putting a name sticker on a card changes its name, so it will stop Pithing Needle from affecting it.

Mechanics Nevermore Pithing Needle Stickers

Localization of Un-Sets

So far we haven't seen much you can do with name stickers. (Adding words to count them and avoiding Pithing Needle work with any sticker regardless of the word it has printed on it.) But I'm hoping it isn't too English-centric. As Magic becomes more and more international, I really wish Un-sets were localized, and I believe the reason it isn't is because of the amount of puns and English-centric language mechanics. Is there a possibility future Un-sets leave those in favor of localization?

I would like future Un-sets to be localized. It does add some complications to design, but I agree I’d like more players to have access.

Card Printing Humor Mechanics Pithing Needle Stickers Un-sets

Stickers Bypassing Effects

Mark, do you know if the name sticker will do anything in eternal? Theoretically they could circumvent effects like Pithing Needle.

Name stickers can circumvent effects like Pithing Needle.

Eternal Pithing Needle Stickers

Effects of Sticker Mechanic

Looking at stickers, they seem like a fun mechanic that largely won't shake up eternal formats because of the inherent randomness of which sheets you get in a constructed game. However, doesn't the existence of name stickers (and their zero ticket cost) invalidate cards like pithing needle?
Speaking of which, I'm guessing caring about exact name is eternal and caring about qualities of a name (number of words, specific words) is acorn?

Eternal already has ways to change the name of a card. Stickers might create more ways to do it, but it’s not introducing the concept. Eternal formats can only care about an entire name. Caring about any attribute of a name (how many words, if a certain word is in it, what letter it starts with, etc.) is acorn territory.

Card Names Constructed Eternal Mechanics Pithing Needle Stickers Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Sticker Rules in Eternal Format

This might be early for a rules question with the new sticker sheet, but if, in an eternal format, I add a name sticker to a card that had been previously named with an effect like Pithing Needle, would that allow that card to bypass the restriction?

All the eternal cards fall under the domain of Jess Dunks (aka the Rules Manager), so I don’t feel appropriate making official rulings for him. I can say the game already has ways, playable in eternal formats, to change the name of cards, so I would look to those rulings.

Card Names Domain Eternal Pithing Needle Rules Rules Manager Stickers

Token Naming Effects on Pithing Needle

When designing these sets, was R&D aware that because of Flesh // Blood, you could use the reprinted Pithing Needle to disable Blood tokens?

There has been a change to how token naming works that will make that not true (aka you can’t Pithing Needle Blood tokens).

Blood Flesh // Blood Game Design Pithing Needle Reprints Tokens

Naming the 'Real' Card

Mark, I'm not the previous asker, but I'm guessing when they asked about which version of the Stranger Things cards and their reskins is the "real" card, they meant in terms of the rules. If I play Pithing Needle, which card name do I need to use? The Stranger Things name, or the Magic IP version?

I believe both cards function as they same card, so naming either name should work.

Card Names Pithing Needle Question Marks Rules

Pithing Needle Reprint Query

Hey Mark, Is Pithing needle the reprint that you eluded to with 4 other arts?

It is.

Pithing Needle Reprints

Sorcerous Spyglass Fit

Now that it's being reprinted, is there anything specific thing that makes Sorcerous Spyglass a better fit for standard than pithing needle?

The flavor fits the set better.

Card Printing Flavor Pithing Needle Reprints Sorcerous Spyglass Standard

Complex Cards for Newbies

in Metamorphosis 2.0 you said "For starters, we're going to look at every card through the lens of 'is this something that will cause problems for a newer player?' In the past, we would include things that confused new players at the cost of adding value for a different type of player." I'm curious if this restriction limits the utility of the cards to appear in new Core sets. What is a card that "causes problems for new players?" Is Pithing Needle or Tormod's Crypt such a card?

The core set will have the ability to reprint cards necessary for Standard. We can print a complex card or two if it’s important, especially if it’s at a higher rarity.

Beginners Card Printing Pithing Needle Rarity Reprints Standard Tormod's Crypt

Adaptive Design Strategy

Even knowing that Magic sets have a lot of moving parts, it still seems to me that working so far ahead leaves you vulnerable to not being able to fix a problem in the game for at least a year or so. Do you have trap doors in sets so that you can slip in fixes (i.e. Pithing Needle) even after it's "completed".

Development has the ability to put a card or two late in the set but as we have to print and ship cards, there’s always going to be a gap. We also preemptively put answers in that we think will solve problems if they arise.

Card Printing Pithing Needle