Needle

About This Part

Needle, shortened to N, is a Defense Type Bit that Takara Tomy released under the Basic Line system, debuting in Japan on July 15th, 2023 with the BX-04 Starter, KnightShield 3-80N, and later reaching western stores through Hasbro's Starter Pack, Helm Knight 3-80N. It carries a conical sharp point that keeps friction low against the stadium floor, letting a Needle build settle near the centre with strong stamina and solid resistance to being knocked out of the ring. A taller version, High Needle, raises that same point by roughly a millimetre.

In Play

Its low-friction sharp tip gives Needle builds a strong defensive profile, holding the centre of the stadium and resisting knockouts, which keeps it in regular competitive rotation as a stamina-leaning defensive choice.

• Debuted in Japan on July 15th, 2023 with the BX-04 Starter, KnightShield 3-80N
• Reached western markets through Hasbro's Starter Pack, Helm Knight 3-80N

The Competitive View

Needle plays like a scaled-down Jog Ball, giving brief attack-style movement before settling in the center, and is used in the Valtryek Heavy/Gravity Needle build where it lets the layer's own attack finish battles while holding position defensively.

Verdict as the draft gives it: Outclassed by Defense, Revolve and Zephyr overall, but still finds occasional competitive use in attack/defense hybrid combinations.

• Debuted B-24 01 Evil-eye Wing Needle (Random Booster Vol. 2), December 28, 2015, translucent green
• Other releases: B-24 05 Wyvern Central Needle (translucent blue-green), B-24 08 Valkyrie Oval Needle (translucent turquoise/yellow), B-56 Unlock Unicorn Down Needle, B-67 Nova Neptune Quarter Needle (Random Booster Vol. 5)

Works with

• Pairs with Valtryek Heavy/Gravity for an attack/defense hybrid build.

Related parts named in the draft: Jog Ball (Metal Fight Beyblade), Defense, Revolve, Zephyr, Valtryek.

Condensed from community testing of Jan. 15, 2017; competitive opinions are the community's, not ours, and may be out of date.