Pithing Needle

Artifact, 1 (1)

As Pithing Needle enters the battlefield, name a card.

Activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can't be activated unless they're mana abilities.

Illus. Pete Venters

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 6/1/2005: Pithing Needle affects cards regardless of what zone they're in. This includes cards in hand, cards in the graveyard, and exiled cards. For example, a player can't cycle Eternal Dragon or return an Eternal Dragon from his or her graveyard to hand if Pithing Needle naming Eternal Dragon is on the battlefield.
• 6/1/2005: You can name any card, even if that card doesn't normally have an activated ability. You can't name a token unless that token has the same name as a card.
• 6/1/2005: If you name a card that has both a mana ability and another activated ability, the mana ability can be activated but the other ability can't be activated.
• 10/1/2009: Once Pithing Needle has left the battlefield, activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can be activated again.
• 10/1/2012: Activated abilities include a colon and are written in the form “[cost]: [effect].” Triggered abilities and static abilities of the named card work normally.

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern