Pithing Needle
Current paper retail
No paper retail prices.
MTGO (Cardhoarder)
retail$1.91 tix
This printing
SetPRM
Collector #102335
Released2022-12-06
Rarityrare
ArtistRon Spencer
LanguageEN
Layoutnormal
AttributesPromo · Reprint
ScryfallOpen ↗

Pithing Needle

RareMV 1
Artifact
As this artifact enters, choose a card name.
Activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can't be activated unless they're mana abilities.
Card capabilities
Artifact
Derived deterministically from card types, Oracle text and keywords. Not a strategic evaluation.
Format legality
Other printings
Rulings (5)
wotc1 Oct 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.
wotc1 Oct 2009
Once Pithing Needle has left the battlefield, activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can be activated again.
wotc1 Jun 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.
wotc1 Jun 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.
wotc1 Jun 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 their graveyard to hand if Pithing Needle naming Eternal Dragon is on the battlefield.