Pithing Needle
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.
Illustrated by Pete Venters ยท Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Legalities
- Standard
- Not Legal
- Pioneer
- Legal
- Modern
- Legal
- Legacy
- Legal
- Vintage
- Legal
- Duel Commander
- Legal
- Pauper
- Not Legal
Printings
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Ravnica Remastered #463 rare 2024-01-12
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Magic Online Promos #102335 rare 2022-12-15
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Double Masters 2022 #564 rare 2022-07-08
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Double Masters 2022 #397 rare 2022-07-08
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Double Masters 2022 #312 rare 2022-07-08
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Magic Online Promos #94084 rare 2022-07-07
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Innistrad: Double Feature #257 rare 2022-01-28
-
Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Promos #257s rare 2021-09-24
-
Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Promos #257p rare 2021-09-24
-
Innistrad: Midnight Hunt #378 rare 2021-09-24
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Innistrad: Midnight Hunt #257 rare 2021-09-24
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Secret Lair Drop #44 rare 2020-06-01
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Kaladesh Inventions #44 special 2016-09-30
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Return to Ravnica #231 rare 2012-10-05
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Magic 2010 #217 rare 2009-07-17
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Tenth Edition #338 rare 2007-07-13
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Saviors of Kamigawa #158 rare 2005-06-03
Rulings
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Once Pithing Needle has left the battlefield, activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can be activated again.
-
Activated abilities include a colon and are written in the form "[cost]: [effect]." Triggered abilities and static abilities of the named card work normally.
Archetypes that play this card
Duel Commander
- Emry, Lurker of the Loch 100.0% of lists
Legacy
- Lands 100.0% of lists
- Painter 40.0% of lists
- Mystic Forge Combo 34.0% of lists
Show 3 more Legacy archetypes
- Selesnya Depths 33.3% of lists
- Sewer-Cam Combo 7.1% of lists
- Other 6.1% of lists
Modern
- Mono-Black Midrange 100.0% of lists
- Zabaz, the Glimmerwasp 100.0% of lists
- Affinity 91.9% of lists
Show 4 more Modern archetypes
- Grinding Station 33.3% of lists
- Eldrazi 4.6% of lists
- Other 1.5% of lists
- Eldrazi Tron 1.0% of lists
Vintage
- Wastescape Battlemage 100.0% of lists
- Raker Shops 72.4% of lists
- Sphere Shops 45.0% of lists
Show 2 more Vintage archetypes
- Other 10.3% of lists
- Esper Lurrus Control 10.0% of lists