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Pithing Needle, art by Pete Venters
Art by Pete Venters · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast · image via Scryfall
Selected printing · USD
$4.12
checked Jun 14, 2026 · Scryfall
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Pithing Needle

{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.

Rulings (5)

Jun 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 their graveyard to hand if Pithing Needle naming Eternal Dragon is on the battlefield.

Jun 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.

Jun 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.

Oct 1, 2009 · Once Pithing Needle has left the battlefield, activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can be activated again.

Oct 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.

LegacyLegal
VintageLegal
ModernLegal
PioneerLegal
StandardNot legal
PauperNot legal
PremodernNot legal
cEDHLegal

Where it’s played now

Inclusion by archetype

% of archetype's lists running it · last 30 days · n=107 decks
ArchetypeFormatInclusionCopiesDecks (n)
LandsLegacy100%1–2×58
POVintage100%13
PainterLegacy100%11
SmallpoxLegacy100%11
LanternModern100%2–3×8
Hardened ScalesModern100%2
Heliod ComboModern100%2
Lurrus Vault KeyVintage100%2
Data as of Jun 14, 2026 · MTGO + papercasthaven.com

Price

Pithing Needle — price trend

Daily cheapest printing · USD · last 90 days · n=2 snapshots
Data as of Jun 14, 2026 · Scryfallcasthaven.com

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