Pithing Needle (MID #378) MTG

Pithing Needle is a rare printing from Innistrad: Midnight Hunt (MID #378), a Artifact. Illustrated by Ovidio Cartagena.

Card text

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.

As of 2026-10-19, Scryfall listed this printing at non-foil $0.53, foil $0.59 (USD). Prices change constantly, so check the live price before buying.

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