Does Pithing Needle stop Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx?
Asked by gegonut 11 years ago
Saw a back-and-forth on 5/0 FNM Standard Land Destruction regarding this and there didn't seem to be a clear resolution for some people. IMO, you would not be able to target Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx , because its second ability would appear to meet the criteria of a mana-producing ability:
605.1a An activated ability is a mana ability if it meets three criteria: it doesn't have a target, it could put mana into a player's mana pool when it resolves, and it's not a loyalty ability.
Don't see how that leaves any room for argument but I'm far from a judge.
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #3
You're allowed to name a land with Pithing Needle (it says you can name any card), but it usually won't do anything. A mana ability makes mana, doesn't have a target, isn't a loyalty ability, and if it's a triggered ability it has to trigger just from another mana ability. Both of the activated abilities on Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx are mana abilities, so a Needle calling Nykthos won't interfere with them.
The times when being able to name a land with the Needle does matter are in cases where the land either has some other non-mana ability of its own (Mutavault , etc.) or is given a non-mana ability by some other effect (Underworld Connections , etc.).
February 20, 2014 11:35 a.m.
You can name nykthos with the needle. Unfortunately since both abilities on nykthos are mana abilities, the needle wont stop them. however, if the nykthos was enchanted with something like Underworld Connections , it could not be used to draw cards.
February 20, 2014 11:38 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #5
Note that Pithing Needle doesn't target anything.
Sam_I_am says... #1
from Gatherer
February 20, 2014 11:04 a.m.