Activated abilities include a colon and are written in the form "[cost]: [effect]." Triggered abilities and static abilities of the named card work normally.
01-10-2009
wotc
Once Pithing Needle has left the battlefield, activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can be activated again.
01-06-2005
wotc
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.
01-06-2005
wotc
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.
01-06-2005
wotc
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.
Random a card of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), but you can also roll the D20 dice, random a Planeswalker, have fun with the random rules and more.