Well, that was semi-rhetorical, for those who didn’t snap answer the previous question. A Mana ability can exist as either an activated or triggered ability. For the activated ability form:
1) Does not have a target
2) It could put mana into a player’s mana pool when it resolves
3) Is not a loyalty ability.
*Two is phrased for permanents such as Tolarian Academy, which has a mana ability even if you control no artifacts.
For triggered abilities, it’s almost the same thing:
1) Does not have a target
2) It could put mana into a player’s mana pool when it resolves
3) Triggers from an activated mana ability (See above)
Now, covering all of that, the only ability that may be misconceived as a mana ability on Deathrite Shaman is the first one, and as we previously learned, we now know that being a targeted ability makes it invalid for the classification of a mana ability. So Pithing Needle stops that ability along with the others.
Sorry Deathrite… you’re good, but not THAT good.
Or course, Deathrite Shaman doesn’t become completely useless. It still has the ability to tap and deal 1 damage to your opponent (assuming they don’t block it). 😉
Today’s Rules Tip written by Eddie Cheung