Ping

Ping (also known as "poke", "Tim", and "zap") is the slang term for an activated ability of a permanent that deals one damage to any target. Usually the cost is tapping that permanent.

Description

The ping ability used to be located in blue. After the color pie shift, pinging was relocated into red. Blue cards with pinging are Prodigal Sorcerer, and Psionic Gift and Rootwater Hunter. Red cards with pinging are Prodigal Pyromancer, Cunning Sparkmage, Vithian Stinger, Goblin Fireslinger and Anaba Shaman. The cards Gelectrode and Hypervolt Grasp both make a reference to blue's past pinging ability by using it on a multicolored card. Also a callback to blue's original claim is the Fledgling Mawcor from Time Spiral.

The ability has been largely excised out of common - Vithian Stinger was the last true pinger at that rarity. Even then, permanents that ping without a major cost (significant mana, resource sacrifice) have become much more scarce.