Umezawa's Jitte MTG Card
2005-02-04 - Number 163
2007-02-24 - Number 2010
2010-11-08 - Number B30
2016-08-19 - Number 14
2002-06-24 - Number 36210
2019-12-02 - Number 1288
2020-09-26 - Number BOK-163
| Card sets | Released in 7 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Artifact — Equipment |
| Abilities | Equip |
Text of card
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage, put two charge counters on Umezawa's Jitte. Remove a charge counter from Umezawa's Jitte: Choose one Equipped creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn; or target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn; or you gain 2 life. Equip
Cards like Umezawa's Jitte
Umezawa’s Jitte stands out as a unique equipment card in Magic: The Gathering, offering both versatility and power boost to creatures it equips. Like Umezawa’s Jitte, the card Sword of Fire and Ice provides a combination of offensive capabilities and card advantage. However, the Jitte’s ability to accumulate charge counters and use them for various effects enables a wider range of tactical options, from creature removal to life gain.
Comparably, the versatile nature of Batterskull should be mentioned. Batterskull comes into play with a creature token attached, offering an immediate board presence. Though powerful, Batterskull doesn’t offer the same level of incremental advantage and utility found with Umezawa’s Jitte’s modular use of charge counters.
Lastly, the comparison with Grafted Wargear reveals different strategies within equipment cards. While Grafted Wargear provides a significant power boost for a lower equip cost, it lacks the flexibility and repeated utility provided by Umezawa’s Jitte’s charge counters and multi-purpose abilities. Thus, in the realm of equipment cards, Umezawa’s Jitte secures a distinctive place, owing to its unique counter mechanics and versatile applications in various gameplay scenarios.
Cards similar to Umezawa's Jitte by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Umezawa's Jitte. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Orzhov Scam | Legacy | Orzhov Scam | Legacy League 2024-04-26 |
 | Death and Taxes | Legacy | Death and Taxes | Legacy League 2024-04-13 |
| Abzan Stoneblade | Legacy | Abzan Stoneblade | Legacy League 2024-04-16 |
 | Esper Stoneblade | Legacy | Esper Stoneblade | Legacy League 2024-04-25 |
| Orzhov Stoneblade | Legacy | Orzhov Stoneblade | Legacy League 2024-04-16 (1) |
| Death and Taxes (Yorion) | Legacy | Death and Taxes | *HALF PRICE FRIDAY* $1K - Legacy - SCG CON Atlanta - Friday - 1:30 pm |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Umezawa’s Jitte can quickly become a game-changer due to its ability to accumulate charge counters and use them for multiple effects. These counters can be utilized to remove opponent’s creatures, making it an excellent tool for controlling the board and maintaining card superiority.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly producing mana or tokens, Umezawa’s Jitte accelerates your resources by pumping your creatures, which can be a crucial advantage. Each charge counter can boost your creature’s power, helping you overpower opponents and close games more swiftly.
Instant Speed: The versatility of Umezawa’s Jitte also arises from its ability to use its charge counters at instant speed. This means you can adapt to the board state on the fly, giving you the flexibility to react to your opponent’s moves or strengthen your own position during their turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Umezawa’s Jitte itself does not have a discard requirement, its optimal use often hinges on a creature connecting with an opponent. Should the equipped creature be removed before dealing damage, the lost opportunity to gather charge counters may feel akin to a resource discard.
Specific Mana Cost: Umezawa’s Jitte requires two generic mana to cast, which is accessible, but its equip cost of two requires a tactical setup. The need for available mana at the right time to equip could be restrictive during tight game moments.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite the powerful utility Umezawa’s Jitte offers, its combined casting and equipping cost of four mana might be considered high when compared to other equipment cards that cost less and can be equipped for free or at a lower cost.
Reasons to Include Umezawa’s Jitte in Your Collection
Versatility: Umezawa’s Jitte is an equipment card with an unparalleled range of applications, capable of being slotted into a wide variety of decks. Whether increasing a creature’s power and toughness, gaining life, or weakening opposing forces, this card is a toolbox in itself.
Combo Potential: The charge counters accumulated through combat damage don’t just sit idle. Savvy players can use them to fuel synergistic interactions, snowballing into game-changing advantages. With each combat, the options for combo plays expand, allowing for strategic complexity that resonates through multiple deck archetypes.
Meta-Relevance: In gaming environments where creature-based strategies prevail, the ability to manipulate the battlefield is indispensable. Umezawa’s Jitte offers just that, staying perpetually relevant as it can be a key factor in shifting the tide of matches, hence a mainstay in competitive play.
How to beat
Umezawa’s Jitte is a powerful equipment card in Magic: The Gathering that can be challenging to overcome due to its ability to accumulate charge counters and provide a variety of effects. Successfully handling Umezawa’s Jitte often hinges on being proactive. To neutralize this artifact, it’s essential to limit its impact quickly. Cards that destroy or exile artifacts, like Disenchant or Path to Exile, are crucial to remove Umezawa’s Jitte from the battlefield before it accrues too many charge counters.
Additionally, you can target the equipped creature, thus preventing the counter accumulation on the Jitte itself. Instant-speed removal spells are particularly effective here, as they can be used in response to the equip action, leaving your opponent’s efforts and mana spent in vain. If you’re playing in a format where Umezawa’s Jitte is legal, including specific cards in your deck that can disrupt this strategy can be the key to claiming victory even against the might of Umezawa’s Jitte.
Deck strategies that don’t rely on creatures, such as control or combo decks, can also inherently minimize the effectiveness of Umezawa’s Jitte. Such approaches reduce the targets for equipping and, therefore, the potential for Jitte to alter the game. In any case, knowledge of your opponent’s deck and keeping removal in hand when Jitte is likely to appear is your best defense.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Umezawa's Jitte MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Betrayers of Kamigawa, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Umezawa's Jitte and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Umezawa's Jitte Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2005-02-04 and 2019-12-02. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 36210 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Svetlin Velinov | ||
| 2 | 2005-02-04 | Betrayers of Kamigawa | BOK | 163 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Christopher Moeller | |
| 3 | 2007-02-24 | Grand Prix Promos | PGPX | 2010 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Svetlin Velinov | |
| 4 | 2010-11-08 | Magic Online Theme Decks | TD0 | B30 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Christopher Moeller | |
| 5 | 2016-08-19 | From the Vault: Lore | V16 | 14 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Christopher Moeller | |
| 6 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 1288 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Randy Vargas | ||
| 7 | The List | PLST | BOK-163 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Christopher Moeller |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Umezawa's Jitte has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Banned |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Umezawa's Jitte card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2005-02-01 | If the Jitte is moved after the “+2/+2” mode is announced but before it resolves, the bonus is given to the creature that is equipped when the ability resolves. |
| 2005-02-01 | If the Jitte leaves the battlefield after the “+2/+2” mode is announced but before it resolves, the bonus is given to the creature that was most recently equipped once the ability resolves. |
| 2005-02-01 | If the “target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn” mode is chosen, the target creature must also be announced. |
| 2005-02-01 | The ability can be used any time Umezawa’s Jitte’s controller has priority — only the “target creature” choice has additional requirements. Choosing the “Equipped creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn” mode does nothing if the Jitte isn’t equipped to a creature when the ability resolves. |
| 2005-02-01 | Umezawa’s Jitte’s activated ability generates a modal choice. The choice is made when the ability is activated. |