Legendary banned Magic card now legal in Modern format for the first time

Fifteen years after Modern became an official format for Magic: The Gathering, the legendary card Umezawa’s Jitte has finally been made legal for play. This powerful equipment was part of the original Modern ban list and remained there until the latest Banned and Restricted Announcements shook up one of Magic’s most beloved formats.

If you’ve ever faced an attacking creature wielding Umezawa’s Jitte, you likely understand why it was banned for so long. Its ability to gain counters through combat damage transforms any creature, regardless of size, into a value engine that can quickly snowball and end games. However, Modern has evolved significantly since its early days, and cards that are arguably more problematic than Jitte have become commonplace.

Carmen Klomparens, a senior game designer on Magic’s Play Design team, mentioned that the goal is to boost the popularity of aggressive, creature-based decks in Modern while also revitalizing Stoneforge Mystic strategies. The format is undergoing a substantial shift: alongside Jitte, Violent Outburst, a key card for Living End decks, has also been unbanned. More importantly, the two top decks in the format, Boros Energy and Amulet Titan, faced bans on Phalge, Titan of Fire’s Fury and Lotus Field, respectively. Overall, Modern is set to look quite different in the coming months.

The unbanning of Umezawa’s Jitte is significant not just for gameplay but also because it represents an iconic piece of Magic history, making its presence at the table all the more exciting. When this card was legal in Standard, it dominated the format, showing up in nearly every creature-based deck. It will be fascinating to see if it maintains that level of impact in today’s competitive scene. If you’re eager to experience the card’s legendary status for yourself, consider grabbing a few copies before speculation kicks in. There’s also a recent reprint from the TMNT set, called Raph’s Jitte. While nothing can top the original, this version features art from Turtles creator Peter Laird.