Jitte vs. goyf question

[IsThisACatInAHat?]

This situation came up on MWS earlier today:

Mom equipped with Jitte (no counters) swings into 2 0/1 Tarmogoyfs (relic cleared gys).

If a goyf blocks, they will both die (one from damage, one from counters).

If the goyfs don't block, can I remove a counter to kill one goyf and then remove another in response to kill the second in time before it pumps from the first hitting the yard and pumping his friend? Or will the second goyf be 1/2 in time to save himself?

[citanul]

If the goyfs don't block, can I remove a counter to kill one goyf and then remove another in response to kill the second in time before it pumps from the first hitting the yard and pumping his friend? Or will the second goyf be 1/2 in time to save himself?


Not possible to do.
You can activate Jitte on one, keep priority and use Jitte on the other but it will still resolve as seperate triggers. THis means that one Goyf will die to the first trigger of Jitte. It will then make the other goyf a 1/2 before either player gets priority. Then the next trigger will resolve but will not kill the second Goyf who is now a 1/2.

[Nihil Credo]

What you can do, IF you don't fear Krosan Grip, is not blow the Relic before attacking.

If the opponent blocks, you blow the Relic before damage and kill both Goyfs (one with damage, one with two Jitte counters).

If he doesn't block, you activate Jitte twice to give -1/-1 to each Goyf, let the Jitte activations resolve, and THEN blow the Relic. Both Goyfs will then die at the same time.

[Forbiddian]

I guess this is why this is a rules forum and not a strategy forum, but since I am responding to a mod: whatever.


What you can do, IF you don't fear Krosan Grip, is not blow the Relic before attacking.

If the opponent blocks, you blow the Relic before damage and kill both Goyfs (one with damage, one with two Jitte counters).

If he doesn't block, you activate Jitte twice to give -1/-1 to each Goyf, let the Jitte activations resolve, and THEN blow the Relic. Both Goyfs will then die at the same time.

Nihil: Strange analysis. Kgrip isn't the scare card for doing that play since if he has a kgrip, he would just kgrip the jitte. If he waits to kgrip the relic (greedy fucker), then you ruin him (vide infra). The risk of cracking it before combat damage is that if he plays any instant/fetchland/whatever, then Goyf grows and the play becomes totally one-sided, but the reward is that you keep your MoR. The real scarecard is like: if your opponent has brainstorm or any instant with a legal target, then you'll lose a lot for nothing.

The best play (assumed tapped down opponent) is you swing, then do Nihil's play. But still note this requires cracking the relic before combat damage, so you give your opponent the chance to play an instant or whatever (if he's not tapped out) and end up in good shape (you lose mom and the jitte counters and he loses Goyf).

The scare off that play isn't Kgrip, it's the ability to play any instant or crack a fetchland. If your opponent has lands untapped, then you just trade mom for counters. As soon as you get the counters, activate relic, then respond by putting a -1/-1 counter on the undamaged Goyf. This ducks greedy people trying to snag a counter as well with the Kgrip (when really they should kgrip the jitte during combat, then declare no blockers).