Decoding Shroud: A Comprehensive Guide to Enchanting Enigmas in Magic: The Gathering
The short answer to the burning question is a resounding no. You cannot enchant a creature with shroud with an aura spell targeting it. This is because aura spells, unlike other permanent spells, target a specific permanent while still on the stack. Shroud prevents anything from targeting the creature, including your own spells and abilities.
Let’s dive deeper into the intricacies of shroud, auras, and how they interact within the framework of Magic: The Gathering.
Understanding Shroud: The Ultimate Evasive Maneuver
What exactly is shroud? Imagine a magical cloak of invisibility, but for targeting. In essence, shroud is an ability that prevents a permanent (typically a creature, but sometimes a player) from being the target of any spell or ability, regardless of who controls that spell or ability. This means neither you, nor your opponent, can target a permanent with shroud. Think of it as ultimate personal space for your permanents.
Shroud vs. Hexproof: A Critical Distinction
It’s vital not to confuse shroud with its cousin, hexproof. While both provide protection from being targeted, they differ in a key aspect:
- Shroud: Protects from all targeting, including your own.
- Hexproof: Protects only from your opponents’ spells and abilities.
This distinction is crucial. With hexproof, you can still buff your own creature with your own enchantments or spells. With shroud, even you are locked out.
Auras and Targeting: A Match Made in…Well, Not Heaven
Auras, a specific type of enchantment in Magic: The Gathering, function differently than other permanent spells. The key difference lies in their casting process. When you cast an aura spell, you must choose a target for it on the stack. This targeting requirement is what makes shroud such an effective countermeasure.
How Aura Spells Interact with Shroud
Let’s break it down step-by-step:
- You cast an aura spell, intending to enchant a creature.
- As part of casting the spell, you must choose a target.
- If the creature has shroud, it is an illegal target for your aura spell.
- The game rules prevent you from choosing an illegal target.
- Therefore, you cannot cast the aura spell targeting the creature with shroud.
It’s that simple. The aura fizzles, and your mana is likely wasted.
Exceptions and Nuances: Shroud Isn’t Invincible
While shroud is powerful, it’s not an impenetrable barrier. There are ways to circumvent its protection, primarily by utilizing effects that don’t target.
Non-Targeting Effects: The Backdoor to Enchanting
The key to affecting a creature with shroud lies in using abilities or spells that don’t use the word “target”. Auras that enter the battlefield through means other than being cast as spells can sometimes bypass shroud. This usually involves triggered abilities or other effects that directly attach the aura.
For example, some cards have abilities that state, “Put a [Aura card name] onto the battlefield attached to [Condition]”. These abilities do not target, so they can attach to a creature with shroud. However, these situations are rare.
Practical Implications: Building Your Deck and Playing Around Shroud
Understanding shroud is critical for both deck building and gameplay. You need to be aware of cards with shroud in your opponent’s deck, and the limitations they impose on your strategy.
Deck Building Considerations
- Avoid relying solely on targeted removal against decks known to run creatures with shroud.
- Include non-targeting removal options like board wipes or sacrifice effects.
- Consider cards that can temporarily remove shroud (though these are rare).
Gameplay Strategies
- If your opponent controls a creature with shroud, focus on eliminating other threats.
- If you have a creature with shroud, protect it from non-targeting removal.
- Be aware of potential aura-based combos that your opponent might be planning.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can you equip a creature with shroud?
No. The equip ability specifically targets the creature. Since a creature with shroud cannot be targeted, you cannot equip it.
2. Can creatures with shroud be sacrificed?
Yes. Sacrificing a creature does not target it. You’re simply paying a cost by sending the creature to the graveyard.
3. Does deathtouch work on creatures with shroud?
Yes. Deathtouch doesn’t target. It’s an ability that triggers when a creature deals damage to another creature. Shroud only prevents targeting.
4. Can you enchant a creature with hexproof?
Yes! Hexproof only protects against your opponents’ spells and abilities. You can happily enchant your own creature with hexproof.
5. Can you mutate onto a creature with shroud?
No. Mutate is a targeted ability. Therefore, you cannot mutate onto a creature with shroud.
6. What happens if a creature gains shroud after being enchanted?
If a creature already has an aura attached to it and then gains shroud, the aura remains attached. Shroud only prevents new targeting, it doesn’t remove existing enchantments.
7. Can you board wipe a creature with shroud?
Absolutely. Board wipes do not target. They affect all creatures on the battlefield, regardless of their abilities.
8. Can a creature with shroud be targeted in the graveyard?
No. Shroud only applies while the permanent is on the battlefield. In the graveyard, a creature with shroud can be targeted without issue.
9. Does indestructible protect a creature from deathtouch?
No, indestructible prevents destruction by lethal damage. Deathtouch deals damage in the form of lethal damage.
10. Does protection from [color] stop an aura of that color?
Yes, a permanent with protection from a color cannot be enchanted by Auras of that color. Any Auras of that color already attached to the permanent will be sent to the graveyard as a state-based action.
11. Does shroud stop deathtouch?
No. Shroud only prevents targeting; it does not affect whether deathtouch functions or not.
12. What’s the difference between shroud and protection from everything?
Shroud prevents targeting. Protection from everything prevents damage, equipping, blocking, and targeting (DEBT).
13. If I control an enchantment that gives a creature shroud, can my opponent target that enchantment?
Yes, you can. The enchantment itself does not have shroud. Shroud makes the permanent it’s on an illegal target for spells and abilities on the stack. Shroud will stop someone from casting an aura spell targeting it.
14. Does hexproof negate deathtouch?
No. Hexproof makes a creature untargetable by an opponent’s spells and abilities. Because deathtouch doesn’t target, the creature with hexproof will still be destroyed by a creature with deathtouch.
15. Is Hexproof or shroud better?
Hexproof is generally considered “better” because it only protects from your opponents. With shroud, you can’t do something like casting a spell to enchant or attach an equipment to the creature, even if you control that creature. Hexproof only penalizes your opponent.
Conclusion: Mastering the Nuances of Shroud
Shroud is a fascinating and strategically important mechanic in Magic: The Gathering. While it prevents you from directly enchanting a creature with it, understanding its limitations and interactions with other abilities opens up a world of strategic possibilities. By mastering the nuances of shroud, you can navigate complex board states, build stronger decks, and ultimately, become a more skilled Magic: The Gathering player. To learn more about the strategies of games, check out the Games Learning Society website! GamesLearningSociety.org