Does Shroud Remove Equipment in Magic: The Gathering? A Comprehensive Guide
No, shroud does not remove equipment already attached to a creature in Magic: The Gathering (MTG). Shroud only prevents a permanent from being the target of spells or abilities. Once an equipment is attached to a creature, it remains attached until certain conditions are met, such as the creature leaving the battlefield, or an effect specifically unattaching it.
Understanding Shroud and Equipment
To understand why shroud doesn’t remove equipment, let’s delve into what each of these game mechanics entails.
What is Shroud?
Shroud is a keyword ability in Magic: The Gathering that states: “This permanent or player can’t be the target of spells or abilities.” This means that once a creature has shroud, no player can choose that creature as the target for any spell or ability they cast or activate. This protection is indiscriminate; it affects your own spells and abilities as well as your opponent’s.
What is Equipment?
Equipment is a type of artifact permanent in MTG that can be attached to a creature to grant it additional abilities or stats. Once an equipment is on the battlefield, you can pay its equip cost to attach it to a creature you control. The key point is that the equip ability targets the creature to which the equipment is being attached.
Why Shroud Doesn’t Affect Attached Equipment
The reason shroud doesn’t remove equipment already attached is that shroud only prevents targeting. The act of equipping involves targeting a creature, but once the equipment is attached, it’s simply there. The equipment isn’t continuously “targeting” the creature it’s attached to.
Imagine it like this: Shroud is like a force field that prevents anyone from aiming spells or abilities at the creature. But if something is already touching the creature before the shroud goes up, that thing remains unaffected.
Common Misconceptions
Many players mistakenly believe that shroud would cause equipment to fall off a creature. This confusion often stems from the similarity between shroud and protection, another keyword ability. Protection does cause equipment of the specified quality to fall off. However, protection has a very different effect.
How to Deal with Equipment on Shrouded Creatures
If you need to remove equipment from a creature with shroud, you’ll need to use methods that don’t involve targeting the creature. Some options include:
- Destroying the equipment: Spells or abilities that destroy artifacts can remove the equipment directly.
- Forcing a sacrifice: Effects that force a player to sacrifice a creature will cause the equipped creature to be sacrificed, sending the equipment to the graveyard.
- Removing the creature: If the creature leaves the battlefield, any equipment attached to it will become unattached and remain on the battlefield (unless otherwise specified by the card).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Shroud and Equipment
Here are 15 frequently asked questions about shroud and equipment in Magic: The Gathering, designed to clarify any lingering confusion and offer deeper insights.
1. Does equipping target in MTG?
Yes, the equip ability targets the creature you want to attach the equipment to. This targeting is a crucial aspect of the equip ability. If a creature has shroud or hexproof, it cannot be the target of an equip ability.
2. Can you equip to a creature with shroud?
No, you cannot equip an equipment to a creature that currently has shroud. The equip ability requires you to target a creature you control, and shroud prevents the creature from being targeted by spells or abilities.
3. What happens if a creature gains shroud after being equipped?
If a creature gains shroud after being equipped, the equipment stays attached. Shroud only prevents new spells and abilities from targeting the creature. It does not retroactively remove anything already attached to it.
4. Does shroud protect against deathtouch?
Shroud does not protect against deathtouch. Deathtouch changes the rules for damage assignment but does not target the creature. Therefore, a creature with shroud can still be destroyed by a creature with deathtouch dealing damage to it.
5. How does hexproof differ from shroud?
Hexproof and shroud both prevent targeting, but they differ in scope. Hexproof only prevents your opponents from targeting the permanent, whereas shroud prevents everyone, including yourself, from targeting it.
6. Does protection cause equipment to fall off?
Yes, protection causes equipment to fall off if the equipment has the characteristic that the permanent is protected from. For instance, if a creature has protection from red, all red equipment will fall off. The equipment will unattach as a state-based action.
7. Can you target your own creature with hexproof?
You can target your own creature with hexproof. Hexproof only prevents your opponents from targeting the permanent. You are still free to target it with your own spells and abilities.
8. What happens to equipment if a creature is exiled?
If a creature is exiled, any equipment attached to it will become unattached and remain on the battlefield, unless the exile effect specifically states that attached equipment is also exiled.
9. Does shroud stop auras from falling off?
Shroud does not stop auras from falling off if they are attached before the shroud takes effect. Auras only target when they are cast as spells. Once they are attached to a permanent, they no longer target it. However, you cannot attach a new aura to a shrouded permanent if the aura is cast as a spell.
10. How can you remove shroud from a creature?
Removing shroud is tricky, as you generally can’t target the creature with the shroud ability to remove it! Some spells and abilities exist that remove all abilities from a creature, or that specifically remove shroud. Look for effects that don’t target, such as global enchantments.
11. Can you sacrifice a creature with shroud?
Yes, you can sacrifice a creature with shroud. Sacrificing a creature does not target it, so shroud does not prevent you from sacrificing your own creature.
12. What happens if an equipment has shroud?
If an equipment has shroud, it simply cannot be targeted by spells or abilities. This can protect it from being destroyed or exiled by targeted removal.
13. Do equipments fall off vehicles when they stop being creatures?
Yes, when a vehicle stops being a creature, any equipment attached to it will fall off. This is because equipment must be attached to creatures.
14. Can you ninjutsu with a creature that has shroud?
Yes, you can use ninjutsu to bring a creature with shroud onto the battlefield. The ninjutsu ability doesn’t target the creature being returned to your hand.
15. Is equipment considered a permanent in MTG?
Yes, equipment is a permanent in Magic: The Gathering. It enters the battlefield as an artifact permanent and remains there unless removed by another effect.
Conclusion
In summary, shroud prevents a permanent from being targeted by spells or abilities. This does not cause equipment already attached to that permanent to fall off. Understanding the nuances of these abilities can significantly improve your gameplay and strategic decision-making in Magic: The Gathering. Remember that key difference between Shroud and Protection: Shroud stops targeting, while Protection prevents certain actions or damage based on a specific quality. For additional resources and strategy guides, be sure to check out communities like the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org to deepen your knowledge and connect with other players!