Shroud is a powerful protection ability from Magic’s earlier years that prevents permanents from being targeted.
Removal is a key part of Magic: The Gathering’s gameplay. Many decks would be unstoppable far too quickly if allowed to build their board unanswered. But that doesn’t mean it hurts any less when a key combo piece of yours is taken off the board as soon as it enters. That’s where Shroud comes in, providing your permanents with an extra layer of defense.
How Shroud works in MTG
When Shroud is activated, the permanent or player with Shroud cannot be the target of spells or abilities. This includes the caster’s spell and abilities, as well as its opponents. The source granting Shroud must be removed in order for that permanent or player to be targetable again.
Shrouded creatures are still vulnerable to non-targeting removal options like board wipes.
Shroud in MTG today
While initially a crucial component of any deck looking to keep its most important cards safe, Shroud no longer sees the level of play it once did. This is because Shroud has been replaced by a succession of other protection abilities, and now only appears on older MTG cards.
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Hexproof is an alternative to Shroud that only prevents opponents from targetting the Hexproof permanent, allowing its player to still interact with the card and add their own effects.
Ward is a more recent ability that counters a spell targetting the warded permanent unless the spell’s caster pays a certain cost, from mana to life.
With these new alternatives, Shroud is no longer such an overwhelming powerhouse of an ability, but it still crops up fairly regularly thanks to the enduring popularity of protection cards like Lightning Greaves in the Commander format.
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