Blastoderm was an important centerpiece to the Fires of Yavimaya deck that dominated the Pro Tour in 2000. That win eventually earned him his face on Sylvan Safekeeper, a card that’s played extensively in Legacy even today.Ĭreatures with shroud have an important place in Magic’s history as an answer to decks with strong interaction. If you’ve read my previous pieces then you know that I have a mild adoration for Olle Rade’s Pro Tour-winning deck, one that featured Deadly Insect as a large threat that eluded the aforementioned Lightning Bolt and Swords to Plowshares. Shroud originally appeared pretty sparingly, and most cards that mentioned it only got it after paying some sort of cost or in specific situations, like on Svyelunite Priest and Spectral Guardian. Shroud first earned that status on Quagnoth in Future Sight. From that point in 1994 until 2007 it spent a long, long time without a keyword. Shroud has a fairly long history as a mechanic, with cards as early as Legends featuring it. MTG Comprehensive Rules The History of Shroud in MTG Pretty much any spell or ability that has the word “target” doesn’t work if the creature (or player) it would target has shroud.įor the sticklers, here are the rules text of shroud:ħ02.18a Shroud is a static ability, “Shroud” means “This permanent or player can’t be the target of spells or abilities. Or, in some rare cases, a player with shroud. Shroud basically means that neither you nor your opponent can target a permanent. Sylvan Safekeeper | Illustration by Magali Villeneuve While the keyword protection existed earlier, that mechanic was much more brutal in its purpose at the time and a significant combat boost in providing immunity against a whole color.īut how does shroud work, and why is it so important? Let’s dig in! This mechanic is so important because it elevates creatures beyond their combat capabilities and allows them to be evaluated on an axis where size and efficiency isn’t necessarily everything. It doesn’t provide any inherent advantage in dealing damage unlike all the mechanics introduced in Alpha. Shroud was one of the earliest mechanics that allowed creatures to do this.įrom a design philosophy, shroud was one of the first mechanics that didn’t affect combat. Being able to dodge spells like Lightning Bolt, Swords to Plowshares, and Mind Control is incredibly valuable. Many an entrenched Magic player has explained the “dies to Doom Blade” argument, one that suggests that any creature that dies to an efficient removal spell is greatly diminished in power level.
On today’s MTG mechanics menu we have shroud.Įfficient removal has been omnipresent in Constructed formats since the dawn of Magic. Argothian Enchantress | Illustration by Daren Bader
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