What Does The Magic Term Shroud Mean?

Shroud is a keyword ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG) that prevents a permanent or player from being targeted by spells or abilities. It is an inherent trait, similar to Trample or Haste, and is a deprecated static keyword ability. In MTG, a permanent or player with shroud cannot be targeted by any spells or abilities. This rule states that “this permanent or player can’t be the target of spells”, meaning any spell that would target the card with defensive power will be unable to do so.

Shroud is a static keyword ability, meaning it means that neither you nor your opponent can target a permanent or, in some rare cases, a player with shroud. Hexproof just means your opponents can’t target it, but both affect targeting.

A permanent is defined as an object in play, so Shroud does not apply. 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, and Shroud is a static keyword ability that ensures that no one, including the player, can target a permanent or player.