Ward(As long as this spell is on the stack, each creature it targets can't be the target of other spells or abilities.)
Ward is a keyword that appears on Aura enchantments and on instants and sorceries that buff a creature. It's intended to stop the inherent "two-for-one-ness" of Auras and combat tricks. It is primarily a white/green mechanic, but appears in all colors.
The way I understand the rules, an instant-speed spell with Ward will also function as a protection spell, as the creature will become an illegal target for any other spell that targets it. The spells are balanced accordingly. Please, do correct me if I'm wrong on this one.
Examples:
Shimmering Platemail 1W Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature
Ward
As ~ enters the battlefield, choose a color.
Enchanted creature has protection from the chosen color.
Thoughtsteal Aura 1U Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
Ward
When ~ enters the battlefield, draw a card.
Whenever enchanted creature deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
(I kinda want this to trigger on any damage, but I feel WotC would print it this way nowadays)
Guise of Night 1B Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
Ward
Enchanted creature has intimidate.
Lightning Bracers 1R Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
Ward
Enchanted creature gets +2/+0 and has haste and first strike.
You're going to find that people won't be to keen on a mechanic the references the stack. It automatically alienates new players, and many casuals too.
It does provide good protection for auras that pump toughness or provide other defenses to creatures. Besides that and instant speed removal negation, its applications feel limited. On an aura or sorcery that just grants intimidate or offensive stats (like your examples), if they had something relevant to target the creature with before it's still going to work after the ward resolves so it's pointless text on the card.
Maybe I'm mis-understanding the point, but I hope you can explain more how you expect Ward to work on Surge of Caution. Here's my hypothetical scenario:
I have a creature. My opponent attempts to Doom Blade my creature. I play Surge of Caution targeting my creature. Both players pass priority. Surge of Caution resolves. Doom Blade resolves, killing the creature (its target is once again legal).
Ward isn't intended to do anything different in such scenarios, right? Can you explain how you figure Ward is a primary feature on Surge of Caution? (I could see it being relevant on a spell that either provides indestructible or a regeneration shield though).
AS IraciiFA has said, modern magic does not reference the stack except on the very occasional rare or mythic. Granted, mechanics can break rules, but they have to have a very good reason. This mechanic is not anywhere near exciting and innovative enough to justify breaking this particular rule (which is pretty much unbreakable, given how universal the reason behind it is).
The way I understand the rules, an instant-speed spell with Ward will also function as a protection spell, as the creature will become an illegal target for any other spell that targets it. The spells are balanced accordingly. Please, do correct me if I'm wrong on this one.
No, it doesn't work that way.
Spell are checked twice -- on casting, and on resolution.
On resolution, the ward spells are no longer on the stack, and thus offer no more shroud effect.
For example, there is a runeclaw bear in play. Opponent casts doom blade on it. You cast surge of caution. Bear still dies.
@mondu: Ok, I guess I was wrong on this one. I thought a spell "constantly" checked its target, as in, if a spell's only target becomes illegal, it is immediately countered.
@IcariiFA: I suppose you're right. Originally it made the creature untargetable until end of turn ("As long as this spell is on the stack and until end of turn..."), but I thought it was a little pushed. That will probably solve both of the mentioned problems, right? At least you get the one turn out of your enchanted/buffed creature.
Also, I'm aware that commons and uncommons are not supposed to reference the stack direclty. I just couldn't think of another way to word it the way I want it to work.
If people here really think the word "stack" in the reminder text is the biggest problem with this, then that can be fixed. Truthfully, I would worry more about the players that would think this can function as an Intervene. Would this rewording address both those problems?
Ward (While this spell targets a creature, that creature can't become the target of new spells or abilities.)
This, the creature will become an illegal target for any other spell that targets it, makes me think that the Intervene effect was intentional.
In my opinion, stapling Intervene to a bunch of effects doesn't really make for a compelling mechanic, and the effect as-written is even more marginal — it only matters if casting your Ward spell makes your opponent want to do something to its target, but they want that thing to happen before the Ward spell resolves. Basically only Shimmering Platemail can generate this situation, and when its Ward effect matters, you're not even going to get to see it matter because Ward prevents your opponent from trying things, which is kind of a bummer.
Basically only Shimmering Platemail can generate this situation, and when its Ward effect matters, you're not even going to get to see it matter because Ward prevents your opponent from trying things, which is kind of a bummer.
Any toughness boosting effect also has the possibility of safely pushing it out of burn range (The two green cards and the white instant). It also "guarantees" the cantrip on the blue aura.
The update with Strixhaven: School of Mages added the keyword ward to the comprehensive rules, where it's defined as follows: "Whenever this permanent becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter that spell or ability unless that player pays [cost]" (C.R. 702.21a). Thus, this new keyword applies while the object with it is on the battlefield, not on the stack (C.R. 113.6).
The update with Strixhaven: School of Mages added the keyword ward to the comprehensive rules, where it's defined as follows: "Whenever this permanent becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter that spell or ability unless that player pays [cost]" (C.R. 702.21a). Thus, this new keyword applies while the object with it is on the battlefield, not on the stack (C.R. 113.6).
Why did a 6 year old thread get necro'd for this?
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Ward is a keyword that appears on Aura enchantments and on instants and sorceries that buff a creature. It's intended to stop the inherent "two-for-one-ness" of Auras and combat tricks. It is primarily a white/green mechanic, but appears in all colors.
The way I understand the rules, an instant-speed spell with Ward will also function as a protection spell, as the creature will become an illegal target for any other spell that targets it. The spells are balanced accordingly. Please, do correct me if I'm wrong on this one.
Examples:
(I kinda want this to trigger on any damage, but I feel WotC would print it this way nowadays)
(I feel the days of Giant Strength are over.)
(Here Ward is used as the primary reason to use the card, rather then a Split Second-esque side bonus)
(Obvious Vines of Vastwood reference)
It does provide good protection for auras that pump toughness or provide other defenses to creatures. Besides that and instant speed removal negation, its applications feel limited. On an aura or sorcery that just grants intimidate or offensive stats (like your examples), if they had something relevant to target the creature with before it's still going to work after the ward resolves so it's pointless text on the card.
I have a creature. My opponent attempts to Doom Blade my creature. I play Surge of Caution targeting my creature. Both players pass priority. Surge of Caution resolves. Doom Blade resolves, killing the creature (its target is once again legal).
Ward isn't intended to do anything different in such scenarios, right? Can you explain how you figure Ward is a primary feature on Surge of Caution? (I could see it being relevant on a spell that either provides indestructible or a regeneration shield though).
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No, it doesn't work that way.
Spell are checked twice -- on casting, and on resolution.
On resolution, the ward spells are no longer on the stack, and thus offer no more shroud effect.
For example, there is a runeclaw bear in play. Opponent casts doom blade on it. You cast surge of caution. Bear still dies.
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
@IcariiFA: I suppose you're right. Originally it made the creature untargetable until end of turn ("As long as this spell is on the stack and until end of turn..."), but I thought it was a little pushed. That will probably solve both of the mentioned problems, right? At least you get the one turn out of your enchanted/buffed creature.
Also, I'm aware that commons and uncommons are not supposed to reference the stack direclty. I just couldn't think of another way to word it the way I want it to work.
Ward (While this spell targets a creature, that creature can't become the target of new spells or abilities.)
In my opinion, stapling Intervene to a bunch of effects doesn't really make for a compelling mechanic, and the effect as-written is even more marginal — it only matters if casting your Ward spell makes your opponent want to do something to its target, but they want that thing to happen before the Ward spell resolves. Basically only Shimmering Platemail can generate this situation, and when its Ward effect matters, you're not even going to get to see it matter because Ward prevents your opponent from trying things, which is kind of a bummer.
Why did a 6 year old thread get necro'd for this?