Ward
- For Ward auras, see Ward (aura).
| Ward | |
|---|---|
| Keyword Ability | |
| Type | Triggered |
| Introduced | Strixhaven: School of Mages |
| Last used | Evergreen |
| Reminder Text | Ward [cost] (Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player pays [cost].) |
| Statistics |
11 cards  9.1%  27.3%  9.1%  27.3%  9.1%  9.1%  9.1% |
| Scryfall Search | |
| keyword:"Ward" | |
Ward is an evergreen keyword ability introduced in Strixhaven: School of Mages.[1][2] Ward is a triggered ability.[3]
Description
Whenever a permanent with ward becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player pays an additional cost.
Before it was keyworded, Ward was known as Frost armor.[4][5] Early examples with this mechanic were Frost Titan and Diffusion Sliver. A variant on cards like Boreal Elemental and Callaphe, Beloved of the Sea simply increased the cost of targeting, with no triggered ability built in.
The two most common forms are costing additional mana (in white, blue, and green) and costing additional life (in black and red). These two approaches both protect against removal but ask different things of the rest of your deck and give opponents different incentives for when to bite the bullet and remove the warded creature. Going forward, R&D announced some more unique ward costs as well.[1][6]
Any spell or ability controlled by an opponent can be affected by ward. This includes Aura spells, triggered abilities, and anything else that target a permanent with ward. Spells and abilities that don't target won't cause ward to trigger.
Featured costs
| Cost | Introduced in |
|---|---|
| Additional mana | Strixhaven: School of Mages |
| Life | Strixhaven: School of Mages |
| Discard a card | Adventures in the Forgotten Realms |
Rules
From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)
- Ward
- A triggered ability that can counter spells or abilities that target the permanent with ward. See rule 702.21, “Ward.”
From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)
- 702.21. Ward
- 702.21a Ward is a triggered ability. Ward [cost] means “Whenever this permanent becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter that spell or ability unless that player pays [cost].”
- 702.21b Some ward abilities include an X in their cost and state what X is equal to. This value is determined at the time the ability resolves, not locked in as the ability triggers.
Ruling
- If a player casts a spell that targets multiple permanents their opponent controls with ward, each of those ward abilities will trigger. If that player doesn't pay for all of them, the spell will be countered.
- A spell or ability that can't be countered that targets one or more permanents with Ward, ignore the Ward ability completely. The Ward triggers, but produces no effect on resolution,
Example
Example
Adrix and Nev, Twincasters 
Legendary Creature - Merfolk Wizard
Ward (Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player pays ).
If one or more tokens would be created under your control, twice that many of those tokens are created instead.
References
- ↑ a b Andrew Brown and Jules Robins (March 25, 2021). "Introducing Ward". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Matt Tabak (March 25, 2021). "Strixhaven: School of Mages Mechanics". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Jess Dunks and Matt Tabak (April 16, 2021). "Strixhaven: School of Mages and Commander (2021 Edition) Release Notes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 22, 2019). "Do you imagine the "pay N more to target this creature" tax would be a viable way to phase Hexproof out?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 22, 2019). "Is Frost Armor limited to blue, or should we expect to see it in other colors if it is becoming more common?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 25, 2021). "Will ward coexist with Frost armour? Or are they functionally the same?". Blogatog. Tumblr.