What Is Hexproof in Magic: The Gathering?

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The modern Planeswalker’s guide to one of MTG’s strongest keywords
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Widely considered one of the most powerful abilities in the game, cards with hexproof cannot be targeted by your opponent’s spells or abilities. [1] This is a huge advantage since the vast majority of ways to destroy a creature require targeting it. But how does this impact combat, state-based effects, and cards that don’t target? We’ll answer all of these questions and more.

Hexproof Rules

Cards with Hexproof have a static ability that prevents cards and abilities an opponent controls from targeting them. Players can also have hexproof, and in these scenarios a player with hexproof can’t be targeted by spells or abilities, although their creatures and permanents are still able to be targeted. [2]

Section 1 of 6:

What is hexproof?

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  1. A card with hexproof cannot be targeted by any cards, spells, effects, or activated abilities controlled by an opponent. So, if your opponent wanted to cast Doom Blade to destroy your Angler Turtle , they couldn’t! [3] [4]
    • Hexproof is a static ability, which means that it’s always true so long as the permanent remains in play.
    • A key note on what “target” means. The idea of targeting is very specific and very fundamental to MTG. Any effect, card, or ability that refers to “target creature” or “target player” is actively targeting. Beyond that, any card that requires a “target” (i.e. a player chooses a specific card) qualifies as “targeting.”
      • For example, Power of Fire enchants a creature and gives them the ability to tap in order to “deal damage to any target .” So, the ability requires targeting! However, the “enchant creature” clause also requires you to choose a creature, so the spell itself also targets.
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Section 2 of 6:

How does “You have hexproof” work?

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  1. Any card with hexproof cannot be the target of spells or abilities the opponents control. A player with hexproof is basically the same thing except the player can’t be targeted. Any cards a player with hexproof controls are still fair game to be targeted, but not the player. [5]
    • Leyline of Sanctity is the single most common way to grant a player hexproof. It’s perhaps one of the most played sideboard cards in the history of magic, which demonstrates just how powerful hexproof is!
    • Take a look at Liliana of the Veil . Her -2 ability reads “Target player sacrifices a creature.” If your opponent used this ability when you have hexproof, they’d be forced to target themselves by default since you couldn’t be targeted.
Section 3 of 6:

How does “Hexproof from X” work?

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  1. Introduced in Dominaria, “Hexproof from X” (where X can be any type of card) is a minor adjustment to hexproof that was meant to nerf the mechanic while keeping the original flavor intact. It works the exact same way as normal cards with hexproof except the only cards that can’t target it are specified on the card. [6]
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Section 4 of 6:

How does hexproof work with board wipes?

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  1. Board wipes refer to cards that destroy all creatures (i.e. the Horde ). Because these cards (usually) don’t target anything, hexproof won’t prevent their effects from occurring. [7]
    • A pro-tip on what can effect hexproof cards: Does an ability, card, or spell say “each” or “all” ? If so, it isn’t targeting anything and can impact cards with hexproof. For example, cards like Wrath of God or Languish will kill hexproof creatures. [8]
    • Take another look at Liliana of the Veil . Her +1 ability reads “Each player discards a card.” Since it doesn’t say anything about targeting or choosing a specific player, a player with hexproof would still have to discard a card.
Section 5 of 6:

How does hexproof change combat?

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  1. Hexproof only cares about spells, abilities, and cards that target things. Zero targeting occurs in combat, so hexproof is irrelevant. A creature with hexproof can deal damage and be dealt damage like any other creature in the game.
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Section 6 of 6:

Is hexproof still a mechanic today?

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  1. Hexproof is not a banned mechanic; you can still sleeve up and cast cards with hexproof on them in Modern, Legacy, Commander, and even some other formats. However, the designers of the game have realized that hexproof is too powerful and have stopped using the keyword on new cards. [9]
    • two popular archetypes rely on Hexproof:
      • Bogles (Modern & Pauper) Bogles, named after Slippery Bogle , is based on buffing a weak hexproof creature with enchantments and equipment to make a single unstoppable creature.
      • Voltron (EDH) Voltron decks refer to any commander decks that aim to buff the commander in combat by putting armor and equipment on it (kind of like pieces building up Voltron!). Hexproof is often a core ability of Voltron decks.

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      • Hexproof was originally designed to be an improvement on Shroud, which is basically the same thing as Hexproof except nobody can target the creature.
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      References

      1. ↑ Jason Garvin. Games & Retail Expert. Expert Interview
      2. ↑ Jason Garvin. Games & Retail Expert. Expert Interview
      3. ↑ Jason Garvin. Games & Retail Expert. Expert Interview
      4. ↑ https://media.wizards.com/images/magic/tcg/resources/rules/MagicCompRules_21031101.pdf
      5. ↑ https://media.wizards.com/images/magic/tcg/resources/rules/MagicCompRules_21031101.pdf
      6. ↑ https://media.wizards.com/images/magic/tcg/resources/rules/MagicCompRules_21031101.pdf
      7. ↑ Jason Garvin. Games & Retail Expert. Expert Interview
      8. ↑ Jason Garvin. Games & Retail Expert. Expert Interview
      9. ↑ https://mtg.wiki/page/Storm_Scale

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