Ward

Ward is an evergreen keyword ability introduced in Strixhaven: School of Mages. Ward is a triggered ability.
==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. It is a protective ability in the vein of shroud or hexproof, but it gives the opponent a way out to removing the permanent and hence can be used more frequently.
Before it was keyworded, Ward was known as Frost armor. Early examples of cards with this mechanic include <c>Frost Titan</c> and <c>Diffusion Sliver</c>. The life payment variant had its closest example in . A variant on cards like <c>Boreal Elemental</c> and <c>Terror of the Peaks</c> simply increased the cost of targeting, which are not vulnerable to uncounterable effects.
The two most common forms are costing additional mana (in white, blue, and green) or costing a payment of 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. <c>Forge, Neverwinter Charlatan</c> is the first Ward cost (sacrifice a creature) that is potentially impossible to pay, with all prior ward costs being generic enough for all decks.
Going forward, R&D announced some more unique ward costs as well. Discarding a card became a quick third as a cost, which was a predecessor of. is the first card with a variable Ward cost (life cost, equal to its power) to go with the size-changing Prototype. <c>Ovika, Enigma Goliath</c> is the first mixed ward cost, requiring both a life and mana payment.
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.
Ward is integrated into the rules for disguise and cloak.
===Gavin's evaluation===
In April 2024, Gavin Verhey evaluated the Ward mechanic and came to several observations:
*Creatures with Ward and Ward are too hard to kill effectively, essentially getting semi-hexproof. "Can't be countered" is not a common side benefit on creature removal.
**<c>Kappa Cannoneer</c>'s breach into Legacy was unintended.
**Generally, it causes tempo loss for one player; while it is clear how this would affect one-on-one matches, it proved to still be significant in multiplayer formats such as Commander.
*Ward really impacts the ability to spend multiple cards to kill off one thing.
**This especially affects red players, which often rely on mana-efficient targeted damage spells.
*Ward is most fun in small doses.
**There was probably too much in sets like Murders at Karlov Manor, which had the marquee mechanic of disguise, that had Ward in its text.
*Ward should be something used by R&D with intention.
*Non-mana ward that people consistently can pay for has been pretty fun.
This led him to the following conclusions:
*Ward helps to generate a little bit of tempo. It has a greater impact on Constructed, a format defined by mana efficiency, than in Limited, where it is more minor due to more games played with an excess of mana. However, it should not be given out freely by the designers but should have a purpose.
*Ward should only be used on cards that really need protection. On Commander cards, it should only be used to promote fun gameplay.
*Ward should only appear on expensive cards (six-drops and higher) that R&D don't want to be removed easily. In Commander, Ward is too high a cost.
*Ward and higher should almost never be put on a card.
*Non-mana ward can be further explored.
===Featured costs===
Cost 	Introduced in 	Color	Example
Additional mana 	Strixhaven: School of Mages 	 	<c>Hamlet Vanguard</c>
Life 	Strixhaven: School of Mages 	 	<c>Owlin Shieldmage</c>
Discard a card 	Adventures in the Forgotten Realms 	 	<c>Westgate Regent</c>
Sacrifice a permanent 	The Brothers' War 	 	<c>Mishra, Tamer of Mak Fawa</c>
Sacrifice a legendary artifact or legendary creature	The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth	 	<c>Sauron, the Dark Lord</c>
Sacrifice three nonland permanents 	Duskmourn: House of Horror 	 	<c>Valgavoth, Terror Eater</c>
Discard an enchantment, instant, or sorcery card 	The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth	 	<c>Saruman of Many Colors</c>
Collect evidence 	Murders at Karlov Manor 	 	<c>Axebane Ferox</c>
==Rules==
==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.
*If a spell or ability that can't be countered targets one or more permanents with Ward, its controller may still choose to pay the Ward cost. Nothing happens if they don't pay the cost.
==Example==
==Cards that grant Ward==
==Cards that negate Ward==
;Enchantments
*<c>Nowhere to Run</c>
==References==