Hexproof means your opponents can't target the permanent with their spells or abilities. You can still target it yourself, and anything that doesn't say "target" still hits it: a board wipe, a sacrifice effect, combat damage. Mana Grove, a free MTG deck builder for Commander, publishes this guide to the hexproof keyword and reads every card in it from its own card database.
This guide is part of our MTG keywords and mechanics glossary, the index of every mechanic guide on Mana Grove.
What still gets through hexproof
Rule 115.10a is the key: "Just because an object or player is being affected by a spell or ability doesn't make that object or player a target of that spell or ability. Unless that object or player is identified by the word 'target' in the text of that spell or ability, or the rule for that keyword ability, it's not a target." Every route in this table affects a hexproof permanent without targeting it.
| Route | Why it works | Rule | Cards that do it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board wipes | "All creatures" and "each creature" choose nothing | 115.10a | Wrath of God, Blasphemous Act, Toxic Deluge, Farewell |
| Sacrifice | The player is told to sacrifice and picks the permanent. Nothing targets it | 701.21a, 115.10a | Fleshbag Marauder, Sheoldred's Edict |
| Overload | Paying the overload cost changes "target" to "each", so the spell has no targets | 115.10a | Cyclonic Rift |
| Votes and untargeted choices | The permanent is picked as the spell resolves, never targeted | 115.10a | Council's Judgment |
| Targeting the player | Hexproof on a creature protects the creature, not its controller | 702.11b | Settle the Wreckage |
| Countering it on the stack | A creature spell is not a permanent yet, and hexproof only works on the battlefield | 113.6, 702.11b | Counterspell |
| Taking hexproof away, or ignoring it | Once it is gone, or can be ignored, ordinary removal is ordinary removal again | 702.11e | Arcane Lighthouse, Shadowspear, Detection Tower, Archetype of Endurance |
| Combat | Blocking, attacking and combat damage do not target anything | 115.10a | Any creature |
The first two rows are the ones that matter at a Commander table. A deck built around one hexproof commander has an answer to every "destroy target creature" in the game and no answer at all to a three-mana Fleshbag Marauder when that commander is its only creature. Sigarda, Host of Herons is the rare hexproof card that covers that gap, because she adds "Spells and abilities your opponents control can't cause you to sacrifice permanents."
The official rulings in our card data spell two of these rows out. On Cyclonic Rift: "Because a spell with overload doesn't target when its overload cost is paid, it may affect permanents with hexproof or with protection from the appropriate color." On Settle the Wreckage: it "targets only the player. Attacking creatures with hexproof that player controls will be exiled as this spell resolves."
What hexproof actually stops
Spells and abilities an opponent controls that say "target", and nothing else. That covers a lot of what a Commander table throws at a creature:
- Targeted removal. Swords to Plowshares, Murder and the single-target half of Cyclonic Rift cannot be cast with your hexproof creature as the target at all, because targets are chosen as the spell is cast (115.1, 601.2c).
- Opponents' Auras. An Aura spell requires a target (303.4a), so an opponent cannot cast Darksteel Mutation on your hexproof commander.
- Targeted abilities. Activated and triggered abilities that target are stopped the same way, including an opponent's "goad target creature" or "tap target creature".
- Theft. An effect that gains control of "target creature" cannot choose it.
If the hexproof arrives after the spell was cast, the result is the same. A spell checks its targets again as it resolves, and "if all its targets, for every instance of the word 'target,' are now illegal, the spell or ability doesn't resolve" (608.2b). That is how Snakeskin Veil, Tamiyo's Safekeeping and Heroic Intervention work: cast in response to a removal spell, they make its target illegal and the removal spell is put into its owner's graveyard without doing anything. A spell with several targets still resolves for the ones that stayed legal.
The rule, line by line
Rule 702.11a
Hexproof is a static ability.
Rule 702.11b
"Hexproof" on a permanent means "This permanent can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control."
Rule 702.11c
"Hexproof" on a player means "You can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control."
Rule 702.11d
"Hexproof from [quality]" is a variant of the hexproof ability. "Hexproof from [quality]" on a permanent means "This permanent can't be the target of [quality] spells your opponents control or abilities your opponents control from [quality] sources." A "hexproof from [quality]" ability is a hexproof ability.
Rule 702.11e
Any effect that causes an object to lose hexproof will cause an object to lose all "hexproof from [quality]" abilities. Any effect that allows a player to choose a creature with hexproof as a target as though it didn't have hexproof will allow a player to choose a creature with a "hexproof from [quality]" ability. Any effect that looks for a card with hexproof will find a card with a "hexproof from [quality]" ability.
Rule 702.11h
Multiple instances of the same hexproof ability on the same permanent or player are redundant.
Six pieces of fine print follow from those lines.
- It only looks at opponents. "Your opponents control" is in the definition (702.11b), so your own Auras, Equipment and pump spells target your hexproof creature as usual. Slippery Bogle wearing Ethereal Armor is the classic use of that gap.
- It only works on the battlefield. The rule says "this permanent", and an ability of a permanent card works only on the battlefield unless it says otherwise (113.6). The creature spell can be countered, and the card can be targeted in a graveyard.
- It is not evasion. A hexproof creature can be blocked, can block and is dealt combat damage like any other, deathtouch damage included, because none of that targets.
- It is an ability, so it can be removed. Arcane Lighthouse makes creatures your opponents control "lose hexproof and shroud" until end of turn, Shadowspear does it to hexproof and indestructible for {1}, and Archetype of Endurance does it for as long as it stays on the battlefield. An effect that removes hexproof removes every "hexproof from" variant with it (702.11e).
- "Hexproof from" is narrower. Veil of Summer gives "hexproof from blue and from black", General Ferrous Rokiric has hexproof from monocolored, Elenda, Saint of Dusk has hexproof from instants and Breaker of Creation has hexproof from each color. Each stops only spells with that quality and abilities from sources with that quality (702.11d).
- It can be a counter. Hexproof is one of the keywords a keyword counter can carry (122.1b). Slippery Bogbonder puts a hexproof counter on a creature, and the creature has hexproof for as long as the counter stays.
Hexproof vs shroud, ward and protection
Four keywords protect against being chosen, and they are not interchangeable.
| Keyword | Rule | Opponents can target it | You can target it | Stops damage | Stops untargeted effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hexproof | 702.11b | No | Yes | No | No |
| Shroud | 702.18a | No | No | No | No |
| Ward | 702.21a | Yes, but it is countered unless they pay the ward cost | Yes | No | No |
| Protection from a quality | 702.16b, 702.16e | Not with that quality | Not with that quality | Yes, from sources with that quality | Only damage, blocks and attachments from that quality (702.16c to 702.16f) |
Hexproof vs shroud. Shroud means "This permanent or player can't be the target of spells or abilities" (702.18a), with no mention of opponents. Two of the most-played Equipment in Commander show the difference: Swiftfoot Boots gives hexproof and haste, Lightning Greaves gives haste and shroud. Under the Greaves your own Auras, other Equipment and pump spells cannot target the creature either. Under the Boots they can.
Hexproof vs ward. Ward does not forbid targeting. It counters the opponent's spell or ability unless they pay the cost (702.21a), so a player with enough mana gets through ward and never gets through hexproof. Our ward guide covers the costs.
Hexproof vs protection. Protection from a quality stops targeting by anyone, you included, and also prevents damage, forbids Auras and Equipment with that quality and stops blockers with it, but only against that one quality (702.16b to 702.16f). Our protection guide has the full list. None of the four stops a destroy or exile wipe such as Wrath of God, and protection only prevents a sweeper's damage when the sweeper has the stated quality, which is why hexproof is so often printed next to indestructible: Heroic Intervention grants both at once.
Hexproof on a player
Rule 702.11c gives the same protection to a player: "You can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control." Leyline of Sanctity, Aegis of the Gods, Crystal Barricade and Orbs of Warding all say "You have hexproof", and Shalai, Voice of Plenty gives it to you, your planeswalkers and your other creatures together.
A player with hexproof cannot be chosen for "target player discards", "target opponent sacrifices" or a burn spell aimed at their face. They can still be attacked, still lose life to "each opponent" effects and still be hit by anything that does not target. The two kinds of hexproof are separate: your creatures do not have hexproof because you do, and you do not have it because your creatures do. Settle the Wreckage shows both sides. It exiles hexproof attackers because it targets only their controller, and it cannot be aimed at a player who has hexproof.
The best hexproof cards in Commander
Our card database holds 92 Commander-legal cards with hexproof, or a "hexproof from" variant, printed on them as a keyword (38 green, 21 blue, 19 multicolour, six colourless, five black and three white), 82 of them creatures. Another 229 Commander-legal cards name hexproof in their rules text without having the keyword, because they grant it, remove it or count it. These are fourteen of the hexproof cards Commander players run most, ordered by how often they appear in Commander decks, with the mana cost as printed.
| Card | Cost | Type | What hexproof is doing for it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lotus Field | Land | Land | Taps for three mana of one colour, and hexproof keeps targeted land destruction off it |
| Sylvan Caryatid | {1}{G} | Creature | A 0/3 defender that taps for any colour and cannot be picked off by targeted removal |
| Volatile Stormdrake | {1}{U} | Creature | Hexproof from activated and triggered abilities on a creature that trades itself for an opponent's creature when it enters |
| Invisible Stalker | {1}{U} | Creature | Hexproof and "can't be blocked": the classic body to load with Auras and Equipment |
| Slippery Bogbonder | {3}{G} | Creature | Flash and hexproof, and it puts a hexproof counter on a target creature as it enters |
| Breaker of Creation | {6}{C}{C} | Creature | Hexproof from each color on an 8/4 with annihilator 2 |
| General Ferrous Rokiric | {1}{R}{W} | Legendary Creature | Hexproof from monocolored, and a 4/4 Golem whenever you cast a multicolored spell |
| Elenda, Saint of Dusk | {2}{W}{B} | Legendary Creature | Lifelink and hexproof from instants: an opponent's instant can never target her |
| Silumgar, the Drifting Death | {4}{U}{B} | Legendary Creature | A 3/7 flying hexproof Dragon that shrinks the defending player's creatures when your Dragons attack |
| Sigarda, Host of Herons | {2}{G}{W}{W} | Legendary Creature | Flying and hexproof, and opponents cannot make you sacrifice permanents |
| Carnage Tyrant | {4}{G}{G} | Creature | Cannot be countered, trample, hexproof: a 7/6 that only a wipe, a sacrifice effect or a block answers |
| Lazav, Dimir Mastermind | {U}{U}{B}{B} | Legendary Creature | A hexproof Shapeshifter that can become a copy of a creature card put into an opponent's graveyard |
| Narset, Enlightened Master | {3}{U}{R}{W} | Legendary Creature | First strike and hexproof on a legend that exiles your top four cards when she attacks and lets you cast the noncreature spells among them for free |
| Kaya, Intangible Slayer | {3}{W}{W}{B}{B} | Legendary Planeswalker | A planeswalker with hexproof. She can still be attacked, because attacking does not target |
The cards that grant hexproof
Ordered the same way, with the cost as printed.
| Card | Cost | What it grants |
|---|---|---|
| Swiftfoot Boots | {2} | Equipped creature has hexproof and haste, for an equip cost of {1} |
| Heroic Intervention | {1}{G} | Permanents you control gain hexproof and indestructible until end of turn |
| Dawn's Truce | {1}{W} | You and permanents you control gain hexproof until end of turn, and indestructible as well if the gift was promised |
| Snakeskin Veil | {G} | A +1/+1 counter on a creature you control, and hexproof until end of turn |
| Tamiyo's Safekeeping | {G} | One permanent you control gains hexproof and indestructible until end of turn, and you gain 2 life |
| Veil of Summer | {G} | You and permanents you control gain hexproof from blue and from black until end of turn |
| Flare of Fortitude | {2}{W}{W} | Permanents you control gain hexproof and indestructible until end of turn, and your life total cannot change |
| Champion's Helm | {3} | Equipped creature gets +2/+2, and has hexproof as long as it is legendary |
| Padeem, Consul of Innovation | {3}{U} | Artifacts you control have hexproof |
| Shalai, Voice of Plenty | {3}{W} | You, planeswalkers you control and other creatures you control have hexproof |
| Saryth, the Viper's Fang | {2}{G}{G} | Other untapped creatures you control have hexproof |
| Asceticism | {3}{G}{G} | Creatures you control have hexproof |
| Privileged Position | {2}{G/W}{G/W}{G/W} | Other permanents you control have hexproof |
Read the instants against the table at the top of this page before you rely on them. Snakeskin Veil beats Swords to Plowshares and does nothing against Toxic Deluge. Only the ones that add indestructible also beat a destroy wipe, and nothing here beats Farewell.
Frequently asked questions
What does hexproof do in MTG?
A permanent with hexproof can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control (rule 702.11b). You can still target it yourself, and anything that does not target, such as a board wipe or a sacrifice effect, still affects it.
Does hexproof stop board wipes?
No. A board wipe affects all creatures without targeting any of them, and only an object identified by the word "target" is a target (115.10a). Wrath of God destroys hexproof creatures, Toxic Deluge shrinks them and Farewell exiles them.
What is the difference between hexproof and shroud?
Hexproof stops only spells and abilities your opponents control (702.11b). Shroud stops all of them, yours included (702.18a). Swiftfoot Boots gives hexproof, so you can still target the creature with your own Auras and Equipment. Lightning Greaves gives shroud, so you cannot.
Can I target my own hexproof creature?
Yes. The definition only names spells and abilities "your opponents control" (702.11b). Your own Auras, Equipment, pump spells and protection spells target it normally.
How do you get around hexproof?
Use something that does not target: a board wipe, an effect that makes its controller sacrifice (701.21a), an overloaded Cyclonic Rift or a vote such as Council's Judgment. Or switch the ability off first with Arcane Lighthouse or Shadowspear, or ignore it with Detection Tower, then target it as usual.
Does hexproof stop counterspells?
No. Hexproof works on a permanent (702.11b), and a creature spell on the stack is not a permanent yet (113.6). Counterspell targets the spell. Carnage Tyrant needs a separate line of text to say it cannot be countered.
Does hexproof stop deathtouch or combat damage?
No. Blocking and combat damage do not target (115.10a). A hexproof creature blocked by a deathtouch creature is dealt damage and destroyed like any other.
What happens if a creature gains hexproof in response to a removal spell?
The removal spell's target becomes illegal. When the spell tries to resolve with all its targets illegal, it does not resolve and is put into its owner's graveyard (608.2b). That is the normal use of Snakeskin Veil and Tamiyo's Safekeeping.
Can a hexproof creature be sacrificed?
Yes. An effect that makes a player sacrifice a creature does not target the creature, and its controller makes the choice (701.21a). If the hexproof creature is the only one that player controls, it is the one sacrificed.
Can an opponent put an Aura on my hexproof creature?
Not by casting it. An Aura spell requires a target (303.4a), and your hexproof creature cannot be that target. An Aura put onto the battlefield without being cast is different: its controller simply chooses what it enchants as it enters, and nothing is targeted (303.4f).
What does "you have hexproof" mean?
You, the player, can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control (702.11c). Leyline of Sanctity and Aegis of the Gods grant it. It does not give your permanents hexproof, and it does not stop attacks or effects that say "each opponent".
What is hexproof from a colour?
A narrower version. "Hexproof from black" means the permanent can't be the target of black spells your opponents control or abilities your opponents control from black sources (702.11d). Veil of Summer grants hexproof from blue and from black to you and your permanents, which stops targeted removal and discard in those two colours.
Is hexproof better than ward?
Against targeted effects, yes: ward can be paid for (702.21a) and hexproof cannot. Neither stops a board wipe or a sacrifice effect.
Can a planeswalker with hexproof be attacked?
Yes. Players, planeswalkers and battles can be attacked (506.3), and declaring an attack does not target. Hexproof on Kaya, Intangible Slayer stops opponents' targeted spells and abilities, not their creatures.
Do two instances of hexproof stack?
No. Multiple instances of the same hexproof ability on one permanent or player are redundant (702.11h). Hexproof and a "hexproof from" variant are different abilities, but plain hexproof already covers everything the variant does.
Protect it in your own deck
Open your list in the deck builder and look at what your deck cannot afford to lose. If it is one commander, count your protection: the instants that grant hexproof, the boots, and at least one answer to a sacrifice effect, because hexproof has nothing to say about those. Grover can suggest protection that fits your colours in plain language, and the Suggestions tab, powered by Tutor, scores each one against the rest of your list. New to the format? Start with the deck builder basics and how many lands your deck needs.
Create a free Mana Grove account to build with the full deck builder and format legality checks, see plans and pricing for more time with Grover, Scry and Tutor, browse the card database for the printed text of every card named above, and visit the Commander hub for more guides.
Sources
- Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules, effective September 25, 2026: https://magic.wizards.com/en/rules. Read on November 9, 2026. Rule 702.11 (Hexproof) including 702.11a to 702.11e and 702.11h, rules 115.1 and 115.10a (targets), rule 113.6 (where abilities function), rule 122.1b (keyword counters), rules 303.4a and 303.4f (Auras), rule 506.3 (what can be attacked), rule 601.2c (choosing targets), rule 608.2b (illegal targets on resolution), rule 701.21a (Sacrifice), rules 702.16b to 702.16f (Protection), rule 702.18a (Shroud) and rule 702.21a (Ward) are quoted or paraphrased above.
- Mana Grove card database, MTGJSON build of November 5, 2026: the hexproof keyword, the Commander legality, the mana cost, the rules text and the official rulings of every card named above, the count of 92 Commander-legal cards with hexproof or a "hexproof from" variant printed on them (82 creatures; each card name counted once and a double-faced card by its front face), the split by colour, and the count of 229 Commander-legal cards that name hexproof in their rules text without having the keyword. Commander play frequency is the deck-inclusion popularity rank carried in the same data.
This article is updated when the Comprehensive Rules change the hexproof entry or when a set adds a hexproof card worth listing. The date at the top is the last revision.
