Pointed Discussion

this card is famous for comboing well with loxodon warhammer

Question: The card says "Troll Ascetic" can't be the target ..... it doesn't say "This creature," which would imply it was in play. So can my opponent remove this card from my graveyard, or make me discard it from my hand? The text is referring to the card name itself, so I would assume it cannot be targeted in ANY zone by spells or abilities my opponent controls. Correct me if I'm wrong (for example, Shroud says in the comprehensive rules: "This permanent or player can’t be the target of spells or
abilities," which of course implies the card must be in play (for it to be a permanent)).

Answer: I believe your correct, Which makes it even more incredible.

Your opponent can still target it in your graveyard/hand/RFG zone...

As long as it's in play though, it cannot be targeted.

And the second part of your explanation is correct. It has to be in play for it to not be targeted, which is why Troll Ascetic can be countered. It's still amazing though.

@ Pago-Pago:
Please don't give answers if you're not sure yourself. Both you and Guest are wrong. Your opponents CAN target the Troll in any zone other than play (or, as it is called now, the battlefield). Which is just how Magic works in general... Anyway, Troll Ascetic rocks. One of the best green 3-drops of all time, if not THE best. 5/5.

good ability i love it. artwork could be better.

Why does everyone call the ability "troll shroud"? What about Taoist Hermit?

Green Creatures that don't suck...
River Boa, Mirri, Cat Warrior
Cradle Guard, Troll Ascetic
Ashcoat Bear, Albino Troll
These creatures put beef on the table with easy 2 or 3 casting costs AND solid abilities.

Awesome card for enchanting since its not as likely to be removed. Two quick notes for some of the other posters here, a creature card not on the field is the same as a creature summoning spell, its flavor wise not the actual creature until its been summoned and in play, so yes your troll can be discarded or targeted from graveyard and library. Also, your opponent can still target and destroy enchantments and equipments your troll is enchanted with, but at least you aren't losing more than 1 card per their 1 removal card, versus if the creature was removed its 2 for 1 in your opponents favor. Enchant this guy with death touch for pure awesomeness, he comes with regeneration, and he can't die from very many spells, so your opponent has to deal with a regenerating blocker that kills their creatures.

That's indeed a nice weenie. widely protected from your opponents while you still get to boost this guy, decent regeneration and a tough body for three mana, that's what i call a fair trade :)
It's certainly one of green's best three-drops, although i personally prefer Kitchen Finks.

Well, he grew up at hard times back then in Mirrodin with Ravager affinity, yet he still found use, the community labeled the ability he uses "troll-shroud" after all.

Portal Three Kingdoms already made use of this ability on Zuo Ci, the Mocking Sage and Taoist Hermit back then, while Plated Slagwurm and the ascetic had it printed on them again in Mirrodin, which lets this appear to be a typical green ability, although several white cards make use of it these days as well.

Both PTK cards didn't get famous at all, which might be the answer to your question, Keegan^^ "hermit shroud" could possibly have found use as well, yet i'm very content it turned out to be called "troll shroud". My friends used to call this ability "super shroud" until we figured out there was a better known keyword for it. I guess until Wizards comes up with a more generic keyword we'll still use this term for quite a while...

And just as wwcduck and True Mumin said, this ability (as well as Shroud or Protection) won't prevent your opponent from countering this card. Aside from some exceptions most abilities will only have effect while on the battlefield if not stated otherwise.

wonderful card, super solid !!

liir, you are forgetting
tarmogoyf
key creature which defines extended.

Troll Ascetic is one of the best 3 drop creature ever printed.

This thing is practically untouchable. Assuming you have mana, it can't be touched by most mass removal, and it can't be targeted by Unmake, Path to Exile, etc. It even has a very fair body.

try to equip this with basilisk collar :D
great boy, but not as invencible: infest, cruel edict...

For like the longest time I've been wonder who this guy was. Now that I know, I need a copy or two!

I remember when a vanilla 3/2 creature for 3cc was considered decent. This is just overkill.

@True_Mumin

(cough)(cough)Great Sable Stag(cough)

This is absolute beast. It would be broken if it had regeneration at the cost of G.

5/5

This card either forces me to 3 battle games or a modified 80 life game. So broken POS.

The defining example of "Troll Shroud"

Armadillo cloak
Eldrazi Conscri ption
Those were begging to have a reliable creature to put them on.

Asceticism is a tribute to this card. It's really good. It basically turns all your creatures into Troll Ascetic's! If that's not nuts, then I don't know what is!

Fun with Blanchwood Armor: enchanting dumb beatsticks with troll shroud.

Replaced in Mirrodin Besieged with the most epic troll card ever made, Thrun, the Last Troll

Better than Vampire Nighthawk, imo.

Best 3 drop creature ever printed right here.

HEXPROOF

Now he's Hexproof

they should've called the ability trollshroud, not hexproof

Yet one of many examples of how 10th edition was the greatest core set ever printed.

Hilarious freaking flavor text, however, it only appears on the foil version. For those of you who don't know. Which according to every other card like it in 10th, is quite a lot.

What can I say. Small power creatures in green have been growing forever. I like leatherback baloth and albino troll