How exactly does Thad's ability work? I know it protects everything basically, but does it act as a ignore ability too?
Thaddeus (Di)
Type: Hero Char. • Brigade: Purple • Ability: 8 / 8 • Class: None • Special Ability: Protect all cards in play, set-aside area, Artifact piles, hands, and decks from Evil Characters with toughness X or less. Cannot be interrupted. X = number of your good Disciples in play
There is no ignore ability on Thaddeus (thank goodness). The protection extends to all cards (except Land of Redemption...but no EC can target cards there). It protects from all EC with toughness X or less on the card (this includes increase/decrease in abilities that affect toughness, but not increases from numbers granted by enhancements). X can be updated during battle (by changing the number of your good Disciples in play, say by one being discarded), which can change whether an EC is protected against.
Any cards protected cannot be targeted or harmed by an EC who is protected against (negation does not count as target or harm, and is allowed). This includes enhancements played by those EC. It also includes the numbers of the card.
Essentially, cards protected from an EC cannot be targeted or harmed in any way by the EC or enhancements played on the EC (this includes discard, capture, banding, conversion, shuffle, etc. etc. etc.).
Any cards not protected against (toughness over X at that point in the battle) or that are not EC (or enhancements played on a EC protected against) can affect cards normally.
Does that make sense?