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So, as I was rebuilding a vampire deck, I came across some curses and remembered a friend got Aegis of the Gods.
I understand Aegis of the Gods would stop me from playing the curse on them, but if I played the curse first would Aegis stop my curse effect from taking place, if it was played on a different turn after I played the curse?
Yes, enchantments already cast and resolved still continue to take effect.
There isn't much about Curses in the Rulebook, because they operate identical to Aura's, but it doesn't take away that it is its own subtype.
Rulings clarify that:
17-10-2013 A Curse spell targets the player it will enchant like any other Aura spell, and a Curse stays on the battlefield like any other Aura. If the enchanted player gains protection from the Curse’s color (or any other characteristic the Curse has), the Curse will be put into its owner’s graveyard.
In the Comprehensive Rules it states:
303.4. Some enchantments have the subtype “Aura.” An Aura enters the battlefield attached to an object or player. What an Aura can be attached to is defined by its enchant keyword ability (see rule 702.5, “Enchant”). Other effects can limit what a permanent can be enchanted by.
So Curses like Aura's target an object or player depending on what it says on the card.
Aegis of the Gods grants the player Hexproof.
702.11c “Hexproof” on a player means “You can’t be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.”
So while Aegis of the Gods is on the battlefield you can't target that creatures controller.
But what about all the curses you already cast and resolved before Aegis of the Gods entered the battlefied?
Hexproof doesn't dispel or disenchant any enchantments. It just prevents an object or player from being targeted while hexproof is in play.
Yes, the enchantment would still continue to take effect.
Aegis of the Gods only grants the player Hexproof, and having Hexproof means only that you cannot be the target of spells or abilities that your opponents control. You can still be affected by anything that doesn’t target you.
As you already noted, an Aura is a targeted spell, so you would not be able to target your opponent with a new Aura spell.
Note also that if you find a way to put your Curse Auras onto the battlefield without casting them, then you can attach them to your opponent even if they have Hexproof.
Yes the aura cursing the player would still work on them. Just like a creature gaining shroud or hexproof after an aura is placed on them keeps the aura, players also keep any auras placed on them while they were still targetable, unless they can gain hexproof while the aura is still on the stack (Flashing out Aegis of the Gods with say Vedalken Orrery).
This is also why Witchbane Orb specifically removes curses when it comes out, if having hexproof made curses fall off, it would only need to give hexproof, the rest would happen automatically.
This is different from protection, A creature that gets say Protection from White causes all white auras to fall off (some auras specifically ignore this like Pledge of Loyalty or Spectra Ward). There is really only one card I can think of that would do this for a player, Runed Halo, which would give you protection from the specific card you name, name the curse and it falls off.
