Rules glossary
111. Tokens
- 111.1 Some effects put tokens onto the battlefield. A token is a marker used to represent any permanent that isn’t represented by a card.
- 111.2 The player who creates a token is its owner. The token enters the battlefield under that player’s control.
- 111.3 The spell or ability that creates a token may define the values of any number of characteristics for the token. This becomes the token’s “text.” The characteristic values defined this way are functionally equivalent to the characteristic values that are printed on a card; for example, they define the token’s copiable values. A token doesn’t have any characteristics not defined by the spell or ability that created it. Example: Jade Mage has the ability “{2}{G}: Create a 1/1 green Saproling creature token.” The resulting token has no mana cost, supertypes, rules text, or abilities.
- 111.4 A spell or ability that creates a token sets both its name and its subtype(s). If the spell or ability doesn’t specify the name of the token, its name is the same as its subtype(s) plus the word “Token.” Once a token is on the battlefield, changing its name doesn’t change its subtype(s), and vice versa. Example: Dwarven Reinforcements is a sorcery that says, in part, “Create two 2/1 red Dwarf Berserker creature tokens.” The tokens created as it resolves are each named Dwarf Berserker Token and each have the creature types Dwarf and Berserker. Example: Minsc, Beloved Ranger says, in part, “When Minsc enters, create Boo, a legendary 1/1 red Hamster creature token with trample and haste.” That token’s subtype is Hamster, but because Minsc specifies that the token’s name is Boo, neither “Hamster” nor “Token” are part of its name. Example: Spitting Image is a sorcery that says, in part, “Create a token that’s a copy of target creature.” All of that token’s characteristics will match the copiable characteristics of the creature targeted by that spell. If Spitting Image targets Doomed Dissenter, a Human creature, the name of the token the spell creates will be Doomed Dissenter, not Human Token or Doomed Dissenter Token.
- 111.5 If a spell or ability would create a token, but a rule or effect states that a permanent with one or more of that token’s characteristics can’t enter the battlefield, the token is not created. Similarly, if an effect would create a token that is a copy of an instant or sorcery card, no token is created.
- 111.6 A token is subject to anything that affects permanents in general or that affects the token’s card type or subtype. A token isn’t a card (even if represented by a card that has a Magic back or that came from a Magic booster pack).
- 111.7 A token that’s in a zone other than the battlefield ceases to exist. This is a state-based action; see rule 704. (Note that if a token changes zones, applicable triggered abilities will trigger before the token ceases to exist.) (refs: 704)
- 111.8 A token that has left the battlefield can’t move to another zone or come back onto the battlefield. If such a token would change zones, it remains in its current zone instead. It ceases to exist the next time state-based actions are checked; see rule 704. (refs: 704)
- 111.9 Some effects instruct a player to create a legendary token. These may be written “create [name], a . . .” and list characteristics for the token. This is the same as an instruction to create a token with the listed characteristics that has the given name.
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111.10
Some effects instruct a player to create a predefined token. These effects use the definition below to determine the characteristics the token is created with. The effect that creates a predefined token may also modify or add to the predefined characteristics.
- 111.10a A Treasure token is a colorless Treasure artifact token with “{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.”
- 111.10b A Food token is a colorless Food artifact token with “{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this token: You gain 3 life.”
- 111.10c A Gold token is a colorless Gold artifact token with “Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.”
- 111.10d A Walker token is a 2/2 black Zombie creature token named Walker.
- 111.10e A Shard token is a colorless Shard enchantment token with “{2}, Sacrifice this token: Scry 1, then draw a card.”
- 111.10f A Clue token is a colorless Clue artifact token with “{2}, Sacrifice this token: Draw a card.”
- 111.10g A Blood token is a colorless Blood artifact token with “{1}, {T}, Discard a card, Sacrifice this token: Draw a card.”
- 111.10h A Powerstone token is a colorless Powerstone artifact token with “{T}: Add {C}. This mana can’t be spent to cast a nonartifact spell.”
- 111.10i An Incubator token is a double-faced token. Its front face is a colorless Incubator artifact with “{2}: Transform this token.” Its back face is a 0/0 colorless Phyrexian artifact creature named Phyrexian Token.
- 111.10j A Cursed Role token is a colorless Aura Role enchantment token named Cursed with enchant creature and “Enchanted creature has base power and toughness 1/1.”
- 111.10k A Monster Role token is a colorless Aura Role enchantment token named Monster with enchant creature and “Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has trample.”
- 111.10m A Royal Role token is a colorless Aura Role enchantment token named Royal with enchant creature and “Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has ward {1}.”
- 111.10n A Sorcerer Role token is a colorless Aura Role enchantment token named Sorcerer with enchant creature and “Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has ‘Whenever this creature attacks, scry 1.’”
- 111.10p A Virtuous Role token is a colorless Aura Role enchantment token named Virtuous with enchant creature and “Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each enchantment you control.”
- 111.10q A Wicked Role token is a colorless Aura Role enchantment token named Wicked with enchant creature, “Enchanted creature gets +1/+1,” and “When this token is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, each opponent loses 1 life.”
- 111.10r A Young Hero Role token is a colorless Aura Role enchantment token named Young Hero with enchant creature and “Enchanted creature has ‘Whenever this creature attacks, if its toughness is 3 or less, put a +1/+1 counter on it.’”
- 111.10s A Map token is a colorless Map artifact token with “{1}, {T}, Sacrifice this token: Target creature you control explores. Activate only as a sorcery.” See rule 701.44, “Explore.” (refs: 701.44)
- 111.10t A Junk token is a colorless Junk artifact token with “{T}, Sacrifice this token: Exile the top card of your library. You may play that card this turn. Activate only as a sorcery.”
- 111.10u A Lander token is a colorless Lander artifact token with “{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this token: Search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.”
- 111.10v A Mutagen token is a colorless Mutagen artifact token with “{1}, {T}, Sacrifice this token: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. Activate only as a sorcery.”
- 111.10w A Vibranium token is a colorless Vibranium artifact token with indestructible and “{T}: Add {C}. This mana can’t be spent to cast a nonartifact spell.”
- 111.10x A Heartwood token is a red and green Heartwood artifact token with “{T}: Add {R} or {G}.”
- 111.11 If an effect instructs a player to create a token by name, doesn’t define any other characteristics for that token, and the name is not one of the types in the list of predefined tokens above, that player uses the card with that name in the Oracle card reference to determine the characteristics of that token. Example: Disa the Restless has the ability “Whenever one or more creatures you control deal combat damage to a player, create a Tarmogoyf token.” As that ability resolves, its controller creates a token with the same characteristics as the card named Tarmogoyf, as determined by the Oracle card reference.
- 111.12 If an effect instructs a player to create a token that is a copy of a nonexistent object, no token is created (see rule 707, “Copying Objects”). This does not apply to an effect that would use the last known information of an object. Example: Mimic Vat has a triggered ability whose effect gives you the option to exile a card and an activated ability that says “Create a token that’s a copy of a card exiled with this artifact. It gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step.” If no card has been exiled with Mimic Vat’s triggered ability, no token is created. (refs: 707)
- 111.13 A copy of a permanent spell becomes a token as it resolves. The token has the characteristics of the spell that became that token. The token is not “created” for the purposes of any replacement effects or triggered abilities that refer to creating a token.