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==History==
 
==History==
  +
===Cardboard tokens===
There were so many cards in ''[[Fallen Empires]]'' that produced tokens and/or required counters that [[Wizards of the Coast]] issued a cardboard sheet of them in [[Duelist]] #4.<ref>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/arcana/107|Fallen Empires tokens|[[Magic Arcana]]|May 31, 2002}}</ref> Special token [[cards]] were first printed for ''[[Unglued]]''.<ref>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/arcana/355|Soldier Tokens|[[Magic Arcana]]|May 27, 2003}}</ref> ''Unglued'''s tokens proved so popular they spawned the new tokens given away in the [[Magic Player Rewards]] program.<ref>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/daily/mr118|Unhinged or No?|[[Mark Rosewater]]|April 5, 2004}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/arcana/103|Player Rewards tokens|[[Magic Arcana]]|May 27, 2002}}</ref> Like for regular cards, the [[card frame]] for tokens was updated with ''[[Eighth Edition]]''. "Token" now appeared in the [[type line]], though it never became an official [[subtype]].<ref>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/arcana/422|The new look of tokens|[[Magic Arcana]]|September 24, 2003}}</ref> Since ''[[Tenth Edition]]'' they appear as [[marketing card]]s in [[booster pack]]s. Unlike earlier tokens, the don't have a regular [[card back]], but feature advertisements instead. Starting with ''[[Magic 2015]]'' "Token" changed from subtype to [[supertype]] in the typeline.<ref>{{NewRef|magic-2015-tokens-2014-07-02|Magic 2015 tokens|[[Blake Rasmussen]]|July 2, 2014}}</ref> Because the developers of ''[[Commander 2014]]'' didn't have to share the tokens in that set with the brand team, and the production constraints that mandated ''Magic'' backs on the [[Duel Decks]]' tokens didn't apply, they created double-faced tokens which featured a different token on each side of the card.<ref>{{NewRef|feature/love-letter-vorthos-2014-10-24|A Love Letter to Vorthos|[[Ethan Fleischer]] and [[Ian Duke]]|October 24, 2014}}</ref>
 
  +
There were so many cards in ''[[Fallen Empires]]'' that produced tokens and/or required counters that [[Wizards of the Coast]] issued a cardboard sheet of them in ''[[Duelist]]'' #4.<ref>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/arcana/107|Fallen Empires tokens|[[Magic Arcana]]|May 31, 2002}}</ref>
  +
===The first token cards===
  +
Special token [[cards]] were first printed for ''[[Unglued]]''.<ref>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/arcana/355|Soldier Tokens|[[Magic Arcana]]|May 27, 2003}}</ref> ''Unglued'''s tokens proved so popular they spawned the new tokens given away in the [[Magic Player Rewards]] program. <ref>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/daily/mr118|Unhinged or No?|[[Mark Rosewater]]|April 5, 2004}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/arcana/103|Player Rewards tokens|[[Magic Arcana]]|May 27, 2002}}</ref>
  +
===Eighth Edition===
  +
Like for regular cards, the [[card frame]] for tokens was updated with ''[[Eighth Edition]]''. "Token" now appeared in the [[type line]], though it never became an official [[subtype]].<ref>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/arcana/422|The new look of tokens|[[Magic Arcana]]|September 24, 2003}}</ref>
  +
===Tenth Edition===
  +
Since ''[[Tenth Edition]]'' tokens appear as [[marketing card]]s in [[booster pack]]s. Unlike earlier tokens, the don't have a regular [[card back]], but feature advertisements instead.
  +
===Magic 2015===
  +
Starting with ''[[Magic 2015]]'' "Token" changed from subtype to [[supertype]] in the typeline. <ref>{{NewRef|magic-2015-tokens-2014-07-02|Magic 2015 tokens|[[Blake Rasmussen]]|July 2, 2014}}</ref>
  +
===Double-faced tokens===
  +
The first double-faced token was released as a special [[FNM cards|FNM card]] during the [[Innistrad block]] on April 6, 2012 (which featured a full moon). It fittingly represented a 1/1 [[human]] on one side, and a 2/2 [[wolf]] on the other. <ref>{{DailyRef|mtg/daily/arcana/938|The Double-Faced Token|[[Monty Ashley]]|March 28, 2012}}</ref>
   
  +
The next chance for double-faced tokens came when the developers of ''[[Commander 2014]]'' didn't have to share the tokens in that set with the brand team, and the production constraints that mandated [[Card back|''Magic'' backs]] on the [[Duel Decks]]' tokens didn't apply. They created double-faced tokens which featured a different, unrelated, token on each side of the card. <ref>{{NewRef|feature/love-letter-vorthos-2014-10-24|A Love Letter to Vorthos|[[Ethan Fleischer]] and [[Ian Duke]]|October 24, 2014}}</ref>
  +
  +
==Magic Online==
 
Because [[Magic Online]] needs to represent all the tokens in the game, art needs to be created for even the most insignificant tokens. And for some of that art, Magic Online is the only place it appears.<ref>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/arcana/149|Unseen tokens|[[Magic Arcana]]|July 30, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/arcana/812|Oyobi Spirit Token Art|[[Magic Arcana]]|May 03, 2005}}</ref>
 
Because [[Magic Online]] needs to represent all the tokens in the game, art needs to be created for even the most insignificant tokens. And for some of that art, Magic Online is the only place it appears.<ref>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/arcana/149|Unseen tokens|[[Magic Arcana]]|July 30, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/arcana/812|Oyobi Spirit Token Art|[[Magic Arcana]]|May 03, 2005}}</ref>
   

Revision as of 08:13, 30 January 2015

Lor Kithkin Soldier

Kithkin Soldier token.

A token is a permanent that is not represented by a regular card with a casting cost.[1][2] Richard Garfield created tokens for Alpha, as opposed to counters, to make The Hive possible.[3] Usually, but not always, tokens are creatures.

Normally tokens can exist only on the battlefield. If a token leaves the battlefield and goes to another game zone, it can't change zones again, and it will be there only briefly before ceasing to exist as a state-based effect.

History

Cardboard tokens

There were so many cards in Fallen Empires that produced tokens and/or required counters that Wizards of the Coast issued a cardboard sheet of them in Duelist #4.[4]

The first token cards

Special token cards were first printed for Unglued.[5] Unglued's tokens proved so popular they spawned the new tokens given away in the Magic Player Rewards program. [6][7]

Eighth Edition

Like for regular cards, the card frame for tokens was updated with Eighth Edition. "Token" now appeared in the type line, though it never became an official subtype.[8]

Tenth Edition

Since Tenth Edition tokens appear as marketing cards in booster packs. Unlike earlier tokens, the don't have a regular card back, but feature advertisements instead.

Magic 2015

Starting with Magic 2015 "Token" changed from subtype to supertype in the typeline. [9]

Double-faced tokens

The first double-faced token was released as a special FNM card during the Innistrad block on April 6, 2012 (which featured a full moon). It fittingly represented a 1/1 human on one side, and a 2/2 wolf on the other. [10]

The next chance for double-faced tokens came when the developers of Commander 2014 didn't have to share the tokens in that set with the brand team, and the production constraints that mandated Magic backs on the Duel Decks' tokens didn't apply. They created double-faced tokens which featured a different, unrelated, token on each side of the card. [11]

Magic Online

Because Magic Online needs to represent all the tokens in the game, art needs to be created for even the most insignificant tokens. And for some of that art, Magic Online is the only place it appears.[12][13]

Examples and rules

  • Teysa, Orzhov Scion has the ability: "Whenever another black creature you control dies, put a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying onto the battlefield." "Dies" means precisely "is put into a graveyard from the battlefield" (rule 700.6). If you have a black creature token that gets destroyed, it will go to the graveyard, trigger Teysa's ability and put it on the stack, then disappear. However, the token cannot be the target of spells or abilities whilst in the graveyard.
  • Momentary Blink reads in part: "Exile target creature you control, then return it to the battlefield under its owner's control." If this spell is used on a creature token, it will be exiled, but it cannot come back to the battlefield and so stays in the exile zone. It will cease to exist when state-based effects are next checked.

From the ()


Token specific creature types

MPR Elephant token 2001

Magic Player Reward 2001

Some creatures named in the legal subtype-list only appear on tokens.

Full list

MPR Rukh token 2003

Magic Player Reward 2003

M15 Zombie token 2014

Magic 2015 token

  • Comprehensive Token Table - A comprehensive sortable table that lists every possible token that can be generated in Magic: the Gathering, the properties of those tokens, and the cards responsible for their creation (does not include tokens that copy other cards).

Trivia


References

  1. Mark Rosewater (May 27, 2002). "Tokens of My Affection". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. Mark Rosewater (May 27, 2013). "Token of Appreciation". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. Mark Rosewater (September 26, 2005). "+1/+1 For the Road". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. Magic Arcana (May 31, 2002). "Fallen Empires tokens". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. Magic Arcana (May 27, 2003). "Soldier Tokens". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  6. Mark Rosewater (April 5, 2004). "Unhinged or No?". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  7. Magic Arcana (May 27, 2002). "Player Rewards tokens". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  8. Magic Arcana (September 24, 2003). "The new look of tokens". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  9. Template:NewRef
  10. Monty Ashley (March 28, 2012). "The Double-Faced Token". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  11. Template:NewRef
  12. Magic Arcana (July 30, 2002). "Unseen tokens". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  13. Magic Arcana (May 03, 2005). "Oyobi Spirit Token Art". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  14. Monty Ashley (March 08, 2011). "The Germ in Charge". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  15. Magic Arcana (June 01, 2004). "Pincher token art". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  16. Aaron Forsythe (January 27, 2006). "Guildpact: Twenty Questions". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  17. Magic Arcana (September 26, 2006). "Time Spiral Token Art #3". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.

External links