Token
A token is a permanent that is not represented by a regular card with a casting cost. Usually, but not always, tokens are creatures (It is possible to use cards such as Followed Footsteps and Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker to create noncreature tokens).
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.
Examples
- 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 "enters a graveyard from the battlefield". 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.
- 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.
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Token specific creature types
Some creatures named in the legal subtype-list only appear on tokens.
- Camarid tokens are created by Homarid Spawning Bed and Sarpadian Empires, Vol. VII.
- Caribou tokens are created by Caribou Range.
- Citizen tokens are created by Icatian Crier, Icatian Town and Sarpadian Empires, Vol. VII.
- Deserter tokens are created by Kjeldoran Home Guard.
- Germ tokens are created by living weapons.
- Graveborn tokens are created by Balduvian Dead and Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper. Graveborn Muse doesn't have the subtype Graveborn.
- Orb tokens are created by Phantasmal Sphere. Note that artifacts like Chaos Orb don't have the Orb subtype.
- Pentavite tokens are created by Pentavus.
- Pincher tokens are created by the Summoning Station. Pincher Beetles doesn't have the subtype.
- Prism tokens are created by Diamond Kaleidoscope, but not by Pentad Prism or Prismatic Circle.
- Reflection tokens are created by Pure Reflection and Spirit Mirror, but not by the Kami of Twisted Reflection.
- Sand (Warrior) tokens are created by Hazezon Tamar and Dune-Brood Nephilim, but for example not by Choking Sands or Sandstorm. Sand Golem is not a Sand Creature.
- Saproling are produced by many green-aligned fungus and/or plant-based cards.
- Serf tokens are produced by Sengir Autocrat.
- Splinter tokens are created by Splintering Wind, but not by Splinter, Splinter Twin or Bone Splinters.
- Survivor tokens are created by Varchild's War-Riders under opponent's control. Note that Auriok Survivors, Riptide Survivor and Survivor of the Unseen don't have the survivor subtype.
- Pink Giant Teddy Bear tokens are created by Water Gun Balloon Game.
- Tetravite tokens are created by Tetravus.
- Triskelavite tokens are created by Triskelavus.
Trivia
- The first non-creature token was the artifact token named Gold that is produced by Gild from Born of the Gods
- Intangible Virtue is a Lord-type enchantment that gives +1/+1 and vigilance to creature tokens.
- Tokens were featured as rules card 4 of 9 in the Magic 2011 set.