The History of Tokens, Part 3
Three weeks ago, I started walking through the history of tokens. There was enough to talk about that I continued that story in "The History of Tokens, Part 2." There's even more of the story to tell, so I'll pick the story back up (and finish it) today. Today's installment begins in 2014.
Magic 2015
After a seven-year gap, the word "token" started appearing again on the card type line of tokens (though it isn't a card type). For the first time, we started using a "T" for the rarity of the card in the card information area in the lower-left corner.
Commander (2015 Edition)
Commander (2015 Edition) introduced the myriad mechanic with a cycle of uncommons and a rare artifact. Myriad allows a player to attack all their opponents by creating temporary creature token copies of an attacking creature with myriad. While we had designed individual cards that made temporary tokens, myriad was the first named mechanic to make use of this design technology. It's also the first token mechanic designed specifically for multiplayer play.
Shadows over Innistrad
Shadows over Innistrad was our return to the plane of Innistrad. At the time, we were trying to shake up our revisits, so instead of doing Gothic horror like we'd done in the original Innistrad block, we tapped into cosmic horror. That meant the first set, Shadows over Innistrad, would be all about investigating strange occurrences, while the second set, Eldritch Moon, would be about horrors of the plane that have since been revealed.
We really wanted a mechanic named investigate to capture a sense of investigation. What exactly would investigate do? Drawing cards seemed like the cleanest answer. When you investigate, you learn things. The problem was that it resulted in too much card draw. So, we asked ourselves if there was a way to draw half a card? It turns out there was. We could create an artifact token, a Clue, that let you pay
Clue tokens proved to be a major step forward for Magic design. Players could use them to draw cards, but now we had this object that we could design elements of the set around. Its mere existence meant we could make cards that cared about that permanent being on the battlefield. It was specifically an artifact, so it could be part of an "artifacts matter" theme. You could sacrifice it for other effects. It was both super flavorful and useful from a structural standpoint. It was the beginning of a new vein of token design, where a singular noncreature token could be a key component of a set's structure.
Kaladesh
Kaladesh featured a plane focused on the creativity of invention. We knew that meant it needed to have a large artifact theme. Because we wanted to show a lot of creatures using technology, we decided we liked the idea of using +1/+1 counters to illustrate that something is enhanced by inventions. This led to a design meeting where I was laying out the needs for our final named mechanic. As I explained the parameters of it, I came up with fabricate.
Fabricate is a creature mechanic that gives you the choice of either putting a certain number of +1/+1 counters on the creature with fabricate or making that many 1/1 Servo artifact creature tokens. This is the first time we made a modal mechanic where one mode created creature tokens. The biggest challenge was that creating a number of 1/1 artifact token creatures was usually just better than adding that many +1/+1 counters to your creature, so it was hard to create designs where the two modes were balanced.
Kaladesh is also the set where we introduced the "create" keyword action. Making tokens had proven itself key to how we design Magic, so we added it into the vocabulary of the game to make it easier to express.
Amonkhet
Amonkhet introduced the embalm mechanic. This creature mechanic allows you to spend mana and exile the creature card from your graveyard to create a white Zombie creature token copy to embody the flavor of turning the dead creature into a mummy. While we'd made mechanics that create tokens in the past, embalm was the first one that allowed each creature with the ability to make a unique token. This required us to allocate extra art resources toward making a token card for every creature in the set with embalm, which was something we'd never done before.
Hour of Devastation
Hour of Devastation introduced the eternalize mechanic. Eternalize is a tweaked version of embalm with two key differences. The creature token was always a 4/4, and it was black rather than white. The mechanic represented the army of zombies that Nicol Bolas was creating from the Amonkheti people (which would play a critical role in the story of War of the Spark). This was the first time we adapted a previous token mechanic. One of the interesting design challenges with eternalize involved figuring out how to capitalize on the fact that the token copy was a 4/4.
Ixalan
Ixalan had a typal theme. One of the main creature types was Pirates, so it seemed like a great idea to bring back the Gold artifact token from the Theros block. Clue tokens had proven useful in the Shadows over Ixalan block, so we were eager to try the experiment again with a different artifact token. Having a token that made mana seemed like a great tool for a set to access. But there was one problem.
Aether Revolt, the second set in the Kaladesh block, introduced a mechanic called improvise that allows you to tap artifacts to help pay for a spell. With this, you can use a Gold token to pay the two mana for an improvised spell, and that was a little too good.
We decided to remake Gold. Because we saw the long-term potential in the mechanic, we gave it the more open-ended name of Treasure. It could represent gold on Ixalan, but it could be different things on different planes. Treasure quickly became a tool that we use all the time.
Commander (2018 Edition)
Ravnica Allegiance
Inspired by the card
War of the Spark
In Hour of Devastation, we introduced Nicol Bolas's army of zombies called Eternals. In that set, we used eternalize and afflict to represent the army. Neither ended up being a good fit for War of the Spark, so we tried various other mechanics. The low-hanging fruit was a mechanic that makes creature tokens to represent the Eternals. However, these tended to gum up the battlefield. We experimented with various answers (the creature tokens couldn't block, they had to attack or block together, etc.), but ended up with a more novel solution in the form of the amass mechanic.
Rather than creating multiple creature tokens, we decided to represent the entirety of the army with a single Army creature token. The first time you amass, you create a 0/0 Zombie Army token and put a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to the number of amass. Then, whenever you amass while controlling an Army, you put the +1/+1 counters on the existing Zombie Army creature token. This allows the Zombie Army to grow over time and become a big threat without shutting down the board.
Amass ended up being a very valuable tool. The idea of creating a single token that you build upon has become a valuable tool in R&D's toolbox. We have revisited amass numerous times to inspire other mechanics.
Throne of Eldraine
While working on the fairy tale-themed Throne of Eldraine, we wanted to reference food as it is important in fairy tales. Remembering the success of Clue tokens and Treasure tokens, we decided to create a Food token that could serve as a core part of the set. Having Food grant life seemed like slam-dunk flavor, and it was a resource that every deck could use. Because we didn't want the Food tokens to extend every game, we also explored other things to do with Food tokens. Later sets have used Food tokens in a larger way, pushing even more in this direction. Food tokens have gone on to become a deciduous tool that we use often.
Throne of Eldraine also introduced the concept of predefined tokens. A predifined token allows a card's rules text to state what kind of token will be created, with the game rules already defining that token's abilities. This was first implemented with Treasure and Food tokens but has been applied to other types of frequently used tokens.
Kaldheim
Kaldheim introduced a new planeswalker named Niko. To create something unique for Niko mechanically, we invented a new type of token called a Shard token. Shards are tweaked Clues that let players scry 1 before drawing. For flavor reasons, and to start pushing into a new space, we made these enchantment tokens. So far, only Niko cards are able to create them.
Zendikar Rising
Commander Legends
Commander Legends introduced the encore mechanic. Encore is a tweaked version of myriad. It allows you to pay a cost and exile a creature card in your graveyard with the encore ability to make token copies with haste equal to the number of opponents. You sacrifice these tokens at the end of the turn.
Modern Horizons 2
Modern Horizons 2 introduced
Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms
Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms introduced venture into the dungeon, a brand-new mechanic. Whenever you venture into the dungeon, you choose one of three Dungeons, each of which has a card that exists separate from your deck. Each of the three Dungeons make at least one token. Dungeon of the Mad Mage creates Treasure tokens and 1/1 black Skeleton creature tokens. Lost Mine of Phandelver creates Treasure tokens and 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens. Tomb of Annihilation creates The Atropal, a legendary 4/4 black God Horror creature token with deathtouch.
Innistrad: Crimson Vow
Innistrad: Crimson Vow was a Vampire-themed set that introduced a new artifact token, Blood. Blood tokens allow you to sacrifice them to discard and draw a card. The set also has a lot of other ways to use Blood tokens.
In addition, the set changed how tokens were named. As of this set, tokens are named by listing any subtypes and then the word "token." For example, a Clue token is named "Clue token" in the game's rules. Without this change, you could have used
Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate
Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate introduced initiative, which was inspired by the monarch mechanic from Conspiracy: Take the Crown. Whenever you take the initiative or at the beginning of your upkeep while you have the initiative, you get to venture into The Undercity. The Undercity is similar to the other Dungeons. The Undercity creates Treasure tokens and 4/1 black Skeleton creature tokens with menace.
Dominaria United
Powerstones are artifact tokens that tap for a
March of the Machine
March of the Machine was the capstone event set to end the Phyrexian arc. It represented the Phyrexian invasion, which took place across many planes in the Multiverse. To represent the Phyrexians, we used transforming double-faced cards. That inspired us to make a double-faced artifact token and the incubate mechanic. Cards with the incubate mechanic create an Incubator token, an artifact token with some number of +1/+1 counters on it that you spend mana to transform into a Phyrexian artifact creature. This is a great example of how we integrate new design technologies into tokens.
Wilds of Eldraine
After years of artifact tokens dominating design, it was time for enchantment tokens to finally get their turn. Wilds of Eldraine introduced Role tokens, which are predefined Aura enchantment tokens with flavorful labels. The main set had six Roles, with the set's Commander decks introducing a seventh Role token. Having so many unique tokens proved to be a little challenging and led us to change how we put token cards in boosters (to increase how many showed up).
Warhammer 40,000 Commander Decks
The Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks introduced a new mechanic called squad. It's a kicker-like mechanic where you can pay a cost any number of times. When a creature with squad enters, for each time you paid its squad cost, you create a token copy of the creature.
Phyrexia: All Will Be One
Phyrexia: All Will Be One introduced a tweaked version of the living weapon mechanic from Mirrodin Besieged. Unlike the 0/0 black Germ creature token, For Mirrodin! creates a 2/2 red Rebel creature token, which avoids us having to put a toughness-increasing effect on every card with the mechanic. Realizing we can create Equipment that can be put into creature slots was a big innovation, one that we kept using on individual card designs, so it's not surprising that we keep making mechanics with it.
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth was our first big Universes Beyond set. In it, we needed to make a giant Orc army. Amass was the perfect mechanic, except it made a Zombie Army token and not an Orc Army token. So, we tweaked the amass mechanic to allow us to make whatever creature type we wanted the Army to be, changing the text of War of the Spark cards to amass Zombies. This demonstrates our dedication to maximizing our ability to use our token-creating mechanics, as they've become so core to design.
The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
The Lost Caverns of Ixalan introduced Map tokens. This is the first time that a predefined token included a nonevergreen keyword mechanic baked into its rules text. Map tokens allow you to pay
Map tokens show a willingness to play with the complexity of tokens, which demonstrates how engrained they've become to how we design Magic cards, although I will admit it's an area we have to be careful with.
Magic: The Gathering® — Fallout®
Magic: The Gathering — Fallout introduced Junk tokens. You sacrifice these to "impulsive draw," which is where you exile the top card of your library and play it for the rest of the turn. Players frequently ask for these to return on my Tumblr blog.
Modern Horizons 3
Modern Horizons 3 has cards that can create a token copy of
Bloomburrow
Bloomburrow had not one but two token mechanics. Offspring is a creature mechanic with an extra kicker-like cost that, when paid, lets you make a 1/1 token copy of the creature with offspring. Like embalm, the set was created so that each offspring creature has its own token card in the set.
The other mechanic was gift, which allows you to give a specific resource to another player to enhance one of your cards. The gifted resource is often a token. Cards with the mechanic allow you to gift an opponent a Food, Treasure, or creature token (the most common being a 1/1 blue Fish).
Tarkir: Dragonstorm
Tarkir: Dragonstorm is another set with two token-making mechanics. The first is mobilize, the Mardu mechanic, which is a creature mechanic that triggers when a creature with mobilize attacks, creating a number of 1/1 red Warrior creature tokens that enter attacking. These tokens are sacrificed at the end of the turn. Not only do they get in for extra damage, but it's fun to figure out how to use them as an extra resource before they go away.
The second is endure, the Abzan mechanic. It's a tweaked version of the fabricate mechanic from Kaladesh. It helps fix the discrepancy between tokens and +1/+1 counters by only making a single token, although that token is usually bigger (you get N +1/+1 counters or an N/N white Spirit creature token). The fact that 2025 has had two sets with multiple token-making mechanics shows how the influence of tokens has continued to grow.
Magic: The Gathering®—FINAL FANTASY™
Magic: The Gathering®—FINAL FANTASY™ introduced another Equipment mechanic that creates a creature token that the Equipment attaches to. Job select creates a 1/1 colorless Hero creature token. I believe that we're getting pretty close to making a generic deciduous version of this mechanic.
Edge of Eternities
Edge of Eternities introduced another predefined artifact token, Landers. Landers allow you to spend
Token Effort
As this three-week series has shown, tokens are an integral part of Magic design, and I don't see that changing any time soon. I hope this look through their history was enlightening. As always, I'm eager for any feedback, be it on today's article, the design elements of tokens I discussed, or on any topic you'd like to chat about. You can email me or contact me through social media (Bluesky, Tumblr, Instagram, TikTok, and X).
Next week is the Magic color Black's turn to talk in "My Words: Black."
Until then, may you make lots and lots of tokens (if you so please).