In Magic the Gathering, do token creatures that have died remain in your graveyard as creatures?

Question

If a rat token or an elf token is or any token is killed, does it leave play or go to your graveyard as a creature?

Answer 1

No. A token that is destroyed or somehow leaves play are removed from the game as a state-based effect. However, if a token is destroyed and goes to the graveyard, it will go to the graveyard long enough to activate any triggered effects. Cards that care about creatures going into graveyards will trigger for token creatures.



If a token leaves play, it is removed from the game entirely. Tokens can’t be returned to your hand, they can’t exist on the top of a library – they are cleaned up and gone until you generate more.

Answer 2

here are the rules for tokens:



216. Tokens



216.1. Some effects put tokens into play. A token is controlled by whoever put it into play and owned by the controller of the spell or ability that created it. (If no player controlled the effect that created it, the token is owned by whoever put it into play.) The spell or ability may define any number of characteristics for the token. This becomes the token's "text." The characteristics defined this way are functionally equivalent to the characteristics 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.



216.1a A spell or ability that creates a creature token sets both its name and its creature type. If the spell or ability doesn't specify the name of the creature token, its name is the same as its creature type(s). A "Goblin Scout creature token," for example, is named "Goblin Scout" and has the creature subtypes Goblin and Scout. Once a token is in play, changing its name doesn't change its creature type, and vice versa.



216.2. 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).



216.3. A token in a zone other than the in-play zone ceases to exist. This is a state-based effect. (Note that a token changing zones sets off triggered abilities before the token ceases to exist.)



216.4 A token that has left play can't come back into play. If such a token would return to play, it remains in its current zone instead. It ceases to exist the next time state-based effects are checked.





So, if you read 216.3, if the token would go to the graveyard, it ceases to exist as a token. However, if you had something that said (for example), "whenever a creature goes tot he graveyard you gain 1 life", you would still gain the life from it.

Answer 3

What gerald said ... the only thing to add is a token creature is a representation of a creature in every way other than the fact that if a token leave the battlefield for any reason it ceases to be. For instance you can't return a token creature to a player hand; if you do the token is gone forever.

Answer 4

As per my understanding, you have the opportunity to use instants / abilities that use the number of creatures in the graveyard in some way. However, they basically have protection from anything, and can't be moved back into the battlefield. Once this op passes, all tokens anywhere except where they are allowed to be (the battlefield) are instantly deleted from the game (not to be confused with being exiled, which is a state of existence for in-game cards)



Please correct me if I'm wrong; it may well save me from accidentally cheating

Answer 5

it leaves all play, unfortunately.



if you are forced to sacrifice a creature, and u choose a token, it just kinda disappears once it goes to the graveyard, rather than a normal creature card.



good luck.

Answer 6

No. When a token permanent leaves play it just goes away (does not go back to your hand, or graveyard, or does not get shuffled back into your library, etc).

However any effects that will trigger by a token going to the graveyard (ex. fecundity) or being returned to your hand (ex. warped devotion) or being shuffled back to your library (ex. casting oblation on a token, with a psychogenic probe in play), etc will happen.

Answer 7

The ruling for destruction of tokens(creatures or otherwise) removes them from the game.

Answer 8

unfortunately,tokens are not real creatures so they just leave the play.

Answer 9

They don't go to the graveyard. They "leave play" even though they don't exist out there either. They sorta just disappear. haha :D