Tokens and the Graveyard
Asked by GlimmerKing 11 years ago
How do creature tokens and the graveyard work? Do the tokens stay in the graveyard? Or do tokens go to the graveyard?
I'm curious because I'm thinking of a combo of Plague of Vermin with something like Cower in Fear and Crypt Incursion .
megawurmple says... Accepted answer #4
Sam_I_am The tokens don't get exiled. That would mean that they move to the exile zone. When a token goes to the graveyard, it simply ceases to exist from the game's perspective; it isn't in any zone, anywhere in the game. The same happens when the token is moved anywhere other than the battlefield (such as you hand, your library or the exile zone). This happens immediately.
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.) Once a token has left play, it can't be returned to play by any means.
October 16, 2013 2:31 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #5
It should also be noted that effects referencing objects in the graveyard, hand, or library always reference cards in those zones. Because tokens aren't cards, they wouldn't be counted anyway.
For example, Bloodchief Ascension 's ability won't trigger if a token dies because a token isn't a card (even though it does go to the graveyard).
October 16, 2013 2:35 p.m.
tokens do technically go to the graveyard and trigger leaves the battlefield effects though right?
October 16, 2013 4:45 p.m.
Rest in Peace specifically mentions tokens going into the graveyard if you need this to be more confusing
October 16, 2013 4:50 p.m.
actually I think that answers my question, tokens must go to the graveyard and then cease to exist when SB actions are checked. If not then Rest in Peace wouldn't make sense as you can't exile a token going to the graveyard if it just ceased to exist once it dies or is destroyed.
October 16, 2013 4:55 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #9
Rest in Peace has the "or token" to avoid a weird loophole that would allow dying tokens to trigger "dies" triggers but not dying cards.
October 16, 2013 5:29 p.m.
megawurmple says... #10
Rest in Peace creates a replacement effect. Instead of going to the graveyard, the token goes to the exile zone. It never goes to the graveyard at all. After it gets to the exile zone, it ceases to exist, as normal. As Rhadamanthus mentioned, Rest in Peace specifically mentions tokens as tokens aren't technically cards, and it would be strange if tokens triggered "dies" abilities, but nothing else did.
Sam_I_am says... #1
Tokens that go to the graveyard get exiled
Whenever a token moves to a zone other than the battlefield, that token gets exiled by a state-based action.
October 16, 2013 2:24 p.m.