Do Token Creatures Go to Graveyard?

Token creatures do indeed go to the graveyard, but with a significant caveat: as a passive effect, they immediately cease to exist once they are put into the graveyard. This means that while they do trigger various effects that look for creatures entering the graveyard, such as “when a creature enters the graveyard” triggers, they are removed from the game before any subsequent effects can target them.

Understanding Token Creatures

Token Creatures and the Graveyard

Token creatures behave like regular creatures in many ways, but their interaction with the graveyard is unique due to their ephemeral nature. They can be sacrificed, exiled, or destroyed, and in each of these cases, they will indeed go to the graveyard before ceasing to exist.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do Tokens Count as Monsters in Graveyard? Tokens are considered creatures while on the battlefield and will go to the graveyard like other creatures when they die or are otherwise removed from the battlefield. However, due to their nature as tokens, they cease to exist immediately after entering the graveyard.

2. Do Role Tokens Go to the Graveyard? Role tokens behave like any other aura and will be sent to the graveyard if the creature they are attached to leaves the battlefield or if they are destroyed. Like other tokens, they cease to exist after entering the graveyard.

3. Are Destroyed Tokens Put into the Graveyard? Yes, destroyed tokens are put into the graveyard, but only for an instant before they cease to exist. This brief moment is enough to trigger effects that care about creatures entering the graveyard.

4. Do Tokens Count for Gravestorm? Tokens do count towards Gravestorm effects because they are considered permanents while on the battlefield, and Gravestorm cares about permanents entering the graveyard.

5. What Happens When a Token Creature Dies? When a token creature dies, it is put into the graveyard briefly, triggering any death or graveyard effects, before ceasing to exist.

6. Do Token Creatures Count Towards Devotion? Token creatures generally do not count towards devotion unless they are exact copies of cards with mana pips. The key factor is whether the token has a mana cost, which depends on how it was created.

7. Can Tokens Be Sent to the Graveyard for Cost? Tokens cannot be sent to the graveyard (or any other zone) to fulfill costs because they can only exist on the battlefield. If sent elsewhere, they immediately cease to exist.

8. How Do Token Creatures Work? Token creatures work exactly like regular creatures while on the battlefield. They can attack, block, and use abilities, and they are affected by damage and status conditions.

9. Do Token Creatures Count as Creatures? Tokens are often creatures but can also be other types, like artifacts. On the battlefield, they operate like any other permanent, with some exceptions based on specific abilities.

10. Do Tokens Have Summoning Sickness? Yes, tokens do have summoning sickness because they are permanents and creatures, and summoning sickness applies to all creatures.

11. Does Grave Betrayal Work on Token Creatures? No, Grave Betrayal does not work on token creatures because they cease to exist immediately after entering the graveyard, before Grave Betrayal can return them to the battlefield.

12. Do Tokens Trigger Desecrated Tomb? No, tokens do not trigger Desecrated Tomb because they are not cards, and the tomb’s effect cares about creature cards leaving the graveyard.

13. Can Tokens Be Used for Fusion? In the context of Fusion 360, tokens refer to a virtual currency used for computational services, not Magic: The Gathering tokens. However, in Magic, tokens can be used for fusion or merge effects under specific conditions.

14. Does Bloodchief Ascension Trigger Off Tokens? Bloodchief Ascension does not trigger off token creatures because it cares about nontoken creatures dying, and tokens are not represented by cards in the graveyard.

15. Can You Return Token Creatures to Your Hand? Token creatures cannot be meaningfully returned to your hand because they cease to exist as soon as they are no longer on the battlefield. If a spell or ability attempts to return a token creature to its owner’s hand, it will exist for a brief moment before disappearing.