What happens if you return a token creature to its owner’s hand?

If you return a token creature to its owner’s hand, it will cease to exist when state-based actions are checked, as tokens cannot exist in any zone other than the battlefield. This means that the token will not remain in the hand, but will instead vanish from the game, as it is no longer in a valid zone.

Understanding Token Creatures

To understand what happens when a token creature is returned to its owner’s hand, it’s essential to know the basics of token creatures in Magic: The Gathering.

Token Creature FAQs

General Questions

1. Can you return a token creature to its owner’s hand?: Yes, you can return a token creature to its owner’s hand, but it will not count as destroying it.
2. Can token creatures be bounced to a hand?: Token creatures can be bounced to a hand, but they will cease to exist when state-based actions are checked.
3. What happens if you bounce a creature token?: When you bounce a creature token, it will vanish from the game, as tokens cannot exist in any zone other than the battlefield.

Token Creatures and Zones

4. Can tokens be exiled and returned?: No, tokens cannot be exiled and returned to the battlefield, as they cease to exist when they leave the battlefield.
5. Can you take control of a token creature?: Yes, you can gain control of a token creature, as long as the control-changing effect is only a control-changing effect and doesn’t cause the token to leave the battlefield beforehand.

Legendary Token Creatures

6. Can a token be a legendary creature?: A token can be a legendary creature if the effect creating it says that it’s legendary, or if it’s a token copy of a legendary permanent.
7. Can you have 2 legendary tokens?: You can control multiple legendary tokens with the same name, but if you control multiple legendary permanents with the same name, you will have to choose one and put the other into your graveyard.

Token Creatures and Game Mechanics

8. Does a token creature have summoning sickness?: Yes, token creatures have summoning sickness, just like other creatures, and are affected by it for the duration of the turn that they enter the battlefield.
9. Can you mutate a token creature?: Yes, token creatures can mutate, just like non-token permanents, and if a token is on top of a merged creature, the creature is a token.

Token Creatures and Death

10. What happens when a token dies in Magic?: When a token dies, it will cease to exist after triggering any effects that look for or count the number of things that went to the graveyard.
11. Do treasure tokens leave your graveyard?: Yes, tokens will cease to exist after going to the graveyard, but they can trigger effects that look for or count the number of things that went to the graveyard before they are removed.

Token Creatures and Control

12. Can you sacrifice a token as a creature?: Yes, you can sacrifice a token creature, and to prevent the sacrifice, the creature needs to leave the battlefield and re-enter it.
13. Can you copy a creature spell to create a token?: Some cards can copy permanent spells, which become tokens once the copy of the spell resolves.

Token Creatures and Legendary Rule

14. What happens if you copy a legendary creature?: When you copy a legendary creature, the Legend Rule will apply, and you will have to choose one and put the other into your graveyard if you control multiple legendary permanents with the same name.
15. Can two players have the same legendary creature?: Yes, two players can control legendary cards with the same name, as the Legendary Rule only applies to individual players, not to the game as a whole.