I remember this coming up long ago, and I just unsuccessful tried doing a rules dive to find the answer. So...
What happens to tokens on the battlefield when someone casts Warp World? I understand that they'll cease to exist after the spell resolves, but do they go into the library at all? I couldn't find any rule that said only cards could exist in the library, or that tokens that would be shuffled into the library go somewhere else. I get that you can only draw cards from the library, so what happens to any tokens that are hit by Warp World while revealing cards from the library?
I get this isn't a major question, but its bugged me for a long time. Is there some rule I'm missing?
The tokens will technically go in to the library only to immediately cease to exist afterward so for purposes of Warp World you would reveal another card for each token. When a game action moves a permanent token to another zone than the battlefield it always moves there which is why tokens can cause death triggers or a card like Barrin, Tolarian Archmage would count returning a token to your own hand. It's just that once they go to that zone they cease to exist.
Actually, as the OP said, tokens in a zone other than the battlefield cease to exist when state based actions are checked, so only after Warp World has fully resolved. But Warp World requires to reveal cards from the top of the library, so any token hit with it should simply be skipped as they are not cards. And they can't leave the library anymore anyway.
111.7. A token that’s in a zone other than the battlefield ceases to exist. This is a state-based action; see
rule 704. (Note that if a token changes zones, applicable triggered abilities will trigger before the
token ceases to exist.)
111.8. A token that has left the battlefield can’t move to another zone or come back onto the battlefield.
If such a token would change zones, it remains in its current zone instead. It ceases to exist the next
time state-based actions are checked; see rule 704.
Okay, so the tokens end up being skipped when in the deck. That's one of the results I figured, but I had nothing to back that up, since the way everyone I knew played it was just set the tokens aside instead of shuffling them in.
I wonder if there should have been some rule about what happens when a token is shuffled into the deck. As I said before, I found nothing in the rules about tokens in the deck. I guess it's handled by only ever going for cards in the deck, so a token should never matter in the few moments its there, but still, for all the situations covered by the comprehensive rules, I'm surprised that's one that isn't there.
Actually, as the OP said, tokens in a zone other than the battlefield cease to exist when state based actions are checked, so only after Warp World has fully resolved. But Warp World requires to reveal cards from the top of the library, so any token hit with it should simply be skipped as they are not cards. And they can't leave the library anymore anyway.
Warp World says, "Each player shuffles all permanents they own into their library, then reveals THAT MANY cards from the top of their library." The counting of the tokens doesn't appear to treat them as cards. A certain number of tokens go into the library, and then THAT MANY cards-- actual cards-- are put onto the battlefield. Right???? Or am I missing something?
Warp World says, "Each player shuffles all permanents they own into their library, then reveals THAT MANY cards from the top of their library." The counting of the tokens doesn't appear to treat them as cards. A certain number of tokens go into the library, and then THAT MANY cards-- actual cards-- are put onto the battlefield. Right???? Or am I missing something?
Here, the "that many" refers to the antecedent "all permanents they own", that is, as many cards as permanents the player in question owned before they were shuffled into the library.
Here, the "that many" refers to the antecedent "all permanents they own", that is, as many cards as permanents the player in question owned before they were shuffled into the library.
Yes. That's what I'm saying. Although tokens aren't cards, they ARE permanents, so they will be counted. The permanents, including tokens, will be counted, then THAT MANY cards will be put in play. Right?
Rezzahan said, ... "Warp World requires to reveal cards from the top of the library, so any token hit with it should simply be skipped as they are not cards."
What happens to tokens on the battlefield when someone casts Warp World? I understand that they'll cease to exist after the spell resolves, but do they go into the library at all? I couldn't find any rule that said only cards could exist in the library, or that tokens that would be shuffled into the library go somewhere else. I get that you can only draw cards from the library, so what happens to any tokens that are hit by Warp World while revealing cards from the library?
I get this isn't a major question, but its bugged me for a long time. Is there some rule I'm missing?
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I wonder if there should have been some rule about what happens when a token is shuffled into the deck. As I said before, I found nothing in the rules about tokens in the deck. I guess it's handled by only ever going for cards in the deck, so a token should never matter in the few moments its there, but still, for all the situations covered by the comprehensive rules, I'm surprised that's one that isn't there.
Thank you for your answers.
Here, the "that many" refers to the antecedent "all permanents they own", that is, as many cards as permanents the player in question owned before they were shuffled into the library.
See also Barbed Shocker, as well as:
- https://www.reddit.com/r/mtgrules/comments/11sh9sa/otharri_suns_glory_rabble_rousing/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/mtgrules/comments/onwhms/varina_lich_queen_help/
- https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/magic-rulings/778193-subject-vs-predicate
- https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/magic-rulings/805398-grand-warlord-radha
Rezzahan said, ... "Warp World requires to reveal cards from the top of the library, so any token hit with it should simply be skipped as they are not cards."