URGANIMARURG In the folklore of its plane, the Animar is the ultimate source of all life—the seed from which all creation grows. In the presence of Animar, crops blossom and herds thrive, and the wake of its wanderings determines the course of the seasons.
I would also like to see this thread updated. It really was a great resource for me when I built my first token deck. However since it hasn't been updated in a while there is a good number of great token commanders missing (Prossh, Trostani, Marath, Gahiji and Purphoros to name a few). I would be willing to update the list of commanders if that was possible.
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Current Modern decks BGW Junk / URB Grixis Shadow / RGB Lantern Control / WUBCBant Eldrazi
Current Legacy decks BUG Shardless BUG / UWR Predict Miracles / RUG Canadian Thresh / WRBG 4c Loam UB Reanimator
I would support anyone who wanted to take on the task of copying, pasting, and maintaining this thread. The original writer did a fine job of explaining important tactics and synergies involved in token based decks. Since Ghoulcaller Gisa was released in Commander 2014, she has been my commander of choice. In addition to her, I have Soul Foundry, which is a well balanced card in my opinion. If the table answers it, then you will get hit with a two-for-one. However, the long term card advantage it can provide more than makes up for it. When I started playing EDH in later 2007, I would sometimes get the chance to imprint Skeletal Vampire. That felt so amazing. Imagine how I reacted when I saw and eventually got my hands on a Grave Titan.
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"Whatever style you wish to play, be it fast and frenzied or slow and tactical, the surest way to defeat your opponent consistently is by dominating him or her in the war of card advantage." - Brian Wiseman, April 1996
Well guys, I haven't played much EDH but back when MTGO offered it I played 100card Singleton competitively. I usually played Zoo or Control brews for easy top 8s but more recently I'd play on Cockatrice with my European friends (100card singleton being played competitively primarily in Europe) and I was always testing token strategies. I've been considering getting into EDH but here's my singleton Naya Token list, hopefully it helps with ideas for everyone and I'd also love insight. (I know Singleton starts at 20 life which impacts how this list was designed as opposed to 30 and 40 life EDH formats)
In Singleton Artifacts and Enchantments aren't that prevalent otherwise cards like Seed Spark or Sundering Growth would be easy inclusions. Not sure how EDH differs, the curve would probably be a bit more stretched for EDH too I'd imagine with games being more drawn out but the proactiveness and ability to kill quick and in one or two attacks is still there with tokens in EDH. Any suggestions for Commanders? Also the prevalence of sweepers in EDH compared to singleton may make me consider cards like Fresh Meat and Dauntless Escort.
PS: Singleton has a much different banned list than EDH also.
Not a good one, she can only produce one token per trigger, and requires some kind of secondary strat that can take advantage of all the stuff you're tossing into your yard. Dredge creatures are a decent option I suppose, but there are only so many of those, and you need additional draw triggers to get the most out of those. No, Sidisi doesn't seem like a terribly good option here. Purphoros, God of the Forge on the other hand...
I would support anyone who wanted to take on the task of copying, pasting, and maintaining this thread. The original writer did a fine job of explaining important tactics and synergies involved in token based decks. Since Ghoulcaller Gisa was released in Commander 2014, she has been my commander of choice. In addition to her, I have Soul Foundry, which is a well balanced card in my opinion. If the table answers it, then you will get hit with a two-for-one. However, the long term card advantage it can provide more than makes up for it. When I started playing EDH in later 2007, I would sometimes get the chance to imprint Skeletal Vampire. That felt so amazing. Imagine how I reacted when I saw and eventually got my hands on a Grave Titan.
I'd be willing to take it over if people wish to help me grow it out and not let it die like this did.
I think that the strategy sections is generally still valid, but I think that if we were going to start a new thread, it'd be worthwhile to do a significant refresh of the card lists. There are a lot of things listed that I can't imagine ever making the cut even in a very casual token deck. Things like Elgaud Inquisitor, Sensor Splicer, Commander's Authority and Icatian Town are just not EDH playable unless your deck is heavily dedicated to a very specific theme or something, and that's just in white. Anybody can find a list of arbitrary cards that produce tokens with magiccards.info or Gatherer; a useful list needs some kind of quality filter. The list also includes things that realistically only make one token; a noncreature card that only makes one token doesn't get you any more creatures than an arbitrary creature card does, so it doesn't really support a strategy that involves having a lot of creatures any better than a creature card does. A single token is just a worse creature card unless you're running one of a handful of white cards that specifically boost tokens, and those cards are pretty marginal. Reading back over the thread, there seems to be sort of a spirit of just throwing in almost anything that anybody suggests and adding any card from new sets that technically qualifies, but I don't know that that makes for the most useful resource at the end of the day. I don't think the thread needs to become "Here's how to exactly build the exactly most optimal token deck, every other card get out." There are deck- and commander-specific primers for that sort of thing. But especially as Wizards has ramped up the degree to which they use tokens technology, there are now enough cards that produce tokens, make all of your creatures better, care about how many creatures you have, use creatures as a resource, or otherwise interact favorably with having a lot of creatures that even in a deck that was playing nothing but those things, even a mono-color deck (except probably a blue deck), there'd be plenty of things that wouldn't make the cut. That's true even with budget restrictions.
I like hidden gems, and I like offbeat cards that you might consider throwing in even if they aren't the gold standard, and I respect that most people don't play in cutthroat or even competitive metagames, and I don't want to overturn the guiding principles of what seems to be a popular thread to make it that, but I feel like there's a middle ground between that and just including literally everything that technically falls into one of the tracked categories. Maybe that would just cause the thread to degenerate into arguments about whether Pollenbright Wings or whatever is a realistic inclusion, but I'd be happy to leave final judgment calls up to whoever is managing the thread.
I think that the strategy sections is generally still valid, but I think that if we were going to start a new thread, it'd be worthwhile to do a significant refresh of the card lists. There are a lot of things listed that I can't imagine ever making the cut even in a very casual token deck. Things like Elgaud Inquisitor, Sensor Splicer, Commander's Authority and Icatian Town are just not EDH playable unless your deck is heavily dedicated to a very specific theme or something, and that's just in white. Anybody can find a list of arbitrary cards that produce tokens with magiccards.info or Gatherer; a useful list needs some kind of quality filter. The list also includes things that realistically only make one token; a noncreature card that only makes one token doesn't get you any more creatures than an arbitrary creature card does, so it doesn't really support a strategy that involves having a lot of creatures any better than a creature card does. A single token is just a worse creature card unless you're running one of a handful of white cards that specifically boost tokens, and those cards are pretty marginal. Reading back over the thread, there seems to be sort of a spirit of just throwing in almost anything that anybody suggests and adding any card from new sets that technically qualifies, but I don't know that that makes for the most useful resource at the end of the day. I don't think the thread needs to become "Here's how to exactly build the exactly most optimal token deck, every other card get out." There are deck- and commander-specific primers for that sort of thing. But especially as Wizards has ramped up the degree to which they use tokens technology, there are now enough cards that produce tokens, make all of your creatures better, care about how many creatures you have, use creatures as a resource, or otherwise interact favorably with having a lot of creatures that even in a deck that was playing nothing but those things, even a mono-color deck (except probably a blue deck), there'd be plenty of things that wouldn't make the cut. That's true even with budget restrictions.
I like hidden gems, and I like offbeat cards that you might consider throwing in even if they aren't the gold standard, and I respect that most people don't play in cutthroat or even competitive metagames, and I don't want to overturn the guiding principles of what seems to be a popular thread to make it that, but I feel like there's a middle ground between that and just including literally everything that technically falls into one of the tracked categories. Maybe that would just cause the thread to degenerate into arguments about whether Pollenbright Wings or whatever is a realistic inclusion, but I'd be happy to leave final judgment calls up to whoever is managing the thread.
I thought cards like that were there mostly as options that people could use for their deck. It sounds to me like you'd rather have the focus be on cards that can pump out tokens repeatedly rather than a one time effect.
Blue also doesn't really support tokens as well as white, green or red. Even black isn't that much ahead of blue, what with the Zombie, Demon and Horror(yes, horror) tokens. Gotta love those Naya colours.
Blue also doesn't really support tokens as well as white, green or red. Even black isn't that much ahead of blue, what with the Zombie, Demon and Horror(yes, horror) tokens. Gotta love those Naya colours.
I stand corrected to a degree, granted, i was implying token generation and wasn't specific. For draw support, Blue takes the cake easily, outside if Thopter Spy Network, none of those create tokens.
I shouldn't have condemned Blue to a tokenless fate, but the production of tokens lay in other colours rendering Blues's responsibilities in protection, countering, and in these examples draw support. Referring to the Sidisi inquiry, I don't think she would be strong because of the colour scheme she represents. Although she does produce Zomboys, a Rith, the Awakener or Marath, Will of the Wild built offers more token production, damage and doubling options, in my opinion. Green also has great draw support Shamanic Revelation, Collective Unconscious, and Regal Force.
I stand corrected to a degree, granted, i was implying token generation and wasn't specific. For draw support, Blue takes the cake easily, outside if Thopter Spy Network, none of those create tokens.
Hmm, I never thought of Sacred Mesa as an option in my Marath deck. It does give you cool interactions, if doubling, and it also has evasion and chumps for flyers, definitely food for thought going forward.
So, I have a question for you guys. I plan to revive this thread under a fresh start, but I'd like to know if there's anything that we should probably add to the new version. What do you guys think?
In the folklore of its plane, the Animar is the ultimate source of all life—the seed from which all creation grows. In the presence of Animar, crops blossom and herds thrive, and the wake of its wanderings determines the course of the seasons.
BGW Junk / URB Grixis Shadow / RGB Lantern Control / WUBCBant Eldrazi
Current Legacy decks
BUG Shardless BUG / UWR Predict Miracles / RUG Canadian Thresh / WRBG 4c Loam
UB Reanimator
Creatures/Creature Spells
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Fyndhorn Elf
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Avacyn's Pilgrim
1 Arbor Elf
1 Deathrite Shaman
1 Mogg Warmarshall
1 Nest Invader
1 Voice of Resurgence
1 Krenko's Command
1 Dragon Fodder
1 Raise The Alarm
1 Gather The Townsfolk
1 Fists of Ironwood
1 Blade Splicer
1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
1 Hordeling Outburst
1 Rith's Charm
1 Eternal Witness
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Midnight Haunting
1 Mirror Entity
1 Bloodbraid Elf
1 Kozilek Predator
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Huntmaster of the Fells
1 Beetleback Chief
1 Scatter the Seeds
1 Siege-Gang Commander
1 Cloudgoat Ranger
1 Deranged Hermit
1 Furrystoke Giant
1 Craterhoof Behemoth
1 Secure the Wastes
1 Garruk Wildspeaker
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Ajani Goldmane
1 Ajani Vengeant
1 Xenegos, the Reveled
1 Sarkhan Vol
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Elspeth Tirel
Instants and Sorceries
1 Path to Exile
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Dramoka's Command
1 Eladrimi's Call
1 Crop Rotation
1 Mirrorweave
1 Enlighten Tutor
1 Rootborn Defenses
1 Overrun
1 Council's Judgement
Artifacts and Enchantments
1 Mox Diamond
1 Eldrazi's Monument
1 Beastmaster's Ascension
1 Humility
1 Dictate Helliod
1 Glare of Subdual
1 Goblin Bombardment
1 Banishing Light
1 Sylvan Library
Lands 35
1 Kher Keep
1 Karakas
1 Gavony Township
1 Wasteland
1 Pendelhaven
1 Khalni Garden
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Jungleshrine
1 Copperline Gorge
1 Razorverge Thicket
1 Rugged Prairie
1 Battlefield Forge
1 Karplusan Forest
1 Temple of Enlightenment
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Flooded Strand
1 Marsh Flats
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Arid Mesa
1 Grove of the Burnwillows
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Mountain
1 Stomping Ground
1 Taiga
1 Savannah
1 Temple Garden
1 Plateau
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Vitu-Ghazi, The city Tree
In Singleton Artifacts and Enchantments aren't that prevalent otherwise cards like Seed Spark or Sundering Growth would be easy inclusions. Not sure how EDH differs, the curve would probably be a bit more stretched for EDH too I'd imagine with games being more drawn out but the proactiveness and ability to kill quick and in one or two attacks is still there with tokens in EDH. Any suggestions for Commanders? Also the prevalence of sweepers in EDH compared to singleton may make me consider cards like Fresh Meat and Dauntless Escort.
PS: Singleton has a much different banned list than EDH also.
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
Oh Rider, my heart will go on...
I'd be willing to take it over if people wish to help me grow it out and not let it die like this did.
I like hidden gems, and I like offbeat cards that you might consider throwing in even if they aren't the gold standard, and I respect that most people don't play in cutthroat or even competitive metagames, and I don't want to overturn the guiding principles of what seems to be a popular thread to make it that, but I feel like there's a middle ground between that and just including literally everything that technically falls into one of the tracked categories. Maybe that would just cause the thread to degenerate into arguments about whether Pollenbright Wings or whatever is a realistic inclusion, but I'd be happy to leave final judgment calls up to whoever is managing the thread.
I thought cards like that were there mostly as options that people could use for their deck. It sounds to me like you'd rather have the focus be on cards that can pump out tokens repeatedly rather than a one time effect.
(W/U)(B/R)GForm of Progenitus, Shape of a Scrubland
BRGJund Tokens with Prossh, the Magic Dragon Foil
URGAnimar, the RUG CleanerFoil
RRRFeldon of the Third Path 2.0 Foil
BG(B/G)Not Another Meren DeckFoil
UR(U/R)Mizzix, Y Control and X Burn Spells
(W/U)(B/R)GHarold Ramos - The 35 Foot Long Twinkie (In +1/+1 counters)
UB(U/B)Dragonlord Silumgar
Blue also doesn't really support tokens as well as white, green or red. Even black isn't that much ahead of blue, what with the Zombie, Demon and Horror(yes, horror) tokens. Gotta love those Naya colours.
(W/U)(B/R)GForm of Progenitus, Shape of a Scrubland
BRGJund Tokens with Prossh, the Magic Dragon Foil
URGAnimar, the RUG CleanerFoil
RRRFeldon of the Third Path 2.0 Foil
BG(B/G)Not Another Meren DeckFoil
UR(U/R)Mizzix, Y Control and X Burn Spells
(W/U)(B/R)GHarold Ramos - The 35 Foot Long Twinkie (In +1/+1 counters)
UB(U/B)Dragonlord Silumgar
That's just not true. Thopter Spy Network, Military Intelligence, Coastal Piracy, Bident of Thassa, and Edric, Spymaster of Trest would be great for a tokens deck.
I stand corrected to a degree, granted, i was implying token generation and wasn't specific. For draw support, Blue takes the cake easily, outside if Thopter Spy Network, none of those create tokens.
(W/U)(B/R)GForm of Progenitus, Shape of a Scrubland
BRGJund Tokens with Prossh, the Magic Dragon Foil
URGAnimar, the RUG CleanerFoil
RRRFeldon of the Third Path 2.0 Foil
BG(B/G)Not Another Meren DeckFoil
UR(U/R)Mizzix, Y Control and X Burn Spells
(W/U)(B/R)GHarold Ramos - The 35 Foot Long Twinkie (In +1/+1 counters)
UB(U/B)Dragonlord Silumgar
(W/U)(B/R)GForm of Progenitus, Shape of a Scrubland
BRGJund Tokens with Prossh, the Magic Dragon Foil
URGAnimar, the RUG CleanerFoil
RRRFeldon of the Third Path 2.0 Foil
BG(B/G)Not Another Meren DeckFoil
UR(U/R)Mizzix, Y Control and X Burn Spells
(W/U)(B/R)GHarold Ramos - The 35 Foot Long Twinkie (In +1/+1 counters)
UB(U/B)Dragonlord Silumgar
Woah, woah, woah! Are you dissing Homarid Spawning Bed?
On a serious note: In my Marath tokens deck all of my token makers are R/G (other than Sacred Mesa). Other decks have white as their primary token producers. I find that in token decks it pays to stick to 1 main token color with the others as support. White offers me Cathar's Crusade, Eladamri's Call, Replenish, and Sun Titan to complement my Dragon Broodmother, Avenger of Zendikar, Seige-Gang Commander, and Deranged Hermit.
Hmm, I never thought of Sacred Mesa as an option in my Marath deck. It does give you cool interactions, if doubling, and it also has evasion and chumps for flyers, definitely food for thought going forward.
(W/U)(B/R)GForm of Progenitus, Shape of a Scrubland
BRGJund Tokens with Prossh, the Magic Dragon Foil
URGAnimar, the RUG CleanerFoil
RRRFeldon of the Third Path 2.0 Foil
BG(B/G)Not Another Meren DeckFoil
UR(U/R)Mizzix, Y Control and X Burn Spells
(W/U)(B/R)GHarold Ramos - The 35 Foot Long Twinkie (In +1/+1 counters)
UB(U/B)Dragonlord Silumgar
Emrakul's Evangel
Clone Legion
Conjurer's Closet
I'd like to add more to the list as someone starting to play with a token deck myself haha.
UBR Jeleva Grixis Storm
WBG Karador Boonweaver Combo
WUBRG Food Chain Tazri
Retired: WUEphara, God of the PolisWU blink | WGerrard CapashenW lifegain | WUB Ertai, the CorruptedWUB combo | WAvacyn, Angel of HopeW
mono-white controlangel tribalPauper: UBDimirKittyUB | RBG Deathcycle RBG
Modern: GWUEnchantressGWU | GWUTurbofogGWU
Cheers!
Krichaiushii on PucaTrade.
Time Walk 1U: Win target game.
Demonic Tutor 1B: Add a time walk to your hand.