Tokens (トークン Tōkun), also called Monster Tokens (モンスタートークン Monsutā Tōkun) in OCG rulings and the TCG rulebook, are a type of monster that can only be created by card effects, certain Summoning conditions, or Skills.
In the TCG and OCG, Tokens are officially grey-colored cards, but they can be represented by any object that can unambiguously indicate its own battle position. These can include proxy cards, coins (in which case heads is treated as Attack Position and tails as Defense Position), or dice.
Contents
MechanicsEdit
Monster Tokens are always Normal Monsters, and never have effects. Some Tokens have effects applied to them by the cards that Summon them, but these are not the effects of the Tokens themselves, so they cannot be negated by cards like "Skill Drain". Many video games include the restrictions from the effect or Skill that created it in the Token's card text, but it is still not considered to be an effect of the Token itself, only a reminder text.
The owner of a Token is the player who Special Summoned it. For example, "Owner's Seal" will change control of "Ojama Tokens" Special Summoned by the effect of "Ojama Trio" to the player who activated "Ojama Trio".
Summoning TokensEdit
Tokens can only be Special Summoned from outside of the game. Tokens treated as Spell/Trap Cards (e.g. due to "Sinful Spoils of Subversion - Snake-Eye") cannot be Special Summoned from the Spell & Trap Zone.
Since Tokens cannot be Normal Summoned or Set, they are considered Special Summon Monsters.
Can only exist on the fieldEdit
Tokens can only exist on the field, and not anywhere else.
If a Token leaves the field (i.e. it would be moved to the hand, Main Deck, or Graveyard, or is banished), it ceases to exist and is removed from the game. They are not considered to have been moved to any other location. If a Token is banished by an effect that temporarily banishes cards, it will not return to the field later as it no longer exists.
Tokens cannot be Xyz Material, because Xyz Materials attached to an Xyz Monster are not considered to be on the field. Consequently, they cannot be used as Xyz Material for an Xyz Summon, nor attached to an Xyz Monster by a card effect (e.g. due to the effect of "Number 101: Silent Honor ARK").
Tokens can be used to pay costs or fulfill Summoning procedures even if they cause them to leave the field, as long as the cost or procedure does not specify a destination outside the field. Tokens can be Tributed or banished to pay costs or fulfill Summoning procedures (such as for the Summoning procedure of "Destiny HERO - Plasma" or "Unibird"), unless they would be required to be banished face-down (such as for the activation cost of "Hypernova Burst"). However, they cannot be sent to the Graveyard to pay costs or fulfill Summoning procedures (such as for the Summoning procedure of "Arcana Force EX - The Dark Ruler")
Can only exist face-upEdit
Tokens can only exist face-up. Thus, they cannot be flipped face-down, and cannot be targeted by effects that would attempt to do so. Even if an Attack Position Token would be affected by a card that would change it to face-down Defense Position (such as "Swords of Concealing Light"), it remains in Attack Position.
Tokens cannot be banished face-down. If an effect would attempt to banish Tokens face-down (e.g. "Evenly Matched"), the Tokens are not banished at all and remain on the field.
Token cardEdit
Token cards are officially produced TCG/OCG collectible cards that can be used to represent Tokens. They usually feature the general card layout of TCG/OCG game cards, and are colored in gray. If using Token cards, they are not to be included in the Main or Extra Deck, as stated by the limitation text written on them.
Token cards may or may not be printed with information (i.e. card name, artwork, card text) that corresponds to an actual Monster Token mentioned in a card effect; there are Monster Tokens that don't have corresponding cards, and there are also Token cards that do not have corresponding Monster Tokens.
Most OCG cards from 2013 onwards that correspond to specific Monster Tokens have that Token's name and stats printed as their own name and stats (see Card layout § Series 8 layout); the TCG started following this trend later in 2016.
The first Token card that did not correspond to a specific Monster Token was the National Championship 2009 Token, which was given out to participants of United States and Canada's National Championships and participants of the European and South American Continental Championships of that year. Since then, the vast majority of generic Token cards released have been of anime characters together with their signature monsters, with one of that character's quotes on the bottom of the text box (usually the monster's Summon chant).
Card textEdit
Prior to 2013 in the OCG and 2016 in the TCG, all Token cards shared the same card text and name (Token). From those years onwards in the respective formats, some Token cards have custom names and/or card texts.
| Language | Card text | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| English | This card can be used as any Token. | |
| French | Cette carte peut être utilisée comme un Jeton. | This card can be used as a Token. |
| German | Diese Karte kann als eine beliebige Spielmarke verwendet werden. | This card can be used as any Token. |
| Italian | Questa carta può essere usata come Segna-Mostro generico. | This card can be used as a generic Monster Token. |
| Portuguese | Este card pode ser usado como uma Ficha. | This card can be used as a Token. |
| Spanish | Esta carta puede ser utilizada como cualquier Ficha. (previous) Esta carta puede ser usada como cualquier clase de Ficha. (current) |
This card can be used as any Token. This can can be used as any kind of Token. |
| Japanese | このカードはトークンとして Kono kādo wa Tōkun toshite shiyō suru koto ga dekiru. |
This card can be used as a Token. |
| Korean | 이 카드는 토큰으로 사용할 수 있다. I kadeuneun Tokeun-euro sayonghal su itda. | |
| Simplified Chinese | 这张卡可作为衍生物使用。 | |
ExampleEdit
Generic Token
Token/Counter Card ("Emperor's Key")
AppearancesEdit
AnimeEdit
Before Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL, Monster Tokens do not appear as cards on the Duelists' Duel Disks, but rather the Summoning card stands for them. In Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS, Token cards again disappear from Duel Disks, but they are still rendered on field overviews.
Video gamesEdit
In Yu-Gi-Oh! Power of Chaos: Joey the Passion and Yu-Gi-Oh! Power of Chaos: Kaiba the Revenge, Token cards are yellow like Normal Monsters, while their artwork is a golden-recolored international artwork of "Spellbinding Circle", making them distinguishable only by their names and stats. In other video games, Tokens are gray and mostly use the same artwork as the card that Summons them, with exceptions including nearly all of those that have been printed with stats in the TCG/OCG (e.g. "Emissary of Darkness Token"), though many that are not are given unique artworks too (e.g. "Vague Shadow Token").
TriviaEdit
- There are currently no Psychic or Sea Serpent Tokens.
In other languagesEdit
| Language | Name | Romanized | Translated |
|---|---|---|---|
| French | Jeton Monstre | — | |
| German | Monsterspielmarke | — | |
| Italian | Segna-Mostro | — | |
| Portuguese | Ficha de Monstro | — | |
| Spanish | Ficha de Monstruo | — | |
| Japanese | モンスタートークン | Monsutā Tōkun | |
| Korean | 몬스터 토큰 | Monseuteo Tokeun | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 衍生怪獸[1][dead link] | Yǎnshēng Guàishòu | Derived Monster |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 怪兽衍生物[2] | Guàishòu Yǎnshēngwù | Monster Derivative |
| Language | Name | Romanized | Translated |
|---|---|---|---|
| French | Jeton | — | |
| German | Spielmarke | — | |
| Italian | Segna-Mostro | — | Monster Token |
| Portuguese | Ficha | — | |
| Spanish | Ficha | — | |
| Japanese | トークン | Tōkun | |
| Korean | 토큰 | Tokeun | |
| Chinese (Traditional and Simplified) | 衍生物 | Yǎnshēngwù | Derivative |