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Hello everyone. While it's commonly known that I'm a fan of aggro decks, most people don't know about my love of tokens. I have an extensive token collection and am working toward completing a set of every token officially released by Wizards of the Coast. I'm not sure if I'll ever complete this collection, but it's something to work toward. Speaking of tokens, the decks I have for you this week all try to make the most out of creature tokens. Let's get started.
Orzhov Tokens
We start with an Orzhov deck that is capable of doubling the amount of tokens it creates throughout the game. Let's take a look at the deck.
Orzhov Tokens | VOW Standard | heytan76, aetherhub.com user
- Creatures (11)
- 3 Edgar, Charmed Groom // Edgar Markov's Coffin
- 4 Eyetwitch
- 4 Shambling Ghast
- Planeswalkers (7)
- 1 Kaya the Inexorable
- 3 Kaya, Geist Hunter
- 3 Lolth, Spider Queen
- Instants (4)
- 4 Deadly Dispute
- Sorceries (6)
- 2 Starnheim Unleashed
- 4 Blood on the Snow
- Enchantments (7)
- 3 The Meathook Massacre
- 4 Wedding Announcement // Wedding Festivity
Let's begin by taking a look at some of the cards that create tokens for this deck. One of the most important token creators is Wedding Announcement // Wedding Festivity. This enchantment will potentially create a trio of 1/1 Human creature tokens before it transforms. Once this transforms into Wedding Festivity, the real power of this enchantment will be seen, as it will provide a +1/+1 bonus to all of your creatures. This boost will be very beneficial when combined with the +1/+1 bonus that Edgar, Charmed Groom // Edgar Markov's Coffin provides to the Vampire creature tokens he creates.
In order to maximize the amount of tokens you're able to create, you'll need a little help. By activating Kaya, Geist Hunter's -2 loyalty ability, you'll create twice the number of tokens as usual, for the rest of the turn. Make sure you activate this ability prior to creating any tokens, as it only doubles the tokens created after the ability resolves. Kaya, Geist Hunter's +1 loyalty ability can help all of your creatures, token or not, by giving them deathtouch for the turn, plus providing a +1/+1 counter for one of your creature tokens.
A great time to activate Kaya, Geist Hunter's -2 loyalty ability is right before you plan to cast Starnheim Unleashed. By casting it for its normal mana value, you'll create a 4/4 flying Angel creature token with vigilance. Later in the game when you have access to extra mana, you can foretell this spell. Doing this allows you to create multiple Angel creature tokens, limited only by the amount of mana you have to put into this spell. Doubling the amount of tokens you create can allow you to swoop in for the win on your following turn, even if your opponent has a decent amount of health remaining.
Jeskai Tokens
The next deck I have for you features no nontoken creatures, but can still manage to hold its own on the battlefield. Let's check it out.
Jeskai Tokens | VOW Standard | sergio_paplomatas, aetherhub.com user
- Instants (12)
- 1 Jwari Disruption // Jwari Ruins
- 2 Faithful Mending
- 2 Galvanic Iteration
- 2 Memory Deluge
- 2 Unexpected Windfall
- 3 Divide by Zero
- Sorceries (19)
- 3 Expressive Iteration
- 4 Alrund's Epiphany
- 4 Burn Down the House
- 4 Doomskar
- 4 Sunset Revelry
- Enchantments (4)
- 4 Wedding Announcement // Wedding Festivity
A couple of other token producers in this deck are Sunset Revelry and Alrund's Epiphany. Sunset Revelry acts as a way of catching you up if you've fallen behind. It can gain you life, draw you cards, and create creature tokens for you if your opponent has more of these things than you have. Alrund's Epiphany should need no introduction, as it is one of the most powerful cards currently in Standard. With it, you'll create a pair of 1/1 Bird creature tokens with flying. You'll also get to take an extra turn after finishing your current turn. Making this sorcery even more powerful is the ability to foretell it, making it playable a turn earlier than normal.
One way to make all of your token producing instant and sorcery cards even better is by casting Galvanic Iteration prior to one of them. Doing this will allow you to copy that token creating spell, thereby doubling the amount of tokens you'll end up producing. Galvanic Iteration also has flashback, allowing you to cast it from your graveyard. By doing this, you get use of the spell twice, allowing you to play with fewer copies of it in your deck.
Temur Tokens
The final deck I have for you can create a creature token that grows as the game progresses, often becoming a 10/10 or greater. Let's take a look at the deck.
Temur Tokens | VOW Standard | ReikoBoy, aetherhub.com user
- Creatures (16)
- 4 Malevolent Hermit // Benevolent Geist
- 4 Prosperous Innkeeper
- 4 Rootcoil Creeper
- 4 Wandering Mind
- Planeswalkers (4)
- 4 Wrenn and Seven
- Enchantments (6)
- 2 Grafted Identity
- 4 Stensia Uprising
- Artifacts (4)
- 4 Esika's Chariot
The large creature token that I alluded to before the decklist was the Treefolk creature token created by using the -3 loyalty ability of Wrenn and Seven. This creature token has a power and toughness equal to the number of lands you have in play, so as you play more lands throughout the game, the token increases in size. It also has reach, so it is a terrific way to shut down your opponent's offense, lest they lose their attacking creatures due to you blocking them.
A card that has been paired nicely with Wrenn and Seven in other decks is also present here. That card is Esika's Chariot. This legendary vehicle plays nicely with the token theme of this deck, as it creates a pair of 2/2 Cat creature tokens when Esika's Chariot enters the battlefield. Then, whenever Esika's Chariot attacks, you're able to create a copy of any token you control. Usually, you'll want to create a copy of a Treefolk token you have in play, but when that's not possible, creating a Cat token will suffice.
This deck also includes Stensia Uprising as a means of creating tokens for you. At the beginning of your end step, you'll create a 1/1 Human creature token for each copy of Stensia Uprising you have on the battlefield. If you ever manage to control exactly thirteen permanents at this time, you can sacrifice Stensia Uprising to deal seven points of damage to any target. This can be a great way to deal those last few points of damage to your opponent if the battlefield is too congested to make attacking profitable.
Wrapping Up
Creating creature tokens can be an effective way to build up your side of the battlefield. You can often end up with more creatures than your opponent has thanks to these tokens, and they can allow you to overwhelm your opponent's defenses. Do you have a favorite creature token? Let me know by leaving a comment below.
What do you think of these decks? Do you have any suggestions for improvements? Let me know by leaving a comment below. Also, feel free to share this article with your friends anywhere on social media. And be sure to join me here again next week as I continue my search for innovative decks in Standard. I'll see you then!
-Mike Likes
