lesson 12: Token Monsters

Tokens (Japanese: トークン Tōkun) are used as representations of Monster Cards. The Tokens represent monsters that appear on the field as part of a card effect. These monsters are not included in the Main Deck, as stated as Limitation Text on each card.

A Monster Token can be represented by a coin (Heads is treated as Attack Position and Tails is treated as Defense Position), a die, or other such acceptable marker. Fan-made cards are often used as markers in Tournament Duels by players.

Official Token cards are grey. All TCG Token cards are named "Token". Most Japanese and Korean Token cards from OCG Series 8 onward that correspond to specific Monster Tokens have their own names printed out, and sometimes also include ATK and DEF.[Notes 2] The first Token that did not correspond to a specific Monster Token was the "National Championship 2009 Token", which in 2009 was given to participants of United States and Canada's National Championships and participants of the European and South American Continental Championships.

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 recolored TCG artwork of "Spellbinding Circle" (colors are distinguished by their names and attributes).

During a duel, most duelists using Token cards keep them in a small pile next to their Deck, just below the Banished Zone, to keep them from getting lost or knocked off the table.

Token Mechanics
Tokens can only exist face-up on the field.
If a Token Monster would leave the field, it disappears. If a Token would be moved to the hand, Graveyard or Main Deck; or is Tributed, destroyed, or banished, that Token simply disappears.
Token Monsters cannot be flipped face-down. Thus, they cannot be targeted by effects that flip cards face-down (like "Book of Moon"), and they are unaffected by "blanket" effects that flip Monster Cards face-down (like "Swords of Concealing Light"). If a Token Monster would be affected by a card that would flip it to face-down Defense Position, such as "Swords of Concealing Light", the Token Monster is still changed to Defense Position.
Token Monsters can be used to pay costs or for Summoning procedures, as long as the cost or Summoning procedure does not specify a destination other than the field. Token Monsters can be Tributed to Summon "Destiny HERO - Plasma", but cannot be sent to the Graveyard to Summon "Arcana Force EX - The Dark Ruler" (since "Destiny HERO - Plasma" does not specify a destination, while "Arcana Force EX - The Dark Ruler" does).
Banishing does not specify a destination, so a Token can be banished to Special Summon "Unibird".
Token Monsters can be used as Fusion Materials and Synchro Materials, but not as Xyz Materials (since Xyz Materials are attached to the Xyz Monster, and attached Xyz Materials are not considered to be on the field).
Tokens can be the target of and are affected by card effects that would remove them from the field, even if they specify a destination, such as "Number 50: Blackship of Corn" and "Compulsory Evacuation Device".
However, Tokens cannot be targeted by the effect of a card that would attach them to an Xyz Monster, such as "Number 101: Silent Honor ARK".
A Token Monster can be treated as an Equip Card by a card like "Relinquished".
Token Monsters are always Normal Monsters and never have effects. Some Token Monsters have effects applied to them by the cards that Summon them, but these are not the effects of the Token Monsters themselves, so cannot be negated by cards like "Skill Drain".
Token Monsters can be Tributed, unless an effect prevents it. Some Token Monsters have a restriction placed on them by the card that Summoned them that prevents them from being Tributed (this is not an effect of the Token Monsters themselves, so cannot be negated by cards like "Skill Drain"). For example, "Sheep Tokens" Summoned with "Scapegoat" cannot be Tributed for a Tribute Summon (although they can be Tributed for other purposes, such as "Lava Golem" and "Ectoplasmer").
Token Monsters are considered to be owned by the player who Special Summoned them. Therefore, "Owner's Seal" will change control of Ojama Tokens Special Summoned by the effect of "Ojama Trio" to the player who activated "Ojama Trio", while Rose Tokens Special Summoned by the effect of "Black Garden" will return to the control of the player whose Summon caused the token to be Summoned.