Custom Tokens #8: Blue 5/5 Spirit Dragon (from Tatsumasa, the Dragon's Fang)

It always really annoys me when certain cards I use don't have cool-looking tokens to go with them. Photoshop to the rescue!

There are tools online you can use to make your own tokens, but they have limitations, and I want my tokens to look as legitimate as possible—and that means using the most modern token layout (which debuted, I believe, with Magic 2015) and the proprietary Beleren font. Now, I don't have access to that font, so all the titles and type-lines of the tokens I make have to be spliced together in Photoshop from existing cards. The results, fortunately enough, look really good!

This is a classic, powerful piece of equipment that not enough people know about. I have a Commander Cube that you can expect future Card Stock posts about (and if you want to check it out now, follow this link to the cube's CubeTutor page). In a recent game, a friend of mine had drafted a Narset, Enlightened Master deck, and he had Where Ancients Tread, Warstorm Surge, and Rite of the Raging Storm in play. When Narset cast a Tatsumasa, we were already scared because it gave his hexproof, first-striking commander +5/+5... but then he was able to eliminate a player by swapping the sword into a 5/5 dragon and dealing ten direct damage out of nowhere. Then and there, I vowed to make a cool Dragon Spirit token to go with the sword. Here's my version of the token at full resolution so you can print it out for maximum effect:

The artist for this piece is unknown: I found it from the "Wallpaperest" website, which did not cite its source. Note that the "triggers from exile" clause is in reminder text, since it's an ability of Tatsumasa, the Dragon's Fang and would not be printed on the token itself. Still, it's sometimes easy to forget the trigger, so I added the reminder.

As a final note: now that I have these tokens all built in Photoshop, it's really easy to swap out the art for anything else. If you find some better art and would like me to make a custom token for you using that art, just post it in the comments (or tell me where I can find it), and I'll put 'em together!

Custom Tokens #7: Black 1/1 Snake (from Ophiomancer)

It always really annoys me when certain cards I use don't have cool-looking tokens to go with them. Photoshop to the rescue!

There are tools online you can use to make your own tokens, but they have limitations, and I want my tokens to look as legitimate as possible—and that means using the most modern token layout (which debuted, I believe, with Magic 2015) and the proprietary Beleren font. Now, I don't have access to that font, so all the titles and type-lines of the tokens I make have to be spliced together in Photoshop from existing cards. The results, fortunately enough, look really good!

This card is pretty amazing in Commander, since it wards off early aggression and provides a never-ending supply of sacrifice fodder—it triggers on EACH upkeep, not just your own, after all! The token it produces is really important, but no official one has been printed. Here's my version of the token at full resolution so you can print it out for maximum effect:

This art comes from joanagarrido.com, with just a logo Photoshopped out. It seemed fitting to make the Commander 2013 expansion symbol gold because, although you might make a lot of these tokens, you will only ever have one at a time. Unless you are REALLY COOL and start using the "proliferate" ability.

As a final note: now that I have these tokens all built in Photoshop, it's really easy to swap out the art for anything else. If you find some better art and would like me to make a custom token for you using that art, just post it in the comments (or tell me where I can find it), and I'll put 'em together!

Custom Tokens #6: White/Blue 1/1 Bird (from Dovescape and Pride of Clouds)

It always really annoys me when certain cards I use don't have cool-looking tokens to go with them. Photoshop to the rescue!

There are tools online you can use to make your own tokens, but they have limitations, and I want my tokens to look as legitimate as possible—and that means using the most modern token layout (which debuted, I believe, with Magic 2015) and the proprietary Beleren font. Now, I don't have access to that font, so all the titles and type-lines of the tokens I make have to be spliced together in Photoshop from existing cards. The results, fortunately enough, look really good!

I have a Ravnica Cube (if you want to draft the cube or to look at the cube's cards / guiding philosophies, follow this link to the cube's CubeTutor page), and the blue/white Azorius deck based on fliers really loves Pride of the Clouds. But using other tokens for the birds just never felt right. Here's my version of the token at full resolution so you can print it out for maximum effect:

I couldn't track down the original artist for this bird image; I found this piece of art on a Tumblr blog called "Azure Depths," but the author of that blog didn't cite his or her sources. I used the Dissension expansion symbol because both of the cards that produce this token are from that set.

As a final note: now that I have these tokens all built in Photoshop, it's really easy to swap out the art for anything else. If you find some better art and would like me to make a custom token for you using that art, just post it in the comments (or tell me where I can find it), and I'll put 'em together!

Custom Tokens #5: Green/Blue 2/2 Drake (from Leafdrake Roost)

It always really annoys me when certain cards I use don't have cool-looking tokens to go with them. Photoshop to the rescue!

There are tools online you can use to make your own tokens, but they have limitations, and I want my tokens to look as legitimate as possible—and that means using the most modern token layout (which debuted, I believe, with Magic 2015) and the proprietary Beleren font. Now, I don't have access to that font, so all the titles and type-lines of the tokens I make have to be spliced together in Photoshop from existing cards. The results, fortunately enough, look really good!

I have a Ravnica Cube (if you want to draft the cube or to look at the cube's cards / guiding philosophies, follow this link to the cube's CubeTutor page), and I love drafting Simic in that cube. Producing a steady stream of 2/2 flying creatures is surprisingly powerful, but it's annoying to have to use a random piece of cardboard for the tokens. Here's my version of the token at full resolution so you can print it out for maximum effect:

This art is a modified (color-changed, mostly) version of a piece of art called "Young Marsh Drake" by a DeviantArt user named "sandara." I used the Dissension expansion symbol because that's where Leafdrake Roost was first printed.

Custom Tokens #4: Red 2/1 Goblin (from Rakdos Guildmage)

It always really annoys me when certain cards I use don't have cool-looking tokens to go with them. Photoshop to the rescue!

There are tools online you can use to make your own tokens, but they have limitations, and I want my tokens to look as legitimate as possible—and that means using the most modern token layout (which debuted, I believe, with Magic 2015) and the proprietary Beleren font. Now, I don't have access to that font, so all the titles and type-lines of the tokens I make have to be spliced together in Photoshop from existing cards. The results, fortunately enough, look really good!

I have a Ravnica Cube (if you want to draft the cube or to look at the cube's cards / guiding philosophies, follow this link to the cube's CubeTutor page), and Rakdos Guildmage is a solid card there... but there are no 2/1 Goblin tokens. Here's my version of the token at full resolution so you can print it out for maximum effect:

The art here is a modified version of a piece of art called "Goblin Piker" by Christopher West, from Digital Art Gallery Online. In the original, there was a different logo on the goblin's armor pauldron; I replaced it with a Rakdos symbol. I think the shading makes the new symbol look pretty good. Note that the "exile this creature" clause is in reminder text, since it is just a delayed triggered ability and shouldn't actually be printed on the token itself. I used the Dissension expansion symbol because that was the first printing of Rakdos Guildmage.

Custom Tokens #3: Colorless Artifact 2/2 Spawn (from Spawning Pit)

It always really annoys me when certain cards I use don't have cool-looking tokens to go with them. Photoshop to the rescue!

There are tools online you can use to make your own tokens, but they have limitations, and I want my tokens to look as legitimate as possible—and that means using the most modern token layout (which debuted, I believe, with Magic 2015) and the proprietary Beleren font. Now, I don't have access to that font, so all the titles and type-lines of the tokens I make have to be spliced together in Photoshop from existing cards. The results, fortunately enough, look really good!

This card is incredibly good in Commander, since it's a free sacrifice outlet that can also provide tokens after a sweeper (and those tokens are colorless artifacts, for blocking creatures with intimidate, fear, or a Sword of Feast and Famine equipped). Here's my version of the token at full resolution so you can print it out for maximum effect:

The art comes from Sliver Construct by Mathias Kollros, from Magic 2104, with some Photoshop expansion of the top part of the image. This is one of the few instances where the new, humanoid design for slivers is a blessing, since this card just looks like a generic "spawn"!

As a final note: now that I have these tokens all built in Photoshop, it's really easy to swap out the art for anything else. If you find some better art and would like me to make a custom token for you using that art, just post it in the comments (or tell me where I can find it), and I'll put 'em together!

Custom Tokens #2: Colorless 4/4 Avatar (from Helm of Kaldra)

It always really annoys me when certain cards I use don't have cool-looking tokens to go with them. Photoshop to the rescue!

There are tools online you can use to make your own tokens, but they have limitations, and I want my tokens to look as legitimate as possible—and that means using the most modern token layout (which debuted, I believe, with Magic 2015) and the proprietary Beleren font. Now, I don't have access to that font, so all the titles and type-lines of the tokens I make have to be spliced together in Photoshop from existing cards. The results, fortunately enough, look really good!

When put together, these three pieces of equipment can produce a colorless 4/4 Avatar token named Kaldra, which then promptly become a colorless 9/9 with first strike, trample, haste, indestructible, and the ability to exile any creature it damages. Not bad. Here's my version of the token at full resolution so you can print it out for maximum effect:

The main figure in this art is a piece called "Avatar of Kaldra" by an artist named Nicholas Fair. After he contacted me with his name, I was delighted to give him full artist credit at the bottom of the card. The Fifth Dawn expansion symbol acknowledges that the Helm, which actually makes the token, is from that set.

Custom Tokens #1: Green X/X Elemental (from Marath, Will of the Wild)

It always really annoys me when certain cards I use don't have cool-looking tokens to go with them. Photoshop to the rescue!

There are tools online you can use to make your own tokens, but they have limitations, and I want my tokens to look as legitimate as possible—and that means using the most modern token layout (which debuted, I believe, with Magic 2015) and the proprietary Beleren font. Now, I don't have access to that font, so all the titles and type-lines of the tokens I make have to be spliced together in Photoshop from existing cards. The results, fortunately enough, look really good!

This card makes X/X Green Elemental tokens, which means it's wise to have a bunch on hand since they are likely going to have different sizes. I have two versions of that token for you, both displayed at full resolution so that you can print them out for maximum effect:

This first version uses the art from the card Axebane Stag by Martina Pilcerova, from Return to Ravnica. Marath's horns suggest to me that his Elementals might be stag-like, and they can be quite large or as small as 1/1, so I'm happy that this art looks good representing both big and small creatures.

This alternate version uses Marath's art, which makes it VERY clear where the Elemental token came from. If you think it's goofy for Marath to be semi-cloning himself, feel free to use the other token!

As a final note: now that I have these tokens all built in Photoshop, it's really easy to swap out the art for anything else. If you find some better art and would like me to make a custom token for you using that art, just post it in the comments (or tell me where I can find it), and I'll put 'em together!