Source
r/magicTCG•
tehtmi

Token Rarity in RNA

Ravnica Allegiance

  • Domri Emblem: 2/121
  • Sphinx Token: 4/121
  • Centaur Token: 5/121
  • Frog Lizard Token: 5/121
  • Illusion Token: 5/121
  • Treasure Token: 5/121
  • Beast Token: 10/121
  • Thopter Token: 10/121
  • Zombie Token: 10/121
  • Ooze Token: 11/121
  • Goblin Token: 12/121
  • Human Token: 12/121
  • Spirit Token: 30/121

These numbers come from analyzing collation patterns (in box opening videos on YouTube). This allows me to reconstruct the order that cards appear on the print sheets. The rarity of a token is proportional to the number of times it appears on the token print sheet.

This data is based on analyzing the US printing which uses an 11 × 11 sheet (hence the 121). The other printings might be different.

That's a lot of ooze tokens for something that only shows up at mythic. (But ooze counting?)

Previously, token rarity in DOM, M19, GRN, BBD, and UMA.

For more about collation-related topics, check out my new website (WIP).

Posted Jan 24, 2019, 7:58 AM UTC

15224
SableArgyle•

but ooze counting

Oh you.

65
kitsovereign•

I'm guessing that Biogenic Ooze gets more slots because it's an Ooze factory, and it's tribal. Domri and Warrent//Warden won't always make their tokens, but the Ooze always makes one and will probably create more.

RIX had in-pack tokens still, right? I wonder how prominent the Saprolings were. I guess there was also that common that made them, but Tendershoot Dryad really pumped them out.

19
Goliath89•

Kind of wish they went this route with the Zombie Knight tokens for DOM. Only one card created them (IIRC), but it made eight of them when it hit the field.

5
Wuyley•

I get what you are saying but who is going to play all 8 tokens in that case? I have a feeling most people will just play one and put 8 dice on it as they all come into play at once.

The ooze on the other hand makes the tokens after the first as an activated ability so it gets "messier".

6
mirhagk•

Not to mention that the ooze's all have +1/+1 counters on them individually so you do absolutely need multiple tokens. Multiple dice on top of empty sleeves would work fine too, but a single token with a die doesn't work like it normally does.

6
Goliath89•

I mean, I would, but that's because I'm anal about that kind of thing. There's been many a commander game where I've spilled way over the edge of my table condom because I have too many tokens out.

4
Maloth_Warblade•

I play Liliana Zombies. And since I put counters on some, Josu makes some, I need plenty of different kinds. So I get it

2
MTG_RelevantCard•

table condom

Huh? I'm not sure I know this one.

1
kitsovereign•

True, but a) Josu doesn't always make his posse, and b) Biogenic Ooze also poops out counters in addition to tokens. If you kick Josu, it's easy to grab one token and then one d10 to represent "x8". With the Ooze, it comes in and makes a token, you put a +1/+1 counter on that token; next turn you make another. The new one has summoning sickness and doesn't have a +1/+1 counter on it. That's messier to represent with just dice.

1
TKHunsaker•

You’re my mvp

17
rentar42•

This is incredibly impressive work!

Did any of the draft simulator sites approach you for machine readable formats of print runs? I assume common/uncommon ones are the important ones anyway, so this wouldn't help box mappers. I can imagine this making the simulations much closer to reality (maybe even go as far as deciding if you want to open US or Belgian product ;-)).

10
tehtmiOP•

I did have a bit of a chat with someone from Cardsphere about their draft simulator, but not much came of it.

(Of course, I am happy to help if people do want to try it. If not, maybe I'll get to it myself ... eventually.)

6
Mattzorry•

If anyone is interested in it in percent like I was, here you go

Token%
Domri Emblem1.65%
Sphinx3.31%
Centaur4.13%
Frog Lizard4.13%
Illusion4.13%
Treasure4.13%
Beast8.26%
Thopter8.26%
Zombie8.26%
Ooze9.09%
Goblin9.92%
Human9.92%
Spirit24.79%
8
zealousd•

It's not just the Ooze token. The Thopter token is only generated by Dovin Baan at Mythic and the Zombie token is only generated at Rare with Awaken the Erstwhile. It looks to me that WotC is changing how they do token rarity for the tokens that appear at higher rarities to take into consideration that some higher rarity cards may be generating multiple tokens and therefore they should print more of those tokens. Then they can avoid situations like the Karn Construct token that end up costing more than a dollar. Dominaria was kind of ridiculous with the number of Saproling tokens.

3
Slant_Juicy•

[[Depose // Deploy]] makes a Thopter at Uncommon, and [[Captive Audience]] makes Zombies also at Rare.

4
MTGCardFetcher•

Depose // Deploy - (G) (SF) (txt)
Captive Audience - (G) (SF) (txt)
^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call

1
tehtmiOP•

As noted, there are other sources of those tokens, but there are still indications of an ongoing change. Dominaria had a bunch of 1x stuff, but 1x hasn't been used since then. But even, say, the GRN Angel at 4x seems low compared to what we see here.

2
CurlyParmesan•

This is really cool! I've always wanted to know this information. But do you have any evidence? Or is it more anecdotal from watching a few box openings?

1
rentar42•

Check the website: he watches Youtube box openings and counts the cards and produces collation orders.

2
Thx4Snax•

On the frequency of the ooze token, is that something that's been too rare for its own good before, and they're using this as an opportunity to get more out there?

1
professional_novice•

These posts a great, but always point out how I got the rare tokens, and not the rare cards.

1
darksamus1992•

I guess I'll have to congratulate the 2 guys who opened Domri+ the emblem token in my prerelease.

1
WhyTheNetWasBorn•

There are also mythic rare tokens with arena draft code on their backside.

1