The 39 Best Black Token Generators in Magic Ranked

Last updated on June 2, 2026

Open the Graves | Illustration by Vincent Proce

Tokens come in all shapes and sizes in Magic; part of the fun of playing paper MTG is that we can use all sorts of cool trinkets to represent them, from dice to sleeves to pretty much anything you can think of that happens to fit onto a playmat in large numbers.

But of course, you have to put those tokens in play first. And since we can't include them in our decks, we need token generators to do so. A type of MTG card that Wizards of the Coast is really happy to print, there are well over a couple thousand token generators when you consider all colors, and hundreds of them are pitch-black.

Let's shed some light on that group and find out which are the best black token generators in MTG.

What Are Black Token Generators in MTG?

Cryptbreaker | Illustration by Darek Zabrocki

Usually, black token generators refer to black cards that create one or more tokens; the token(s) themselves can be black, multicolored, or even colorless.

You could focus only on cards that create black tokens, but that would leave a lot of great token generators out of this ranking: Treasures are colorless tokens, Bastion of Remembrance creates a white creature token, Pawn of Ulamog gives you a colorless Eldrazi token, etc.

And just in case: The color of the created token does not affect the card's identity in Commander: Bastion of Remembrance‘s identity is just black despite making a white token.

Honorable Mentions: The Other Tokens

Tokens come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. For example, Wilds of Eldraine has a lot of token generators in the form of roles, which are token auras. When you look at the most popular token generators in black, though, there's a very clear bias towards two types of tokens: zombies and Treasures. With a couple of notable exceptions, most cards in this ranking will generate one of those two types.

#39. Open the Graves

Open the Graves is a good example of the sort of mechanic that black token generators tend to have: When something dies, create something else (usually a zombie, who will probably die very, very soon).

This enchantment gets the job done, but we'll find plenty of better versions of this effect in cheaper cards, or with less restrictions, or that provide better keywords.

#38. Tormod, the Desecrator

Although an adequate partner in Commander decks (usually as Ghost of Ramirez DePietro‘s sidekick), Tormod, the Desecrator is most often found pulling its weight as a regular card. Its effect triggers when cards leave the graveyard for any reason (not just when they return to the battlefield), so exiling them with effects like flashback or returning them from yard to hand will net you a token.

#37. Cryptbreaker

Cryptbreaker’s first ability is a good fit for decks that want to delve into discard synergies – in those cases, the zombie token is usually just a nice upside, not the core mechanic we’re after.

But the second ability makes it shine in zombie-infested decks, like black token decks tend to be. In this scenario, Cryptbreaker provides a very good payoff for having your board crawling with the walking dead, making it one of the stronger draw effects in black. Note that one of the three zombies you have to tap can be the 1-drop itself.

#36. Ghoulcaller Gisa

If you need a lot of bodies on the board fast, and already have a big body willing to sacrifice itself for your noble cause, Ghoulcaller Gisa will spawn the army you need and will snowball if left unchecked. You can even sacrifice one of Gisa's token zombies to make two.

Note that, as with all activated abilities that don't state otherwise, Gisa's works at instant speed as long as they don’t have summoning sickness, which means you can spawn blockers during your opponent’s turn.

#35. Crowded Crypt

If you’re planning on playing the long, grindy game (which token-heavy black decks often don't have much trouble doing), Crowded Crypt will passively get fairly fat, and provide you with a large army in the late game.

In the meantime, it's a very serviceable black mana rock to ramp towards your big black spells.

#34. Lord Skitter, Sewer King

Lord Skitter, Sewer King is a bit strange in that you get the rat token at the start of the combat phase, but it's very likely you won't use it until the next turn. But as we see today, free tokens at any time are highly useful and not to be wasted.

#33. Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools

Fairly common as a partner commander (it's one of the very few planeswalkers that can play that role) and very popular as a regular card in EDH decks, Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools is a straightforward token generator that also includes a great payoff for terminating your fodder.

And I pity the fools facing you if Tevesh ever activates its ultimate.

#32. Waste Not

Most decks that focus on tokens also focus either on sacrifice synergies or amassing a huge army to pound your foes with. Waste Not works on a different axis, being an amazing payoff for attacking your foe's hand with discard effects.

For discard-heavy decks, the zombie token that Waste Not gives us is usually just a nice upside. But when combined with effects like Sadistic Hypnotist, we can blend the discard and sacrifice packages quite well.

By the way: If you’re looking for discard payoffs that also generate tokens, then you may want to look into Waste Not‘s mirror image, Bone Miser.

#31. Endless Ranks of the Dead

As we're seeing, quite a few of the best token generators in black create zombies. Once you establish your small shambling squad, this aptly named enchantment makes sure your ranks keep swelling.

Endless Ranks of the Dead‘s drawback is that you need to already have more than a couple of (dead) bodies on the board, since it doesn’t do anything with less than two zombies in play. But as long as you can keep your dead walkers alive, or have other effects spawning them during your upkeep, you can grow a huge army really fast.

#30. Ruthless Technomancer

As soon as you have any big creature on the board, Ruthless Technomancer can cosplay as a multicolor ritual with the added benefit that you can spend the extra mana whenever you want.

And in the same package, Ruthless Technomancer also provides a payoff for the created tokens, even allowing you to bring back the big creature you've just sacrificed.

#29. Cemetery Reaper

Cemetery Reaper is a bit clunky and expensive as a token generator, but its lord effect comes in handy. A lot of other token generators are die-hard fans of The Walking Dead, after all!

#28. Ogre Slumlord

Here we have an interesting departure from the usual 2/2 do-nothing creature tokens many cards in this ranking tend to produce: Ogre Slumlord‘s rats have deathtouch, a defensive keyword ability that will force go-tall attackers to pull the brakes.

Our lording ogre is a bit expensive at 5 mana, but it triggers whenever nontoken creatures from any player die, and will be welcomed in any rat-focused deck.

#27. Pawn of Ulamog

Pawn of Ulamog gives us both a bit of ramp and self-sacrificing fodder. It's similar to many other cards with this same structure, but the tokens it creates accelerate you, and they're self-sacrificing if you just need more triggers for your Zulaport Cutthroat or what have you.

#26. Dreadhorde Invasion

Rather than directly creating tokens, Dreadhorde Invasion has the amass keyword, which creates a token if you have no army on the field, or grows one army bigger if you do, also making it a zombie.

Dreadhorde Invasion is no Bitterblossom, but a constant stream of sacrifice fodder at the start of your turn will fuel your sacrifice outlets like Woe Strider and keep them chugging along.

Dreadhorde Invasion can also eventually provide a bit of lifegain, although your deck will need to be specifically tailored for that: Your odds of growing an army to 6/6 with only Dreadhorde Invasion are very slim.

#25. Woe Strider

There's a lot going on here! First of all, Woe Strider’s a little self-contained enabler-plus-payoff combo, providing both the sacrifice outlet and the brave volunteer that's willing to die for your deck's sake.

Of course, the horror works all the better if you have additional fuel for its fire, something that any token deck worth its sac should have an easy time providing. And Woe Strider's payoff is on point for a relatively cheap card, letting you dig further down your deck for your bigger, meaner spells.

Cherry on top, this goat-eater can itself become a bigger, meaner threat in the late game, once your graveyard is well-stocked. Woe Strider is a nice case of the whole being more than the sum of its parts.

#24. Bloodline Keeper / Lord of Lineage

Bloodline Keeper is very strong with such a low cost for its activated abilities. Let's look a little longer at the transformed side in Lord of Lineage. Would you pay for a 5/5 flier that taps to make a 4/4 flier?

#23. Raven Eagle

Raven Eagle is an enabler and a payoff for the “draw second card” deck. It can also be convenient graveyard hate. This card can turn creatures in graveyards into Clues and drain your opponents when you draw your second card, which you can do when you crack Clues or use one of Dimir’s many draw-2 spells.

#22. Toxrill, the Corrosive

A slow-burning, one-sided board wipe that can eventually provide you with a chunk of tokens and card advantage, Toxrill, the Corrosive is a menace as one of the best Dimir commanders or as part of the 99ers in your deck.

It's not cheap, though, in any sense of the word: This slimy slug is pricey in paper and expensive to cast in-game.

#21. Liliana, Death's Majesty

This is the first time we see Liliana Vess in this ranking, but it won't be the last – which probably comes as no surprise for someone who’d have an Instagram profile filled with quick tips for raising your zombie right.

In Liliana, Death's Majesty‘s case, the first ability does exactly what cards in this ranking want to do, while also stocking your graveyard for later use. And the ultimate, while not strictly a token payoff, does work in decks that seek to flood the board with zombie tokens.

#20. Diregraf Colossus

It's big in zombie decks. It's a zombie. And it makes more zombies. Sometimes all you need is just a whole lot of big, bad zombies, and Diregraf Colossus is all about that. Not too impressive a threat all by itself early on, but able to flood the board if not dealt with soon.

But if you really need a bazillion zombies in one go, the next card may be right down your graveyard alley….

#19. Army of the Damned

Army of the Damned heard you like zombie tokens, and would like to create some zombie tokens on top of your zombie tokens. And then do it again from the graveyard, flashback-style.

As far as no-frills, get-it-done token generators go, Army of the Damned can sure put in some hard work!

#18. Bastion of Remembrance

It may not look like much, but Bastion of Remembrance carries a lot of weight in sacrifice-heavy decks, and as such this humble uncommon is one of the most popular token-spawning cards in Commander. It provides a very nice lifegain-plus-burn payoff for sending tokens to meet their maker. Which would be you, so all is well.

And, being an enchantment, Bastion of Remembrance is harder to interact with than creatures offering similar effects.

#17. Liliana, Dreadhorde General

My favorite version of Liliana, Liliana, Dreadhorde General is a nice token-pumping planeswalker, and it’s so versatile. You can create tokens just to block your opponent’s attacks and draw some cards, or you can sacrifice your own tokens with the -4 ability. Liliana has enough life to absorb a lot of hits, and if you can ultimate, it’s pretty funny to see your opponent when they’re left with only one card of each type (usually a land and a creature).

#16. The Sibsig Ceremony

The Sibsig Ceremony is a weird token-maker, but it’s powerful if you have weak creatures with good enters or dies triggers, like Virus Beetle or Doomed Dissenter. You’ll also get a discount for your creatures, and in some cases, like Ravenous Chupacabra, you’ll trade a 2/2 for a 2/2 token but pay 2 less, so it evens out. The bonus also applies if you can cast creatures from your graveyard or from exile.

#15. Ophiomancer

Like Ogre Slumlord‘s rats, Ophiomancer‘s snakes have deathtouch, turning these little 1/1's into some serious speed-bumps against foes trying to run you over with big creatures.

Ophiomancer is much cheaper than Ogre Slumlord and spawns vipers without anything needing to die. And as long as you have a way to send said snake to the slaughter, Ophiomancer will gladly beguile another one next turn.

#14. Grave Titan

Grave Titan’s impactful enough to see some fringe play in Legacy as part of reanimator decks, and during its tenure in Standard it was among the strongest of the Titans. And it's very popular in Commander, providing both offense and defense in a single card.

This big boy is amazing as a token generator and equally great in zombie typal decks, although in the latter case don't be fooled by the artwork: Grave Titan is not itself a zombie, but rather a giant.

#13. Westvale Abbey / Ormendahl, Profane Prince

As token generators go, Westvale Abbey is… not amazing, to say it politely. Paying 5 mana and 1 life for a 1/1 weenie just ain't it. And, really, this Abbey is not even black, it's colorless…

… until, of course, you flip the Abbey into one of the best black demons in Magic: Ormendahl, Profane Prince, who is very much a powerhouse of a payoff for sacrificing your creatures.

#12. Moseo, Vein’s New Dean

Moseo, Vein's New Dean is a mix of an aristocrats and lifegain card that offers you the tools you want for both decks. It gives you a pest token that attacks for 1 life, which in turn allows you to reanimate a 1-drop, which is a good incentive for sacrificing small creatures. Later in the game, you can gain life in bigger chunks and bring back bigger targets, especially if you’re playing more pests or lifelink creatures. Playing Moseo with other cards that affect the board and gain life like Gumdrop Poisoner or Noxious Gearhulk is the way to go.

#11. Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia

As a Commander, Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia is nothing much to look at. But as one of your other 99 cards, Jadar is an excellent, aggressive team player who’s sort of a dead-raising Bitterblossom with a couple of extra steps. Notice that the zombie Jadar creates has the decayed keyword, which provides a form of self-sacrifice at the end of combat.

#10. Fire Nation Occupation

Fire Nation Occupation is a reason to fill your decks with removal spells and burn spells, or even just flash creatures, and it’s a card that bridges multiple archetypes from aggro to control and also sacrifice. There’s no limit in a turn, so you can cast multiple spells on your opponent’s turn while they attack, and combat math suddenly goes in your favor. Or you can just ready your next offense on your opponent’s end step.

#9. Bitterblossom

If you’re in the market for an unending stream of tokens, Bitterblossom is exactly what you need. And these are not just any token: Fliers can bypass blockers (thus becoming the sort of saboteurs that Grim Hireling loves to support) or become hard-to-bypass blockers themselves, depending on what you need.

And, of course, Bitterblossom is a powerhouse in any faerie typal deck, though one that's remained pricey despite receiving multiple reprints over the years.

#8. Revel in Riches

If you’ve ever pondered whether or not you'd be rich by now if you had a nickel for every time you've killed one of your opponents' creatures, Revel in Riches is here to let you know that yes, by now you'd actually own that website which used to have a blue bird.

Jokes aside, Revel in Riches doesn't actually require you to get your hands bloodied – this enchantment won't inquire about the cause of death, so you’ll end up drowning in Treasure whenever enemy creatures happen to die for whatever reason (like, say, two of your opponents clashing against each other). That makes Revel in Riches one of the best enchantments available in Commander.

Then again, it’ll also line your pockets if you so happen to cast a board wipe and do get your hands dirty. Just saying!

#7. Grim Hireling

There’s something to be said about cards that provide both an effect and a payoff for said effect, and Grim Hireling’s among the best in that category: You get Treasures when your creature connect in combat, and you can remove enemy creatures with those Treasures.

And Grim Hireling‘s overall flexibility is amazing, giving you everything from removal that bypasses damage prevention to mana-fixing and ramping for whatever big wincon you’re aiming for.

#6. Liliana, the Last Hope

Once a Standard mainstay, Liliana, the Last Hope‘s ultimate can turn the board into a particularly gruesome chapter of The Walking Dead. If we go strictly by token generation, Liliana, the Last Hope‘s emblem is as good as it gets.

The other two abilities are very useful, too, and the first ability in particular can be used for slaying your own X/1s if your deck is high on death triggers.

#5. Bitterbloom Bearer

The second coming of the famous faerie token enchantment, Bitterbloom Bearer is a must-kill threat. Although it’s a fragile creature, it doesn’t force you to tap out on turn 2, and you can hit your opponent right away with 2 power. It’s best against decks with little cheap removal, especially in games 2-3 after sideboarding.

#4. Pitiless Plunderer

It sure is a shame to let good gold go to the grave!

If you're packing some sacrifice-hungry permanents like Mayhem Devil in your deck and you want to keep the sacrifices coming, Pitiless Plunderer provides an extra permanent to sac every time one of your creatures buys the farm. Our plundering friend's ability has no once-per-turn limitations, thus facilitating infinite combos, and the extra mana always comes in handy.

#3. Orcish Bowmasters

You may have heard of this one. Unless you only play Standard, and happen to have been living on a very isolated, very non-Magic island for the last couple of years.

Orcish Bowmasters has had a huge impact across formats, murdering X/1s everywhere from Vintage and Legacy to digital-only Alchemy and Historic, becoming an instant staple in all sorts of black decks. This orc archer also happens to make tokens, thus earning a spot in this ranking!

#2. Black Market Connections

Offering great flexibility for a price that black decks can usually afford given their relatively easy access to lifegain, Black Market Connections has been an extremely popular Commander card since printed in Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate. Remember, you don't need to choose all three options every turn!

A great black ramp option that also helps fix your mana, and an absolute monster in typal decks (since shapeshifters with the changeling keyword ability have all creature types) Black Market Connections is among the best black enchantments overall.

#1. Deadly Dispute

Deadly Dispute is amazing in black decks running artifact tokens (like Treasures), creature tokens (like a horde of zombies), or planning to sacrifice permanents. It's the most popular black card with “token” in its text in Commander decks, banworthy in Pauper, and is a staple of Pioneer Rakdos decks whenever they're popular.

Like several cards in today's list, Deadly Dispute‘s token-generation ability is by itself nothing jaw-dropping. But when you take the whole package into consideration, this is not just a great token generator but one of the best black instants, and one amazing black Magic card.

Best Black Token Generators Payoffs

Mirkwood Bat is an excellent token payoff, both when you create and when you sacrifice them. The card was designed to be a great fit for Food and Treasure tokens that you can easily sacrifice, but it will work in a creature sacrifice strategy as well.

Kambal, Profiteering Mayor and Baron Bertram Graywater are two Orzhov legends () that are directly related to creating tokens, and you’ll either drain your opponent’s life or create more tokens, not to mention that these two feed on each other’s ability.

Wrap Up

Bitterblossom | Illustration by Jesper Ejsing

And that’s about it for our ranking of the best black cards in Magic that create tokens.

I hope you've found this article to be more than just a token effort! With tokens being so varied, trying to rank token generators is a bit like comparing apples to oranges – after all, you really can't send a zombie to do a Treasure's job, and vice versa. But all in all, I hope that you've found the source of tokens your deck is looking for; and if that's not the case, do rummage through Scryfall a bit, since as noted black token generators are legion.

If you have any comments, feedback, or further questions about these token generators, do stop by the Draftsim Discord for a chat, and check out The Daily Upkeep YouTube channel for more content from us.

And may your spawned tokens be legion!