Tawnos, the Toymaker MTG Card
2022-11-18 - Number 222
2022-11-18 - Number 359
2002-06-24 - Number 105792
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Human Artificer |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 5 |
Key Takeaways
- Tawnos excels at generating card advantage by dynamically doubling valuable artifact tokens on the fly.
- His instant speed activation allows resourceful players to make unpredictable plays, disrupting opponent strategies.
- The downside includes a demanding mana cost and card discard, potentially hindering tempo and hand size.
Text of card
Whenever you cast a Beast or Bird creature spell, you may copy it, except the copy is an artifact in addition to its other types. (The copy becomes a token.)
"Don't thank me. Thank nature for its wondrous designs!"
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Tawnos, the Toymaker excels in giving players an edge by creating duplicate tokens. This not only swells your board presence but effectively doubles the value of your impactful artifact tokens. This results in a significant card advantage over your opponents as you leverage more resources without depleting your hand.
Resource Acceleration: The ability of Tawnos, the Toymaker to accelerate resources can’t be overstated. By cloning artifact tokens that produce mana or have cost-reducing effects, you effectively amplify your mana ramp or decrease the cost barriers for deploying your game-changing spells. This card turns any artifact token into an opportunity for rapid growth and development of your battlefield position.
Instant Speed: Tawnos, the Toymaker’s ability can be activated at instant speed, granting flexibility and strategic depth. This enables players to wait until the last feasible moment before the end of an opponent’s turn to create a copy, potentially bypassing sorcery-speed removals or disrupting the opponent’s calculations. Such timely interventions can turn the tide of the game, especially when performed unexpectedly and to maximum advantage.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One aspect that players need to be wary of with Tawnos, the Toymaker is the prerequisite of discarding a card. This can be particularly daunting when your hand is already running on empty, making it a liability in maintaining card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Tawnos comes with a very specific mana cost configuration, requiring both blue and artifact synergies to optimize its potential. This could present a deck-building challenge, potentially limiting the card’s inclusion to more niche artifact-centric strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: In games where tempo is crucial, Tawnos, the Toymaker’s mana cost is a significant consideration. Despite the unique abilities it may bring to the table, its entry to the battlefield needs careful timing as there are alternative plays or cards that might allow for a quicker impact on the game state at a lower mana value.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Tawnos, the Toymaker adapts well to different deck styles, with his ability to breathe life into artifacts. He shines in environments that thrive on artifact strategies or where decks capitalize on animated permanents.
Combo Potential: This card opens up avenues for intricate combos as it can turn any noncreature artifact into a creature for a turn. Tawnos pairs excellently with cards that capitalize on creatures entering or leaving the battlefield or with tap/untap mechanics.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state where artifacts and engines reign supreme, having Tawnos in your arsenal can pivot the scales in your favor. He’s a sleeper hit that could adjust the dynamics of any match, especially when artifact-centric decks climb the tier lists.
How to beat Tawnos, the Toymaker
Understanding how to navigate around Tawnos, the Toymaker is crucial for Magic: The Gathering players who aim to maintain control of the game. This legendary card presents a unique challenge, notably due to its ability to create token copies of artifacts that can turn the tide of a match. One efficient strategy to counteract Tawnos’s influence is to employ removal spells and abilities that can swiftly deal with both the artifacts and Tawnos itself.
Artifact removal spells like Abrade or Shatter can be highly effective, ensuring that the token copies don’t accumulate and overwhelm your board. Meanwhile, keeping instant-speed removal in your hand can act as a perfect response to Tawnos’s activation and limit its impact. Additionally, graveyard disruption tools can prevent any attempts to recur artifacts from the graveyard, further stifling the toymaker’s game plan. Cards like Grafdigger’s Cage can be an excellent choice to prevent such scenarios.
Overall, though Tawnos, the Toymaker brings a powerful and flexible approach to any artifact-based deck, a prepared player can adapt their strategies, using targeted removal and disruption to keep their opponent’s board clear and Tawnos’s potential in check.
Cards like Tawnos, the Toymaker
In the imaginative world of Magic: The Gathering, Tawnos, the Toymaker stakes its claim among the pantheon of artifact creatives. When comparing this card to others like it, Sai, Master Thopterist emerges as a close relative. Both cards pivot around the creation of artifact creature tokens, albeit Tawnos leans more into customizing these tokens with its unique ability.
Another card that echoes the inventive spirit of Tawnos is Goblin Welder. It shares the theme of tinkering with artifacts, trading them from the graveyard and the battlefield, though it does not create tokens directly. While Goblin Welder focuses on an interchange mechanic, Tawnos provides more agency in building new artifacts on the fly. Then there’s Thopter Spy Network, establishing its presence as a card that also consolidates token generation with card draw, similar to Tawnos’ utility in nourishing hand advantage.
In essence, while each card holds its merit within the MTG universe, Tawnos, the Toymaker stands out for its versatile token customization and synergy potential, marking its territory as an avant-garde, even among other innovative artifact-focused cards.
Cards similar to Tawnos, the Toymaker by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Tawnos, the Toymaker MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and The Brothers' War, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Tawnos, the Toymaker and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Tawnos, the Toymaker Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2022-11-18 and 2022-11-18. Illustrated by Livia Prima.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 105792 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Livia Prima | ||
| 2 | 2022-11-18 | The Brothers' War | BRO | 222 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Livia Prima | |
| 3 | 2022-11-18 | The Brothers' War | BRO | 359 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Livia Prima |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Tawnos, the Toymaker has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Tawnos, the Toymaker card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2022-10-14 | A resolving copy of a permanent spell becomes a token, so the token isn't "created." Effects that care about a token being created won't interact with a token that enters the battlefield from Tawnos, the Toymaker's ability. |
| 2022-10-14 | The copy remembers any decisions that were made for the original spell as it was cast, including values chosen for X in its mana cost and whether any alternative or additional costs were chosen. For example, if the original creature spell had kicker and its kicker cost was paid, the copy will also be kicked. |