Map Tokens in MTG: Rules, History, and Best Cards

Dungeon Map | Illustration by Aaron Miller

A key part of exploration is knowledge of where you’re headed. While explorers plunge into the unknown, maps—even imperfect ones—are critical for them to orient themselves and help mark the discoveries they make. Few planes in Magic are as exploration-focused as the wild realms of Ixalan, which took this vital piece of equipment seriously with Map tokens to help us find our way when we revisited the plane in 2023.

Map tokens are artifacts with a powerful ability. Today, I’m breaking down everything you need to know about how Maps work in Magic and what you need to do to exploit them.

How Do Map Tokens Work?

Treasure Map | Illustration by Cliff Childs

Map tokens are predefined artifact tokens. You can pay , then tap them and sacrifice them to make target creature you control explore. As a targeted ability, it fizzles if its target becomes illegal after it goes on the stack, like if the creature dies or it somehow gains protection from colorless.

You can only activate Map tokens at sorcery speed, it can only target a creature you control, and they have to be sacrificeable and tappable. In other words, you can’t activate a Map token if you can’t sacrifice permanents due to an effect like Yasharn, Implacable Earth or if the token is tapped.

The History of Maps in MTG

Maps were introduced in 2023 as a new mechanic for The Lost Caverns of Ixalan that captured the theme and story of the set, with multiple characters following maps into an untouched, Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864) style cavern at the heart of Ixalan.

Maps build upon the explore mechanic introduced in the first foray to Ixalan, Ixalan, in 2017. Map tokens deformalize the mechanic, letting you invest mana and resources into whatever creature you like.

Since the initial batch of Map token creators in The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, only one card that creates Map tokens has been printed: Worldwalker Helm, a mythic rare artifact from Outlaws of Thunder Junction’s “The Big Score” bonus sheet.

What Is Explore?

Explore is a mechanic introduced in 2017 with Ixalan, and it appeared again in Rivals of Ixalan. The mechanic has appeared infrequently since; Seasoned Dungeoneer from Battle for Baldur’s Gate is the most notable example of explore outside of Ixalan-based sets.

When a creature explores, you reveal the top card of your library. If it’s a land, you put it into a hand. If it’s a nonland card, you put a +1/+1 counter on the creature that explored, then you may put the revealed card into your graveyard. If you don’t, it stays on top of your library. Notably, you don’t draw the land, you put it into your hand; that means it doesn’t interact with cards like Narset, Parter of Veils and Orcish Bowmasters.

If a creature would explore when it’s not on the battlefield—say you cast Merfolk Branchwalker and your opponent kills it in response to the enters trigger—the creature still explores, but you just can’t put a +1/+1 counter on anything if you reveal a nonland card. The rest of the effect resolves as normal.

If a noncreature permanent would explore somehow—perhaps you Defossilize an Erebos, God of the Dead that lacks the devotion to become a creature—then the explore triggers resolve as normal. Any +1/+1 counters that would be generated go onto the noncreature permanent.

When Can You Activate a Map Token?

Map tokens can only be activated at sorcery speed, when you have a legal target, and all the costs can be paid. That means the Map is untapped, can be sacrificed, and you have a creature you can target. If the creature you target is removed in response to the trigger or otherwise becomes an illegal target, the ability is removed from the stack, as is any spell or ability that no longer has a legal target.

Is a Map Token an Artifact? Is It a Permanent?

Map tokens are both artifacts and permanents, which are crucial to their power and impact. While the effect is good, being artifact permanents that support cards like Urza, Lord High Artificer, Thought Monitor, and Kappa Cannoneer (to name but a few) makes them far more useful. They can be sacrificed to explore, yes, or pitched to other sacrifice effects like Reckoner's Bargain or amassed to make Regal Bunnicorn larger.

Do Map Tokens Go to the Graveyard?

Like all tokens, Map tokens go to the graveyard, then cease to exist. Whether you sacrifice a Map to its own ability or another ability, it triggers cards like Marionette Master and Agent of the Iron Throne. Since they cease to exist in the graveyard, they won’t increase the size of your graveyard, add artifact types for delirium, or anything else.

Can You Use a Map with No Creatures in Play?

No, you can’t use a Map token’s ability with no creatures in play because they require a legal target to activate. You could theoretically use Maps with no creatures in play by sacrificing them to other effects, like Deadly Dispute or Krark-Clan Ironworks, but you can't activate the ability on the Maps themselves.

Can Maps Target an Opponent’s Creature?

No. Maps can’t target an opponent’s creature, just your own.

Gallery and List of Map Token Cards

• Brackish Blunder
• Cartographer's Companion
• Fanatical Offering
• Get Lost
• Kellan, Daring Traveler
• Restless Anchorage
• Sentinel of the Nameless City
• Spyglass Siren
• Storm Fleet Negotiator
• Topography Tracker
• Waterwind Scout
• Worldwalker Helm

Best Map Token Cards

Get Lost

Get Lost occupies a different space than most Map cards because it creates Maps for your opponents as reparation for slaughtering your opponent’s best threat. This type of removal is super common in white, all the way back to Swords to Plowshares gaining your opponent life. The variety of targets and low cost make Get Lost one of the strongest white removal spells printed in the past few years and it sees tons of play, even though the player who casts the spell doesn’t benefit from the Maps.

Fanatical Offering

Fanatical Offering offers a burst of card advantage and a Map, rather like a tame Deadly Dispute. Since it replaces whatever you sacrificed with a Map, you can chain these together or use it in coordination with other sacrifice outlets like Eviscerator's Insight. A sacrifice outlet that produces sacrifice fodder is power creep in full form.

Restless Anchorage

Creature lands are super useful because they’re effectively a spell and a land bundled into a single package; it gives you a mana sink and a threat, even when you draw a bunch of lands. Restless Anchorage has found a comfortable home in many control decks, with the Map tokens providing further value. Most of this card’s potential lies in being a 2/3 flying creature, but the Maps help when the game stalls out and you can enhance the creature land.

Sentinel of the Nameless City

Sentinel of the Nameless City has a hefty body for its cost. Three mana for a 3/4 with vigilance and it makes a Map? Even if it dies before you crack it, you’re up value. Oh, and it makes more Maps as it attacks. This is a prime green threat, especially if you cast it turn 2 with the help of a 1-mana dork like Llanowar Elves.

Kellan, Daring Traveler

Kellan, Daring Traveler and its adventure, Journey On, are powerful value engines in the right strategy. The creature plucks extra threats from your deck as you attack, a White Weenie player’s dream, and Journey On makes so many tokens. The adventure is especially appealing in Commander since a single mana generates up to four artifacts.

Spyglass Siren

Spyglass Siren has been a Standard staple since it appeared as a cheap threat for various flavors of Dimir Tempo/Aggro/Midrange that have been among the top decks in the format for forever. It plays nicely with Tragic Trajectory and other 1-mana removal spells because you can cast this turn 1, then make it a 2/2 and hold up removal on turn 2—and, of course, a cheap, evasive creature with a solid enters ability works wonders with Kaito, Bane of Nightmares and other ninjas. It just does so much for a single mana.

Worldwalker Helm

Worldwalker Helm is the only non-Ixalan Map card printed thus far (though the art suggests it might have originated from Ixalan before making its way into the vault at Thunder Junction), which is pretty funny because it’s among the strongest. These sideways token doublers are generally fantastic. Any deck that wants to make one artifact token rarely complains about having two, even if they’re of different types. Cards like Rashmi and Ragavan, Urza, Lord High Artificer, and Inspiring Statuary that care about a critical mass of artifacts love this card.

Wrap Up

Treasure Cove | Illustration by Jared Blando

I love all predefined artifact tokens. Clues, Blood, Maps, and Treasure all add so much dimension to game play, especially in Limited. When players have access to card filtration/advantage and mana sinks, they’re more likely to play Magic. I hope to see more Map token generators in the future!

What’s your favorite Map card? Do you want to see this mechanic return in the future? Let me know in the comments below or on the Draftsim Discord!

Stay safe, and thanks for reading!