Treasure

Magic: The Gathering

Treasure is a predefined token and artifact type introduced in the Ixalan block. It appeared exclusively on tokens until the release of Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms.

Treasure is a predefined token and artifact type introduced in the Ixalan block. It appeared exclusively on tokens until the release of Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms.

Description

Like Gold tokens previously, these Treasure artifact tokens can be sacrificed for mana. Unlike Gold, these artifact tokens must also be tapped. Red (primary) and Green (secondary) were slated to have more access to treasures than other colors. In practice, Blue had a significant head-start on Green, which got none in the earlier sets, with White getting its first treasure maker two years later in Smothering Tithe. Black tends to usually require some additional cost, while blue can do it for flavor reasons (e.g. Pirates). Green received numerous Treasure makers across Modern Horizons 2, Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms and Streets of New Capenna, quickly overtaking Blue for third place.

Nontoken Treasures

While all of these ostensibly have an ability that sacrifices them for any color of mana, Goldhound and Glittering Stockpile act slightly differently.

History

Gold tokens had been considered for the Ixalan block but proved problematic with the improvise mechanic from Aether Revolt in the Standard environment, so R&D had to add a tap and change the token's name.

There were four versions of the printed Treasure token in the Ixalan block, each with the art of a chest that contains valuables from one of the four factions.

Treasure tokens reappeared in Ravnica Allegiance (Smothering Tithe), and are now considered deciduous.

With the release of Core Set 2020, Treasure became a predefined token. As a consequence, the description of what a treasure token does now appears in the reminder text, instead of in the rules text. Older treasure token cards were errataed.

In Strixhaven: School of Mages, Treasure represents artistic creations of the Prismari, the physical manifestation of their magic. While Prismari is blue-red aligned, the only mono-blue Treasure maker is one that gives some to your opponent.

The first card that featured the artifact type was Mimic from Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms. It featured the same ability as the previous tokens. Minimus Containment, printed in the same set, can make a permanent into a Treasure. The game can track the mana that is produced from sacrificing a Treasure, and this was made mechanically relevant in this set.

In Streets of New Capenna, the main colors for Treasure are back in Red-Green. It also demonstrates a new way to balance Treasure creation by them being created tapped. Three more Treasure cards were printed, though unlike other subtypes printed on cards, two of them do not hold the true functionality of Treasures: Goldhound has summoning sickness, while Glittering Stockpile only generates variable mana after a stash counter is added on it, though it compensates with being a red mana stone in the meantime.

Trivia

Revel in Riches is an alternate-win card making use of Treasure tokens: at the beginning of your upkeep, if you control ten or more Treasures, you win the game.
To celebrate the 2018 Chinese New Year League, Wizards of the Coast in Taiwan released special foil treasure tokens depicting the Chinese Myth of the Money Tree.
- Simarily, a metal goldplated was token became available to celebrate the 2021 holidays in South-East Asia.
Unlike Clues (Investigate), treasure creation was designed without an associated keyword. If R&D had decided that Treasure would have needed a keyword, they would have wanted it to be generic to allow as many flavor interpretations as possible, so something like “produce Treasure” or "discover Treasure".
Since its introduction Treasure has become the most common token, with over 200 cards producing Treasure tokens.

Rules

Treasure mana

A number of cards from Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms contain the clause "if mana from a Treasure was spent" giving a bonus if the clause is fulfilled:

Devour Intellect () — opponent reveals their hand, and you choose the card to discard.
Forsworn Paladin () — target creature gains deathtouch.
Hired Hexblade () — you draw a card and lose 1 life.
Jaded Sell-Sword () — gains first strike and haste until end of turn.
Kalain, Reclusive Painter () — gives a +1/+1 counter for each treasure mana spent to other creatures cast.
Price of Loyalty () — +2/+0 to stolen creature.
Spoils of the Hunt () — +1/+0 for each treasure mana spent.

This design returns in different forms in later sets, such as in Streets of New Capenna, where Treasures is a theme for Gruul () sub-archetype.

Jetmir's Fixer () — gets a +1/+1 counter.
Security Rhox() — casts for if both were treasure mana.
Rain of Riches () — gives cascade to treasure-spent spells.
Vazi, Keen Negotiator () — draws a card and gives a +1/+1 counter for mana spent by opponents from treasures.

Marut () — produces a treasure for each treasure mana spent.
Pirate's Landing () — seek a Pirate card.
Mastermind Plum () — allows a player to draw a card and lose 1 life for each spell cast with mana from a Treasure.
Mr. House, President and CEO — rolls an extra dice for each treasure mana spent.
Alchemist's Talent — deals damage to opponents when treasure mana is spent on spells