Dinosaur is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Complete guide
Dinosaur tokens represent the prehistoric power of Jurassic beasts, brought to the battlefield through various triggered and activated abilities. While they lack a mana cost, these tokens carry significant weight in deck archetypes that care about creature types and raw strength. They serve as the backbone for many synergistic effects that reward you for controlling these ancient reptiles.
Characteristics of Dinosaur Tokens
A Dinosaur token is a creature with the 'Dinosaur' subtype. Unlike nontoken cards, its name is typically the same as its creature types unless specified otherwise. Because they are tokens, they do not have a mana cost and their mana value is 0. If they leave the battlefield, they cease to exist as soon as state-based actions are checked, meaning they cannot be returned to your hand or library.
Creation and Scaling
Dinosaur tokens are rarely identical; their power and toughness are defined by the effect that creates them. Some effects, like those from Regisaur Alpha, create a specific 3/3 token. Others, like Quartzwood Crasher or Ghalta and Mavren, create tokens with variable 'X' power and toughness based on the game state at the moment the ability resolves. Once created, these values are locked in and do not change even if the original creature's power changes later.
Synergy and Strategy
The primary advantage of Dinosaur tokens is their interaction with Dinosaur-tribal payoffs. They trigger abilities that look for a Dinosaur entering the battlefield and benefit from static buffs. Since many Dinosaur tokens are created with Trample, they are excellent targets for power-doubling effects. It is often best to create these tokens during the combat phase or at the beginning of your upkeep to maximize their impact before an opponent can react.
Interaction examples
When Regisaur Alpha enters, its triggered ability creates a 3/3 green Dinosaur creature token with trample. Because this token is a Dinosaur, it triggers Pantlaza, Sun-Favored. You may then Discover 3 (the token's toughness). Additionally, Regisaur Alpha's static ability gives the token haste, allowing it to attack immediately.
Ghalta and MavrenIf you attack with Quartzwood Crasher (a 6/6 with trample) and it deals 6 damage to a player, its ability triggers to create a 6/6 Dinosaur Beast token. If you also have Ghalta and Mavren, you can choose to create a Dinosaur token when you attack. If Quartzwood Crasher is your strongest other attacker, Ghalta and Mavren creates a 6/6 Dinosaur token that is already tapped and attacking.
When a Dinosaur token enters the battlefield while you control Marauding Raptor, the Raptor deals 2 damage to that token. This damage triggers Wrathful Raptors, allowing the token to deal 2 damage to any target that isn't a Dinosaur. If the token survives the damage, Marauding Raptor also gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
If you activate the ability of Allosaurus Shepherd, your Elves (like Llanowar Elves) become 5/5 Dinosaurs in addition to their other types. If you then cast Earthshaker Dreadmaw, it will count those transformed Elves as Dinosaurs when its triggered ability resolves, allowing you to draw a card for each of them.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Dinosaur
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
No additional ruling has been published for this card.
Interactions with other cards
These cards' text mentions Dinosaur.
Flying, first strike At the beginning of your upkeep, exile the top two cards of your library. You may play them this turn. If you exiled a land card this way, create a 3/1 red Dinosaur creature token. If you exiled a nonland card this way, create a Treasure token.
This spell costs {X} less to cast, where X is the greatest power among creatures you control. Whenever one or more nontoken creatures you control die, create a green Fungus Dinosaur creature token with base power and toughness each equal to the total power of those creatures. {2}, {T}: Double target creature's power until end of turn.
This spell can't be countered. Green spells you control can't be countered. {4}{G}{G}: Until end of turn, each Elf creature you control has base power and toughness 5/5 and becomes a Dinosaur in addition to its other creature types.
Trample Whenever you attack, choose one — • Create a tapped and attacking X/X green Dinosaur creature token with trample, where X is the greatest power among other attacking creatures. • Create X 1/1 white Vampire creature tokens with lifelink, where X is the number of other attacking creatures.
Trample Whenever one or more creatures you control with trample deal combat damage to a player, create an X/X green Dinosaur Beast creature token with trample, where X is the amount of damage those creatures dealt to that player.
Trample When this creature enters, draw a card for each other Dinosaur you control.
Vigilance, trample, haste Whenever Gishath deals combat damage to a player, reveal that many cards from the top of your library. Put any number of Dinosaur creature cards from among them onto the battlefield and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
Whenever Pantlaza or another Dinosaur you control enters, you may discover X, where X is that creature's toughness. Do this only once each turn. (Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with that mana value or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Other Dinosaurs you control have haste. When this creature enters, create a 3/3 green Dinosaur creature token with trample.
Trample Whenever a Dinosaur you control is dealt damage, it deals that much damage to any target that isn't a Dinosaur.
Reach, vigilance Whenever a Dinosaur you control deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
Creature spells you cast cost {1} less to cast. Whenever another creature you control enters, this creature deals 2 damage to it. If a Dinosaur is dealt damage this way, this creature gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
Related cards and tokens
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Meta decks with Dinosaur
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