Autonomous Assembler MTG Card


Autonomous Assembler boosts battlefield presence through Construct creation and hand preservation. Its instant-speed token generation provides tactical advantage and resource management in games. The Assembler’s ability to tap Constructs for mana accelerates resource availability for players.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeArtifact Creature — Assembly-Worker
Abilities Prototype, Vigilance
Power 4
Toughness 5

Text of card

Prototype — 2/2 (You may cast this spell with different mana cost, color, and size. It keeps its abilities and types.) Vigilance , : Put a +1/+1 counter on target Assembly-Worker you control.


Cards like Autonomous Assembler

The Autonomous Assembler is an intriguing new artifact creature in Magic: The Gathering, finding its unique space among self-replicating cards. It stacks up against the likes of Myrsmith, which similarly flourishes in environments that favor the prolific creation of artifact creature tokens. While Myrsmith hinges on casting artifact spells to populate your battlefield with Myr tokens, the Autonomous Assembler leans on a more autonomous trigger—netting you a Golem token every time you control four or more artifacts.

Then there’s Efficient Construction, another parallel in this synergy of artifacts and token creation. This enchantment doesn’t create tokens directly but rather rewards you with Thopter tokens each time an artifact comes into play under your control. The advantage with the Assembler lies in its robust body as a creature, allowing it to double as both a token generator and a potential blocker or attacker. Unlike the aforementioned spells, the Assembler demands no additional spells or actions once on the field to build your army.

Ultimately, the Autonomous Assembler epitomizes the dynamism of artifact-focused decks in Magic: The Gathering, providing a steady and reliable source of power without the need for constant casting or additional mana investment once deployed. This self-sufficient aspect might just cement its popularity among players who favor artifact-based strategies.

Myrsmith - MTG Card versions
Efficient Construction - MTG Card versions
Myrsmith - MTG Card versions
Efficient Construction - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Autonomous Assembler by color, type and mana cost

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Illustrious Wanderglyph - MTG Card versions
Essence of Antiquity - MTG Card versions
Sentry Bot - MTG Card versions
Mysterious Limousine - MTG Card versions
Platoon Dispenser - MTG Card versions
Bronze Guardian - MTG Card versions
Titanium Golem - MTG Card versions
Scourglass - MTG Card versions
Norn's Annex - MTG Card versions
Bastion Mastodon - MTG Card versions
Cataclysmic Gearhulk - MTG Card versions
Rules Lawyer - MTG Card versions
Chivalrous Chevalier - MTG Card versions
Ironsoul Enforcer - MTG Card versions
Assembled Ensemble - MTG Card versions
Tocasia's Onulet - MTG Card versions
Mirran Bardiche - MTG Card versions
Unstable Glyphbridge // Sandswirl Wanderglyph - MTG Card versions
Illustrious Wanderglyph - MTG Card versions
Essence of Antiquity - MTG Card versions
Sentry Bot - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Autonomous Assembler. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Mono-White AggroMono-White Aggro GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: AM Week 15 2024
Azorius MidrangeAzorius Midrange StandardAzorius MidrangeClassic Qualifier Prague 2024
Naya MidrangeNaya Midrange GladiatorGladiator Proving Grounds: Week 06 2024

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Autonomous Assembler’s ability to create Construct artifact creature tokens, you’re gaining presence on the battlefield while keeping cards in your hand for further plays, setting you up for success in multiplayer duels.

Resource Acceleration: As the Constructs created by Autonomous Assembler can often be tapped for mana, this card is a staple for engines that require a burst of resources, facilitating powerful plays earlier than usual, and giving you the edge in resource management.

Instant Speed Activation: Autonomous Assembler offers instant speed interaction, allowing you to wait until the end of your opponent’s turn before deciding to create a Construct. This strategic flexibility can fool opponents into false security or force them to waste resources on what they wrongly assume is your undefended state.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In order to leverage the capabilities of Autonomous Assembler, you’ll need to part with a card from your hand. This cost can be steep if you’re running low on cards, potentially leaving you at a disadvantage in the match.

Specific Mana Cost: Autonomous Assembler comes with a mana cost that needs both colorless and colored mana to play. This specificity could restrict its inclusion to only those decks that can consistently provide the required mana combination.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The investment to get Autonomous Assembler onto the battlefield is not negligible. Competing cards in the same mana range may offer immediate impact or more versatile benefits, which could make this card less appealing for players building a tight, efficient deck.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Autonomous Assembler offers a unique adaptability for deck builders, able to slip into artifact-heavy strategies or serve as a reliable creature generator in longer games.

Combo Potential: This card thrives alongside other artifacts, potentially feeding into synergistic combos that take advantage of artifact recursion or sacrifice mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where resilience and gradual value gain are key, the Autonomous Assembler can be a persistent threat that aligns well with control or midrange decks geared to outlast the opponent.


How to beat

The Autonomous Assembler can be quite a formidable opponent on the battlefield. This artifact creature has the ability to become a copy of another target artifact or creature at the beginning of your upkeep, which can make it unpredictable and difficult to combat. However, there are strategies to keep this Assembler in check. Understanding its mechanics is the first step; it relies on having a desirable target to mimic on the battlefield.

One effective technique is to limit the targets available for Autonomous Assembler’s ability. By controlling the number and type of creatures and artifacts on the board, you can minimize the impact of the Assembler’s transformations. Removal spells that exile or shuffle the Assembler into the library are especially useful, as they prevent it from being a recurring threat. On another front, countering the spell when the Assembler is first cast keeps it from ever entering the fray. Similarly, instant-speed removal can be pivotal when your opponent attempts to copy a creature or artifact—acting in response can leave them with an ineffective Assembler.

Finally, keeping up the pressure with aggressive strategies can outpace the Assembler’s effectiveness, forcing your opponent on the defensive. By presenting a clock and managing the board state effectively, the Autonomous Assembler becomes a minor hurdle rather than a game-ending threat.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Autonomous Assembler MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and The Brothers' War Art Series, 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 Autonomous Assembler and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Autonomous Assembler Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2022-11-18 and 2022-11-18. Illustrated by Slawomir Maniak.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 1056262015PrototypeBlackSlawomir Maniak
22022-11-18The Brothers' War Art SeriesABRO 52015Art seriesBorderlessSlawomir Maniak
32022-11-18The Brothers' WarBRO 342015PrototypeBlackSlawomir Maniak
42022-11-18The Brothers' WarBRO 3092015PrototypeBlackSlawomir Maniak

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Autonomous Assembler has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Autonomous Assembler 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 prototype card is a colorless card in every zone except the stack or the battlefield, as well as while on the stack or the battlefield if not cast as a prototyped spell. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it's in your graveyard, Blitz Automaton is a colorless creature card with mana value 7. It can't be the target of Recommission, a spell that targets an artifact or creature card with mana value 3 or less in your graveyard.
2022-10-14 Casting a prototyped spell isn't the same as casting it for an alternative cost, and an alternative cost may be applied to a spell cast this way. For example, if an effect allows you to cast an artifact card without paying its mana cost, you could either cast Blitz Automaton normally, or as a prototyped spell.
2022-10-14 If an effect copies a prototyped spell, that copy (as well as the token it becomes on the battlefield) will have the same characteristics as the prototyped spell. Similarly, if an effect creates a token that's a copy of a prototyped permanent or causes another permanent to become a copy of it, the copy would have the same characteristics as the prototyped permanent.
2022-10-14 Regardless of how it was cast, a prototype card always has the same name, abilities, types, and so on. Only the mana cost, mana value, color, power, and toughness change depending on whether the card was cast as a prototyped spell.
2022-10-14 The prototype ability functions in any zone that the spell could be cast from. For example, if an effect allows you to cast artifact spells from your graveyard, you could cast a prototyped Blitz Automaton from your graveyard.
2022-10-14 When cast as a prototyped spell, that spell has the mana cost, power, and toughness characteristics shown in its colored, secondary text box rather than the normal values of those characteristics. Its color and mana value are determined by that mana cost. The permanent that spell becomes as it resolves has the same characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack in any other way, or the permanent it becomes leaves the battlefield, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics.
2022-10-14 When casting a prototyped spell, use only its prototype characteristics to determine whether it's legal to cast it. For example, if Blitz Automaton is exiled with the last ability of Chandra, Dressed to Kill, you would be able to cast it for (because it's a red spell), even though you wouldn't be able to cast it as a colorless spell for its normal cost.
Vigilance card art

Guide to Vigilance card ability

In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.