Cogwork Assembler MTG Card
2017-01-20 - Number 145
2020-08-07 - Number 242
2022-12-02 - Number 761
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact Creature — Assembly-Worker |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Cogwork Assembler can clone artifacts, providing card advantage and play flexibility.
- Its seven-mana activation cost highlights a high resource need yet offers big payoffs.
- Operates at instant speed, allowing for strategic responses and efficient mana use.
Text of card
: Create a token that's a copy of target artifact. That token gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step.
Duplication is neither thievery nor flattery. It is efficiency.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Cogwork Assembler can be a source of card advantage as it has the ability to clone any artifact on the battlefield. This means if you have a potent artifact in play, you effectively double its presence, which can be leveraged for significant gains in board state or strategic versatility.
Resource Acceleration: While Cogwork Assembler itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its ability requires a substantial mana investment. As such, it fits naturally in decks that are designed to ramp up their mana resources quickly. Once your resource engines are online, Cogwork Assembler can repeatedly utilize that mana to create artifact copies each turn, potentially overwhelming opponents with a stream of value.
Instant Speed: The true power of Cogwork Assembler comes from its ability to operate at instant speed. This allows you to end your turn without committing to a specific action, keeping your options open. You can then wait to see what your opponent does and, if nothing more pressing arises, you can create a copy of an artifact at the end of their turn, maximizing your mana efficiency and making it harder for your opponent to predict your moves and prepare accordingly.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While the Cogwork Assembler offers a formidable ability to create tokens, it necessitates having an artifact to discard, which can be a significant hurdle when you’re in a pinch or your hand is empty.
Specific Mana Cost: Although the assembler’s activation cost is colorless, its initial casting requires a specific color—blue—which may not fit seamlessly into multicolored artifact synergies that lean towards other colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The manifold utility it brings to the table is somewhat diminished by its seven-mana activation cost. In matches where tempo plays a critical role, the cost-intensive nature of replicating an artifact might prove to be a setback compared to other lower-cost alternatives.
Reasons to Include Cogwork Assembler in Your Collection
Versatility: Cogwork Assembler offers flexibility to deck builders with its ability to duplicate any artifact on the battlefield. This makes it a valuable addition to decks that capitalize on artifact synergies or require specific artifacts to strengthen their board presence.
Combo Potential: With the right setup, Cogwork Assembler can become the lynchpin of a powerful combo, creating copies of artifacts with potent enter-the-battlefield effects or ones that generate infinite mana in combination with other cards.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment where artifacts play a central role, the Assembler’s utility can be a game-changer. It allows players to adapt to various competitive scenarios, making it an essential tool for those who aim to stay ahead in evolving meta-games.
How to beat Cogwork Assembler
Cogwork Assembler is a unique card that lets players make copies of any artifact on the battlefield at the cost of seven mana. This ability can quickly turn the tides of a game, especially if there are powerful artifacts in play. The key to outranking this card lies in preemptive resource denial or artifact management.
Control strategies can effectively suppress Cogwork Assembler’s potential. Counterspells prevent it from ever hitting the board, while removal like Abrade disrupts the assembler and any of its artifact replicas. Direct hand disruption, such as Thoughtseize, can extract Cogwork Assembler from an opponent’s hand before it becomes a threat on the battlefield.
Players can also employ artifact hate cards like Shatterstorm or Ancient Grudge to dismantle the Assembler’s copies and hinder its ability to dominate the game board. Limiting the number of artifacts in play is a sound strategy, reducing the value Cogwork Assembler can generate. In summary, staying one step ahead with removal, counterspells, or hand disruption ensures that Cogwork Assembler is nothing more than a cog in your victory machine.
Cards like Cogwork Assembler
Cogwork Assembler stands out in MTG as a powerful artifact creature with a unique ability to duplicate other artifacts. When considering alternatives, Mechanized Production comes to mind, as it also plays with the concept of artifact replication. Although Mechanized Production focuses on a longer-term gain, doubling an artifact each upkeep, Cogwork Assembler allows for immediate, albeit potentially costly, duplication.
Another comparable card is Mirrorworks, which triggers upon the casting of artifacts, offering a copy for an additional two mana. However, Cogwork Assembler provides more control, allowing you to choose when to create a copy, without the need to play another artifact. Phyrexian Metamorph offers versatility as well, able to clone not only artifacts but creatures too. Nevertheless, its single-use nature contrasts with the repeated use capability of Cogwork Assembler, giving the latter a potential edge in longer games.
Each of these cards has its place, but Cogwork Assembler provides a unique balance of flexibility and power that can be a game-changer in artifact-heavy decks within the MTG landscape, making it a formidable option for players looking to maximize their strategic plays.
Cards similar to Cogwork Assembler by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Cogwork Assembler MTG card by a specific set like Aether Revolt and Double Masters, 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 Cogwork Assembler 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Cogwork Assembler Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2017-01-20 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Joseph Meehan.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-01-20 | Aether Revolt | AER | 145 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Joseph Meehan | |
| 2 | 2020-08-07 | Double Masters | 2XM | 242 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Joseph Meehan | |
| 3 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 761 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Joseph Meehan |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Cogwork Assembler has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Cogwork Assembler card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-02-09 | Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied artifact will trigger when the token enters the battlefield. Any “as -his artifact] enters the battlefield” or “ -his artifact] enters the battlefield with” abilities of the chosen artifact will also work. |
| 2017-02-09 | If the copied artifact has in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0. |
| 2017-02-09 | If the copied artifact is a token, the token created with Cogwork Assembler copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that that created that token. |
| 2017-02-09 | If the copied artifact is copying something else (for example, if the copied artifact is a Sculpting Steel), then the token enters the battlefield as whatever that artifact copied. |
| 2017-02-09 | The token copies exactly what was printed on the original artifact and nothing else (unless that artifact is copying something else or is a token; see below). It doesn't copy whether that artifact is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras and Equipment attached to it, or any non-copy effects that have changed its power, toughness, types, color, or so on. |
