Assemble

Assemble
Keyword Action
Introduced	Future Sight
Last used	Unstable
Reminder Text	Assemble (To assemble a Contraption, put the top card of your Contraption deck face up onto one of your sprockets.)
Scryfall Statistics
cards

Assemble is a keyword action introduced as a joke in Future Sight and related to Contraptions. It was greatly expanded upon in Unstable, where it was one of the main silver-bordered mechanics. Contraptions may be assembled by players and/or Creatures (Riggers).

Description

To assemble a Contraption means putting the top card of your Contraption deck face up onto one of your three sprockets.

There is no functional difference between players assembling a contraption, and creatures assembling a contraption. However, Steamflogger Boss only cares about Contraptions assembled by creatures.

Reassemble

Reassemble is a related keyword, featured on Suspicious Nanny and Cogmentor. It means (to gain control) and move it onto (another) one of your sprockets. You don't have to advance it in the normal direction.

History

It was stated that this mechanic and Contraptions were meant as a joke. Forsythe's statement ensured that players wanted it and they've bugged Mark Rosewater about it ever since. Thus, Rosewater vowed to figure out contraptions' design before he would retire.

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (November 14, 2025—Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Assemble

Assemble is a keyword action in the Unstable set that puts Contraptions onto the battlefield. Cards and mechanics from the Unstable set aren’t included in these rules.

From the Comprehensive Rules (November 14, 2025—Avatar: The Last Airbender)

• 701.45. Assemble
  • 701.45a Assemble is a keyword action in the Unstable set that puts Contraptions onto the battlefield. Outside of silver-bordered cards, only one card (Steamflogger Boss) refers to assembling a Contraption. Cards and mechanics from the Unstable set aren’t included in these rules. See the Unstable FAQ for more information.

Rulings

From the Unstable FAQAWASLFAQPAFTIDAWABIAJTBT (December 6, 2017)

So, how do they work? Do I just put them in my deck?

Contraptions don't go in your main deck—note they don't have the normal Magic card back. They go in a separate deck called the Contraption deck.

How do I build a Contraption deck?

First, get lots of Contraption cards! In Constructed, your Contraption deck needs at least fifteen different Contraption cards, and no more than one of each. If you're drafting or playing Sealed Deck, your Contraption deck can be however many Contraptions you draft or open in your Sealed pool, and it's okay if you have duplicates.

In Draft or Sealed Deck, do I have to play every Contraption in my card pool?

No. You can play as many or as few as you want.

The back of the Contraption card is wild. What's going on there?

Your Contraption deck has three sprockets. At the start of the game, put a CRANK! counter on Sprocket 3. At the start of your turn, if you have any assembled Contraptions, move the CRANK! counter to the next sprocket. Then the abilities of each Contraption under that sprocket trigger.

Whoa . . . slow down. How are Contraptions assembled?

Some creatures with the creature type Rigger assemble Contraptions. Also, a few cards ask you to assemble a Contraption. Here's how it works: reveal the top card of your Contraption deck, then put it face up under one of your sprockets.

Which sprocket should I put the Contraption on?

Well, that's up to you. At the beginning of each of your turns, you're going to get all the effects from one of your sprockets. This proceeds in order: one turn you'll get Sprocket 1, the next turn Sprocket 2, then Sprocket 3, then back to Sprocket 1. Planning ahead can give you some great combinations. Concentrate all your power in one turn or spread it out? The world is your mechanized oyster.

If I assemble more than one Contraption at the same time, do I have to put them on the same sprocket?

No. You choose individually for each one.

Do I have to crank each Contraption under the sprocket that's firing?

No. Cranking Contraptions is always optional. You crank only the Contraptions you want on the appropriate sprocket.

Do I have to keep the Contraptions in order under each sprocket?

No. You can have the abilities from Contraptions under a single sprocket resolve in any order.

Are Contraptions on the battlefield?

Yes. Contraptions are permanents, but the Contraption deck is not.

Are Contraptions artifacts?

Yes.

Can I destroy Contraptions with things that destroy artifacts?

Yes.

Can I sacrifice Contraptions to things that allow me to sacrifice artifacts?

Yes.

Can I [verb] them with things that [verb] artifacts?

Yes. They are artifacts in every sense of the word.

Where does a Contraption go when it leaves the battlefield?

If a Contraption would leave the battlefield and go to any zone other than exile, it instead goes to the scrapyard, the Contraption deck's version of the graveyard. Things that affect the graveyard do not affect the scrapyard. You can exile Contraptions just fine.

What if I or a creature I control assembles a Contraption and my Contraption deck is empty?

In that case, nothing happens.

Let's say a Contraption finds its way onto the battlefield without being assembled. Perhaps I cast Copy Artifact and copy one. What happens then?

Any Contraption that's on the battlefield and wasn't assembled immediately heads to the scrapyard. But if it's a not an actual Contraption card (like Copy Artifact isn't), it goes to your graveyard as normal. Non-Contraption cards can't be in the scrapyard.

Example

Example

Steamflogger of the Month
Creature — Goblin Rigger
3/3
When this creature enters, it assembles a Contraption for each Contraption you control. (To assemble a Contraption, put the top card of your Contraption deck face up onto one of your sprockets.)