What is the best cheap budget alternative to Auton Soldier?

The top vector-matched budget alternative to Auton Soldier is Blade of Selves ($2.94), offering a 82% functional match while saving $7.79.

How can I replace Auton Soldier in MTG Commander on a budget?

You can replace Auton Soldier ($10.73) in EDH by swapping in lower-cost cards that share key Scryfall oracle tags like #attack-trigger, #attacking-matters-self, #clone and identical color identity (U).

Articles/Budget Analysis

Best Mono-Blue budget alternatives to Auton Soldier

Automated Vector Analysis• 5 min read•Updated August 3, 2026

Auton Soldier

$10.73 Market

Card Breakdown: Auton Soldier (Artifact Creature — Alien Soldier) acts as a key High-Impact Creature Body in competitive and casual EDH / Modern formats. At $10.73, budget-conscious players can leverage vector embedding similarity to achieve comparable game effects for under $5.00.

Looking for other high-cost replacements? See our budget guides for The Snapstone Wielder ($428), Gifts Given ($300), Gilded Drake ($202).

#attack-trigger#attacking-matters-self#clone#copy-creature#copy-legendary#copy-self#delayed-trigger#fun-ruling#gains-myriad#multi-copy#temporary-token#unique-type-line

Top Vector-Ranked Budget Swaps

#1 Best Swap

Blade of Selves

(Artifact — Equipment)

$2.94

82% Vector Match

Equipped creature has myriad. (Whenever it attacks, for each opponent other than defending player, you may create a token copy that's tapped and attacking that player or a planeswalker they control. Exile the tokens at end of combat.) Equip {4}

Vector Synergy Breakdown

Functions as a Artifact alternative to Auton Soldier's Artifact Creature and costs 4 less mana to cast (2 MV vs 6 MV). Overlaps on functional mechanics including #attack-trigger, #multi-copy, #temporary-token.

#attack-trigger #multi-copy #temporary-token

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#2 Best Swap

Machine God's Effigy

(Artifact)

$5.00

79% Vector Match

You may have this artifact enter as a copy of any creature on the battlefield, except it's an artifact and it has "{T}: Add {U}." (It's not a creature.) {T}: Add {U}.

Vector Synergy Breakdown

Functions as a Artifact alternative to Auton Soldier's Artifact Creature and costs 2 less mana to cast (4 MV vs 6 MV). Overlaps on functional mechanics including #clone, #copy-creature.

#clone #copy-creature

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#3 Best Swap

Skystrike Officer

(Creature — Human Soldier)

$0.30

76% Vector Match

Flying Whenever this creature attacks, create a 1/1 colorless Soldier artifact creature token. Tap three untapped Soldiers you control: Draw a card.

Vector Synergy Breakdown

Functions as a Creature alternative to Auton Soldier's Artifact Creature and costs 3 less mana to cast (3 MV vs 6 MV). Overlaps on functional mechanics including #attack-trigger, #attacking-matters-self.

#attack-trigger #attacking-matters-self

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#4 Best Swap

Great Gilded Boat

(Artifact — Vehicle)

$3.03

76% Vector Match

Whenever you attack, recruit. (Draw a card, then discard a card. If you discarded a nonland card, create a 1/1 white Human Soldier creature token.) Crew 2 (Tap any number of creatures you control with total power 2 or more: This Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.)

Vector Synergy Breakdown

Functions as a Artifact alternative to Auton Soldier's Artifact Creature and costs 3 less mana to cast (3 MV vs 6 MV). Overlaps on functional mechanics including #attack-trigger.

#attack-trigger

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