Lazav, the Multifarious + Lesser Masticore + Ashnod's Altar + Strangleroot Geist

Lazav, the Multifarious

Lesser Masticore

Ashnod's Altar

Strangleroot Geist

How it works

1. Activate Lazav by paying 2, choosing to have it become a copy of Lesser Masticore if it doesn't have a -1/-1 counter on it, or Strangleroot Geist otherwise.
2. Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Lazav, adding CC.
3. When Lazav dies, if it was a copy of Lesser Masticore, its persist ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
4. Otherwise, Lazav's undying ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
5. When Lazav enters the battlefield, it triggers, causing you to surveil 1.
6. Repeat.

This clever loop transforms Lazav, the Multifarious into a recursive engine by leveraging the opposing mechanics of persist and undying. By repeatedly paying to copy Lesser Masticore and Ashnod's Altar's sacrifice outlet, Lazav dies to generate mana while returning with a -1/-1 counter. You then shift the copy target to Strangleroot Geist, whose undying ability interacts with that existing counter to successfully bring Lazav back yet again—this time with a +1/+1 counter that neatly wipes away the previous penalty. Each iteration resets the cycle while triggering Lazav's built-in surveil ability, giving you boundless sacrifices, enter-the-battlefield events, and card filtering.