Brenard, Ginger Sculptor + Derevi, Empyrial Tactician + Phyrexian Altar

Brenard, Ginger Sculptor

Derevi, Empyrial Tactician

Phyrexian Altar

How it works

1. Activate Derevi by paying 1, putting it from the command zone onto the battlefield.
2. When Derevi enters the battlefield, it triggers, untapping a mana-producing permanent.
3. Activate the mana-producing permanent by tapping it, adding at least , or .
4. Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing Derevi, adding , or .
5. Choose not to return Derevi from your graveyard to the command zone.
6. When Derevi dies, Brenard triggers, exiling Derevi from your graveyard and creating a token copy of it that is a 1/1 Food Golem artifact creature token.
7. Choose to return Dervi from exile to the command zone.
8. When the Derevi token enters the battlefield, it triggers, untapping a mana-producing permanent.
9. Activate the mana-producing permanent by tapping it, adding at least , or .
10. Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing the Derevi token, adding , or .
11. Repeat.

This loop transforms the Commander tax into an engine by using Phyrexian Altar to sacrifice Derevi, Empyrial Tactician directly from the battlefield, bypassing the graveyard entirely when you choose to send it back to the command zone. Once reinstated from the command zone, Derevi's entry trigger untaps a mana source to refund the casting cost while generating the necessary mana to keep casting it. Meanwhile, Brenard, Ginger Sculptor stands ready to exile the dying commander and replace it with a 1/1 Food Golem token copy that retains those glorious entry triggers and sacrifice synergy, while also granting any resulting Food or Golems a passive +2/+2 and trample buff.