Lesser Masticore + Phantom Train + Hardened Academic

Lesser Masticore

Phantom Train

Hardened Academic

How it works

1. Activate Phantom Train by sacrificing Lesser Masticore.
2. When Lesser Masticore dies, its persist ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
3. Hardened Academic triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on Lesser Masticore.
4. Resolve the Phantom Train ability.
5. Repeat.

This clever loop turns Phantom Train into a persistent sacrifice outlet that continuously feeds your graveyard. Each time you sacrifice Lesser Masticore to the Train, its persist ability brings it back with a -1/-1 counter, but Hardened Academic immediately counters this drawback by placing a +1/+1 counter on the Masticore whenever a card leaves your graveyard. Because +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters annihilate each other as a state-based action, the Masticore arrives completely clean of counters and ready to be sacrificed all over again.