Stalwart Successor + Altar of Dementia + Twilight Shepherd

Stalwart Successor

Altar of Dementia

Twilight Shepherd

How it works

1. Activate Altar of Dementia by sacrificing Twilight Shepherd
2. When Twilight Shepherd dies, its persist ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
3. When Twilight Shepherd enters, Stalwart Successor triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on Twilight Shepherd
4. Resolve the Altar of Dementia ability.
5. Repeat.

This clever loop turns Twilight Shepherd into an endlessly recurring mill engine, fueled by the relentless sacrifice outlet of Altar of Dementia. Every time Twilight Shepherd enters the battlefield, its persist ability ensures it comes back with a -1/+1 counter after being sacrificed, but the real magic happens thanks to Stalwart Successor. Because those -1/-1 and +1/+1 counters cancel each other out, each resurrection marks a fresh instance of counters being placed on Twilight Shepherd for the first time that turn, triggering Stalwart Successor to add a +1/+1 counter and resetting its persist eligibility over and over again.